Instructor
Course Description
A few weeks ago, a 25-year-old lawmaker in New Zealand took the internet by storm when she shut down a heckler with two words that went viral: “OK, Boomer.” There were all kinds of connotations in those two words, and while it may be meme-worthy, it’s not a phrase that we’d recommend you start using in the workplace.
Join FELTG President Deborah Hopkins for a 60-minute discussion on age discrimination in the federal workplace, to learn what you can and can’t do – and say – when it relates to an employee’s age. From hiring to promotion, hostile work environment to regarded as disabilities, to performance appraisals, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.
Attendees will learn how to:
- Understand the various theories of age discrimination in the federal workplace.
- Identify the types of conduct that give rise to age discrimination claims.
- Know the dos and don’ts when discussing age-related topics in the workplace including retirement, OWBPA, and more.
Register today.
Price
Early Bird Tuition: $225 per site (payment required by December 2)
Standard Tuition: $255 per site (for payments made December 3 or later)
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $35 each, if space is available.
Instructors
Katherine Atkinson, Ann Boehm, Deborah Hopkins, Meghan Droste
Course Description
Legal writing in federal sector employment law is a specialized craft. Cases have been lost because of poorly or ambiguously written documents. This webinar series will help you sharpen the skills you need to produce effective, defensible, legally sound documents in the federal sector. This includes disciplinary letters, summary judgment motions, reports of investigation, and more. With the sample language, templates and documents provided during the webinars, you’ll have tools use can continue to use long after the series ends.
Sessions will be held on Thursdays from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. ET.
It doesn’t matter if you haven’t been to law school recently, or ever at all. Spend an hour a week with FELTG and you’ll find the way to make the documents you write be more clear, effective, and persuasive.
- January 16 – Legal Writing for the MSPB, EEOC and FLRA: Nuts and Bolts
- January 23 – Writing Performance Demonstration Period Plans that Work
- January 30 – Framing Charges and Drafting Proposed Discipline
- February 6 – The Douglas Factor Analysis and Writing the Decision
- February 13 – Writing Effective Motions for Summary Judgment
- February 20 – Drafting a Legally Sufficient Report of Investigation
Price
- Early Bird Tuition: $240 per site (payment made by January 13).
- Standard Tuition: $270 per site (payment made January 14 or later).
- Register for all six webinars by January 13 and pay only $1350!
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $40 per teleworker, on a space-available basis.
Instructors
Katherine Atkinson, Ann Boehm, Deborah Hopkins, Meghan Droste
Course Description
Legal writing in federal sector employment law is a specialized craft. Cases have been lost because of poorly or ambiguously written documents. This webinar series will help you sharpen the skills you need to produce effective, defensible, legally sound documents in the federal sector. This includes disciplinary letters, summary judgment motions, reports of investigation, and more. With the sample language, templates and documents provided during the webinars, you’ll have tools use can continue to use long after the series ends.
Sessions will be held on Thursdays from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. ET.
It doesn’t matter if you haven’t been to law school recently, or ever at all. Spend an hour a week with FELTG and you’ll find the way to make the documents you write be more clear, effective, and persuasive.
- January 16 – Legal Writing for the MSPB, EEOC and FLRA: Nuts and Bolts
- January 23 – Writing Performance Demonstration Period Plans that Work
- January 30 – Framing Charges and Drafting Proposed Discipline
- February 6 – The Douglas Factor Analysis and Writing the Decision
- February 13 – Writing Effective Motions for Summary Judgment
- February 20 – Drafting a Legally Sufficient Report of Investigation
Price
- Early Bird Tuition: $240 per site (payment made by January 13).
- Standard Tuition: $270 per site (payment made January 14 or later).
- Register for all six webinars by January 13 and pay only $1350!
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $40 per teleworker, on a space-available basis.
Instructors
Katherine Atkinson, Ann Boehm, Deborah Hopkins, Meghan Droste
Course Description
Legal writing in federal sector employment law is a specialized craft. Cases have been lost because of poorly or ambiguously written documents. This webinar series will help you sharpen the skills you need to produce effective, defensible, legally sound documents in the federal sector. This includes disciplinary letters, summary judgment motions, reports of investigation, and more. With the sample language, templates and documents provided during the webinars, you’ll have tools use can continue to use long after the series ends.
Sessions will be held on Thursdays from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. ET.
It doesn’t matter if you haven’t been to law school recently, or ever at all. Spend an hour a week with FELTG and you’ll find the way to make the documents you write be more clear, effective, and persuasive.
- January 16 – Legal Writing for the MSPB, EEOC and FLRA: Nuts and Bolts
- January 23 – Writing Performance Demonstration Period Plans that Work
- January 30 – Framing Charges and Drafting Proposed Discipline
- February 6 – The Douglas Factor Analysis and Writing the Decision
- February 13 – Writing Effective Motions for Summary Judgment
- February 20 – Drafting a Legally Sufficient Report of Investigation
Price
- Early Bird Tuition: $240 per site (payment made by January 13).
- Standard Tuition: $270 per site (payment made January 14 or later).
- Register for all six webinars by January 13 and pay only $1350!
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $40 per teleworker, on a space-available basis.
Instructors
Katherine Atkinson, Ann Boehm, Deborah Hopkins, Meghan Droste
Course Description
Legal writing in federal sector employment law is a specialized craft. Cases have been lost because of poorly or ambiguously written documents. This webinar series will help you sharpen the skills you need to produce effective, defensible, legally sound documents in the federal sector. This includes disciplinary letters, summary judgment motions, reports of investigation, and more. With the sample language, templates and documents provided during the webinars, you’ll have tools use can continue to use long after the series ends.
Sessions will be held on Thursdays from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. ET.
It doesn’t matter if you haven’t been to law school recently, or ever at all. Spend an hour a week with FELTG and you’ll find the way to make the documents you write be more clear, effective, and persuasive.
- January 16 – Legal Writing for the MSPB, EEOC and FLRA: Nuts and Bolts
- January 23 – Writing Performance Demonstration Period Plans that Work
- January 30 – Framing Charges and Drafting Proposed Discipline
- February 6 – The Douglas Factor Analysis and Writing the Decision
- February 13 – Writing Effective Motions for Summary Judgment
- February 20 – Drafting a Legally Sufficient Report of Investigation
Price
- Early Bird Tuition: $240 per site (payment made by January 13).
- Standard Tuition: $270 per site (payment made January 14 or later).
- Register for all six webinars by January 13 and pay only $1350!
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $40 per teleworker, on a space-available basis.
Let’s face it: being a federal sector Employee Relations Specialist is a tough job. It’s great to know the basics, but the basics don’t always help you when you’re facing those really challenging situations. That’s when you realize that there is much more to learn. No worries. FELTG is presenting Advanced Employee Relations, a three-day seminar focused on immersing you in the employee relations training you need most.
Held in Atlanta in February 2020, you’ll receive in-depth training on topics including leave, performance, misconduct, disability accommodation, and more. Plus, hands-on workshops will allow you to leave with the tools you’ll need to succeed. And it will all be taught by FELTG Senior Instructor Barbara Haga.
Great training. Great instructor. Great location. Register now.
The program runs 8:30 – 4:30 each day.
Instructor
Daily Agenda:
Tuesday
Leave and Attendance: Administering leave, with particular emphasis on sick leave, LWOP, and FMLA. Detailed review of sick leave provisions including authorized purposes for use of sick leave, limitations on use of sick leave for family care and bereavement, eligibility to use leave for care, notice requirements, acceptable documentation. Management actions to control use of leave and abuse of sick leave. Detailed review of FMLA provisions including eligibility to invoke FMLA, entitlement, coverage of family members, administration and notice requirements. Acceptable medical documentation under FMLA, definition of serious health condition. Substitution of paid leave. Discipline tied to FMLA. LWOP – when LWOP is mandatory, limits on granting LWOP, employee status while on extended LWOP. Other topics –issues related to annual leave and leave transfer, other leave entitlements.
Wednesday
Performance Management: Managing performance from system establishment to conducting annual appraisals to taking actions linked to performance. GEAR initiative and other efforts focused on modifying Federal performance management system. Requirements for performance plans, including design of agency systems, rating schemes, and procedures for conducting appraisals. Revised DOD performance system to be implemented in 2016. Linkage between appraisal and other personnel management decisions, including reduction-in-force and within-grade increases. Writing effective and measurable performance criteria that will withstand third-party review, including a workshop where participants will do an in-depth review of performance plans. Requirements for successful performance-based actions – from drafting a PIP notice that will withstand scrutiny to conducting a bona fide PIP to ensuring that due process is met in effecting an action on unacceptable performance.
Thursday
Misconduct and Other Related Issues: Implementation of a successful disciplinary program – delegation of authority, role of advisors, warnings and cautions, use of administrative leave. Nexus. Dealing with comparators in determining a penalty. Involuntary actions – resignations and retirements. Ordering and Offering medical examinations. Specific disciplinary situations: handling situations when an employee is unable to perform including excessive leave, disability retirement, separation disability; conduct unbecoming; misuse and technology-related misconduct; failure to meet conditions of employment.
Pricing
-
- Early Bird Tuition (register by January 28):
- 3 days = $1370
- 2 days = $970
- 1 day = $530
Standard Tuition (register January 28 – February 13):
- 3 days = $1470
- 2 days = $1070
- 1 day = $630
- Early Bird Tuition (register by January 28):
Lodging
The hotel has a limited block of rooms reserved for the event at the federal per diem rate. Please contact the hotel directly at 404-418-1212 and reference FELTG when booking, or use this link to book online: https://www.marriott.com/event-reservations/reservation-link.mi?id=1569526915772&key=GRP&app=resvlink.
Cancellation and No-show Policy for Registered Participants: Cancellations made after the cancel date on the registration form will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses. Pre-paid training will not be refunded, and will not be given credit toward another course after the cancellation date on the registration form. No-shows will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses.
Instructors
Katherine Atkinson, Ann Boehm, Deborah Hopkins, Meghan Droste
Course Description
Legal writing in federal sector employment law is a specialized craft. Cases have been lost because of poorly or ambiguously written documents. This webinar series will help you sharpen the skills you need to produce effective, defensible, legally sound documents in the federal sector. This includes disciplinary letters, summary judgment motions, reports of investigation, and more. With the sample language, templates and documents provided during the webinars, you’ll have tools use can continue to use long after the series ends.
Sessions will be held on Thursdays from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. ET.
It doesn’t matter if you haven’t been to law school recently, or ever at all. Spend an hour a week with FELTG and you’ll find the way to make the documents you write be more clear, effective, and persuasive.
- January 16 – Legal Writing for the MSPB, EEOC and FLRA: Nuts and Bolts
- January 23 – Writing Performance Demonstration Period Plans that Work
- January 30 – Framing Charges and Drafting Proposed Discipline
- February 6 – The Douglas Factor Analysis and Writing the Decision
- February 13 – Writing Effective Motions for Summary Judgment
- February 20 – Drafting a Legally Sufficient Report of Investigation
Price
- Early Bird Tuition: $240 per site (payment made by January 13).
- Standard Tuition: $270 per site (payment made January 14 or later).
- Register for all six webinars by January 13 and pay only $1350!
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $40 per teleworker, on a space-available basis.
Instructors
Katherine Atkinson, Ann Boehm, Deborah Hopkins, Meghan Droste
Course Description
Legal writing in federal sector employment law is a specialized craft. Cases have been lost because of poorly or ambiguously written documents. This webinar series will help you sharpen the skills you need to produce effective, defensible, legally sound documents in the federal sector. This includes disciplinary letters, summary judgment motions, reports of investigation, and more. With the sample language, templates and documents provided during the webinars, you’ll have tools use can continue to use long after the series ends.
Sessions will be held on Thursdays from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. ET.
It doesn’t matter if you haven’t been to law school recently, or ever at all. Spend an hour a week with FELTG and you’ll find the way to make the documents you write be more clear, effective, and persuasive.
- January 16 – Legal Writing for the MSPB, EEOC and FLRA: Nuts and Bolts
- January 23 – Writing Performance Demonstration Period Plans that Work
- January 30 – Framing Charges and Drafting Proposed Discipline
- February 6 – The Douglas Factor Analysis and Writing the Decision
- February 13 – Writing Effective Motions for Summary Judgment
- February 20 – Drafting a Legally Sufficient Report of Investigation
Price
- Early Bird Tuition: $240 per site (payment made by January 13).
- Standard Tuition: $270 per site (payment made January 14 or later).
- Register for all six webinars by January 13 and pay only $1350!
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $40 per teleworker, on a space-available basis.
Holding federal employees accountable for performance and conduct is easier than you might think. Too many supervisors believe that an employee’s protected activity (EEO complaints, whistleblower disclosures, or union activity) precludes the supervisor from initiating a suspension or removal, but that’s just not true.
FELTG is here to make federal supervisors’ lives easier by clarifying those misconceptions while helping supervisors understand how to take defensible misconduct actions quickly and fairly – actions that withstand scrutiny on appeal by the MSPB, EEOC, or in grievance arbitration. Plus, if you have a non-performing employee working for you now, we show you how you can remove that employee from your workplace in 31 days, among many other things.
Do you want to ensure that you’re complying with President Trump’s Executive Orders as they pertain to performance management? Do you want to meet OPM’s deadline for streamlining your disciplinary procedures? Join us for this three-day seminar and come away with the tools you need.
The program runs 8:30 – 4:00 each day and meets OPM’s mandatory training requirements for federal supervisors found at 5 CFR 412.202(b).
Instructors
TBD
Daily Agenda:
Tuesday
Accountability for Conduct and Performance, Part I: Accountability and supervisory authority; discipline and misconduct theory and practice; penalty defense and due process; discipline procedures and appeals; psychology of performance appraisal; performance-based removal procedures.
Wednesday
Accountability for Conduct and Performance, Part II: Completing a performance action; team workshop; handling the absent employee and dealing with attendance issues; medical removals; union considerations; mentorship in the federal government.
Thursday
Defending Against Discrimination Complaints: The Supervisor’s Role: The role of EEO in the federal government; defining protected categories: race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, disability, genetic information and reprisal; theories of discrimination; agency defenses; what to do if you’re a Responding Management Official in a complaint; what happens if you’re called as an EEO witness.
Pricing
Early Bird Tuition (register by February 11):
- 3 days = $1400
- 2 days = $1000
- 1 day = $560
Standard Tuition (register February 12-27):
- 3 days = $1500
- 2 days = $1100
- 1 day = $660
Seminar registration includes a copy of the textbook UnCivil Servant: Holding Employees Accountable for Performance and Conduct, 5th ed., by Wiley and Hopkins.
Lodging
The hotel has a limited block of rooms available at the federal per diem rate. Please contact the hotel directly at 877-926-3030 to make a reservation.
Cancellation and No-show Policy for Registered Participants: Cancellations made after the cancel date on the registration form will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses. Pre-paid training will not be refunded, and will not be given credit toward another course. No-shows will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses.
Instructors
Deborah Hopkins, Barbara Haga, Meghan Droste, Ann Boehm, Joe Schimansky, Katherine Atkinson, Anthony Marchese
Course Description
Those of you who supervise federal employees know it can be a frustrating calling, especially when you face so many new and challenging issues amid complex and changing laws.
Help is on the way. Register now for one, several, or all of the courses in FELTG’s comprehensive webinar training series Supervising Federal Employees: Managing Accountability and Defending Your Actions. No other training provides the depth and breadth of guidance federal supervisors need to manage the agency workplace effectively and efficiently.
Over the course of 14 webinars, FELTG’s experienced and knowledgeable instructors provide support on everything from managing poor performance and disciplining for employee misconduct to providing reasonable accommodation and rooting out leave abuse, and much much more.
This unique series has been updated to address the most timely and important topics supervisors are facing right now. The 60-minute webinars, held every other Tuesday from 1 – 2 p.m. eastern time, will expand upon legal principles to provide attendees with the necessary tools and best practices. Plus, you’ll have a chance to ask questions and get answers from FELTG instructors – in real time.
As an added bonus, this series fulfills OPM’s mandatory training requirements for new supervisors found at 5 CFR 412.202(b).
2020 dates:
March 3: The Foundations of Accountability: Performance vs. Misconduct: The distinction between performance and conduct; an overview on holding employees accountable; setting the stage for discipline and performance actions.
March 17: Writing Effective Performance Plans: Performance management; understanding the performance appraisal system; defining elements and standards; drafting standards according to legal requirements; creating the performance plan.
March 31: Preparing an Unacceptable Performance Case: Performance accountability in a nutshell; preparing and executing a performance demonstration period; proof and evidence standards.
April 14: Addressing Special Challenges with Performance: What do when a poor-performing employee requests reasonable accommodation; managing teleworker performance; leave issues and performance.
April 28: Providing Performance Feedback That Makes a Difference: Communicating performance expectations; providing ongoing feedback; positive vs. negative framing; why you shouldn’t wait until the mid-year to discuss performance issues; what OPM says about mentorship; mentorship styles; formal and informal mentorship; pilot mentorship programs; best practices for leadership; handling difficult employee types.
May 12: Disciplining Employees for Misconduct, Part I: The five elements of discipline in the federal government; documentation supervisors need to succeed in a disciplinary action.
May 26: Disciplining Employees for Misconduct, Part II: Disciplinary procedures: reprimand, suspension, termination; appeals process; agency liability.
June 9: Tackling Leave Issues I: Handling the leave issues most common in the federal government: annual leave, sick leave, leave transfer.
June 23: Tackling Leave Issues II: Handling more complicated leave scenarios: FMLA, LWOP, administrative leave, AWOL.
July 7: Combating Against Hostile Work Environment Harassment Claims: The elements of a hostile work environment; liability in hostile work environment claims; tangible employment actions; harassment v. bullying; supervisor responsibilities in harassment claims; agency defenses.
July 21: Intentional EEO Discrimination: What supervisors should know about EEO discrimination; discrete acts of discrimination; selection and promotion cases; defending against claims of intentional discrimination.
August 4: Disability Accommodation in 60 Minutes: Defining a disability; requests for accommodation; the interactive process; accommodations of choice; undue hardship.
August 18: EEO Reprisal: Handle It, Don’t Fear It: How reprisal is different than other EEO claims; what the complainant must show to establish reprisal; how a supervisor can defend against reprisal claims; what to do and what not to do when an employee engages in protected EEO activity.
September 1: Supervising in a Unionized Environment: The right to be bargained with; forming a union; employee and union rights; ULPs.
Pricing
Early Bird Tuition:
- $240 per site, per session (payment required by Feb 24).
- Special series discounts available through February 24. See registration form for details.
Standard Tuition:
- $270 per site, per session (payments made Feb. 25 or later).
Teleworkers may be added to a primary site registration for $40 each, per session, on a space-available basis.
Instructors
Katherine Atkinson, Barbara Haga, Meghan Droste
Series Description
Equal Employment Opportunity claims can be a long and often complicated process, and some challenges are a bit more troublesome than others. It’s those topics we are tackling during this four-part webinar series. What are the mistakes agencies most often make when dismissing EEO complaints? Can you discipline an employee who is on a reasonable accommodation? How do you determine whether your agency is liable when a contractor files an EEO complaint? Can your agency be sanctioned if the EEO investigation becomes adversarial? Join us for this webinar series to get answers to these and other perplexing questions, and ensure that you successfully navigate the EEO process.
Sessions will be held on Thursdays from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. ET.
- March 5 – EEO Claims: When to Accept, and When to Dismiss: Failure to state a claim; timeliness; collateral attack; framing claims.
- April 9 – When the ADA and FMLA Collide: Coverage under the FMLA; coverage under the ADA; medical documentation; requesting leave under the FMLA; leave as a reasonable accommodation.
- May 7 – What Do You Do When Contractors File EEO Complaints? The Ma factors; applying the Ma test; roles and responsibilities of agency personnel when contractors start the EEO process; defenses to the “joint employer” allegation; common questions and answers that arise from agencies dealing with contractors.
- June 4 – When Investigations Go Bad: Keeping Integrity in the EEO Process: Characteristics of a legally sufficient investigation; investigatory standards – impartiality, appropriateness, evidence-based investigation; relevant documents and witnesses; reviewing the investigation.
Price
- Early Bird Tuition: $240 per site, per session (payment made by February 24).
- Standard Tuition: $270 per site, per session (payment made February 25 or later).
- Register for all four webinars by February 24 and pay only $910!
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $40 per teleworker, on a space-available basis.
The civil service world is changing and it’s important to be aware of the new laws and executive orders that apply to you. MSPB Law Week covers the legal requirements and best practices for disciplinary charges and penalties, plus understanding the law and strategy in handling performance cases and defending against whistleblower reprisal complaints. Join top MSPB practitioners and topic authors, and learn the law, strategies, and techniques from their many years of combined experience.
While the near future of the Merit Systems Protection Board remains uncertain, FELTG’s instructors are staying on top of the situation and will provide attendees with the information they need to know.
The program runs 8:30 – 4:00 each day and is pre-approved for 29 CLE credits in Virginia and California. It is also approved for 29 HRCI general recertification credits.
Instructors
William Wiley, Deborah Hopkins
Daily Agenda
Monday
Adverse Actions: Statutory basis including the Civil Service Reform Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act, the five elements of every disciplinary case and the burdens of proof, the fundamentals of penalty selection and defense, obtaining testimony to protect the penalty selection should one or more charges fail, types of evidence necessary to support a penalty selection, the MSPB’s power to mitigate a penalty and recent trends in the Board’s use of that authority, educating uninformed arbitrators, using alternatives to discipline.
Tuesday
Charges: Types of charges, parts of a charge, how charges are interpreted, the role of the proposing and deciding officials, capitalizing on the general charge, allowing the inclusion of lesser-included offenses, charging in the alternative, attractive options to difficult charges and common charging mistakes, proving the difficult “intent” charge element, a step by step approach to charge drafting.
Wednesday
Penalties: MSPB and Federal Circuit lead cases in penalty determination, getting “intent” penalties off of “non-intent” charges, proving harsh penalties off of vanilla charges, charging down and proving up, how the maximum penalty is established, an update of recent Board and court decisions: what’s really new and what’s old wine in new bottles, placing the emphasis on notice, the Board’s lack of a quorum, penalty mitigation changes.
Thursday
Unacceptable Performance: Performance actions in perspective, drafting a defensible performance standard, implementing PIP’s, defeating the PIP rollercoaster, accommodating disability-related poor performance, converting an unacceptable performance problem into a Part 752 disciplinary action, termination based on failing a performance quiz.
Friday
Defending Against Whistleblower Reprisal Claims and other Affirmative Defenses: Whistleblower claims: protected disclosures and whistleblower reprisal, claims of harmful error, reprisal for union activity, excessive penalty findings.
Pricing
Most people attend the full training week, but you may opt out of any days you don’t plan to attend.
Early Bird Tuition (register by February 24):
- 5 days = $2370
- 4 days = $1960
- 3 days = $1550
- 2 days = $1140
- 1 day = $680
Standard Tuition (register February 25 to March 13):
- 5 days = $2470
- 4 days = $2060
- 3 days = $1650
- 2 days = $1240
- 1 day = $780
Seminar registration includes a copy of the textbook UnCivil Servant: Holding Employees Accountable for Performance and Conduct, 4th ed., by Wiley and Hopkins.
Metro, Parking, Directions
Metro: The International Student House (1825 R Street NW) is located in convenient proximity to the Red Line. Exit Metro at the Dupont Circle station and proceed to the Q Street/North exit. Head north (you will come off the escalator facing north; if you use the elevator take a left after exiting) on Connecticut Avenue to R Street NW (approximately one block). Turn right onto R Street NW. Cross 19th Street NW and the International Student House will be on the left side of the street approximately halfway down the block. If you reach the Bikeshare dock, you’ve gone too far. Approximate walk time: 7-10 minutes.
Parking: Street parking is metered and is limited to two hours, unless you have a Washington, DC, Zone 2 parking pass. The closest parking garage is at 11 Dupont Circle, approximately two blocks from the International Student House (1825 R Street NW). Approximate walk time: 5 -7 minutes.
From the Carlyle Hotel: The closest hotel to the training facility is the Carlyle Hotel, 1731 New Hampshire Ave NW. FELTG has a corporate ID # 786842108, and limited rooms are available at the federal rate if you book in advance. After exiting the Carlyle Hotel, turn left. At the first intersection, R Street NW, turn right. Proceed approximately one block. The International Student House (1825 R Street NW) will be on your right, just past the Bikeshare dock. Approximate walk time: 4-6 minutes.
Cancellation and No-show Policy for Registered Participants: Cancellations made after the cancel date on the registration form will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses. Pre-paid training using the “Pay Now” option will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses. No-shows will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses.
Instructors
Deborah Hopkins, Barbara Haga, Meghan Droste, Ann Boehm, Joe Schimansky, Katherine Atkinson, Anthony Marchese
Course Description
Those of you who supervise federal employees know it can be a frustrating calling, especially when you face so many new and challenging issues amid complex and changing laws.
Help is on the way. Register now for one, several, or all of the courses in FELTG’s comprehensive webinar training series Supervising Federal Employees: Managing Accountability and Defending Your Actions. No other training provides the depth and breadth of guidance federal supervisors need to manage the agency workplace effectively and efficiently.
Over the course of 14 webinars, FELTG’s experienced and knowledgeable instructors provide support on everything from managing poor performance and disciplining for employee misconduct to providing reasonable accommodation and rooting out leave abuse, and much much more.
This unique series has been updated to address the most timely and important topics supervisors are facing right now. The 60-minute webinars, held every other Tuesday from 1 – 2 p.m. eastern time, will expand upon legal principles to provide attendees with the necessary tools and best practices. Plus, you’ll have a chance to ask questions and get answers from FELTG instructors – in real time.
As an added bonus, this series fulfills OPM’s mandatory training requirements for new supervisors found at 5 CFR 412.202(b).
2020 dates:
March 3: The Foundations of Accountability: Performance vs. Misconduct: The distinction between performance and conduct; an overview on holding employees accountable; setting the stage for discipline and performance actions.
March 17: Writing Effective Performance Plans: Performance management; understanding the performance appraisal system; defining elements and standards; drafting standards according to legal requirements; creating the performance plan.
March 31: Preparing an Unacceptable Performance Case: Performance accountability in a nutshell; preparing and executing a performance demonstration period; proof and evidence standards.
April 14: Addressing Special Challenges with Performance: What do when a poor-performing employee requests reasonable accommodation; managing teleworker performance; leave issues and performance.
April 28: Providing Performance Feedback That Makes a Difference: Communicating performance expectations; providing ongoing feedback; positive vs. negative framing; why you shouldn’t wait until the mid-year to discuss performance issues; what OPM says about mentorship; mentorship styles; formal and informal mentorship; pilot mentorship programs; best practices for leadership; handling difficult employee types.
May 12: Disciplining Employees for Misconduct, Part I: The five elements of discipline in the federal government; documentation supervisors need to succeed in a disciplinary action.
May 26: Disciplining Employees for Misconduct, Part II: Disciplinary procedures: reprimand, suspension, termination; appeals process; agency liability.
June 9: Tackling Leave Issues I: Handling the leave issues most common in the federal government: annual leave, sick leave, leave transfer.
June 23: Tackling Leave Issues II: Handling more complicated leave scenarios: FMLA, LWOP, administrative leave, AWOL.
July 7: Combating Against Hostile Work Environment Harassment Claims: The elements of a hostile work environment; liability in hostile work environment claims; tangible employment actions; harassment v. bullying; supervisor responsibilities in harassment claims; agency defenses.
July 21: Intentional EEO Discrimination: What supervisors should know about EEO discrimination; discrete acts of discrimination; selection and promotion cases; defending against claims of intentional discrimination.
August 4: Disability Accommodation in 60 Minutes: Defining a disability; requests for accommodation; the interactive process; accommodations of choice; undue hardship.
August 18: EEO Reprisal: Handle It, Don’t Fear It: How reprisal is different than other EEO claims; what the complainant must show to establish reprisal; how a supervisor can defend against reprisal claims; what to do and what not to do when an employee engages in protected EEO activity.
September 1: Supervising in a Unionized Environment: The right to be bargained with; forming a union; employee and union rights; ULPs.
Pricing
Early Bird Tuition:
- $240 per site, per session (payment required by Feb 24).
- Special series discounts available through February 24. See registration form for details.
Standard Tuition:
- $270 per site, per session (payments made Feb. 25 or later).
Teleworkers may be added to a primary site registration for $40 each, per session, on a space-available basis.
Instructors
Series Description
One is mandatory, the other is not. But they are both important steps to ensure that you’ve made a defensible disciplinary decision. We’re talking due process and progressive discipline. FELTG’s newest webinar series will tackle these critical yet often-misunderstood steps in developing and defending disciplinary decisions. You are not legally required to use progressive discipline before you remove an employee. But in many cases you should, and we’ll explain how and why.
Violate Constitutional due process, and your agency will automatically lose an appeal regardless of the evidence. What constitutes due process? And how have agencies tripped up on it? We’ll walk you through it.
Federal law enforcement officers take on incredibly difficult jobs and often perform heroically. But they are human, and so they sometimes commit misconduct – and the consequences are far greater. We’ll wrap up the series with a dive into how to successfully discipline at agencies with LEOs. The course will be led by an instructor with over 20 years of experience in a federal law enforcement environment.
Sessions will be held on Thursdays from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. ET.
- March 19 – Using Progressive Discipline in the Federal Workplace: The foundations of discipline; performance vs. misconduct; options to discipline; when to use progressive discipline; comparator employees; what the Executive Orders say about progressive discipline.
- April 16 – Due Process Violations: How One Mistake Could Cost You the Case: Constitutional due process and its application to the federal workforce; discipline procedures; the roles of the proposing and deciding official; Ward and Stone violations; discipline timelines as required by Executive Order 13839.
- May 14 – Handling Law Enforcement Officer Discipline: Conduct standards for law enforcement officers; off-duty misconduct; Douglas factors of specific importance in LEO discipline; Giglio determinations; procedures when LEOs commit felonies.
Price
- Early Bird Tuition: $240 per site, per session (payment made by March 9).
- Standard Tuition: $270 per site, per session (payment made March 10 or later).
- Register for all six webinars by March 9 and pay only $695!
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $40 per teleworker, on a space-available basis.
Federal employees enjoy a wide variety of leave-related benefits. However, many of us would never use the words “enjoy” and “leave” so closely together. Whether you’re an HR professional, employee relations practitioner, EEO specialist, supervisor, or agency counsel, you have undoubtedly faced a leave-related challenge. FELTG’s Absence, Leave Abuse & Medical Issues Week will give you the critical foundation you need to address the most complex areas of federal employment law.
Our expert speakers will discuss sick leave, annual leave, leave without pay, absence without leave, and FMLA. Then they will tackle the most current, relevant topics, such as medical issues and unacceptable performance, leave and reasonable accommodation, medical documentation, medical exams, and, of course, leave abuse.
You’re going to learn an awful lot about “leave” and you’re going to “enjoy” the training.
The program runs 8:30 – 4:00 each day and is pre-approved for 29 CLE credits in Virginia and California. It is also approved for 29 HRCI general recertification credits.
Instructors
TBD
Daily Agenda:
Monday – Leave Use Overview
Types of leave and leave entitlements; proper leave administration; discretionary leave scenarios; leave stacking; understanding when you can say no to a leave request; Administrative Leave Act of 2016 changes.
Tuesday – FMLA Law & Policy
Federal sector FMLA basics, military family leave, serious health condition developments, medical certification issues, managing intermittent FMLA leave; discipline, FMLA and the under-performer; and employee notice issues.
Wednesday – Handling the Leave Abuser; Medical Removals
Handling the leave abuser; documentation necessary to discipline an employee for leave abuse; steps to disciplining leave abusers; AWOL charges; leave restriction; excessive absence removals; medical inability to perform removals.
Thursday – Reasonable Accommodation: Entitlements and Processes
The ADA Amendments Act; the reasonable accommodation process; the “regarded as” provision of the ADA; telework and leave as reasonable accommodation; religious accommodation.
Friday – Medical Documentation, Medical Requests and Record Confidentiality
How the ADAAA and GINA impact the collection of medical information; pre- and post-employment medical exams and inquiries; conditional employment offers; medical documentation requests; direct threat; conflicting regulations and contra court decisions.
Pricing
Most people attend the full training week, but you may opt out of any days you don’t plan to attend.
Early Bird Tuition (register by March 16):
- 5 days = $2190
- 4 days = $1795
- 3 days = $1385
- 2 days = $980
- 1 day = $540
Standard Tuition (register March 17-April 3):
- 5 days = $2290
- 4 days = $1895
- 3 days = $1485
- 2 days = $1080
- 1 day = $640
Metro, Parking, Directions
Metro: The International Student House (1825 R Street NW) is located in convenient proximity to the Red Line. Exit Metro at the Dupont Circle station and proceed to the Q Street/North exit. Head north (you will come off the escalator facing north; if you use the elevator take a left after exiting) on Connecticut Avenue to R Street NW (approximately one block). Turn right onto R Street NW. Cross 19th Street NW and the International Student House will be on the left side of the street approximately halfway down the block. If you reach the Bikeshare dock, you’ve gone too far. Approximate walk time: 7-10 minutes.
Parking: Street parking is metered and is limited to two hours, unless you have a Washington, DC, Zone 2 parking pass. The closest parking garage is at 11 Dupont Circle, approximately two blocks from the International Student House (1825 R Street NW). Approximate walk time: 5 -7 minutes.
From the Carlyle Hotel: After exiting the Carlyle Hotel, turn left. At the first intersection, R Street NW, turn right. Proceed approximately one block. The International Student House (1825 R Street NW) will be on your right, just past the Bikeshare dock. Approximate walk time: 4-6 minutes.
Cancellation and No-show Policy for Registered Participants: Cancellations made after the cancel date on the registration form will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses. Pre-paid training using the “Pay Now” option will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses. No-shows will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses.
Instructors
Deborah Hopkins, Barbara Haga, Meghan Droste, Ann Boehm, Joe Schimansky, Katherine Atkinson, Anthony Marchese
Course Description
Those of you who supervise federal employees know it can be a frustrating calling, especially when you face so many new and challenging issues amid complex and changing laws.
Help is on the way. Register now for one, several, or all of the courses in FELTG’s comprehensive webinar training series Supervising Federal Employees: Managing Accountability and Defending Your Actions. No other training provides the depth and breadth of guidance federal supervisors need to manage the agency workplace effectively and efficiently.
Over the course of 14 webinars, FELTG’s experienced and knowledgeable instructors provide support on everything from managing poor performance and disciplining for employee misconduct to providing reasonable accommodation and rooting out leave abuse, and much much more.
This unique series has been updated to address the most timely and important topics supervisors are facing right now. The 60-minute webinars, held every other Tuesday from 1 – 2 p.m. eastern time, will expand upon legal principles to provide attendees with the necessary tools and best practices. Plus, you’ll have a chance to ask questions and get answers from FELTG instructors – in real time.
As an added bonus, this series fulfills OPM’s mandatory training requirements for new supervisors found at 5 CFR 412.202(b).
2020 dates:
March 3: The Foundations of Accountability: Performance vs. Misconduct: The distinction between performance and conduct; an overview on holding employees accountable; setting the stage for discipline and performance actions.
March 17: Writing Effective Performance Plans: Performance management; understanding the performance appraisal system; defining elements and standards; drafting standards according to legal requirements; creating the performance plan.
March 31: Preparing an Unacceptable Performance Case: Performance accountability in a nutshell; preparing and executing a performance demonstration period; proof and evidence standards.
April 14: Addressing Special Challenges with Performance: What do when a poor-performing employee requests reasonable accommodation; managing teleworker performance; leave issues and performance.
April 28: Providing Performance Feedback That Makes a Difference: Communicating performance expectations; providing ongoing feedback; positive vs. negative framing; why you shouldn’t wait until the mid-year to discuss performance issues; what OPM says about mentorship; mentorship styles; formal and informal mentorship; pilot mentorship programs; best practices for leadership; handling difficult employee types.
May 12: Disciplining Employees for Misconduct, Part I: The five elements of discipline in the federal government; documentation supervisors need to succeed in a disciplinary action.
May 26: Disciplining Employees for Misconduct, Part II: Disciplinary procedures: reprimand, suspension, termination; appeals process; agency liability.
June 9: Tackling Leave Issues I: Handling the leave issues most common in the federal government: annual leave, sick leave, leave transfer.
June 23: Tackling Leave Issues II: Handling more complicated leave scenarios: FMLA, LWOP, administrative leave, AWOL.
July 7: Combating Against Hostile Work Environment Harassment Claims: The elements of a hostile work environment; liability in hostile work environment claims; tangible employment actions; harassment v. bullying; supervisor responsibilities in harassment claims; agency defenses.
July 21: Intentional EEO Discrimination: What supervisors should know about EEO discrimination; discrete acts of discrimination; selection and promotion cases; defending against claims of intentional discrimination.
August 4: Disability Accommodation in 60 Minutes: Defining a disability; requests for accommodation; the interactive process; accommodations of choice; undue hardship.
August 18: EEO Reprisal: Handle It, Don’t Fear It: How reprisal is different than other EEO claims; what the complainant must show to establish reprisal; how a supervisor can defend against reprisal claims; what to do and what not to do when an employee engages in protected EEO activity.
September 1: Supervising in a Unionized Environment: The right to be bargained with; forming a union; employee and union rights; ULPs.
Pricing
Early Bird Tuition:
- $240 per site, per session (payment required by Feb 24).
- Special series discounts available through February 24. See registration form for details.
Standard Tuition:
- $270 per site, per session (payments made Feb. 25 or later).
Teleworkers may be added to a primary site registration for $40 each, per session, on a space-available basis.
Instructors
Katherine Atkinson, Barbara Haga, Meghan Droste
Series Description
Equal Employment Opportunity claims can be a long and often complicated process, and some challenges are a bit more troublesome than others. It’s those topics we are tackling during this four-part webinar series. What are the mistakes agencies most often make when dismissing EEO complaints? Can you discipline an employee who is on a reasonable accommodation? How do you determine whether your agency is liable when a contractor files an EEO complaint? Can your agency be sanctioned if the EEO investigation becomes adversarial? Join us for this webinar series to get answers to these and other perplexing questions, and ensure that you successfully navigate the EEO process.
Sessions will be held on Thursdays from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. ET.
- March 5 – EEO Claims: When to Accept, and When to Dismiss: Failure to state a claim; timeliness; collateral attack; framing claims.
- April 9 – When the ADA and FMLA Collide: Coverage under the FMLA; coverage under the ADA; medical documentation; requesting leave under the FMLA; leave as a reasonable accommodation.
- May 7 – What Do You Do When Contractors File EEO Complaints? The Ma factors; applying the Ma test; roles and responsibilities of agency personnel when contractors start the EEO process; defenses to the “joint employer” allegation; common questions and answers that arise from agencies dealing with contractors.
- June 4 – When Investigations Go Bad: Keeping Integrity in the EEO Process: Characteristics of a legally sufficient investigation; investigatory standards – impartiality, appropriateness, evidence-based investigation; relevant documents and witnesses; reviewing the investigation.
Price
- Early Bird Tuition: $240 per site, per session (payment made by February 24).
- Standard Tuition: $270 per site, per session (payment made February 25 or later).
- Register for all four webinars by February 24 and pay only $910!
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $40 per teleworker, on a space-available basis.
Instructors
Deborah Hopkins, Barbara Haga, Meghan Droste, Ann Boehm, Joe Schimansky, Katherine Atkinson, Anthony Marchese
Course Description
Those of you who supervise federal employees know it can be a frustrating calling, especially when you face so many new and challenging issues amid complex and changing laws.
Help is on the way. Register now for one, several, or all of the courses in FELTG’s comprehensive webinar training series Supervising Federal Employees: Managing Accountability and Defending Your Actions. No other training provides the depth and breadth of guidance federal supervisors need to manage the agency workplace effectively and efficiently.
Over the course of 14 webinars, FELTG’s experienced and knowledgeable instructors provide support on everything from managing poor performance and disciplining for employee misconduct to providing reasonable accommodation and rooting out leave abuse, and much much more.
This unique series has been updated to address the most timely and important topics supervisors are facing right now. The 60-minute webinars, held every other Tuesday from 1 – 2 p.m. eastern time, will expand upon legal principles to provide attendees with the necessary tools and best practices. Plus, you’ll have a chance to ask questions and get answers from FELTG instructors – in real time.
As an added bonus, this series fulfills OPM’s mandatory training requirements for new supervisors found at 5 CFR 412.202(b).
2020 dates:
March 3: The Foundations of Accountability: Performance vs. Misconduct: The distinction between performance and conduct; an overview on holding employees accountable; setting the stage for discipline and performance actions.
March 17: Writing Effective Performance Plans: Performance management; understanding the performance appraisal system; defining elements and standards; drafting standards according to legal requirements; creating the performance plan.
March 31: Preparing an Unacceptable Performance Case: Performance accountability in a nutshell; preparing and executing a performance demonstration period; proof and evidence standards.
April 14: Addressing Special Challenges with Performance: What do when a poor-performing employee requests reasonable accommodation; managing teleworker performance; leave issues and performance.
April 28: Providing Performance Feedback That Makes a Difference: Communicating performance expectations; providing ongoing feedback; positive vs. negative framing; why you shouldn’t wait until the mid-year to discuss performance issues; what OPM says about mentorship; mentorship styles; formal and informal mentorship; pilot mentorship programs; best practices for leadership; handling difficult employee types.
May 12: Disciplining Employees for Misconduct, Part I: The five elements of discipline in the federal government; documentation supervisors need to succeed in a disciplinary action.
May 26: Disciplining Employees for Misconduct, Part II: Disciplinary procedures: reprimand, suspension, termination; appeals process; agency liability.
June 9: Tackling Leave Issues I: Handling the leave issues most common in the federal government: annual leave, sick leave, leave transfer.
June 23: Tackling Leave Issues II: Handling more complicated leave scenarios: FMLA, LWOP, administrative leave, AWOL.
July 7: Combating Against Hostile Work Environment Harassment Claims: The elements of a hostile work environment; liability in hostile work environment claims; tangible employment actions; harassment v. bullying; supervisor responsibilities in harassment claims; agency defenses.
July 21: Intentional EEO Discrimination: What supervisors should know about EEO discrimination; discrete acts of discrimination; selection and promotion cases; defending against claims of intentional discrimination.
August 4: Disability Accommodation in 60 Minutes: Defining a disability; requests for accommodation; the interactive process; accommodations of choice; undue hardship.
August 18: EEO Reprisal: Handle It, Don’t Fear It: How reprisal is different than other EEO claims; what the complainant must show to establish reprisal; how a supervisor can defend against reprisal claims; what to do and what not to do when an employee engages in protected EEO activity.
September 1: Supervising in a Unionized Environment: The right to be bargained with; forming a union; employee and union rights; ULPs.
Pricing
Early Bird Tuition:
- $240 per site, per session (payment required by Feb 24).
- Special series discounts available through February 24. See registration form for details.
Standard Tuition:
- $270 per site, per session (payments made Feb. 25 or later).
Teleworkers may be added to a primary site registration for $40 each, per session, on a space-available basis.
Each year, the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey makes it clear that federal agencies are failing to take sufficient action against poor performers. Don’t let unacceptable performance drag your agency down. You can start by forgetting the same old Band-Aid approach to the problem. Join FELTG for an intensive, two-day deep dive into Performance Management with instructor Barbara Haga.
Attendees will leave with a full picture of performance management in the federal workplace. Ms. Haga will lay the groundwork with an overview of the legal history and regulatory background. You’ll learn how to design an effective performance system, understand the difference between critical and non-critical elements and their uses in effective appraisals, provide feedback, and craft defensible performance plans with measurable results that will ensure that you have the tools to properly recognize the superstars and have to deal with employees who are not performing acceptably.
Ms. Haga will show you how to navigate the complexities of performance-related pay matters and RIFs. And you will leave with significant guidance on dealing with deficient performance, including discussions on the plusses and minuses of actions taken under 5 CFR 432, the impact of not taking action when needed, when conduct is a better answer for a performance issue, 432 procedures, demonstration periods, the challenge of reasonable accommodation requests amid poor performance, and much more.
The program runs 8:30 – 4:00 each day.
Instructor
Daily Agenda
Wednesday
Performance I: Legislative and regulatory background; system requirements – appraisal requirements, documentation, reconsideration and grievances; system design – critical elements/performance standards and other types of measures; feedback and assessment; performance recognition; guidance on setting performance plans; MSPB decisions on performance measures.
Thursday
Performance II: Linking individual and organizational performance; reviewing individual performance plans; within-grade increases; performance credit in reduction-in-force; unacceptable performance; performance improvement period; taking performance-based action.
Pricing
Early Bird Tuition (register by April 1):
- 2 days = $980
- 1 day = $540
Standard Tuition (register April 2 – April 16):
- 2 days = $1080
- 1 day = $640
Metro, Parking, Directions
Metro: The International Student House (1825 R Street NW) is located in convenient proximity to the Red Line. Exit Metro at the Dupont Circle station and proceed to the Q Street/North exit. Head north (you will come off the escalator facing north; if you use the elevator take a left after exiting) on Connecticut Avenue to R Street NW (approximately one block). Turn right onto R Street NW. Cross 19th Street NW and the International Student House will be on the left side of the street approximately halfway down the block. If you reach the Bikeshare dock, you’ve gone too far. Approximate walk time: 7-10 minutes.
Parking: Street parking is metered and is limited to two hours, unless you have a Washington, DC, Zone 2 parking pass. The closest parking garage is at 11 Dupont Circle, approximately two blocks from the International Student House (1825 R Street NW). Approximate walk time: 5 -7 minutes.
From the Carlyle Hotel: After exiting the Carlyle Hotel, turn left. At the first intersection, R Street NW, turn right. Proceed approximately one block. The International Student House (1825 R Street NW) will be on your right, just past the Bikeshare dock. Approximate walk time: 4-6 minutes.
Cancellation and No-show Policy for Registered Participants: Cancellations made after the cancel date on the registration form will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses. Pre-paid training using the “Pay Now” option will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses. No-shows will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses.
Instructors
Series Description
One is mandatory, the other is not. But they are both important steps to ensure that you’ve made a defensible disciplinary decision. We’re talking due process and progressive discipline. FELTG’s newest webinar series will tackle these critical yet often-misunderstood steps in developing and defending disciplinary decisions. You are not legally required to use progressive discipline before you remove an employee. But in many cases you should, and we’ll explain how and why.
Violate Constitutional due process, and your agency will automatically lose an appeal regardless of the evidence. What constitutes due process? And how have agencies tripped up on it? We’ll walk you through it.
Federal law enforcement officers take on incredibly difficult jobs and often perform heroically. But they are human, and so they sometimes commit misconduct – and the consequences are far greater. We’ll wrap up the series with a dive into how to successfully discipline at agencies with LEOs. The course will be led by an instructor with over 20 years of experience in a federal law enforcement environment.
Sessions will be held on Thursdays from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. ET.
- March 19 – Using Progressive Discipline in the Federal Workplace: The foundations of discipline; performance vs. misconduct; options to discipline; when to use progressive discipline; comparator employees; what the Executive Orders say about progressive discipline.
- April 16 – Due Process Violations: How One Mistake Could Cost You the Case: Constitutional due process and its application to the federal workforce; discipline procedures; the roles of the proposing and deciding official; Ward and Stone violations; discipline timelines as required by Executive Order 13839.
- May 14 – Handling Law Enforcement Officer Discipline: Conduct standards for law enforcement officers; off-duty misconduct; Douglas factors of specific importance in LEO discipline; Giglio determinations; procedures when LEOs commit felonies.
Price
- Early Bird Tuition: $240 per site, per session (payment made by March 9).
- Standard Tuition: $270 per site, per session (payment made March 10 or later).
- Register for all six webinars by March 9 and pay only $695!
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $40 per teleworker, on a space-available basis.
This week focuses on conducting administrative investigations in the federal workplace with an emphasis on employee misconduct including workplace harassment. After an overview of the substantive law, participants will learn procedures and best practices for conducting investigations in the federal workplace, including planning the investigation, fact finding, collecting evidence, dealing with witnesses, understanding types of questioning, and testifying at hearing. The week concludes with a day focused on writing an investigative report.
The program runs 8:30 – 4:00 each day and is pre-approved for 29 CLE credits in Virginia and California. It is also approved for 29 HRCI general recertification credits.
This program fulfills the requirements for 32-hour EEO Investigator training and 8-hour annual EEO investigator refresher training. It also meets the requirements for training under the Department of Interior’s Anti-Harassment Policy.
Instructors
Deborah Hopkins, Katherine Atkinson, Meghan Droste
Daily Agenda
Monday
Administrative Investigations: The Substantive Basis: Why investigate; discipline law and elements; understanding charges of misconduct; collecting penalty evidence; law behind other types of administrative investigations; witness rights; union representation.
Tuesday
Harassment Investigations: Investigating allegations of harassment; differentiating between EEO and non-EEO harassment; the intersection with criminal investigations; special considerations in light of #MeToo and #TimesUp.
Wednesday
Conducting the Investigation, Part I: Evidentiary principles; purpose of investigation; preparing for the investigation; role of the investigator; planning the investigation. beginning the interview.
Thursday
Conducting the Investigation, Part II: Conducting the interview; handling difficult witnesses; assessing credibility/lies/hearing what isn’t said; body language; gathering other evidence; technology and investigations; high profile case considerations; testifying at an administrative hearing; rules for being an effective witness.
Friday
Writing the Investigative Report: Organizing for the report; establishing the chronology; writing for your audience; report writing style; report writing conventions; report organization; sample report.
Pricing
Most people attend the full training week, but you may opt out of any days you don’t plan to attend.
Early Bird Tuition (register by April 6):
- 5 days = $2190
- 4 days = $1795
- 3 days = $1385
- 2 days = $980
- 1 day = $540
Standard Tuition (register April 7-24):
- 5 days = $2290
- 4 days = $1895
- 3 days = $1485
- 2 days = $1080
- 1 day = $640
Lodging
The host hotel, The Westin Seattle, has a limited block of rooms set aside at the per diem rate. Call the hotel directly at 206-728-1000 and mention this training event to receive the special rate.
Cancellation and No-show Policy for Registered Participants: Cancellations made after the cancel date on the registration form will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses. Pre-paid training using the “Pay Now” option will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses. No-shows will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses.
Holding federal employees accountable for performance and conduct is easier than you might think. Too many supervisors believe that an employee’s protected activity (EEO complaints, whistleblower disclosures, or union activity) precludes the supervisor from initiating a suspension or removal, but that’s just not true.
FELTG is here to make federal supervisors’ lives easier by clarifying those misconceptions while helping supervisors understand how to take defensible misconduct actions quickly and fairly – actions that withstand scrutiny on appeal by the MSPB, EEOC, or in grievance arbitration. Plus, if you have a non-performing employee working for you now, we show you how you can remove that employee from your workplace in 31 days, among many other things.
Do you want to ensure that you’re complying with President Trump’s Executive Orders as they pertain to performance management? Do you want to meet OPM’s deadline for streamlining your disciplinary procedures? Join us for this three-day seminar and come away with the tools you need.
The program runs 8:30 – 4:00 each day and meets OPM’s mandatory training requirements for federal supervisors found at 5 CFR 412.202(b).
Instructors
Deborah Hopkins, Meghan Droste
Daily Agenda:
Tuesday
Accountability for Conduct and Performance, Part I: Accountability and supervisory authority; discipline and misconduct theory and practice; penalty defense and due process; discipline procedures and appeals; psychology of performance appraisal; performance-based removal procedures.
Wednesday
Accountability for Conduct and Performance, Part II: Completing a performance action; team workshop; handling the absent employee and dealing with attendance issues; medical removals; union considerations; mentorship in the federal government.
Thursday
Defending Against Discrimination Complaints: The Supervisor’s Role: The role of EEO in the federal government; defining protected categories: race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, disability, genetic information and reprisal; theories of discrimination; agency defenses; what to do if you’re a Responding Management Official in a complaint; what happens if you’re called as an EEO witness.
Pricing
Early Bird Tuition (register by April 7):
- 3 days = $1400
- 2 days = $1000
- 1 day = $560
Standard Tuition (register April 8-23):
- 3 days = $1500
- 2 days = $1100
- 1 day = $660
Seminar registration includes a copy of the textbook UnCivil Servant: Holding Employees Accountable for Performance and Conduct, 5th ed., by Wiley and Hopkins.
Lodging
The hotel has a limited block of rooms available at the federal per diem rate. Please contact the hotel directly at 206-728-1000 to make a reservation.
Cancellation and No-show Policy for Registered Participants: Cancellations made after the cancel date on the registration form will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses. Pre-paid training will not be refunded, and will not be given credit toward another course. No-shows will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses.
If you’re looking for training that covers the gamut of EEO issues, and provides usable guidance for all practitioners, regardless of experience level, this is it: FELTG’s EEOC Law Week. FELTG’s expert speakers, drawing on years of experience from all sides of the litigation table, deliver a fast-paced week of strategies, principles, and authorities relative to the major aspects of the field of discrimination law in the federal government. This course is updated for 2019, and has a whole day focused on harassment. Register early because EEOC Law Week regularly sells out.
The program runs 8:30 – 4:00 each day and is pre-approved for 29 CLE credits in Virginia and California. It is also approved for 29 HRCI general recertification credits.
6 per day Monday – Thursday; 5 on Friday.
Instructors
TBD
Daily Agenda
Monday
Basic EEOC, Nuts & Bolts: The Basics – Statutory authority and jurisdiction of EEOC, an overview of the theories of discrimination, overview of EEO process, amended and consolidated complaints; timeliness issues in the wake of the Supreme Court decisions in Morgan and Ledbetter.
Tuesday
Contractor Complaints; Intentional Discrimination and Reprisal Cases: Contractor complaints; intentional discrimination analysis and cases; selection & promotion cases; a focus on national origin and religious discrimination cases; reprisal analysis and cases.
Wednesday
Accommodating Individuals with Disabilities: The Rehabilitation Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act, defining individuals with a disability, major life activities and substantial limitation; essential job functions, the interactive process, types of reasonable accommodation; the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) regulations.
Thursday
Current Trends in EEO Law: a Focus on Harassment: The latest on what’s happening in EEO, hostile environment harassment, gender stereotyping, same-sex harassment sexual orientation and transgender discrimination, non-EEO harassment; settlement.
Friday
Mixed Cases; Damages & Remedies: Mixed cases; overview of Equitable Remedies: back pay, front pay, reinstatement; non-pecuniary and pecuniary damages, past and future damages, damages offsets, the duty to mitigate damages, collateral sources and pre-existing conditions, multiple causations of harm, the eggshell complainant.
Pricing
Most people attend the full training week, but you may opt out of any days you don’t plan to attend.
Early Bird Tuition (register by April 13):
- 5 days = $2190
- 4 days = $1795
- 3 days = $1385
- 2 days = $980
- 1 day = $540
Standard Tuition (register April 14-May 1):
- 5 days = $2290
- 4 days = $1895
- 3 days = $1485
- 2 days = $1080
- 1 day = $640
Metro, Parking, Directions
Metro: The International Student House (1825 R Street NW) is located in convenient proximity to the Red Line. Exit Metro at the Dupont Circle station and proceed to the Q Street/North exit. Head north (you will come off the escalator facing north; if you use the elevator take a left after exiting) on Connecticut Avenue to R Street NW (approximately one block). Turn right onto R Street NW. Cross 19th Street NW and the International Student House will be on the left side of the street approximately halfway down the block. If you reach the Bikeshare dock, you’ve gone too far. Approximate walk time: 7-10 minutes.
Parking: Street parking is metered and is limited to two hours, unless you have a Washington, DC, Zone 2 parking pass. The closest parking garage is at 11 Dupont Circle, approximately two blocks from the International Student House (1825 R Street NW). Approximate walk time: 5 -7 minutes.
From the Carlyle Hotel: After exiting the Carlyle Hotel, turn left. At the first intersection, R Street NW, turn right. Proceed approximately one block. The International Student House (1825 R Street NW) will be on your right, just past the Bikeshare dock. Approximate walk time: 4-6 minutes.
Cancellation and No-show Policy for Registered Participants: Cancellations made after the cancel date on the registration form will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses. Pre-paid training using the “Pay Now” option will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses. No-shows will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses.
Instructors
Deborah Hopkins, Barbara Haga, Meghan Droste, Ann Boehm, Joe Schimansky, Katherine Atkinson, Anthony Marchese
Course Description
Those of you who supervise federal employees know it can be a frustrating calling, especially when you face so many new and challenging issues amid complex and changing laws.
Help is on the way. Register now for one, several, or all of the courses in FELTG’s comprehensive webinar training series Supervising Federal Employees: Managing Accountability and Defending Your Actions. No other training provides the depth and breadth of guidance federal supervisors need to manage the agency workplace effectively and efficiently.
Over the course of 14 webinars, FELTG’s experienced and knowledgeable instructors provide support on everything from managing poor performance and disciplining for employee misconduct to providing reasonable accommodation and rooting out leave abuse, and much much more.
This unique series has been updated to address the most timely and important topics supervisors are facing right now. The 60-minute webinars, held every other Tuesday from 1 – 2 p.m. eastern time, will expand upon legal principles to provide attendees with the necessary tools and best practices. Plus, you’ll have a chance to ask questions and get answers from FELTG instructors – in real time.
As an added bonus, this series fulfills OPM’s mandatory training requirements for new supervisors found at 5 CFR 412.202(b).
2020 dates:
March 3: The Foundations of Accountability: Performance vs. Misconduct: The distinction between performance and conduct; an overview on holding employees accountable; setting the stage for discipline and performance actions.
March 17: Writing Effective Performance Plans: Performance management; understanding the performance appraisal system; defining elements and standards; drafting standards according to legal requirements; creating the performance plan.
March 31: Preparing an Unacceptable Performance Case: Performance accountability in a nutshell; preparing and executing a performance demonstration period; proof and evidence standards.
April 14: Addressing Special Challenges with Performance: What do when a poor-performing employee requests reasonable accommodation; managing teleworker performance; leave issues and performance.
April 28: Providing Performance Feedback That Makes a Difference: Communicating performance expectations; providing ongoing feedback; positive vs. negative framing; why you shouldn’t wait until the mid-year to discuss performance issues; what OPM says about mentorship; mentorship styles; formal and informal mentorship; pilot mentorship programs; best practices for leadership; handling difficult employee types.
May 12: Disciplining Employees for Misconduct, Part I: The five elements of discipline in the federal government; documentation supervisors need to succeed in a disciplinary action.
May 26: Disciplining Employees for Misconduct, Part II: Disciplinary procedures: reprimand, suspension, termination; appeals process; agency liability.
June 9: Tackling Leave Issues I: Handling the leave issues most common in the federal government: annual leave, sick leave, leave transfer.
June 23: Tackling Leave Issues II: Handling more complicated leave scenarios: FMLA, LWOP, administrative leave, AWOL.
July 7: Combating Against Hostile Work Environment Harassment Claims: The elements of a hostile work environment; liability in hostile work environment claims; tangible employment actions; harassment v. bullying; supervisor responsibilities in harassment claims; agency defenses.
July 21: Intentional EEO Discrimination: What supervisors should know about EEO discrimination; discrete acts of discrimination; selection and promotion cases; defending against claims of intentional discrimination.
August 4: Disability Accommodation in 60 Minutes: Defining a disability; requests for accommodation; the interactive process; accommodations of choice; undue hardship.
August 18: EEO Reprisal: Handle It, Don’t Fear It: How reprisal is different than other EEO claims; what the complainant must show to establish reprisal; how a supervisor can defend against reprisal claims; what to do and what not to do when an employee engages in protected EEO activity.
September 1: Supervising in a Unionized Environment: The right to be bargained with; forming a union; employee and union rights; ULPs.
Pricing
Early Bird Tuition:
- $240 per site, per session (payment required by Feb 24).
- Special series discounts available through February 24. See registration form for details.
Standard Tuition:
- $270 per site, per session (payments made Feb. 25 or later).
Teleworkers may be added to a primary site registration for $40 each, per session, on a space-available basis.
Instructors
Katherine Atkinson, Barbara Haga, Meghan Droste
Series Description
Equal Employment Opportunity claims can be a long and often complicated process, and some challenges are a bit more troublesome than others. It’s those topics we are tackling during this four-part webinar series. What are the mistakes agencies most often make when dismissing EEO complaints? Can you discipline an employee who is on a reasonable accommodation? How do you determine whether your agency is liable when a contractor files an EEO complaint? Can your agency be sanctioned if the EEO investigation becomes adversarial? Join us for this webinar series to get answers to these and other perplexing questions, and ensure that you successfully navigate the EEO process.
Sessions will be held on Thursdays from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. ET.
- March 5 – EEO Claims: When to Accept, and When to Dismiss: Failure to state a claim; timeliness; collateral attack; framing claims.
- April 9 – When the ADA and FMLA Collide: Coverage under the FMLA; coverage under the ADA; medical documentation; requesting leave under the FMLA; leave as a reasonable accommodation.
- May 7 – What Do You Do When Contractors File EEO Complaints? The Ma factors; applying the Ma test; roles and responsibilities of agency personnel when contractors start the EEO process; defenses to the “joint employer” allegation; common questions and answers that arise from agencies dealing with contractors.
- June 4 – When Investigations Go Bad: Keeping Integrity in the EEO Process: Characteristics of a legally sufficient investigation; investigatory standards – impartiality, appropriateness, evidence-based investigation; relevant documents and witnesses; reviewing the investigation.
Price
- Early Bird Tuition: $240 per site, per session (payment made by February 24).
- Standard Tuition: $270 per site, per session (payment made February 25 or later).
- Register for all four webinars by February 24 and pay only $910!
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $40 per teleworker, on a space-available basis.
Let’s face it: being a federal sector Employee Relations Specialist is a tough job. It’s great to know the basics, but the basics don’t always help you when you’re facing those really challenging situations. That’s when you realize that there is much more to learn. No worries. FELTG is presenting Advanced Employee Relations, a three-day seminar focused on immersing you in the employee relations training you need most.
Held in Washington, DC in May 2020, you’ll receive in-depth training on topics including leave, performance, misconduct, disability accommodation, and more. Plus, hands-on workshops will allow you to leave with the tools you’ll need to succeed. And it will all be taught by FELTG Senior Instructor Barbara Haga.
Great training. Great instructor. Great location. Register now.
The program runs 8:30 – 4:30 each day.
Instructor
Daily Agenda:
Tuesday
Leave and Attendance: Administering leave, with particular emphasis on sick leave, LWOP, and FMLA. Detailed review of sick leave provisions including authorized purposes for use of sick leave, limitations on use of sick leave for family care and bereavement, eligibility to use leave for care, notice requirements, acceptable documentation. Management actions to control use of leave and abuse of sick leave. Detailed review of FMLA provisions including eligibility to invoke FMLA, entitlement, coverage of family members, administration and notice requirements. Acceptable medical documentation under FMLA, definition of serious health condition. Substitution of paid leave. Discipline tied to FMLA. LWOP – when LWOP is mandatory, limits on granting LWOP, employee status while on extended LWOP. Other topics –issues related to annual leave and leave transfer, other leave entitlements.
Wednesday
Performance Management: Managing performance from system establishment to conducting annual appraisals to taking actions linked to performance. GEAR initiative and other efforts focused on modifying Federal performance management system. Requirements for performance plans, including design of agency systems, rating schemes, and procedures for conducting appraisals. Revised DOD performance system to be implemented in 2016. Linkage between appraisal and other personnel management decisions, including reduction-in-force and within-grade increases. Writing effective and measurable performance criteria that will withstand third-party review, including a workshop where participants will do an in-depth review of performance plans. Requirements for successful performance-based actions – from drafting a PIP notice that will withstand scrutiny to conducting a bona fide PIP to ensuring that due process is met in effecting an action on unacceptable performance.
Thursday
Misconduct and Other Related Issues: Implementation of a successful disciplinary program – delegation of authority, role of advisors, warnings and cautions, use of administrative leave. Nexus. Dealing with comparators in determining a penalty. Involuntary actions – resignations and retirements. Ordering and Offering medical examinations. Specific disciplinary situations: handling situations when an employee is unable to perform including excessive leave, disability retirement, separation disability; conduct unbecoming; misuse and technology-related misconduct; failure to meet conditions of employment.
Pricing
-
- Early Bird Tuition (register by April 28):
- 3 days = $1370
- 2 days = $970
- 1 day = $530
Standard Tuition (register April 29 – May 14):
- 3 days = $1470
- 2 days = $1070
- 1 day = $630
- Early Bird Tuition (register by April 28):
Metro, Parking, Directions
Metro: The International Student House (1825 R Street NW) is located in convenient proximity to the Red Line. Exit Metro at the Dupont Circle station and proceed to the Q Street/North exit. Head north (you will come off the escalator facing north; if you use the elevator take a left after exiting) on Connecticut Avenue to R Street NW (approximately one block). Turn right onto R Street NW. Cross 19th Street NW and the International Student House will be on the left side of the street approximately halfway down the block. If you reach the Bikeshare dock, you’ve gone too far. Approximate walk time: 7-10 minutes.
Parking: Street parking is metered and is limited to two hours, unless you have a Washington, DC, Zone 2 parking pass. The closest parking garage is at 11 Dupont Circle, approximately two blocks from the International Student House (1825 R Street NW). Approximate walk time: 5 -7 minutes.
From the Carlyle Hotel: The closest hotel to the training facility is the Carlyle Hotel, 1731 New Hampshire Ave NW. FELTG has a corporate ID # 786842108, and limited rooms are available at the federal rate if you book in advance. After exiting the Carlyle Hotel, turn left. At the first intersection, R Street NW, turn right. Proceed approximately one block. The International Student House (1825 R Street NW) will be on your right, just past the Bikeshare dock. Approximate walk time: 4-6 minutes.
Cancellation and No-show Policy for Registered Participants: Cancellations made after the cancel date on the registration form will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses. Pre-paid training using the “Pay Now” option will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses. No-shows will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses.
Instructors
Deborah Hopkins, Barbara Haga, Meghan Droste, Ann Boehm, Joe Schimansky, Katherine Atkinson, Anthony Marchese
Course Description
Those of you who supervise federal employees know it can be a frustrating calling, especially when you face so many new and challenging issues amid complex and changing laws.
Help is on the way. Register now for one, several, or all of the courses in FELTG’s comprehensive webinar training series Supervising Federal Employees: Managing Accountability and Defending Your Actions. No other training provides the depth and breadth of guidance federal supervisors need to manage the agency workplace effectively and efficiently.
Over the course of 14 webinars, FELTG’s experienced and knowledgeable instructors provide support on everything from managing poor performance and disciplining for employee misconduct to providing reasonable accommodation and rooting out leave abuse, and much much more.
This unique series has been updated to address the most timely and important topics supervisors are facing right now. The 60-minute webinars, held every other Tuesday from 1 – 2 p.m. eastern time, will expand upon legal principles to provide attendees with the necessary tools and best practices. Plus, you’ll have a chance to ask questions and get answers from FELTG instructors – in real time.
As an added bonus, this series fulfills OPM’s mandatory training requirements for new supervisors found at 5 CFR 412.202(b).
2020 dates:
March 3: The Foundations of Accountability: Performance vs. Misconduct: The distinction between performance and conduct; an overview on holding employees accountable; setting the stage for discipline and performance actions.
March 17: Writing Effective Performance Plans: Performance management; understanding the performance appraisal system; defining elements and standards; drafting standards according to legal requirements; creating the performance plan.
March 31: Preparing an Unacceptable Performance Case: Performance accountability in a nutshell; preparing and executing a performance demonstration period; proof and evidence standards.
April 14: Addressing Special Challenges with Performance: What do when a poor-performing employee requests reasonable accommodation; managing teleworker performance; leave issues and performance.
April 28: Providing Performance Feedback That Makes a Difference: Communicating performance expectations; providing ongoing feedback; positive vs. negative framing; why you shouldn’t wait until the mid-year to discuss performance issues; what OPM says about mentorship; mentorship styles; formal and informal mentorship; pilot mentorship programs; best practices for leadership; handling difficult employee types.
May 12: Disciplining Employees for Misconduct, Part I: The five elements of discipline in the federal government; documentation supervisors need to succeed in a disciplinary action.
May 26: Disciplining Employees for Misconduct, Part II: Disciplinary procedures: reprimand, suspension, termination; appeals process; agency liability.
June 9: Tackling Leave Issues I: Handling the leave issues most common in the federal government: annual leave, sick leave, leave transfer.
June 23: Tackling Leave Issues II: Handling more complicated leave scenarios: FMLA, LWOP, administrative leave, AWOL.
July 7: Combating Against Hostile Work Environment Harassment Claims: The elements of a hostile work environment; liability in hostile work environment claims; tangible employment actions; harassment v. bullying; supervisor responsibilities in harassment claims; agency defenses.
July 21: Intentional EEO Discrimination: What supervisors should know about EEO discrimination; discrete acts of discrimination; selection and promotion cases; defending against claims of intentional discrimination.
August 4: Disability Accommodation in 60 Minutes: Defining a disability; requests for accommodation; the interactive process; accommodations of choice; undue hardship.
August 18: EEO Reprisal: Handle It, Don’t Fear It: How reprisal is different than other EEO claims; what the complainant must show to establish reprisal; how a supervisor can defend against reprisal claims; what to do and what not to do when an employee engages in protected EEO activity.
September 1: Supervising in a Unionized Environment: The right to be bargained with; forming a union; employee and union rights; ULPs.
Pricing
Early Bird Tuition:
- $240 per site, per session (payment required by Feb 24).
- Special series discounts available through February 24. See registration form for details.
Standard Tuition:
- $270 per site, per session (payments made Feb. 25 or later).
Teleworkers may be added to a primary site registration for $40 each, per session, on a space-available basis.
Instructors
Series Description
One is mandatory, the other is not. But they are both important steps to ensure that you’ve made a defensible disciplinary decision. We’re talking due process and progressive discipline. FELTG’s newest webinar series will tackle these critical yet often-misunderstood steps in developing and defending disciplinary decisions. You are not legally required to use progressive discipline before you remove an employee. But in many cases you should, and we’ll explain how and why.
Violate Constitutional due process, and your agency will automatically lose an appeal regardless of the evidence. What constitutes due process? And how have agencies tripped up on it? We’ll walk you through it.
Federal law enforcement officers take on incredibly difficult jobs and often perform heroically. But they are human, and so they sometimes commit misconduct – and the consequences are far greater. We’ll wrap up the series with a dive into how to successfully discipline at agencies with LEOs. The course will be led by an instructor with over 20 years of experience in a federal law enforcement environment.
Sessions will be held on Thursdays from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. ET.
- March 19 – Using Progressive Discipline in the Federal Workplace: The foundations of discipline; performance vs. misconduct; options to discipline; when to use progressive discipline; comparator employees; what the Executive Orders say about progressive discipline.
- April 16 – Due Process Violations: How One Mistake Could Cost You the Case: Constitutional due process and its application to the federal workforce; discipline procedures; the roles of the proposing and deciding official; Ward and Stone violations; discipline timelines as required by Executive Order 13839.
- May 14 – Handling Law Enforcement Officer Discipline: Conduct standards for law enforcement officers; off-duty misconduct; Douglas factors of specific importance in LEO discipline; Giglio determinations; procedures when LEOs commit felonies.
Price
- Early Bird Tuition: $240 per site, per session (payment made by March 9).
- Standard Tuition: $270 per site, per session (payment made March 10 or later).
- Register for all six webinars by March 9 and pay only $695!
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $40 per teleworker, on a space-available basis.
Instructors
Deborah Hopkins, Barbara Haga, Meghan Droste, Ann Boehm, Joe Schimansky, Katherine Atkinson, Anthony Marchese
Course Description
Those of you who supervise federal employees know it can be a frustrating calling, especially when you face so many new and challenging issues amid complex and changing laws.
Help is on the way. Register now for one, several, or all of the courses in FELTG’s comprehensive webinar training series Supervising Federal Employees: Managing Accountability and Defending Your Actions. No other training provides the depth and breadth of guidance federal supervisors need to manage the agency workplace effectively and efficiently.
Over the course of 14 webinars, FELTG’s experienced and knowledgeable instructors provide support on everything from managing poor performance and disciplining for employee misconduct to providing reasonable accommodation and rooting out leave abuse, and much much more.
This unique series has been updated to address the most timely and important topics supervisors are facing right now. The 60-minute webinars, held every other Tuesday from 1 – 2 p.m. eastern time, will expand upon legal principles to provide attendees with the necessary tools and best practices. Plus, you’ll have a chance to ask questions and get answers from FELTG instructors – in real time.
As an added bonus, this series fulfills OPM’s mandatory training requirements for new supervisors found at 5 CFR 412.202(b).
2020 dates:
March 3: The Foundations of Accountability: Performance vs. Misconduct: The distinction between performance and conduct; an overview on holding employees accountable; setting the stage for discipline and performance actions.
March 17: Writing Effective Performance Plans: Performance management; understanding the performance appraisal system; defining elements and standards; drafting standards according to legal requirements; creating the performance plan.
March 31: Preparing an Unacceptable Performance Case: Performance accountability in a nutshell; preparing and executing a performance demonstration period; proof and evidence standards.
April 14: Addressing Special Challenges with Performance: What do when a poor-performing employee requests reasonable accommodation; managing teleworker performance; leave issues and performance.
April 28: Providing Performance Feedback That Makes a Difference: Communicating performance expectations; providing ongoing feedback; positive vs. negative framing; why you shouldn’t wait until the mid-year to discuss performance issues; what OPM says about mentorship; mentorship styles; formal and informal mentorship; pilot mentorship programs; best practices for leadership; handling difficult employee types.
May 12: Disciplining Employees for Misconduct, Part I: The five elements of discipline in the federal government; documentation supervisors need to succeed in a disciplinary action.
May 26: Disciplining Employees for Misconduct, Part II: Disciplinary procedures: reprimand, suspension, termination; appeals process; agency liability.
June 9: Tackling Leave Issues I: Handling the leave issues most common in the federal government: annual leave, sick leave, leave transfer.
June 23: Tackling Leave Issues II: Handling more complicated leave scenarios: FMLA, LWOP, administrative leave, AWOL.
July 7: Combating Against Hostile Work Environment Harassment Claims: The elements of a hostile work environment; liability in hostile work environment claims; tangible employment actions; harassment v. bullying; supervisor responsibilities in harassment claims; agency defenses.
July 21: Intentional EEO Discrimination: What supervisors should know about EEO discrimination; discrete acts of discrimination; selection and promotion cases; defending against claims of intentional discrimination.
August 4: Disability Accommodation in 60 Minutes: Defining a disability; requests for accommodation; the interactive process; accommodations of choice; undue hardship.
August 18: EEO Reprisal: Handle It, Don’t Fear It: How reprisal is different than other EEO claims; what the complainant must show to establish reprisal; how a supervisor can defend against reprisal claims; what to do and what not to do when an employee engages in protected EEO activity.
September 1: Supervising in a Unionized Environment: The right to be bargained with; forming a union; employee and union rights; ULPs.
Pricing
Early Bird Tuition:
- $240 per site, per session (payment required by Feb 24).
- Special series discounts available through February 24. See registration form for details.
Standard Tuition:
- $270 per site, per session (payments made Feb. 25 or later).
Teleworkers may be added to a primary site registration for $40 each, per session, on a space-available basis.
The civil service world is changing and it’s important to be aware of the new laws and executive orders that apply to you. MSPB Law Week covers the basics of disciplinary charges and penalties, plus understanding the law and strategy in handling performance cases and defending against whistleblower reprisal complaints. Join top MSPB practitioners and topic authors, and learn the law, strategies, and techniques from their many years of combined experience.
With the existing backlog of over 2,000 PFRs at MSPB right now, it’s more important than ever to handle your case correctly on the front end. While the specific details about the future of the Merit Systems Protection Board remain uncertain, FELTG’s instructors are staying on top of the situation and will provide attendees with all the information they need to know.
The program runs 8:30 – 4:00 each day and is pre-approved for 29 CLE credits in Virginia and California. It is also approved for 29 HRCI general recertification credits.
Instructors
William Wiley, Deborah Hopkins
Daily Agenda
Monday
Adverse Actions: Statutory basis including the Civil Service Reform Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act, the five elements of every disciplinary case and the burdens of proof, the fundamentals of penalty selection and defense, obtaining testimony to protect the penalty selection should one or more charges fail, types of evidence necessary to support a penalty selection, the MSPB’s power to mitigate a penalty and recent trends in the Board’s use of that authority, educating uninformed arbitrators, using alternatives to discipline.
Tuesday
Charges: Types of charges, parts of a charge, how charges are interpreted, the role of the proposing and deciding officials, capitalizing on the general charge, allowing the inclusion of lesser-included offenses, charging in the alternative, attractive options to difficult charges and common charging mistakes, proving the difficult “intent” charge element, a step by step approach to charge drafting.
Wednesday
Penalties: MSPB and Federal Circuit lead cases in penalty determination, getting “intent” penalties off of “non-intent” charges, proving harsh penalties off of vanilla charges, charging down and proving up, how the maximum penalty is established, an update of recent Board and court decisions: what’s really new and what’s old wine in new bottles, placing the emphasis on notice, the Board’s lack of a quorum, penalty mitigation changes.
Thursday
Unacceptable Performance: Performance actions in perspective, drafting a defensible performance standard, implementing PIP’s, defeating the PIP rollercoaster, accommodating disability-related poor performance, converting an unacceptable performance problem into a Part 752 disciplinary action, termination based on failing a performance quiz.
Friday
Defending Against Whistleblower Reprisal Claims and other Affirmative Defenses: Whistleblower claims: protected disclosures and whistleblower reprisal, claims of harmful error, reprisal for union activity, excessive penalty findings.
Pricing
Most people attend the full training week, but you may opt out of any days you don’t plan to attend.
Early Bird Tuition (register by May 18):
- 5 days = $2370
- 4 days = $1960
- 3 days = $1550
- 2 days = $1140
- 1 day = $680
Standard Tuition (register May 19 – June 5):
- 5 days = $2470
- 4 days = $2060
- 3 days = $1650
- 2 days = $1240
- 1 day = $780
Seminar registration includes a copy of the textbook UnCivil Servant: Holding Employees Accountable for Performance and Conduct, 5th ed., by Wiley and Hopkins.
Lodging: The Sheraton PhoenixDowntown has a limited number of rooms available at the federal per diem rate through May 4, 2020. To make a reservation, contact the hotel reservations line directly at (602) 262-2500 and mention the Federal Employment Law Training Group.
Cancellation and No-show Policy for Registered Participants: Cancellations made after the cancel date on the registration form will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses. Pre-paid training using the “Pay Now” option will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses. No-shows will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses.