Instructors
Course Description
Under the Theory of Agency, when a federal employee suffers some type of harm at work, the agency is generally liable for the harm because the employee was at work when the tort occurred (you may be more familiar with the term “respondeat superior”).
What happens when the harm is not some type of workplace accident or third-party incident, but is committed by a supervisor or employee of the agency? In our world, under the Theory of Agency, a federal supervisor or employee who commits a harm during the course of conducting the government’s business is sheltered from personal lawsuit by the victim of the harm. But can the employee who commits the harm ever be sued personally? Is this different in MSPB and EEO cases?
Join FELTG for a 90-minute discussion on personal liability to get that answer and more. During this session we will discuss:
- The three areas of liability: torts, crimes, and administrative sanctions
- Actions committed inside vs. outside the scope of employment
- Whether federal supervisors need liability insurance
- Considerations and strategies for when the Office of Special Counsel gets involved
- Damages and remedies available to prevailing parties in EEOC cases
You’ll also get to ask questions – and get immediate answers – during this live event, so register your site today.
Price
$270 per site
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $25 each, on a space-available basis.
Instructor
Course Description
The law is clear about what must be done with employees who have performance or conduct issues, but it gives zero guidance about how to handle employees whose personalities make then difficult to work with. Whether you’re a supervisor, an HR or EEO professional, or an attorney, you know how challenging it can be to handle unique personality types and still get your job done.
Good news: FELTG is here to help. Join instructor Anthony Marchese, PhD, on December 14 for a 90-minute webinar on how best to communicate with – and tolerate – difficult employees in the federal workplace. During this session he will discuss:
- How to give clear and actionable feedback that helps employees become aware of their problems – and even get better
- The Triple-D method for holding conversations with difficult employees
- A breakdown of difficult personality types (such as The Martyr, The Comedian, and The Tester), and the best approaches to effectively deal with each
- How to increase your impact through structured communication, word selection and social styles
- How to manage multiple generations in the workplace, with a special emphasis on understanding millennials
You’ll also get to ask questions – and get answers in real-time – during this live event, so register your site today.
Price
$270 per site
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $25 each, on a space-available basis.
Instructor
Course Description
Every federal advisor and supervisor has to deal with discipline on some level – but have you ever considered using discipline alternatives in cases of employee misconduct?
Discipline alternatives are options that carry the weight of progressive discipline but look a little different than the reprimands, suspensions, demotions and removals you’re accustomed to seeing in the federal government. Join FELTG president Bill Wiley as he shares his experiences using these lesser-known tools in misconduct cases.
After explaining the the legal requirements that form the foundation of disciplinary actions, he will cover alternatives to adverse actions, including:
- Reprimands in lieu of suspensions
- Last chance agreements
- Leave bank donations, community service and other alternatives
- Legally talking an employee into quitting
- Avoiding a grievance, EEO complaint or MSPB appeal
You won’t want to miss this session, so register your site today.
Price
$270 per site
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $25 each, on a space-available basis.
Instructor
Course Description
1.5
If you’re a federal EEO practitioner, chances are you’ve had a case where an employee alleges that she was not selected or promoted because of something other than job qualifications – race, sex, age, disability, or another protected class. These cases may be common, but that doesn’t mean they’re routine and they can present agency reps with major challenges: from properly defining the claim, to collecting the right information during the investigation, to presenting evidence at the hearing or in a motion for summary judgment.
On February 1, join FELTG instructor and attorney at law Meghan Droste, who has years of experience litigating selection and promotion cases, as she guides you through the important considerations necessary to defend your selections and promotions. Ms Droste will begin by covering the basic principles of selection cases, and will take you through all the important categories of selection criteria.
She’ll also discuss:
- Selection panels
- Selection records
- How to defend selection cases before the EEOC or an arbitrator
Don’t miss out on this special event. Register your site today.
Price
$270 per site
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $25 each, pending space availability.
Instructors
Deborah Hopkins, Shana Palmieri
Course Description
FELTG proudly presents this four-part series on dealing with behavioral health issues in the federal workplace. Join us for one session, or register for them all.
Session 1: Handling Behavioral Health: Legal Considerations and Clinical Overview (February 8)
- Legal considerations for managing employees with a behavioral health disability
- Disability Accommodation
- The Rehabilitation Act of 1973
- Americans with Disabilities Act
- Overview of Behavioral Health Conditions & Symptoms
- Effective Accommodations for Behavioral Health Conditions
- Effective Communication and Supervision/Management Strategies for Employees with Behavioral Health Conditions
Session 2: Successful Management and Supervision of Employees with PTSD (February 22)
- An in-depth understanding of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Symptoms, Causes, and Prevalence
- Overview of how symptoms of how PTSD symptoms impact performance in the workplace
- Learn Effective Management and Supervision strategies to support employees in the workplace
- Learn how to effectively assist an employee in the workplace having a crisis due to PTSD symptoms
Session 3: Managing Employees with Substance Use Disorders (March 8)
- Overview of substance use disorders, causes and prevalence
- Legal considers in the workplace for employees with substance abuse disorders
- What is protected and what is reason for termination
- How to handle intoxication in the workplace
- How to handle employees positive for cannabis (marijuana) on their drug test
- Learn how to effectively manage and support employees recovering from substance use disorders in the workplace
Session 4: Handling a Psychiatric Crisis in the Workplace (March 22)
- Overview of behavioral health symptoms that may present as a crisis in the workplace
- Suicidal Ideation and how to handle in the workplace
- Steps to take in the workplace with an employee experiencing a psychiatric crisis
Price
- $220 per site, per session.
- Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $25 each teleworker, each webinar, on a space-available basis.
- Special series discounts available through Feb. 3. See registration form for details.
Instructors
Deborah Hopkins, Shana Palmieri
Course Description
FELTG proudly presents this four-part series on dealing with behavioral health issues in the federal workplace. Join us for one session, or register for them all.
Session 1: Handling Behavioral Health: Legal Considerations and Clinical Overview (February 8)
- Legal considerations for managing employees with a behavioral health disability
- Disability Accommodation
- The Rehabilitation Act of 1973
- Americans with Disabilities Act
- Overview of Behavioral Health Conditions & Symptoms
- Effective Accommodations for Behavioral Health Conditions
- Effective Communication and Supervision/Management Strategies for Employees with Behavioral Health Conditions
Session 2: Successful Management and Supervision of Employees with PTSD (February 22)
- An in-depth understanding of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Symptoms, Causes, and Prevalence
- Overview of how symptoms of how PTSD symptoms impact performance in the workplace
- Learn Effective Management and Supervision strategies to support employees in the workplace
- Learn how to effectively assist an employee in the workplace having a crisis due to PTSD symptoms
Session 3: Managing Employees with Substance Use Disorders (March 8)
- Overview of substance use disorders, causes and prevalence
- Legal considers in the workplace for employees with substance abuse disorders
- What is protected and what is reason for termination
- How to handle intoxication in the workplace
- How to handle employees positive for cannabis (marijuana) on their drug test
- Learn how to effectively manage and support employees recovering from substance use disorders in the workplace
Session 4: Handling a Psychiatric Crisis in the Workplace (March 22)
- Overview of behavioral health symptoms that may present as a crisis in the workplace
- Suicidal Ideation and how to handle in the workplace
- Steps to take in the workplace with an employee experiencing a psychiatric crisis
Price
- $220 per site, per session.
- Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $25 each teleworker, each webinar, on a space-available basis.
- Special series discounts available through Feb. 3. See registration form for details.
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. Join us for this brand-new three-day seminar and come away with the tools you need to hold your employees accountable.
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
William Wiley, Deborah Hopkins
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; mentoring programs; handling the absent employee; union considerations; understanding the federal supervisor’s personal liability in employment actions.
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
- 3 days = $1350
- 2 days = $960
- 1 day = $530
Seminar registration includes a copy of the textbook UnCivil Servant: Holding Employees Accountable for Performance and Conduct, 4th ed., by Wiley and Hopkins
FELTG has reserved a block of rooms at the host hotel, Tropicana Las Vegas. Call the hotel directly at 702-739-2222 and reserve your room before space runs out!
Course Description
Attention federal supervisors, HR professionals, medical professionals, attorneys, and other agency employees:
- What should you do when an employee with a behavioral health issue has an episode in the workplace?
- Do you know how to accommodate and work with employees who have PTSD or substance abuse issues?
- What steps should you take if the employee threatens violence or suicide?
According to the National Institute of Mental Health 43.4 million adults – nearly 1 in 5 – had a mental illness diagnosis during the past year. Crisis management in the federal workplace is a critical area to understand – it is truly life and death.
This class is unique in that it covers the legal issues (for example, avoiding discrimination when it comes to behavioral health disabilities; providing reasonable accommodation for “unseen” disabilities; discipline under Title 5 for things such as threats, outbursts, and off-duty violent conduct) as well as the practical/clinical issues (what to do/say when someone has a dissociative episode, or threatens suicide, or has PTSD, or makes violent comments toward a supervisor).
It’s a combination of learning the law, understanding how to deal with employees who have mental issues, and managing risk in your agency.
Join FELTG Executive Director Deborah Hopkins and Shana Palmieri, Managing Partner of Clinical Education & Consulting at the Healthcare Legal Education & Consulting Network, for the two-day workshop Handling Behavioral Health Issues and Threats of Violence in the Federal Workplace. See below for a daily agenda.
Instructors
Deborah Hopkins, Shana Palmieri
Daily Agenda:
Tuesday
Handling Behavioral Health Issues: An overview of the ADA requirements on accommodating individuals with mental impairments and other behavioral health issues; your agency’s legal obligation to provide its employees with a safe workplace; types of mental disabilities and how they may exhibit in the workplace; the “direct threat” analysis; PTSD, substance abuse disorders;dos and don’ts when working employees who have behavioral health issues.
Wednesday
Dealing with Threats of Violence: Legal considerations for federal agencies; dangerous scenarios during the notice period; myths and facts about targeted violence in the workplace; dealing with suicidal employees; individual characteristics that put an employee at higher risk of committing an act of violence;how to develop and implement an in-house threat management team to deal with threat assessments, risk management, and the best ways to keep employees safe during a crisis; steps to take if someone becomes violent in the workplace
Pricing
- 2 days = $950
- 1 day = $530
Instructors
William Wiley, Deborah Hopkins, Barbara Haga, Anthony Marchese.
Course Description
Back by popular demand, and expanded to include new topics in 2018! Join FELTG for the most comprehensive supervisory training event available anywhere. Supervising Federal Employees: Important Tools for Managers and Advisers, a 13-part webinar training series (with a bonus session for those who supervise unionized employees), is targeted specifically to the issues and challenges faced by supervisors in agencies across the country, and around the world.
These 60-minute sessions, held every other Tuesday from 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. eastern time, will expand upon legal principles to provide federal supervisors with the necessary tools and best practices they need to manage the agency workplace effectively and efficiently. Plus, they’ll have a chance to ask questions and get answers – in real time.
As a special bonus, the first six modules fulfill OPM’s mandatory training requirements for new supervisors found at 5 CFR 412.202(b).
2018 dates:
March 6: Holding Employees Accountable for Performance and Conduct: The Foundation: The distinction between performance and conduct; an overview on holding employees accountable; setting the stage for discipline.
March 20: Disciplining Employees for Misconduct, Part I: The five elements of discipline in the federal government; documentation supervisors need to succeed in a disciplinary action.
April 3: Disciplining Employees for Misconduct, Part II: Disciplinary procedures: reprimand, suspension, termination; appeals process; agency liability.
April 17: Preparing an Unacceptable Performance Case: Performance in a nutshell; preparing a performance case; proof and evidence standards.
May 1: Dealing with Poor Performing Employees: Managing the PIP; proposed removal letters; unacceptable performance documents.
May 15: Mentoring a Multigenerational Workforce: What OPM says about mentorship; mentorship styles; formal and informal mentorship; pilot mentorship programs; best practices for leadership; handling difficult employee types.
May 29: Tackling Leave Issues I: Handling the leave issues most common in the federal government: annual leave, sick leave, leave transfer.
June 12: Tackling Leave Issues II: Handling more complicated leave scenarios: FMLA, LWOP, administrative leave, AWOL.
June 26: Writing Effective Performance Plans: Performance management; understanding the system; defining elements and standards; creating the performance plan.
July 10: Disability Accommodation in 60 Minutes: Defining a disability; requests for accommodation; the interactive process; accommodations of choice; undue hardship.
July 24: 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 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.
August 21: 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 4: Supervising in a Unionized Environment: The right to be bargained with; forming a union; employee and union rights; ULPs.
Price
- $220 per site, per session.
- Teleworkers may be added to a primary site registration for $25 each, per session, on a space-available basis.
- Special series discounts available through March 1. See registration form for details.
Instructors
Deborah Hopkins, Shana Palmieri
Course Description
FELTG proudly presents this four-part series on dealing with behavioral health issues in the federal workplace. Join us for one session, or register for them all.
Session 1: Handling Behavioral Health: Legal Considerations and Clinical Overview (February 8)
- Legal considerations for managing employees with a behavioral health disability
- Disability Accommodation
- The Rehabilitation Act of 1973
- Americans with Disabilities Act
- Overview of Behavioral Health Conditions & Symptoms
- Effective Accommodations for Behavioral Health Conditions
- Effective Communication and Supervision/Management Strategies for Employees with Behavioral Health Conditions
Session 2: Successful Management and Supervision of Employees with PTSD (February 22)
- An in-depth understanding of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Symptoms, Causes, and Prevalence
- Overview of how symptoms of how PTSD symptoms impact performance in the workplace
- Learn Effective Management and Supervision strategies to support employees in the workplace
- Learn how to effectively assist an employee in the workplace having a crisis due to PTSD symptoms
Session 3: Managing Employees with Substance Use Disorders (March 8)
- Overview of substance use disorders, causes and prevalence
- Legal considers in the workplace for employees with substance abuse disorders
- What is protected and what is reason for termination
- How to handle intoxication in the workplace
- How to handle employees positive for cannabis (marijuana) on their drug test
- Learn how to effectively manage and support employees recovering from substance use disorders in the workplace
Session 4: Handling a Psychiatric Crisis in the Workplace (March 22)
- Overview of behavioral health symptoms that may present as a crisis in the workplace
- Suicidal Ideation and how to handle in the workplace
- Steps to take in the workplace with an employee experiencing a psychiatric crisis
Price
- $220 per site, per session.
- Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $25 each teleworker, each webinar, on a space-available basis.
- Special series discounts available through Feb. 3. See registration form for details.
Full-week seats for March 2018 are SOLD OUT. Consider registering for MSPB Law Week in Denver June 4-8.
MSPB Law Week covers the basics of disciplinary charges and penalties, plus understanding the law and strategy in handling performance cases. Special emphasis on leave abuse and medical issues. Join top MSPB practitioners and topic authors, and learn the law, strategies, and techniques from their many years of combined experience.
The program runs 8:30 – 4:00 each day.
Become a certified MSPB practitioner: MSPB Law Week participants are eligible for the FELTG Certified Practitioner Program.
Instructors
William Wiley, Deborah Hopkins
Daily Agenda
Monday
Adverse Actions: Statutory basis including the Civil Service Reform Act; the new Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act; he 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 Obama-Board and big 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 Affirmative Defenses: Claims of harmful error; whistleblower reprisal; reprisal for union activity; excessive penalty findings. Special Discussion: Recent Procedural Errors.
Pricing
Most people attend the full training week, but you may opt out of any days you don’t plan to attend.
- 5 days = $2130
- 4 days = $1750
- 3 days = $1350
- 2 days = $960
- 1 day = $530
Instructors
William Wiley, Deborah Hopkins, Barbara Haga, Anthony Marchese.
Course Description
Back by popular demand, and expanded to include new topics in 2018! Join FELTG for the most comprehensive supervisory training event available anywhere. Supervising Federal Employees: Important Tools for Managers and Advisers, a 13-part webinar training series (with a bonus session for those who supervise unionized employees), is targeted specifically to the issues and challenges faced by supervisors in agencies across the country, and around the world.
These 60-minute sessions, held every other Tuesday from 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. eastern time, will expand upon legal principles to provide federal supervisors with the necessary tools and best practices they need to manage the agency workplace effectively and efficiently. Plus, they’ll have a chance to ask questions and get answers – in real time.
As a special bonus, the first six modules fulfill OPM’s mandatory training requirements for new supervisors found at 5 CFR 412.202(b).
2018 dates:
March 6: Holding Employees Accountable for Performance and Conduct: The Foundation: The distinction between performance and conduct; an overview on holding employees accountable; setting the stage for discipline.
March 20: Disciplining Employees for Misconduct, Part I: The five elements of discipline in the federal government; documentation supervisors need to succeed in a disciplinary action.
April 3: Disciplining Employees for Misconduct, Part II: Disciplinary procedures: reprimand, suspension, termination; appeals process; agency liability.
April 17: Preparing an Unacceptable Performance Case: Performance in a nutshell; preparing a performance case; proof and evidence standards.
May 1: Dealing with Poor Performing Employees: Managing the PIP; proposed removal letters; unacceptable performance documents.
May 15: Mentoring a Multigenerational Workforce: What OPM says about mentorship; mentorship styles; formal and informal mentorship; pilot mentorship programs; best practices for leadership; handling difficult employee types.
May 29: Tackling Leave Issues I: Handling the leave issues most common in the federal government: annual leave, sick leave, leave transfer.
June 12: Tackling Leave Issues II: Handling more complicated leave scenarios: FMLA, LWOP, administrative leave, AWOL.
June 26: Writing Effective Performance Plans: Performance management; understanding the system; defining elements and standards; creating the performance plan.
July 10: Disability Accommodation in 60 Minutes: Defining a disability; requests for accommodation; the interactive process; accommodations of choice; undue hardship.
July 24: 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 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.
August 21: 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 4: Supervising in a Unionized Environment: The right to be bargained with; forming a union; employee and union rights; ULPs.
Price
- $220 per site, per session.
- Teleworkers may be added to a primary site registration for $25 each, per session, on a space-available basis.
- Special series discounts available through March 1. See registration form for details.
Instructors
Deborah Hopkins, Shana Palmieri
Course Description
FELTG proudly presents this four-part series on dealing with behavioral health issues in the federal workplace. Join us for one session, or register for them all.
Session 1: Handling Behavioral Health: Legal Considerations and Clinical Overview (February 8)
- Legal considerations for managing employees with a behavioral health disability
- Disability Accommodation
- The Rehabilitation Act of 1973
- Americans with Disabilities Act
- Overview of Behavioral Health Conditions & Symptoms
- Effective Accommodations for Behavioral Health Conditions
- Effective Communication and Supervision/Management Strategies for Employees with Behavioral Health Conditions
Session 2: Successful Management and Supervision of Employees with PTSD (February 22)
- An in-depth understanding of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Symptoms, Causes, and Prevalence
- Overview of how symptoms of how PTSD symptoms impact performance in the workplace
- Learn Effective Management and Supervision strategies to support employees in the workplace
- Learn how to effectively assist an employee in the workplace having a crisis due to PTSD symptoms
Session 3: Managing Employees with Substance Use Disorders (March 8)
- Overview of substance use disorders, causes and prevalence
- Legal considers in the workplace for employees with substance abuse disorders
- What is protected and what is reason for termination
- How to handle intoxication in the workplace
- How to handle employees positive for cannabis (marijuana) on their drug test
- Learn how to effectively manage and support employees recovering from substance use disorders in the workplace
Session 4: Handling a Psychiatric Crisis in the Workplace (March 22)
- Overview of behavioral health symptoms that may present as a crisis in the workplace
- Suicidal Ideation and how to handle in the workplace
- Steps to take in the workplace with an employee experiencing a psychiatric crisis
Price
- $220 per site, per session.
- Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $25 each teleworker, each webinar, on a space-available basis.
- Special series discounts available through Feb. 3. See registration form for details.
You’ve probably noticed that the #MeToo movement is as strong as ever. There are all kinds of comments, from all kinds of people, about the need for training on this important topic, but there hasn’t been much action.
As we like to do at FELTG, we’re doing something about it by addressing the issue of sexual harassment in the federal government head-on. Join us in Washington, DC, March 26 for a half-day seminar Sexual Harassment as Misconduct: Defending Your Agency while Protecting Your Employees. In this program, we’ll discuss the foundational law and how sexual harassment cases come to be, but our emphasis will be on STOPPING it from happening by addressing the misconduct before it becomes a problem. Case examples will show you the best ways to handle inappropriate sexual conduct from employees and supervisors – and things to avoid. We hope you’ll be able to attend this important discussion.
The program runs from 9:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. and is targeted to supervisors, managers, and advisers.
3
Instructor
Agenda:
- 9:30 – 10:30 – Statutory basis; differentiating tangible employment actions
- 10:40 – 11:50 – Hostile work environment cases; unwelcome conduct; severe or pervasive; agency liability; defenses
- 12:00 – 1:00 – Addressing the misconduct; proper and improper rules of behavior in the workplace; penalty determinations;disciplining for inappropriate sexual conduct; zero tolerance policies
Pricing
- $295 per participant. Group discounts for 5 or more attendees available.
Note the updated four-day agenda for the March 2018 program.
Updated to reflect the most current, relevant topics related to employees who aren’t at work, this week brings together everything involving one of the most complex areas of federal sector employment law: absences from the workplace. Topics include employee leave, leave abuse, and medical issues as they relate to unacceptable performance and conduct, sick leave, annual leave, leave without pay, absence without leave, FMLA, ADA, OWCP, and telework.
The program runs 8:30 – 4:00 each day.
Instructors
William Wiley, Deborah Hopkins, Ricky Rowe, Meghan Droste
Daily Agenda:
Tuesday – Leave Use & Abuse Overview
Types of leave and leave entitlements, overviews of Family Medical Leave Act leave, Office of Workers Compensation Program absences and leave as a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act, medical determinations, leave abuse, related offenses and controlling principles from case law.
Wednesday – Labor Relations; FMLA
The impact of collective bargaining on leave-related issues, including negotiability of leave proposals, and relevant rulings of the Federal Labor Relations Authority and the Federal Service Impasses Panel; federal sector FMLA basics; intermittent FMLA use; FMLA and the under-performer.
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 four days, but you may opt out of any days you don’t plan to attend.
- 4 days = $1740
- 3 days = $1340
- 2 days = $950
- 1 day = $520
Instructors
William Wiley, Deborah Hopkins, Barbara Haga, Anthony Marchese.
Course Description
Back by popular demand, and expanded to include new topics in 2018! Join FELTG for the most comprehensive supervisory training event available anywhere. Supervising Federal Employees: Important Tools for Managers and Advisers, a 13-part webinar training series (with a bonus session for those who supervise unionized employees), is targeted specifically to the issues and challenges faced by supervisors in agencies across the country, and around the world.
These 60-minute sessions, held every other Tuesday from 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. eastern time, will expand upon legal principles to provide federal supervisors with the necessary tools and best practices they need to manage the agency workplace effectively and efficiently. Plus, they’ll have a chance to ask questions and get answers – in real time.
As a special bonus, the first six modules fulfill OPM’s mandatory training requirements for new supervisors found at 5 CFR 412.202(b).
2018 dates:
March 6: Holding Employees Accountable for Performance and Conduct: The Foundation: The distinction between performance and conduct; an overview on holding employees accountable; setting the stage for discipline.
March 20: Disciplining Employees for Misconduct, Part I: The five elements of discipline in the federal government; documentation supervisors need to succeed in a disciplinary action.
April 3: Disciplining Employees for Misconduct, Part II: Disciplinary procedures: reprimand, suspension, termination; appeals process; agency liability.
April 17: Preparing an Unacceptable Performance Case: Performance in a nutshell; preparing a performance case; proof and evidence standards.
May 1: Dealing with Poor Performing Employees: Managing the PIP; proposed removal letters; unacceptable performance documents.
May 15: Mentoring a Multigenerational Workforce: What OPM says about mentorship; mentorship styles; formal and informal mentorship; pilot mentorship programs; best practices for leadership; handling difficult employee types.
May 29: Tackling Leave Issues I: Handling the leave issues most common in the federal government: annual leave, sick leave, leave transfer.
June 12: Tackling Leave Issues II: Handling more complicated leave scenarios: FMLA, LWOP, administrative leave, AWOL.
June 26: Writing Effective Performance Plans: Performance management; understanding the system; defining elements and standards; creating the performance plan.
July 10: Disability Accommodation in 60 Minutes: Defining a disability; requests for accommodation; the interactive process; accommodations of choice; undue hardship.
July 24: 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 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.
August 21: 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 4: Supervising in a Unionized Environment: The right to be bargained with; forming a union; employee and union rights; ULPs.
Price
- $220 per site, per session.
- Teleworkers may be added to a primary site registration for $25 each, per session, on a space-available basis.
- Special series discounts available through March 1. See registration form for details.
Instructors
William Wiley, Deborah Hopkins
Course Description
1
It’s that time again!
Twice a year we update you with what’s new from the MSPB, EEOC and FLRA. Join FELTG attorneys William Wiley and Deborah Hopkins as they combine forces for a fast-paced discussion on the most surprising, significant and groundbreaking recent decisions and trends from the MSPB, EEOC and FLRA. If you’ve attended a past edition, you know this is not your standard [“boring”] case law update, but an editorial discussion that not only informs you about current cases, but explains how they impact your daily work whether you’re a lawyer, or an HR, ER, LR or EEO practitioner.
Bill and Deb will share where we’ve been and where we’re headed with the trends and regulations that influence your workplace and the way issues are litigated in your agency or union. Plus, ask your questions and get answers in real time.
We’d love to tell you now about the cases and regulations that will be discussed, but that’s entirely up to the MSPB, EEOC and FLRA. Stay tuned!
Price
$270 per site
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $25 each, on a space-available basis.
This seminar is a fast-paced week of strategies, principles, and authorities relative to the major aspects of the field of discrimination law in the federal government. FELTG speakers draw on many years of experience from all three sides of the litigation table to provide both the beginning and the experienced practitioner with the foundation to work successfully in the entire field of Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) law.
The program runs 8:30 – 4:00 each day.
6 per day Monday – Thursday; 5 on Friday.
Become a certified EEO practitioner: EEOC Law Week participants are eligible for the FELTG Certified Practitioner Program.
Instructors
Ernest Hadley, Deborah Hopkins
Daily Agenda
Monday
Basic EEOC, Nuts & Bolts: The Basics – Statutory authority and jurisdiction of EEOC, 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
Current Trends in EEO Law: The latest on what’s happening in EEO, hostile environment harassment, gender stereotyping, same-sex harassment sexual orientation and transgender discrimination, retaliation, national origin and religious discrimination.
Wednesday
Accommodating Individuals with Disabilities: The Rehabilitation Act, and the NEW Americans’ with Disabilities Act, the latest of revised ADA regulations, the new Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) regulations; defining individuals with a disability, major life activities and substantial limitation; essential job functions, the interactive process, types of reasonable accommodation.
Thursday
Damages & Remedies; Settlement: 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. Settlement processes and what constitutes a good written agreement; what to include and what not to include.
Friday
Selection, Promotion, & Mixed Cases – An In-Depth Look: “Mixed” cases; selection and promotion cases, subjective and objective criteria, the “best qualified” candidate, the “comparable” employee, defending against pretext;disciplinary overview; case law update.
Pricing
Most people attend the full training week, but you may opt out of any days you don’t plan to attend.
- 5 days = $2120
- 4 days = $1740
- 3 days = $1340
- 2 days = $950
- 1 day = $520
Instructors
William Wiley, Deborah Hopkins, Barbara Haga, Anthony Marchese.
Course Description
Back by popular demand, and expanded to include new topics in 2018! Join FELTG for the most comprehensive supervisory training event available anywhere. Supervising Federal Employees: Important Tools for Managers and Advisers, a 13-part webinar training series (with a bonus session for those who supervise unionized employees), is targeted specifically to the issues and challenges faced by supervisors in agencies across the country, and around the world.
These 60-minute sessions, held every other Tuesday from 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. eastern time, will expand upon legal principles to provide federal supervisors with the necessary tools and best practices they need to manage the agency workplace effectively and efficiently. Plus, they’ll have a chance to ask questions and get answers – in real time.
As a special bonus, the first six modules fulfill OPM’s mandatory training requirements for new supervisors found at 5 CFR 412.202(b).
2018 dates:
March 6: Holding Employees Accountable for Performance and Conduct: The Foundation: The distinction between performance and conduct; an overview on holding employees accountable; setting the stage for discipline.
March 20: Disciplining Employees for Misconduct, Part I: The five elements of discipline in the federal government; documentation supervisors need to succeed in a disciplinary action.
April 3: Disciplining Employees for Misconduct, Part II: Disciplinary procedures: reprimand, suspension, termination; appeals process; agency liability.
April 17: Preparing an Unacceptable Performance Case: Performance in a nutshell; preparing a performance case; proof and evidence standards.
May 1: Dealing with Poor Performing Employees: Managing the PIP; proposed removal letters; unacceptable performance documents.
May 15: Mentoring a Multigenerational Workforce: What OPM says about mentorship; mentorship styles; formal and informal mentorship; pilot mentorship programs; best practices for leadership; handling difficult employee types.
May 29: Tackling Leave Issues I: Handling the leave issues most common in the federal government: annual leave, sick leave, leave transfer.
June 12: Tackling Leave Issues II: Handling more complicated leave scenarios: FMLA, LWOP, administrative leave, AWOL.
June 26: Writing Effective Performance Plans: Performance management; understanding the system; defining elements and standards; creating the performance plan.
July 10: Disability Accommodation in 60 Minutes: Defining a disability; requests for accommodation; the interactive process; accommodations of choice; undue hardship.
July 24: 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 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.
August 21: 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 4: Supervising in a Unionized Environment: The right to be bargained with; forming a union; employee and union rights; ULPs.
Price
- $220 per site, per session.
- Teleworkers may be added to a primary site registration for $25 each, per session, on a space-available basis.
- Special series discounts available through March 1. See registration form for details.
Instructor
Course Description
1.5
You’ve probably noticed that the #MeToo movement is as strong as ever. There are all kinds of comments, from all kinds of people, about the need for training on this important topic, but there hasn’t been much action.
At FELTG, we’re doing something about it by addressing the issue of sexual harassment in the federal government as MISCONDUCT, not just as an EEO issue.
Join us for the webinar Sexual Harassment as Misconduct: Defending Your Agency while Protecting Your Employees. In this program, we’ll discuss the foundational law and how sexual harassment cases come to be, but our emphasis will be on STOPPING it from happening by addressing the misconduct before it becomes a problem. Case examples will show you the best ways to handle inappropriate sexual conduct from employees and supervisors – and things to avoid. We hope you’ll be able to attend this important discussion.
Price
$270 per site
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $25 each, if space is available.
Instructor
Course Description
1.5
If a contractor files an EEO complaint against your agency, is your agency liable? Don’t say “No” quite so quickly. The federal-sector EEO process is not exclusively limited to civil service employees; in certain cases contractors under agency supervision can file EEO complaints if the agency is determined to be a “joint employer.”
Join FELTG instructor Katherine Atkinson as she takes you through the steps you need to determine whether your agency passes the joint employer test. After covering the substantive law, she’ll discuss:
- The Ma v. HHS case and the resulting Ma factors
- How the Ma test should be applied in your agency
- 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
This webinar will include time for your Q & A, so make plans to join us!
Price
$270 per site.
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $25 each, on a space-available basis.
Instructors
William Wiley, Deborah Hopkins, Barbara Haga, Anthony Marchese.
Course Description
Back by popular demand, and expanded to include new topics in 2018! Join FELTG for the most comprehensive supervisory training event available anywhere. Supervising Federal Employees: Important Tools for Managers and Advisers, a 13-part webinar training series (with a bonus session for those who supervise unionized employees), is targeted specifically to the issues and challenges faced by supervisors in agencies across the country, and around the world.
These 60-minute sessions, held every other Tuesday from 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. eastern time, will expand upon legal principles to provide federal supervisors with the necessary tools and best practices they need to manage the agency workplace effectively and efficiently. Plus, they’ll have a chance to ask questions and get answers – in real time.
As a special bonus, the first six modules fulfill OPM’s mandatory training requirements for new supervisors found at 5 CFR 412.202(b).
2018 dates:
March 6: Holding Employees Accountable for Performance and Conduct: The Foundation: The distinction between performance and conduct; an overview on holding employees accountable; setting the stage for discipline.
March 20: Disciplining Employees for Misconduct, Part I: The five elements of discipline in the federal government; documentation supervisors need to succeed in a disciplinary action.
April 3: Disciplining Employees for Misconduct, Part II: Disciplinary procedures: reprimand, suspension, termination; appeals process; agency liability.
April 17: Preparing an Unacceptable Performance Case: Performance in a nutshell; preparing a performance case; proof and evidence standards.
May 1: Dealing with Poor Performing Employees: Managing the PIP; proposed removal letters; unacceptable performance documents.
May 15: Mentoring a Multigenerational Workforce: What OPM says about mentorship; mentorship styles; formal and informal mentorship; pilot mentorship programs; best practices for leadership; handling difficult employee types.
May 29: Tackling Leave Issues I: Handling the leave issues most common in the federal government: annual leave, sick leave, leave transfer.
June 12: Tackling Leave Issues II: Handling more complicated leave scenarios: FMLA, LWOP, administrative leave, AWOL.
June 26: Writing Effective Performance Plans: Performance management; understanding the system; defining elements and standards; creating the performance plan.
July 10: Disability Accommodation in 60 Minutes: Defining a disability; requests for accommodation; the interactive process; accommodations of choice; undue hardship.
July 24: 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 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.
August 21: 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 4: Supervising in a Unionized Environment: The right to be bargained with; forming a union; employee and union rights; ULPs.
Price
- $220 per site, per session.
- Teleworkers may be added to a primary site registration for $25 each, per session, on a space-available basis.
- Special series discounts available through March 1. See registration form for details.
In the world of federal sector EEO, we often see cases where agencies lose appeals of EEO decisions not on merit but because of the way the appeal is written, or breach settlement agreements over ambiguously written clauses. Or, what about a motion for summary judgment that should have been granted because there truly were no disputes of material fact, yet wasn’t granted because of a technicality in how the motion was written? These things happen too often – but they shouldn’t. Luckily, we have a fix for these mistakes!
Join FELTG for this writing-based workshop program that focuses specifically on effective legal writing in federal sector EEO cases. After a quick overview of the fundamentals of good legal writing we will build on those basics with sessions targeted to material organization, framing claims, neutral and persuasive writing, and drafting specific documents for the EEOC, including Letters of Acceptance/Dismissal, Final Agency Decisions, Motions for Summary Judgment, Appeals, and EEO Settlement Agreements. Analysis and evaluation of writing exercises allows you to receive immediate feedback from our instructors. Come prepared to write!
Sessions are held daily from 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Instructors
Katherine Atkinson, Meghan Droste
Tuesday
EEO Writing I: The Foundation: Legal writing and citation formats; argumentative approaches; writing from the reader’s perspective; plain language; defining and distinguishing claims, defenses and issues; fixing fragmentation.
Wednesday
EEO Writing II: Neutral Legal Writing: educating the reader; Writing Letters of Acceptance/Dismissal; understanding settlement in federal sector EEO cases; parts of a settlement agreement; drafting legally enforceable settlement agreements; mistakes to avoid.
Thursday
EEO Writing III: Persuasive Legal Writing: Identification of material facts and persuasion; analyzing the evidence, organizing the arguments; distinguishing cases; writing Final Agency Decisions; motion practice and summary judgment; writing an effective Motion for Summary Judgment; OFO briefs; EEOC appeals.
Pricing
Most people attend the full three days, but you may opt out of any days you don’t plan to attend.
- 3 days = $1340
- 2 days = $950
- 1 day = $520
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.
Instructor
Course Description
1.5
There’s a lot of discussion these days about whether or not employees can legally be fired for being LGBTQ+. In fact, the EEOC says sexual orientation and gender identity is protected under Title VII, but the DoJ says just the opposite. It’s quite a conflict between two relatively independent federal agencies, so what does it all mean for the federal workforce?
Join FELTG instructor Meghan Droste, an experienced LGBTQ and Gender Issues Practice Group team lead, for this 90-minute webinar that explains the latest information on the state of sexual orientation and gender identity protections in the federal workplace.
After a brief discussion on applicable law and the theories of discrimination, Ms Droste will cover:
- Important definitions in 2018
- The latest on sexual orientation protection under Title VII, and the current federal circuit split
- Transgender status and legal protections
- Gender stereotyping claims and same-sex harassment
- Best practices for agencies to follow
The law has been evolving for quite some time, and with a circuit split it’s crucial to understand where things are – today. Register now!
Price
$270 per site.
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $25 each, on a space-available basis.
This week focuses on administrative investigations in the federal workplace, with a focus on investigating employee misconduct. 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, 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.
Sessions run from 8:30 – 4:00 each day.
This program fulfills the requirements for 32-hour EEO Investigator training and 8-hour annual EEO investigator refresher training.
Instructors
William Wiley, Deborah Hopkins, Ricky Rowe
Daily Agenda
Monday
Administrative Investigations: The Substantive Basis: Why investigate; discipline law and elements; understanding charges of misconduct; collecting penalty evidence; witness rights; union representation.
Tuesday
Conducting the Investigation, Part I: Evidentiary principles; purpose of investigation; preparing for the investigation; role of the investigator; planning the investigation.
Wednesday
Conducting the Investigation, Part II: Setting up the room; question types and techniques; conducting the interview; handling difficult witnesses; assessing credibility/lies/hearing what isn’t said; body language; interviewing exercise.
Thursday
Conducting the Investigation, Part III: Gathering other evidence; technology and investigations; high profile case considerations; when misconduct and EEO intersect; testifying at an administrative hearing; rules for being an effective witness.
Friday
Writing the Investigative Report: Organizing for the report; establishing the chronology; report writing style; report writing conventions; report organization.
Pricing
Most people attend the full training week, but you may opt out of any days you don’t plan to attend.
- 5 days = $2120
- 4 days = $1740
- 3 days = $1340
- 2 days = $950
- 1 day = $520
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. Join us for this brand-new three-day seminar and come away with the tools you need to hold your employees accountable.
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
William Wiley, Deborah Hopkins
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; mentoring programs; handling the absent employee; union considerations; understanding the federal supervisor’s personal liability in employment actions.
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
- 3 days = $1350
- 2 days = $960
- 1 day = $530
Seminar registration includes a copy of the textbook UnCivil Servant: Holding Employees Accountable for Performance and Conduct, 4th ed., by Wiley and Hopkins
Instructors
William Wiley, Deborah Hopkins, Barbara Haga, Anthony Marchese.
Course Description
Back by popular demand, and expanded to include new topics in 2018! Join FELTG for the most comprehensive supervisory training event available anywhere. Supervising Federal Employees: Important Tools for Managers and Advisers, a 13-part webinar training series (with a bonus session for those who supervise unionized employees), is targeted specifically to the issues and challenges faced by supervisors in agencies across the country, and around the world.
These 60-minute sessions, held every other Tuesday from 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. eastern time, will expand upon legal principles to provide federal supervisors with the necessary tools and best practices they need to manage the agency workplace effectively and efficiently. Plus, they’ll have a chance to ask questions and get answers – in real time.
As a special bonus, the first six modules fulfill OPM’s mandatory training requirements for new supervisors found at 5 CFR 412.202(b).
2018 dates:
March 6: Holding Employees Accountable for Performance and Conduct: The Foundation: The distinction between performance and conduct; an overview on holding employees accountable; setting the stage for discipline.
March 20: Disciplining Employees for Misconduct, Part I: The five elements of discipline in the federal government; documentation supervisors need to succeed in a disciplinary action.
April 3: Disciplining Employees for Misconduct, Part II: Disciplinary procedures: reprimand, suspension, termination; appeals process; agency liability.
April 17: Preparing an Unacceptable Performance Case: Performance in a nutshell; preparing a performance case; proof and evidence standards.
May 1: Dealing with Poor Performing Employees: Managing the PIP; proposed removal letters; unacceptable performance documents.
May 15: Mentoring a Multigenerational Workforce: What OPM says about mentorship; mentorship styles; formal and informal mentorship; pilot mentorship programs; best practices for leadership; handling difficult employee types.
May 29: Tackling Leave Issues I: Handling the leave issues most common in the federal government: annual leave, sick leave, leave transfer.
June 12: Tackling Leave Issues II: Handling more complicated leave scenarios: FMLA, LWOP, administrative leave, AWOL.
June 26: Writing Effective Performance Plans: Performance management; understanding the system; defining elements and standards; creating the performance plan.
July 10: Disability Accommodation in 60 Minutes: Defining a disability; requests for accommodation; the interactive process; accommodations of choice; undue hardship.
July 24: 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 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.
August 21: 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 4: Supervising in a Unionized Environment: The right to be bargained with; forming a union; employee and union rights; ULPs.
Price
- $220 per site, per session.
- Teleworkers may be added to a primary site registration for $25 each, per session, on a space-available basis.
- Special series discounts available through March 1. See registration form for details.
Instructors
William Wiley, Deborah Hopkins, Barbara Haga, Anthony Marchese.
Course Description
Back by popular demand, and expanded to include new topics in 2018! Join FELTG for the most comprehensive supervisory training event available anywhere. Supervising Federal Employees: Important Tools for Managers and Advisers, a 13-part webinar training series (with a bonus session for those who supervise unionized employees), is targeted specifically to the issues and challenges faced by supervisors in agencies across the country, and around the world.
These 60-minute sessions, held every other Tuesday from 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. eastern time, will expand upon legal principles to provide federal supervisors with the necessary tools and best practices they need to manage the agency workplace effectively and efficiently. Plus, they’ll have a chance to ask questions and get answers – in real time.
As a special bonus, the first six modules fulfill OPM’s mandatory training requirements for new supervisors found at 5 CFR 412.202(b).
2018 dates:
March 6: Holding Employees Accountable for Performance and Conduct: The Foundation: The distinction between performance and conduct; an overview on holding employees accountable; setting the stage for discipline.
March 20: Disciplining Employees for Misconduct, Part I: The five elements of discipline in the federal government; documentation supervisors need to succeed in a disciplinary action.
April 3: Disciplining Employees for Misconduct, Part II: Disciplinary procedures: reprimand, suspension, termination; appeals process; agency liability.
April 17: Preparing an Unacceptable Performance Case: Performance in a nutshell; preparing a performance case; proof and evidence standards.
May 1: Dealing with Poor Performing Employees: Managing the PIP; proposed removal letters; unacceptable performance documents.
May 15: Mentoring a Multigenerational Workforce: What OPM says about mentorship; mentorship styles; formal and informal mentorship; pilot mentorship programs; best practices for leadership; handling difficult employee types.
May 29: Tackling Leave Issues I: Handling the leave issues most common in the federal government: annual leave, sick leave, leave transfer.
June 12: Tackling Leave Issues II: Handling more complicated leave scenarios: FMLA, LWOP, administrative leave, AWOL.
June 26: Writing Effective Performance Plans: Performance management; understanding the system; defining elements and standards; creating the performance plan.
July 10: Disability Accommodation in 60 Minutes: Defining a disability; requests for accommodation; the interactive process; accommodations of choice; undue hardship.
July 24: 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 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.
August 21: 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 4: Supervising in a Unionized Environment: The right to be bargained with; forming a union; employee and union rights; ULPs.
Price
- $220 per site, per session.
- Teleworkers may be added to a primary site registration for $25 each, per session, on a space-available basis.
- Special series discounts available through March 1. See registration form for details.
MSPB Law Week covers the basics of disciplinary charges and penalties, plus understanding the law and strategy in handling performance cases. Special emphasis on leave abuse and medical issues. Join top MSPB practitioners and topic authors, and learn the law, strategies, and techniques from their many years of combined experience.
The program runs 8:30 – 4:00 each day.
Become a certified MSPB practitioner: MSPB Law Week participants are eligible for the FELTG Certified Practitioner Program.
Instructors
William Wiley, Deborah Hopkins
Daily Agenda
Monday
Adverse Actions: Statutory basis including the Civil Service Reform Act; the new Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act; he 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 Obama-Board and big 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 Affirmative Defenses: Claims of harmful error; whistleblower reprisal; reprisal for union activity; excessive penalty findings. Special Discussion: Recent Procedural Errors.
Pricing
Most people attend the full training week, but you may opt out of any days you don’t plan to attend.
- 5 days = $2130
- 4 days = $1750
- 3 days = $1350
- 2 days = $960
- 1 day = $530
Lodging
The host hotel, the Sheraton Denver West, has a limited block of rooms set aside at the per diem rate. Call the hotel directly at 303-987-2000 and mention this training event to receive the special rate.
Instructors
William Wiley, Deborah Hopkins, Barbara Haga, Anthony Marchese.
Course Description
Back by popular demand, and expanded to include new topics in 2018! Join FELTG for the most comprehensive supervisory training event available anywhere. Supervising Federal Employees: Important Tools for Managers and Advisers, a 13-part webinar training series (with a bonus session for those who supervise unionized employees), is targeted specifically to the issues and challenges faced by supervisors in agencies across the country, and around the world.
These 60-minute sessions, held every other Tuesday from 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. eastern time, will expand upon legal principles to provide federal supervisors with the necessary tools and best practices they need to manage the agency workplace effectively and efficiently. Plus, they’ll have a chance to ask questions and get answers – in real time.
As a special bonus, the first six modules fulfill OPM’s mandatory training requirements for new supervisors found at 5 CFR 412.202(b).
2018 dates:
March 6: Holding Employees Accountable for Performance and Conduct: The Foundation: The distinction between performance and conduct; an overview on holding employees accountable; setting the stage for discipline.
March 20: Disciplining Employees for Misconduct, Part I: The five elements of discipline in the federal government; documentation supervisors need to succeed in a disciplinary action.
April 3: Disciplining Employees for Misconduct, Part II: Disciplinary procedures: reprimand, suspension, termination; appeals process; agency liability.
April 17: Preparing an Unacceptable Performance Case: Performance in a nutshell; preparing a performance case; proof and evidence standards.
May 1: Dealing with Poor Performing Employees: Managing the PIP; proposed removal letters; unacceptable performance documents.
May 15: Mentoring a Multigenerational Workforce: What OPM says about mentorship; mentorship styles; formal and informal mentorship; pilot mentorship programs; best practices for leadership; handling difficult employee types.
May 29: Tackling Leave Issues I: Handling the leave issues most common in the federal government: annual leave, sick leave, leave transfer.
June 12: Tackling Leave Issues II: Handling more complicated leave scenarios: FMLA, LWOP, administrative leave, AWOL.
June 26: Writing Effective Performance Plans: Performance management; understanding the system; defining elements and standards; creating the performance plan.
July 10: Disability Accommodation in 60 Minutes: Defining a disability; requests for accommodation; the interactive process; accommodations of choice; undue hardship.
July 24: 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 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.
August 21: 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 4: Supervising in a Unionized Environment: The right to be bargained with; forming a union; employee and union rights; ULPs.
Price
- $220 per site, per session.
- Teleworkers may be added to a primary site registration for $25 each, per session, on a space-available basis.
- Special series discounts available through March 1. See registration form for details.