In addition to serving as leader of the firm's Labor & Employment Group, Charlie Plumb represents management in all phases of employment law and labor relations. Much of his practice is dedicated to counseling employers on compliance with a broad range of state and federal employment laws and regulations and educating management on best practices for avoiding disputes arising from the employer/employee relationship. He also has extensive litigation experience before federal and state courts, regulatory and administrative agencies, and in arbitration matters involving claims of discrimination, wrongful discharge, retaliatory discharge, breach of contract, and constitutional law violations.
As part of his labor practice, Charlie represents unionized employers in collective bargaining negotiations with labor unions, arbitrates grievances, and defends management against a variety of claims before the National Labor Relations Board and Department of Justice and in state and federal courts. He also represents employers who seek to maintain a non-unionized workforce by counseling management on union avoidance strategies and by providing training and advice to management and supervisors. His clients include numerous municipalities throughout Oklahoma and companies engaged in the manufacturing and distribution, construction, energy, public utility, technology and business services industries.
Charlie is a member of the American Bar Association's Labor and Employment Law Section and the Oklahoma Bar Association's Labor Council. He is also the designated representative of McAfee & Taft as the exclusive member firm representing Oklahoma in the Employers Counsel Network, a nationwide affiliation of leading law firms providing legal assistance and representation to employers.
Charlie is a frequent speaker and author on workplace issues. He is also co-editor of the Oklahoma Employment Law Letter, a monthly review of new court decisions, regulations and laws that affect state employers, as well as co-editor for the Oklahoma section of the annual guidebook for employers and human resources professionals, 50 Employment Laws in 50 States.
Charlie's achievements have earned him inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America (employment law - management, labor law - management, labor and employment litigation), Oklahoma Super Lawyers (employment and labor, civil litigation defense), Benchmark Litigation and Chambers USA Guide to America's Leading Lawyers for Business, where he has been lauded as "an impressive public speaker who utilizes his vast experience to effectively defend clients." Researchers at Chambers & Partners also quoted market observers as admiring him for his "practicality of advice and specialized knowledge of complex legal issues," with sources commenting that he "immediately commands respect, is always up to date and knows how to handle a problem." He was named "Best Lawyers' 2012 Tulsa Labor and Employment Litigation Lawyer of the Year," an honor only given to a single lawyer in each legal specialty in each community.
Attorney Articles
· FMLA retaliation or rightful discharge?
Oklahoma Employment Law Letter - May 2012,
· Employment Law Update " Pro-union poster back on hold (again)
McAfee & Taft EmployerLINC Employment Law Update - April 18, 2012
· Employment Law Update " Point/Counterpoint: Why two labor posters are better than one
McAfee & Taft EmployerLINC Employment Law Update - April 5, 2012
· No reinstatement if you can't do the work
Oklahoma Employment Law Letter - March 2012
· 'This is why you were fired'
Oklahoma Employment Law Letter - October 2011
· NLRB releases report on social media cases
McAfee & Taft EmployerLINC Employment Law Update - August 23, 2011
· Unionizing employers is about to get easier
McAfee & Taft EmployerLINC Labor Law Update - June 22, 2011
· Whistle-blowing and wrongful discharge claims
Oklahoma Employment Law Letter - June 2011
· Settlement reached in lawsuit involving firing over employee's Facebook® comments
McAfee & Taft EmployerLINC Employment Law Update - February 23, 2011
· Gavel to Gavel: Employers and 'in-your-face' Facebook
The Journal Record - February 17, 2011
· Did I use my outside voice?
Oklahoma Employment Law Letter - February 2011
· You're hiring someone's employee?
The Journal Record - October 21, 2010
· Employment Practices: Employment letters, handbooks, and promises - oh, my!
Oklahoma Employment Law Letter - September 2010
· Strengthening arbitration agreements
Oklahoma Employment Law Letter - September 2010
· Union Organizing: Union logos, fliers, and discipline
Oklahoma Employment Law Letter - July 2010
· Protected activity: No retaliation claim when employee 'goes off'
Oklahoma Employment Law Letter - May 2010
· Employee classification: Watch out - Oklahoma follows IRS' lead
Oklahoma Employment Law Letter - March 1, 2010
· FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE " Riding herd on FMLA abuse in 2010
Oklahoma Employment Law Letter - February 1, 2010
· ADMINISTRATIVE AGENCIES " The long reach of EEOC subpoenas
Oklahoma Employment Law Letter - January 1, 2010
· Employee Handbook: Handbook disclaimer wins
Oklahoma Employment Law Letter - January 1, 2010
· The Changing Face of Employment Disability Law
@Law Magazine - December 1, 2009
· Retaliation: What did you know, and when did you know it?
Oklahoma Employment Law Letter - November 1, 2009
· Reasonable accommodation: Returning to work and the interactive process
Oklahoma Employment Law Letter - September 2009
· LAYOFFS " Reductions In Force: The Importance of Keeping Your Story Straight
Oklahoma Employment Law Letter - September 2009
· Age discrimination: America's pastime
Oklahoma Employment Law Letter - August 2009
· Pensions and retirement benefits: Layoffs, severance, and wage claims
Oklahoma Employment Law Letter - July 2009
· National origin discrimination: He doesn't talk like us
Oklahoma Employment Law Letter - May 2009
· Employer retaliation: Workplace witness protection
Oklahoma Employment Law Letter - March 2009
· Union Organizing: Here come the unions
Oklahoma Employment Law Letter - February 2009
· Workers' compensation: Three-year absence? Time to terminate
Oklahoma Employment Law Letter - January 2009
· Eavesdropping Employer Caught
Oklahoma Employment Law Letter - December 1, 2008
· Oklahoma vs. Federal Drug Testing Standards
Oklahoma Employment Law Letter - September 1, 2008
In The News
· Employment attorney weighs in on risks of office lottery pools
The Oklahoman - April 8, 2012
· Reinstatement can be denied after leave, law expert says - Q&A with Charlie Plumb
The Oklahoman - April 6, 2012
· Nonunionized employers need to pay attention to NLRB
HR Hero Line - October 17, 2011
· Tools for drug testing
The Journal Record - July 21, 2011
· Proposed labor rules would make unionizing faster, easier
The Oklahoman - June 28, 2011
· Courts beginning to accept obesity as a disability
The Oklahoman - April 26, 2011
· Attorneys in Oklahoma expect workplace investigations to rise
The Oklahoman - February 6, 2011
· Holiday season shines light on workplace alcohol issues
The Journal Record - November 30, 2010
· More government 'boots' are on the ground
Tulsa Business Journal - June 3, 2010
· Employers can take steps to quash union organizing
The Oklahoman - April 27, 2010
· Lawyers offer advice on employment law changes
The Journal Record - March 23, 2009
· Charlie Plumb interviewed about recent
Shirazi decision by Oklahoma Supreme Court
The Journal Record - March 3, 2009
· New FMLA regulations further define 'serious illness'
The Journal Record - December 4, 2008
· Charles Plumb quoted in
Journal Record cover story on employee drug testing
The Journal Record - September 25, 2008
At The Podium
· ADA-Safe Job Descriptions: HR's How-To for Defining Essential Functions presented at HR Hero National Webinar on June 6, 2012.
· A Practical Refresher on Hiring and Firing Best Practices presented at Western Oklahoma Human Resources Presentation on April 12, 2012 in Weatherford, Oklahoma.
· Avoiding the ADA Abyss - How to interactively accommodate, deal with employee drug use, and know when to use fit-for-duty evaluations presented at EmployerLINC 2012: 'Adventures in HR' on April 3, 2012 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
· Leave Management - How to Master the FMLA/ADA/Workers Compensation Web presented at HR Hero Virtual Conference on March 27, 2012.
· New (and better) Drug and Alcohol Testing Rules for Oklahoma Employers presented at Broken Arrow Chamber of Commerce's B2B Breakfast on November 22, 2011 in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.
· Employment Law presented at The Legal Forum Radio Series on October 22, 2011.
· Upcoming Changes for Oklahoma Employers: Wrongful Discharge and Drug Testing presented at Muskogee Area Human Resources Association on October 17, 2011 in Muskogee, Oklahoma.
· Manage Your FMLA, ADA, Workers' Comp and GINA Overlap presented at Advanced Employment Issues Symposium on October 6, 2011 in Nashville, Tennessee.
· Employment Law Outlook for 2012 and Beyond presented at Advanced Employment Issues Symposium on October 6, 2011 in Nashville, Tennessee.
· Survivor: Ethics and the Employment Jungle presented at Oklahoma Society of CPAs' Fall Industry Conference on September 23, 2011 in Midwest City, Oklahoma.
· Whistle-blowing, Retaliation and Employment Terminations presented at Oklahoma Society of CPA's Fall Conference on September 23, 2011 in Midwest City, Oklahoma.
· Fall Check-Up for Your Employee Handbook presented at Tulsa Area Employer Council on September 13, 2011 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
· Managing Social Media in the Workplace presented at Western Oklahoma Human Resources Association Meeting on September 8, 2011 in Weatherford, Oklahoma.
· Oklahoma Employment Law Update presented at Oklahoma Association of Electric Cooperatives on August 15, 2011.
· Advanced FMLA Management and Strategies presented at Tulsa Area Human Resources Association July Learning Lab on July 28, 2011 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
· Changes for Workplace Drug Testing in Oklahoma presented at Tulsa Metro Chamber HR Forum on July 20, 2011 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
· Advanced Challenges and Solutions for Employers presented at HR Hero 2011 Wage & Hour Virtual Summit (Online Interactive Conference) on June 16, 2011.
· Managing Social Media in the Workplace presented at OCUPA-HR Spring Drive-In Conference on May 17, 2011 in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.
· Government Crackdown on Wage & Hour Issues presented at EmployerLINC 2011 Labor, Employment and Employee Benefits Seminar on April 26, 2011 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
· Government Crackdown on Wage & Hour Issues presented at EmployerLINC 2011 Labor, Employment and Employee Benefits Seminar on April 20, 2011 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
· Now Hiring! presented at EmployerLINC Webcast on March 24, 2011 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
· The IRS and the HR Relationship presented at Western Oklahoma Human Resource Organization on February 10, 2011 in Weatherford, Oklahoma.
· EmployerLINC Webcast: When the Feds Come Knocking presented at Legal Information, News and Commentary for Employers Webcast on January 25, 2011.
· What Employers Can Expect in 2011 presented at Tulsa Chapter of the American Subcontractors Association on January 18, 2011 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
· What's New and Hot With the FMLA presented at 2010 Advanced Employment Issues Symposium, Las Vegas on November 11, 2010 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
· When the Feds Come Knockin' presented at Tulsa Area Employer Council on November 10, 2010 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
· Violence in the Workplace presented at Fall 2010 Labor, Employment and Employee Benefits Seminar - Oklahoma City on October 20, 2010 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
· Regulatory Enforcement on the Rise: Avoiding Wage & Hour Traps and Surviving a DOL Audit presented at Fall 2010 Labor, Employment and Employee Benefits Seminar - Oklahoma City on October 20, 2010 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
· What's New and Hot With the FMLA presented at 2010 Advanced Employment Issues Symposium, Nashville on September 30, 2010.
· Employment Law Update presented at Spring 2010 Labor & Employment and Employee Benefits Seminar on May 26, 2010 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
· How to Terminate Legally presented at Spring 2010 Labor & Employment and Employee Benefits Seminar on May 26, 2010 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
· Advanced FMLA Issues presented at HR Hero FMLA Master Class on May 26, 2010 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
· Employment Law Update presented at Spring 2010 Labor & Employment and Employee Benefits Seminar on May 19, 2010 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
· How to Terminate Legally presented at Spring 2010 Labor & Employment and Employee Benefits Seminar on May 19, 2010 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
· Investigating Conduct or Claims: Getting to the Truth and Making it Stick presented at Oklahoma City Metro Employer Council Meeting on April 20, 2010.
· How to Legally Terminate presented at Bartlesville Area Human Resources Association on April 8, 2010 in Bartlesville, Oklahoma.
· FMLA Compliance: Advanced Challenges and Solutions for Employers presented at HR Hero 2010 FMLA Compliance Virtual Summit on February 23, 2010.
· Overcoming the 8 Toughest Wage & Hour Problems: How to avoid DOL's ramped-up enforcement presented at Interactive HR Hero Audio Conference on November 19, 2009.
· Overcoming the 8 Toughest Wage & Hour Problems: How to Avoid DOL's Ramped-up Enforcement presented at Interactive HR Hero Audio Conference on November 19, 2009.
· What the New FMLA Regs and Future Leave Laws Mean for Employers presented at HR Hero Advanced Employment Issues Symposium on October 29, 2009.
· Recordkeeping Essentials presented at HR Hero Master Class on October 2, 2009.
· What the New FMLA Regs and Future Leave Laws Mean for Employers presented at HR Hero Advanced Employment Issues Symposium on September 17, 2009.
· Oklahoma Employers' ADA Master Class presented at HR Hero Master Class on May 12, 2009.
· Union Avoidance Virtual Summit presented at HR Hero Webinar on April 29, 2009.
· FMLA Notice and Medical Certification: How to Comply with New Regs presented on March 31, 2009.
Featured Media
· EmployerLINC Webinar: Wage & Hour Laws - In Compliance, Out of Trouble
· EmployerLINC Webinar: Does your employee handbook measure up?
· EmployerLINC Webinar: When Social Media Throws Your Company a Curve Ball
· EmployerLINC: For Better or Worse - Oklahoma Legislature Lays Down New Laws for Employers
· EmployerLINC: Health Care Reform - Updated Compliance Guidance
· EmployerLINC: Now Hiring
· EmployerLINC: When The Feds Come Knocking
· Downsizing Done Right: A Case Study
Professional Organizations and Memberships
· Tulsa County Bar Association
· Oklahoma Bar Association (Labor Council)
· American Bar Association (Labor and Employment Law Section)
· Employers Counsel Network
Civic Involvement and Leadership
· Circle Cinema Foundation (Board of Directors)
· Planned Parenthood of Arkansas and Eastern Oklahoma, Inc. (Board of Directors)
· The Booker T. Washington Foundation (Former Member, Board of Directors)