Remember 2008:  the economy was strong; you were hiring like mad; you looked at your 401k for a smile; wage and hour claims were not as common as sunrises; and social media was cutting edge only for kids?  Think of where we are now.  2008 might as well be 1908.  Flash forward to 2525.  2012 will be as unrecognizable as 2008 is to us now.  What might we expect?  Wage and hour claim will focus on the virtual workplace.  There will be more age claims by baby boomers who cannot or will not retire but who are let go.  White men will be a minority in some companies and we will see more claims by them.  Now that we are all disabled based on the amendments to the ADA, we will see more ADA claims.  You will need accommodations to handle the stress of all the other accommodations.  The way things are going, the NLRB could impose mandatory unionization…well not exactly, but close.  Customers will demand more immediate service but employees will demand more work-life balance.  Slight conflict there.  More of what we do in HR will be outsourced to save money so we need to figure out how to provide strategic value so we have value.  And we have to do that without losing our minds….whatever is left of them.  These and other issues will be discussed.  This session will include no sarcasm.