Kelly S. Hughes

Shareholder | Charlotte

Kelly Hughes, who is Board Certified in Employment Law, has spent her career advising and supporting private and public employers across numerous industries, including manufacturing, pharmaceutical, chemical, energy, construction, hospitality, automotive, computer/software, retail, real estate, and biotech. She also has significant experience representing local governments, religious organizations, private schools, colleges, and universities.

Kelly focuses her practice on assisting clients with avoiding litigation by providing sound counseling advice and assisting with complicated workplace investigations. Kelly also regularly assists clients through administrative charges and litigation in all forums, including federal and state court and arbitration.

In addition, Kelly is a nationally-recognized authority on workplace flexibility and guides clients in creating and/or enhancing workplace flexibility tools (such as remote work and flexible scheduling) in a manner that balances the business needs of the client with the various employment laws that may be implicated. She co-authored the book Workflex: The Essential Guide to Effective and Flexible Workplaces as well as the Workflex and Employment Law Pocket Guide for SHRM’s “When Work Works” initiative. Kelly is an entertaining, sought-after speaker, and frequently travels around the country conducting training and delivering presentations on cutting-edge employment law topics, as well as mental health issues in the legal profession.

In collaboration with the North Carolina Bar Employment Law Specialization Committee, Kelly helped draft the employment law specialization exam for North Carolina attorneys.

Within Ogletree, Kelly is Co-Chair of the Retail Industry Group and is a member of the Litigation Practice Group, the Workplace Investigations and Organizational Assessments Practice Group, and the Higher Education Practice Group. Kelly is also Co-Chair of the Business Resource Group, ODFamily, and is a member of the firm’s Well-Being Working Group.

Kelly received her undergraduate degree from Vanderbilt University and her law degree from the University of Miami.

More About Kelly S. Hughes

Experience

Education & Admission

Professional Activities

Speeches

Workplace Strategies Seminar – “Can We Talk? Managing Mental Health Issues in the Workplace” – San Diego – May 12, 2023
ACC-Charlotte Chapter – “AI in the Workplace – The New Frontier” – April 5, 2023
Workplace Strategies Seminar – “Unlocking Your Potential: Why Well-Being Is the Key to Personal, Team, and Leadership Success ” – Phoenix – May 6, 2022
Workplace Strategies Virtual Seminar – “Wandering Workers: Designing and Drafting Effective Remote Work Programs” – June 24, 2021
Ogletree Deakins Webinar – “SCOTUS Rules Title VII Prohibits Gay and Transgender Discrimination: Key Takeaways for Employers” – June 23, 2020
Ogletree Deakins Webinar – “COVID in the Carolinas: Legal and Practical Issues for Employers With Operations in North Carolina and South Carolina” – June 9, 2020
ACC-Charlotte Chapter – “As Good As It Gets: Recognizing and Responding to Emotional Health Issues” – Charlotte – February 28, 2020
Corporate Labor and Employment Counsel Exclusive – “LGBTQIA+ Update: the Latest Developments” – New Orleans – November 14, 2019
Corporate Labor and Employment Counsel Exclusive – “Healing and Hope: Recognizing and Responding to Emotional Health Issues” – New Orleans – November 14-15, 2019
Ogletree Deakins Workplace Strategies Seminar – “Panel Discussion: Protests, Political Expression, and the Workplace” – Phoenix – May 10, 2018
Ogletree Deakins Briefing – “Protests, Political Expression, and the Workplace: What Employers Need to Know” – Concord – October 24, 2017
Ogletree Deakins Managing a Workforce in 2017 – “Headline News: Hot Topics in Employment Law” – Atlanta – October 13, 2017
Workplace Strategies 2017 – “Transgender Issues in the Workplace – Confronting New Challenges” – San Diego – May 4, 2017
The Seminar Group – “We Just Need to Pee: Supporting Transgender Employees in the Workplace” – Atlanta – October 28, 2016
CEDIA (Custom Electronic Design & Installation Association) Business Xchange 2016 Workshops – “Top Ten Employment Law Mistakes Small Businesses Make” – San Diego – May 12, 2016
Workplace Strategies 2016 – “I am Cait: Transgender Issues in the Spotlight in 2016” – Chicago – May 5, 2016
Atlanta Bar – Labor & Employment Section (Panelist) – “A New Frontier: Transgender Issues in the Workplace” – Atlanta – March 18, 2016
Coalition of Women’s Initiatives in Law – “Transitioning at Work: A Guide to Transgender Employees” – Chicago – January 21, 2016
Ultimate Software’s HR Workshop – “The Modern Employer’s Guide to Transgender Employees” – Charlotte – November 12, 2015
North Carolina State SHRM Conference – “Transitioning At Work: The Modern Employer’s Guide to Gender Transitions” – Charlotte / Concord – September 28, 2015
ACC-Charlotte Chapter – “Interviewing, Hiring, Monitoring, and Separating Employees with Confidential Business Information: Tips for Employers” – Concord – July 21, 2015
Workplace Strategies 2015 – “Transitioning at Work: The Modern Employers’ Guide to Transgender Employees” – San Antonio – May 14, 2015
Research Triangle Area Chapter – ACC – “EEOC Systematic and Complex Charges of Discrimination” – Charlotte – February 4, 2015
Panelist – “Federal Issues Impacting Employers, Including President Obama’s Use of the Executive Order” – Columbia – November 6, 2014
Ogletree Deakins Panelist – “The Latest EEOC Enforcement Initiatives and Tactics – Defense Strategies from Outside and In-House Counsel Perspectives” – Charlotte – October 7, 2014
North Carolina Society for Human Resource Management State Conference Master’s Series – “Creating a Flexible Work Environment” – Greenville – September 17, 2014
Cabarrus Regional Society for Human Resources Management – “Workplace Flexibility: Definitions, Trends & Next Steps” – Concord – August 5, 2014
Workplace Strategies 2014 – “Workplace Flexibility: Where We Are and Where We Are Headed” – Las Vegas – May 8, 2014
International Public Management Association for Human Resources – “Hot Topics in Public Sector Employment Law” – Charlotte – April 16, 2014
Union County Human Resources Association – “Top 10 Employer Mistakes” – Charlotte – April 2, 2014
SHRM/FWI 2013 Workflex Conference – “Employment Law Issues in the World of the Flexible Workplace” – San Francisco – October 30, 2013
Ogletree Deakins Panelist – “Creating an Effective and Flexible Work Environment” – St. Louis – September 26, 2013
Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC), Charlotte Chapter – “Creating an Effective and Flexible Work Environment” – Charlotte – September 4, 2013
Ogletree Deakins Panelist – “Creating an Effective and Flexible Work Environment” – Cleveland – August 15, 2013
Workplace Strategies 2013 – “Creating an Effective and Flexible Work Environment” – New Orleans – May 9, 2013
The Employer’s Association – “Equal Employment Opportunity Compliance” – Charlotte – February 14, 2013

Published Works

Media Quotes

May 13, 2024 – Law360 – “Gay Teacher’s Loss Has Silver Lining For LGBTQ Workers”
April 25, 2023 – Law360 – “Feds Face Tough 6th Circ. Panel In Battle Over Bostock”
November 25, 2022 – CBS News – “Everything you need to know about gender pronouns at work”
December 15, 2020 – Law360 – “Ohio Bill To Nix ‘De Minimis’ OT Might Be First Of Its Kind”
November 20, 2020 – Law360 – “4 Tips For Crafting An Airtight Parental Leave Policy”
November 6, 2020 – Law360 – “3 Challenges For Holiday Hiring In 2020”
September 24, 2020 – Wards Auto – “COVID-19, Family Leave, Politics Challenge HR Managers”
September 16, 2020 – SHRM Online – “Pregnant Workers Fairness Act Would Require Accommodations”
August 24, 2020 – Law360 – “Leave Issues Puzzling Employers As New School Year Starts”
August 7, 2020 – Law360 – “5 Tips For Tailoring Dress Codes To A Post-Bostock World”
May 5, 2020 – SHRM Online – “Employers Flooded with Work-from-Home Requests”
July 3, 2019 – The Washington Post – “Employers prepare for a gender non-binary world”
June 11, 2019 – Law360 – “3 Ways Law Firms Can Combat Attorney Burnout”
November 2, 2018 – SHRM Online – “11 Compliance Tips for Working with Seasonal Employees During the Holidays”
May 17, 2018 – SHRM Online – “How Yearlong Paid Leave Works”
January 8, 2018 – Workforce Magazine – “Harassment by Emojis”
December 13, 2017 – HR Dive – “When managing seasonal workers, your regular requirements still apply”
August 25, 2017 – Nation’s Restaurant News – “Can operators fire employees for off-duty conduct?”
June 19, 2017 – SHRM Online – “5 Tips for Terminating Remote Workers”
May/June 2017 – Retail Leader – “Workplace Improvements: Retailers Give An Inch To Get A Lot In Return From Happier Workers”
December 12, 2016 – Bloomberg BNA – “Wrapping up holiday employment law issues with a bow”
December 8, 2016 – Law360 – “5 Seasonal Worker Hiring Blunders Employers Should Avoid”
December 8, 2015 – InsideCounsel – “Employers Need to Address Risks with Seasonal Employees”
October 13, 2015 – SHRM.org – “4 Tips for Allowing Nonexempt Employees to Telecommute”
June 2014 – Practical Law Company – “GC Agenda: Telecommuting as a Reasonable Accommodation”
May 13, 2014 – JDSupra – “What's the One Thing Every Company's Telecommuting Policy Must Include”
May 3, 2014 – NPR.org – “Present But Not There: Ruling Supports Telecommuting”
January 29, 2014 – Blogging4Jobs – “Building a Culture of Workplace Flexibility”
May 15, 2013 – SHRM.org – “Creating an Effective Flexible Work Environment”
December 14, 2011 – SHRM.org – “PDA Prohibits Discrimination Against Pregnant New Employees”