Valerie S. Faeth

Valerie focuses her practice on representing employers in a broad array of employment-related disputes, as well as providing advice to management on all aspects of employment law. She is a director in the Employment Litigation, Labor and Employment, and Workers’ Compensation Practice Groups.

Experience

Valerie represents employers in litigation and appeals in federal and state courts. She also defends employers in investigations conducted by administrative agencies such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission and Department of Labor.

Her areas of focus include conducting and overseeing investigations of alleged employee misconduct; counseling on hiring, disciplining and discharging employees; Americans with Disability Act and Family Medical Leave Act compliance and counseling; drafting employee handbooks and policies; and sexual harassment training.

Professional and Community

Valerie is currently involved in numerous professional organizations. These organizations include the Labor and Employment and Workers' Compensation Sections of the Pennsylvania Bar Association and the Allegheny County Bar Association.

She is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Arsenal Family & Children’s Center which promotes the healthy development of children and provides support for their parents through a diversity of programs and partnerships with other community agencies. In addition, she is a member of the Governance Committee of the Baptist Homes Society Board, an organization that promotes and supports the quality of senior living.

Honors and Achievements

Valerie has spoken at seminars sponsored by numerous organizations, including the Pennsylvania Bureau of Workers' Compensation, Pennsylvania CareerLink, Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce, Pittsburgh Personnel Association, Defense Research Institute, Professional Education Systems, Inc. and Institute of Business Law.

Valerie has also co-authored a number of articles related to psychiatric injuries, and the interplay between the Pennsylvania Workers' Compensation Act, Americans with Disabilities Act and Family Medical Leave Act.

Community Involvement

• Member, Board of Directors, Arsenal Family & Children's Center (1999 - Present)
• Member, Governance Committee Society Board, Baptist Homes (2007 - Present)

Representative Seminars

• Allegheny General Hospital, “Current Trends in Workers' Compensation Management,” Pittsburgh, PA (March 6, 2009)
• St. Clair Occupational Medicine Center, “Wellness Programs: Navigating the Legal Requirements” (April, 2008)
• Pennsylvania CareerLink, “Effective Interviewing, Employee Terminations and Workplace Violence,” Pittsburgh, PA (September 18, 2006)
• Pennsylvania Bureau of Workers’ Compensation Conference, “Employment Issues Associated with Handling Workers’ Compensation Cases,” Hershey, PA (June 12, 2006)
• Allegheny General Hospital, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, “Mock Deposition of an IME Physician,” Pittsburgh, PA (February 9, 2006)
• Healthsouth Rehabilitation Hospital, “Mock Physician’s Deposition,” Harmarville, PA (October 28, 2005)
• Healthsouth Rehabilitation Hospital, “Mock Workers’ Compensation Hearing,” Harmarville, PA (November 10, 2004)
• Healthsouth Rehabilitation Hospital, “Determining Whether Arthritic Changes Are Compensable Under the Workers' Compensation Act,” Harmarville, PA (March, 2003)
• Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, “Analyzing Hearing Loss Cases,” Pittsburgh, PA (January 26, 2001)

Representative Publications

• Co-author, “Stress—A Workers’ Compensation Injury?” Assisted Living Success (May 2000)
• Co-author, “Beware of Tunnel Vision: How to Handle Leave Requests Under the Workers’ Compensation Act, ADA and FMLA,” Assisted Living Success (October 1999)
• Co-author, “Stress—A Workers’ Compensation Injury? Maybe,” Pennsylvania Law Weekly (August 23, 1999)
• Co-author, “Legislative Trends in Workers’ Compensation Laws,” Defense Research Institute Workers’ Compensation Seminar (February 1997)
• Author, “Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation: Case Law Update,” Professional Education Systems, Inc. Seminar (April 1996)