Employee Relations

Investigating harassment in your agency can be an intimidating assignment, one that is rife with innuendo, conflicting accounts, and raw emotions. This course provides a successful and effective approach to conducting legally sufficient harassment investigations that gives the agency the information it needs, while withstanding third-party scrutiny. Tuesday, April 29: …

The administration has highlighted that agencies should swiftly and properly deal with employees who engage in misconduct. In many cases, progressive discipline is a win-win for agencies. It’s a valuable tool to (hopefully) correct an employee’s misconduct. But, if it doesn’t have its intended effect, it gives the agency a …

Some in the incoming administration, including the President, have voiced support for the changing of marijuana from a Schedule I to a Schedule III substance. Meanwhile, the drug is legal in 38 states for medicinal purposes, and 24 for recreational purposes. And we continue to receive questions regarding Federal employees …

FELTG’s flagship course UnCivil Servant empowers Federal supervisors and advisers to confidently handle the challenges that come with supervising in the Federal workplace. It shatters misconceptions about performance and misconduct-based actions and gives you simple step-by-step guidance for taking swift, appropriate, and legally defensible actions. This course fulfills the 5 CFR 412.202(b) …

If only there was a checklist that you could use to determine the correct penalty to address employee misconduct. Oh right, there is: the 12 factors identified in the Merit Systems Protection Board’s landmark Douglas v. VA decision. Yet, look at any recent batch of MSPB decisions, and you’ll find continued confusion …

Do you want to take your knowledge and understanding of MSPB law to a new level? Have you let your skills languish while the Board sat empty and quorum-less for several years? Want to confidently address the knotty Federal employment law issues that challenge even the most experienced advisors? FELTG’s …

This week of FELTG training focuses on conducting administrative investigations in the Federal workplace with an emphasis on employee misconduct, including workplace harassment. Workplace Investigations Week always includes the most up-to-date information on the skills, trends, and cases, including OPM’s regulations on investigative leave. Monday, August 11: Administrative Investigations: The …

Whether you’re representing your agency before the Merit Systems Protection Board or the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, there is one ultimate goal: Win the case. This interactive course will prepare you for these kinds of hearings. Wednesday, August 27: Developing a Theory In this session, you’ll learn strategies for developing …

FELTG’s flagship course UnCivil Servant empowers Federal supervisors and advisers to confidently handle the challenges that come with supervising in the Federal workplace. It shatters misconceptions about performance and misconduct-based actions and gives you simple step-by-step guidance for taking swift, appropriate, and legally defensible actions. This course fulfills the 5 CFR 412.202(b) …

Change happens in the world of Federal employee relations, and it often comes quickly. Those who succeed continuously sharpen their MSPB skills and refresh their knowledge. Those who don’t fall behind. FELTG’s MSPB Law Week provides an all-encompassing week of training that offers the most effective guidance and up-to-date information …

Whether you’re an HR professional, Employee Relations practitioner, EEO specialist, supervisor, or agency counsel, you have undoubtedly faced a leave-related challenge or two. And chances are, you may have struggled with some of the more complicated scenarios. Leave and medical issues create a complex and seemingly burdensome issue, one often …

We get it. You don’t want to look like you did something wrong. But here’s the thing: Settling a case does not mean there were flaws in your case, nor is it an admittance of liability or wrongdoing. This training will explain why so many disputes are settled and why …

Antisemitism is never acceptable. However, recent remarks by celebrities, athletes, and news networks have made antisemitism seem more commonplace, in all facets of life, including the workplace. Title VII makes it illegal to discriminate against someone based on, among other things, religion. However, this is one of the protected categories …

Want to reduce conflict, increase productivity, and limit absenteeism, turnover, and even removals? That’s impossible, you say. Maybe not, if you learn how to effectively manage individuals whose behavior repeatedly generates workplace conflict. This two-hour presentation teaches how to recognize employees with high-conflict personalities, whether it’s individuals who blame their peers …

Whether it’s up-and-down roller coaster performers or repeat offenders of misconduct, chronically challenging employees eat up time, create workplace stress, and dampen productivity. And it will only get worse until you address the issue. FELTG President Deborah J. Hopkins shares the tools necessary to address performance issues and lays the …

Whether it’s a disgruntled employee or customer, or a domestic issue that follows an employee to work, workplaces are at a distinct risk of violent incidents. And that risk may be heightened when it’s a Federal workplace. How do you prepare yourself to protect the lives of those around you? …

Sexual harassment is a term of art that while easy to allege, isn’t always easy to prove. However, just because something may not rise to the level of Title VII sexual harassment, doesn’t mean it’s not inappropriate or that it should be tolerated in the workplace. FELTG President Deborah Hopkins, …

Domestic violence significantly impacts the workplace. Nearly one in four women and one in nine men experience severe intimate partner physical violence, sexual violence, or stalking – and nearly three-quarters of those victims are harassed by their abuser at work. This leads to lost productivity, declining performance, and increased potential …

Wouldn’t it be great if your first reaction to a reasonable accommodation request didn’t involve increased heartbeat, immediate beads of sweat, or fear? It doesn’t have to be that way. You can be the supervisor (or advisor) who sees the benefit of the interactive process and confidently navigates it to find a …

On the surface, probationary periods seem rather simple. An employee is given a year to prove they are a good fit for the job, and if they aren’t, it’s an easy separation process, right? Generally, yes, but there can be challenges. What if you are unable to make an appropriate …

Numerous pitfalls can derail an agency’s disciplinary action, whether it’s suspension, demotion, or removal – and even make a bad situation worse. The most “effective and efficient” approach isn’t always traditional disciplinary action. This two-hour training explains why, how, and when to use numerous alternative actions, including not just clean …

You can’t discipline an employee for AWOL unless it has reached a certain number of days. Employees can’t be removed for AWOL. You can’t be charged AWOL for time that you were physically present in the office. None of these statements are true; they are AWOL myths. This training deconstructs …

Each presidential administration brings its own priorities and policies to the White House, but the speed with which the Trump Administration has issued Executive Orders regarding the Federal workplace is unprecedented. In this 60-minute review, FELTG President Deborah J. Hopkins provides up to-minute guidance on what several new Federal workplace-related …

President Trump recently reinstated the policies outlined in his 2018 Executive Order 13839: Promoting Accountability and Streamlining Removal Procedures Consistent With Merit System Principles — and you are now on the clock. Agencies have until March 7 (yes, March 7, 2025) to report to OPM all policies that have been …

An employee does not follow an order. Seems like an open-and-shut case of insubordination, right? Think again. Was it a refusal or simply a failure to comply? When you charge an employee with insubordination, you must prove intent along with the other elements of the charge. This class explains what …

Maybe you envision yourself donning a Sherlock Holmes hat and cape. Or, perhaps, your model is the masterful Benoit Blanc of Knives Out Mystery fame. If only the work of a Federal administrative investigation was as easy as these fictional detectives make their jobs seem. Instead, there are more than …

For many, it’s the most difficult and unpredictable part of the workplace investigation — conducting the interview. This is especially the case when the witness has suffered trauma. And it’s likely to happen, considering these sobering statistics: Seven to eight percent will have PTSD at some point in their lifetimes. …

Subtle and overt language, joking, off-handed comments, and offensive comments and gestures can lead to a hostile work environment. And that includes ill-advised, even if not ill-intentioned, phrases such as “hold down the fort” and “low man on the totem pole.” Being a respectful communicator means more than just not …

“Who wrote this statute? Somebody who takes pleasure in pulling wings off flies?” The process for handling mixed cases has confused and frustrated many EEO practitioners, HR professionals, agency attorneys, and aggrieved employees – not to mention Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, author of the aforementioned quote. In this 60-minute …

Every agency has employees who struggle with performance, but there is a reliable solution for addressing unacceptable performance. A successful Performance Demonstrate Period (DP) will either lead to sustained improved performance or a defensible performance-based removal or demotion. This fast-paced class guides you through the critical steps to reaching that …

With more Federal employees working remotely, the nature of the Federal workplace has changed. This class will help you design work structures for wellbeing while cultivating a culture of civility and respect. This workshop will provide you with practical, easy-to-implement data-driven insights plus tools and resources that empower high-performing, engaged …

Drafting appropriate disciplinary charges is a crucial part of the disciplinary process, and if not handled correctly, can cause an agency to lose its case. Words matter in drafting charges, and FELTG is here to make sure you have the tools you need to make the right decisions in framing …

How do you determine if an employee has a disability? What does qualified individual mean? What exactly is the interactive process? Do you have to approve telework as an accommodation? What if an employee’s disability is invisible? And how do the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Amendments Act, and the …

Research estimates that around 1% of the population has an autism spectrum disorder, between 5-9% are estimated to have a learning disability, and just under 10% have a diagnosis of ADHD. The ability to recruit and retain neurodivergent employees will make your agency more diverse — and effective. This training …

Whether it’s a disgruntled employee or customer, a domestic issue that follows an employee to work, or an unknown individual intent on causing harm, workplaces are at a distinct risk of violent incidents. And that risk may be heightened when it’s a Federal workplace. How do you prepare yourself to …

If one of your agency’s employees had a mental health crisis in the workplace, would you know what to do? And with many employees working remotely, how would you even know? One in six workers may be experiencing mental health problems at any given time, according to recent studies. This …

What is a microaggression? Can microaggressions ever rise to the level of unlawful workplace harassment? And if they aren’t acts of discrimination, why should you care? During this training, FELTG will explain what microaggressions look like it in their various forms — microinsults, microassaults, and microinvalidations. Plus, we’ll discuss how …

From chronic pain and chronic fatigue to depression and diabetes, disabilities are not always visible or obvious in the workplace. And the number of employees with hidden or invisible disabilities continues to grow. This course explains how to properly navigate the laws, regulations, and EEOC guidance while taking a commonsense …

You’ve gone through the interactive process and come up with a reasonable accommodation that both you and the employee think will be effective. Are you done? Not even close. And what happens if a new supervisor comes in and wants to change a long-standing accommodation? Over time, certain accommodations will …

If you’ve ever used undue hardship to deny an accommodation request or asked for more information from an employee’s doctor, we have two words for you: Uh oh. Oftentimes the best way to learn is by making mistakes. But not when it comes to reasonable accommodation law. This course provides …

This training focuses on a law that went into effect in 2023: the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA), which requires agencies to provide reasonable accommodations to employees who have medical restrictions related to pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions. This training will answer the following questions: What are your responsibilities …

Not everyone has the same definition of “harassment.” While most professionals recognize harassment that violates Title VII, some employees consider it harassment when supervisors provide critical performance feedback or assign work. In between, there are threatening, intimidating, and disturbing acts that are unrelated to protected classes, but nonetheless may be non-EEO …

Most of us know something about service animals, but what about emotional support animals, comfort animals, and the like? Are they permitted in the workplace? The EEOC’s stance that an emotional support animal may be a required reasonable accommodation for a qualified individual with a disability, even if it is not a …

With the rise in mental health diagnoses, substance abuse disorders, and the physical challenges that come with an aging workforce, Federal supervisors can expect a corresponding increase in employees failing to meet conduct standards due to physical or mental impairments. This course will walk you through a step-by-step process for …

Drafting appropriate charges and choosing a defensible penalty are two crucial parts of the disciplinary process. FELTG is here to make sure you have the tools you need to make the right decision in employee discipline. Course topics include how to structure charges and specifications, identifying alternate charges, charging down and proving …

Wouldn’t it be nice if you had an appraisal system that helped managers effectively and quickly deal with unacceptable performance in the Federal workplace – and survive third-party review? Believe it or not, regardless of your current appraisal system, you can hold employees accountable if you know the parameters. This …

This course is an excellent introduction for those new to the field, as well as those trying to align their actions and policies with the most current case law, regulations, and Executive Orders. Regardless of your skill level or experience, you’ll leave this class with the practical guidance necessary to …

FELTG’s flagship course UnCivil Servant empowers Federal supervisors and advisers to confidently handle the challenges that come with supervising in the Federal workplace. It shatters misconceptions about performance and misconduct-based actions and gives you simple step-by-step guidance for taking swift, appropriate, and legally defensible actions. We begin with a discussion of accountability …

One of the quickest ways to damage workplace morale is when employees see a coworker getting away with unacceptable performance or misconduct. The less you look away from these problems, the more likely it is for good employees to stay. This class offers an immersion into accountability principles, regardless of …

Is there a more maddening or confusing element of workplace management than navigating the alphabet soup of employee leave – AWOL, LWOP, FMLA, PPL, etc.? This class imparts the knowledge and skills to deal with any leave-related situation. This training covers all types of leave and leave entitlements, ensuring you …