Instructors
Course Description
If one of your employees had a mental health crisis in the workplace, would you know what to do? This isn’t a far-fetched scenario. Almost 18 percent of all adults have a mental illness diagnosis at some point in their lives. This 90-minute webinar will provide you with an understanding of mental health conditions and the impact they have on the individual, as well as strategies to effectively provide supervision and management to ensure a productive workplace.
Licensed Clinical Social Worker Shana Palmieri will help you walk the tenuous line between providing accommodations and support for a mental health condition and holding employees accountable for their work performance.
Attendees will leave this webinar with strategies to:
- Improve performance and success for employees with mental health conditions.
- Effectively accommodate employees with behavioral health conditions.
- Set appropriate boundaries and expectations in the workplace.
This class focuses on the practical and clinical side of managing employees with behavioral health conditions, rather than the legal side. You won’t want to miss it.
Price
Early Bird Tuition: $275 per webinar per site (registration submitted by April 8)
Standard Tuition: $305 per webinar per site (registration submitted April 9 or later)
Register for both webinars by April 8 and pay only $530.
Add a teleworker for $35 per webinar, in addition to a main site registration, if space permits.
SOLD OUT. Register now for this program August 5-9, also in Denver.
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.
Instructors
Deborah Hopkins, Katherine Atkinson, Meghan Droste
Daily Agenda
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 29):
- 5 days = $2170
- 4 days = $1780
- 3 days = $1370
- 2 days = $970
- 1 day = $530
Standard Tuition (register April 30 – May 17):
- 5 days = $2270
- 4 days = $1880
- 3 days = $1470
- 2 days = $1070
- 1 day = $630
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.
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.
This class is nearly full. Consider registering for this program in Washington, DC June 25-27 or Atlanta, GA September 17-19.
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 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
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 30):
- 3 days = $1380
- 2 days = $980
- 1 day = $540
Standard Tuition (register May 1 – May 16):
- 3 days = $1480
- 2 days = $1080
- 1 day = $640
Seminar registration includes a copy of the textbook UnCivil Servant: Holding Employees Accountable for Performance and Conduct, 4th ed., by Wiley and Hopkins.
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.
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.
Instructor
Course Description
Your agency’s Office of Inspector General employs investigators, auditors, evaluators, and, sometimes, armed special agents. Its mission is to prevent and detect waste, fraud, and abuse, and promote economy, effectiveness, and efficiency of Agency operations, and it does that by investigating potential violations of law or misconduct and auditing or evaluating the agency’s operations and systems.
If it sounds like your OIG’s mission may overlap or interconnect with your office’s mission, you’re right. So it’s important that you not only have a clear picture of what the OIG does, but also how to work with them. Jim Protin, whose 30-year federal career included several positions in the National Security Agency’s Office of Inspector General, will explain both.
In this 90-minute webinar, Mr. Protin will review how the IG’s statutory authority was created, how it has developed, and what it means to you that the OIG is “independent.”
Attendees will learn:
- The various types, purposes, and qualifications of Inspector Generals.
- The agency information that the OIG has access to, and any limitations it has on that information.
- What triggers responsibility for you to notify the OIG of something.
- How the OIG reports its findings.
- The situations in which the OIG will work directly interact with the agency.
Price
Early Bird Tuition: $275 per site (payment required by May 27)
Standard Tuition: $305 per site (for payments made May 28 or later)
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $35 each, if space is available.
Instructors
Course Description
Reprisal is a term that gets used a lot, but did you know that it has different definitions in different cases? If you join FELTG President Deborah Hopkins during this 90-minute webinar to find out exactly where the differences lie, you just might save your agency from losing a reprisal case.
During this interactive discussion, Ms. Hopkins will explain the legal background on the various forms of reprisal and why it’s such an important area of focus in federal employee statutory protection. From there, she will talk about:
- Whistleblower reprisal: the standards, burden of proof, and actions that constitute reprisal
- The many forms of EEO reprisal and why it’s the most common category in discrimination findings
- Reprisal for union activity, including what type of activity falls outside the bounds of coverage
- What is legal and not legal when considering someone’s veteran status in making employment-related decisions
- The distinction between reprisal and retaliation
This is an event you won’t want to miss, whether you’re an attorney, LER specialist, EEO specialist, union official or supervisor. We hope you’ll join us.
Price
Early Bird Tuition: $275 per site (registration submitted by June 3)
Standard Tuition: $305 per site (registration submitted June 4 or later)
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $35 each, on a space-available basis.
Instructor
Course Description
We are still getting used to this “new” FLRA. With Chair Colleen Duffy Kiko joining James Abbott and Ernest DuBester, and with the the nomination of Catherine Bird to be General Counsel, the FLRA will soon be at full strength. What will the next year bring for this new group?
Joe Schimansky, former Executive Director of the Federal Service Impasses Panel, will take a look at what’e been happening, and what’s likely to happen in the next few months at the FLRA. He’ll take a look at the most important new decisions to demonstrate how the world of federal labor relations is changing daily, and will provide an explanation of where everything stands with game-changing executive orders issued a year ago by President Trump.
In addition, attendees will learn about the FLRA’s most recent perspectives on:
- Attorneys fees
- The distinction between working conditions and conditions of employment
- Representation cases
- Excessive interference test
- And much more
If you are involved in federal sector labor relations, this is a topic you can’t afford to miss.
Price
Early Bird Tuition: $225 per site (payment required by June 7)
Standard Tuition: $255 per site (for payments made June 8 or later)
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $35 each, if space is available.
Instructor
Course Description
1.5
In 2017, an MSPB survey revealed that more than 20 percent of female federal employees were sexually harassed in the workplace between 2014 and 2016. There has been a lot of talk about the need for training on this important topic. But now it’s time for action.
Let FELTG help you take that action. Join us for the 90-minute webinar Employee Sexual Misconduct: Discipline Early to Make Your Agency a Safer Place. FELTG President Deborah Hopkins, attorney at law, will show you how to address sexual harassment in the federal government as MISCONDUCT — not just as an EEO issue.
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
Early Bird Tuition: $275 per site (payment required by June 17)
Standard Tuition: $305 per site (for payments made June 18 or later)
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $35 each, if space is available.
Instructors
Deborah Hopkins, Shana Palmieri, Katherine Atkinson, Anthony Marchese
Course Description
Navigating your role in the modern federal workplace requires not just the legal knowledge, but also the practical skills to handle the most intense and challenging situations. For example, do you know what to do in the following scenarios?
- An employee with bipolar disorder is having a manic episode in the workplace.
- An employee threatens violence or suicide.
- An employee claims she is being sexually harassed by one of your best performers.
- You’ve heard reports that another manager is bullying an employee.
- An employee is requesting leave or telework as a reasonable accommodation.
- An employee is wasting time on social media when he is supposed to be working.
We will provide you the specific legal, practical and clinical guidance you need to reply effectively in these and many other difficult situations during our all-new Emerging Issues Week. You’ll gain the tools to better understand how to:
- Deal with employees who have mental and behavioral health issues.
- Handle sexual harassment and bullying claims.
- Manage risk in your agency.
- Handle the conflicts that take your employees off task.
- Respond appropriately to the most challenging reasonable accommodation requests.
Daily Agenda:
Monday
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; PTSD, substance abuse disorders; dos and don’ts when working with employees who have behavioral health issues.
Tuesday
Dealing with Threats of Violence: Handling the psychiatric emergency; 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.
Wednesday
Employee Conflict Management: Managing vs. leading; difficult employee personality types; potential generational conflicts; using structured communication with your employees; learning how to “Flex” in difficult conversations with others; conflict resolution skills; utilizing a team-based approach in the federal government.
Thursday
Harassment Allegations and Investigations: Differentiating between EEO and non-EEO harassment; investigating harassment allegations; the intersection with criminal investigations; bullying; special considerations in light of #MeToo and #TimesUp.
Friday
The Nontraditional Workplace: Telework, Reasonable Accommodation, and Technology Challenges: Accountability for a mobile workforce; telework or flexible schedules as reasonable accommodation; challenges with technology in the federal workplace.
Pricing
Early Bird Tuition (register by July 1):
- 5 days = $2170
- 4 days = $1780
- 3 days = $1370
- 2 days = $970
- 1 day = $530
Standard Tuition (register July 2 – July 19):
- 5 days = $2270
- 4 days = $1880
- 3 days = $1470
- 2 days = $1070
- 1 day = $630
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.
Instructor
Deborah Hopkins, Joe Schimansky
Course Description
The drama continues.
President Trump issued three Executive Orders last year aimed at curtailing union activity and increasing supervisors’ ability to hold employees accountable for misconduct and shoddy performance. Three months later, several provisions of those Executive Orders were set aside as illegal, per a D.C. District Court judge decision.
And now, almost a year since the District Court decision, its ruling has been overturned by an Appeals Court. The Executive Orders are no longer enjoined.
If you think this all seems confusing, you’re not alone. As always, you can count on FELTG to help you through these confusing times. Join FELTG President and Attorney at Law Deborah Hopkins and Joseph Schimansky, former Executive Director of the Federal Service Impasses Panel (FSIP), on July 31 for a 60-minute discussion about the most important takeaways from this decision. They will explain the key provisions of the Executive Orders, and spell out exactly your agencies can, cannot, and should do under these EOs.
You’ll leave this important webinar with answers to the the 6 Ws:
- Who is impacted by the latest decision?
- What did the District and Appeals Courts actually decide?
- Why did the courts make those decisions?
- Where will the next challenge to the Executive Orders take place?
- When will this all finally be resolved?
- What does this mean for us today?
You can’t afford to miss this session. Register your site now.
Price
- $225 per site through July 26, 2019.
- $255 per site July 27, 2019 and later.
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $35 each, 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
Daily Agenda
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 July 22):
- 5 days = $2170
- 4 days = $1780
- 3 days = $1370
- 2 days = $970
- 1 day = $530
Standard Tuition (register July 23-August 9):
- 5 days = $2270
- 4 days = $1880
- 3 days = $1470
- 2 days = $1070
- 1 day = $630
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.
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.
This training is SOLD OUT. Register now for EEOC Law Week April 27 – May 1 to guarantee your spot for 2020!
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
Ernest Hadley, Meghan Droste, Katherine Atkinson
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 September 3):
- 5 days = $2170
- 4 days = $1780
- 3 days = $1370
- 2 days = $970
- 1 day = $530
Standard Tuition (register September 4 – September 20):
- 5 days = $2270
- 4 days = $1880
- 3 days = $1470
- 2 days = $1070
- 1 day = $630
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.
Instructor
Course Description
In 2016, suicide was the 10th leading cause of death overall in the United States, killing more than 44,000 people. And 291 of those suicides took place in the workplace.
As suicide rates continue to rise, the impact is becoming more severe on the workplace. Join Shana Palmieri, LCSW for this 90-minute webinar as she discusses the behavior health disorders that lead to suicide risk, provides an overview of suicide and suicidal ideation in the United States and in the workplace, and shares real answers on what you can do and when to save an employee’s life.
Attendees will learn how to:
- Identify the signs and symptoms of suicide that indicate the need for professional intervention
- Effectively communicate to employees about suicide
- Handle a suicidal crisis in the workplace
The webinar will also include time for Q & A on these topics. This is a session you truly can’t afford to miss, so register your site today.
Price
Early Bird Tuition: $275 per site (payment required by September 16)
Standard Tuition: $305 per site (for payments made September 17 or later)
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $35 each, if space is available.
Instructor
Course Description
If you’re a federal EEO practitioner, attorney, or HR professional, you can’t afford to sleep on recent EEOC decisions. You also can’t afford to sit through a boring case law update that will put you to sleep.
That’s why you need to join FELTG for this fast-paced review of the most surprising, significant, and groundbreaking recent decisions from the EEOC. Attorney Meghan Droste will break down recent Commission cases involving harassment, reasonable accommodations, remedies, sanctions, and more. Find out where the EEOC is headed on these critical topics, and how these decisions impact your agency.
This 60-minute webinar will also cover recent developments at the EEOC, including the Commission’s case closure statistics. Plus, ask your questions and get answers in real time.
Price
Early Bird Tuition: $225 per site (payment required by September 30)
Standard Tuition: $255 per site (for payments made October 1 or later)
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $35 each, if space is available.
Instructor
Course Description
Absence due to illness has changed the landscape in dealing with federal workplace issues. Problems arise when employees are absent – let alone the huge amounts of leave entitlements tied to family member medical conditions.
Administering sick leave can be complicated, and proper documentation is critical. The Family & Medical Leave Act adds an additional layer of complexity to these illness-related absences. When can you require medical examinations? When can you take action on excessive absences?
If you need more information on absence related to illness so you are able to answer those tough questions on sick leave and FMLA – or if you want to ensure that the adverse action case you assemble will withstand the scrutiny of the MSPB – then this webinar series is custom-made for you.
While the near future of the Merit Systems Protection Board remains uncertain, FELTG is staying on top of the situation and will provide attendees with the most up-to-date information they need to know.
Instructors Deborah Hopkins, William Wiley, and Barbara Haga will guide you through these thorny issues. Register for any or all of the sessions.
- Session 1 – Sick Leave, Part I (October 16)
- Earning and accumulation
- Authorized uses of sick leave
- Family care sick leave – documentation and limits
- Advance sick leave
- Session 2 – Sick Leave, Part II (October 30)
- Notice requirements
- Definition of “serious health condition”
- Substitution of paid leave for FMLA LWOP
- Medical certification – what is required and what needs to be in it
- Sick leave abuse
- Medical examinations
- Taking action on sick leave-related absences
- Session 3 – Understanding FMLA (November 13)
- Basic entitlement
- Notice requirements
- FMLA Medical certification requirements
- Discipline and FMLA – excessive absence, falsified information, failure to comply with notice requirements, last chance agreements
You’ll have the chance to ask your questions, and get them answered in real time, during each of these 90-minute sessions. Register your site today.
Price
Early Bird Tuition: $275 per webinar per site (registration submitted by October 7)
Standard Tuition: $305 per webinar per site (registration submitted October 8 or later)
Register for all three webinars by October 7 and pay only $795.
Add a teleworker for $35 per webinar, in addition to a main site registration, if space permits.
President Trump issued three executive orders last year that had a significant impact on federal labor relations. With orders regarding official time, negotiation timeframes, and union responsibilities to pay for things they never had to pay for before, this was the biggest change to rock the world of federal labor relations in years. Three months later, a D.C. District Court Court judge enjoined several parts of the EOs, stating they were illegal. The White House then appealed.. And then this summer, that District Court ruling was overturned by an Appeals Court. The Executive Orders are no longer enjoined.
Where do things stand today? Join FELTG for FLRA Law Week and we’ll bring you up to speed on what you can, cannot and should do under these EOs.
But that’s not all. Every labor attorney, labor relations specialist, and union representative in government needs to have both a firm foundation in the historical perspective and precedence of FLRA decisions, as well as a strategy for taking advantage of any new approaches that are coming out of an ever-evolving Federal Labor Relations Authority. This training week, updated to reflect the current state of the law, does just that — and with instructors who spent a combined 38 years working at the FLRA, there’s no other federal labor relations training that will give you this type of inside perspective. You won’t want to miss it.
The program runs 8:30 – 4:00 each day.
Instructors
Daily Agenda
Monday
Basic Management and Employee Rights: An overview of the Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statute; the current status of Executive Orders 13836 and 13837; fundamental employee, union, and management rights; bargaining unit definition; the union organizer’s role; information requests; official time.
Tuesday
Labor Relations Meetings and Bargaining: More on official time; formal discussions; union representative rights; the collective bargaining process; the three categories of bargaining: mandatory, permissive, and prohibited.
Wednesday
Unfair Labor Practices and Negotiability: What happens when the FLRA comes knocking; the anatomy of an Unfair Labor Practice; the Federal Services Impasse Panel; negotiability appeals.
Thursday
Redress Alternatives and the Psychology of Bargaining: The interplay among grievances, appeals, MSPB, and EEOC; exceptions to arbitration awards; selecting a bargaining strategy; interest based bargaining as compared to hard ball bargaining,
Friday
Understanding Arbitration Issues: The arbitration process overview; binding the arbitrator; how federal government arbitration is different from private sector arbitration and appeals; educating the arbitrator.
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 October 7):
- 5 days = $2170
- 4 days = $1780
- 3 days = $1370
- 2 days = $970
- 1 day = $530
Standard Tuition (register October 8 – October 25):
- 5 days = $2270
- 4 days = $1880
- 3 days = $1470
- 2 days = $1070
- 1 day = $630
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 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.
Instructor
Course Description
The Douglas factors require agencies to consider alternative sanctions, but what exactly are alternatives to discipline? How do they work? Does anyone even know where to start an alternative to discipline?
FELTG instructor Ann Boehm does. In this 90-minute webinar, she will show you how how to think outside the box in certain disciplinary situations. For example, the last thing you want to do to someone who is AWOL is suspend them — they already are not coming to work. Instead, we can show you how to give a reprimand in lieu of suspension. The goal of discipline is to rehabilitate, and in certain circumstances, alternative sanctions are very effective in that regard.
Attendees will:
- Learn the legal requirements that form the foundation of disciplinary actions.
- Identify several alternatives to adverse actions.
- Understand the benefits of a reprimand in lieu of a suspension.
Price
Early Bird Tuition: $275 per site (payment required by October 14)
Standard Tuition: $305 per site (for payments made October 15 or later)
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $35 each, if space is available.
Instructor
Course Description
Absence due to illness has changed the landscape in dealing with federal workplace issues. Problems arise when employees are absent – let alone the huge amounts of leave entitlements tied to family member medical conditions.
Administering sick leave can be complicated, and proper documentation is critical. The Family & Medical Leave Act adds an additional layer of complexity to these illness-related absences. When can you require medical examinations? When can you take action on excessive absences?
If you need more information on absence related to illness so you are able to answer those tough questions on sick leave and FMLA – or if you want to ensure that the adverse action case you assemble will withstand the scrutiny of the MSPB – then this webinar series is custom-made for you.
While the near future of the Merit Systems Protection Board remains uncertain, FELTG is staying on top of the situation and will provide attendees with the most up-to-date information they need to know.
Instructors Deborah Hopkins, William Wiley, and Barbara Haga will guide you through these thorny issues. Register for any or all of the sessions.
- Session 1 – Sick Leave, Part I (October 16)
- Earning and accumulation
- Authorized uses of sick leave
- Family care sick leave – documentation and limits
- Advance sick leave
- Session 2 – Sick Leave, Part II (October 30)
- Notice requirements
- Definition of “serious health condition”
- Substitution of paid leave for FMLA LWOP
- Medical certification – what is required and what needs to be in it
- Sick leave abuse
- Medical examinations
- Taking action on sick leave-related absences
- Session 3 – Understanding FMLA (November 13)
- Basic entitlement
- Notice requirements
- FMLA Medical certification requirements
- Discipline and FMLA – excessive absence, falsified information, failure to comply with notice requirements, last chance agreements
You’ll have the chance to ask your questions, and get them answered in real time, during each of these 90-minute sessions. Register your site today.
Price
Early Bird Tuition: $275 per webinar per site (registration submitted by October 7)
Standard Tuition: $305 per webinar per site (registration submitted October 8 or later)
Register for all three webinars by October 7 and pay only $795.
Add a teleworker for $35 per webinar, in addition to a main site registration, if space permits.
Instructor
Course Description
Workplace violence statistics tell a harrowing story. About 17 percent of all workplace fatalities in 2016 were the result of workplace violence, according to the National Safety Council. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration estimates that nearly 2 million workers are victims of workplace violence. And an estimated 25 percent of workplace violence goes unreported.
This topic is too important to ignore. Join FELTG for the webinar Threats of Violence in the Federal Workplace: Assessing Risk and Taking Action. This program will be instructed by Shana Palmieri, FELTG instructor and LCSW who specializes in mental health and handled the psychiatric aftermath of the Navy Yard shooting in 2013.
The session is focused on the practical issues that agencies encounter when dealing with an employee whose behavior poses a risk to workplace safety. Discussion points include:
- Warning signs that violence may be imminent, and dynamic risk and protective factors for workplace targeted violence
- Equipping Threat Management Teams to respond to threats or violent acts
- Understanding the behavioral health issues that contribute to violent behavior – and those that don’t
- Preparing for domestic or intimate partner violence and its interplay with the federal workplace
The webinar will also include time for Q & A on these topics. This is a session you truly can’t afford to miss, so register your site today.
Price
Early Bird Tuition: $275 per site (payment required by October 21)
Standard Tuition: $305 per site (for payments made October 22 or later)
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $35 each, if space is available.
Instructors
Deborah Hopkins, Anthony Marchese
Did you ever have an employee that you knew was a problem? You know the steps to take if it’s a performance issue or a conduct issue. But what if it’s neither? What are your options?
Seventy-five percent of the population is different from ourselves. Some of the people that we work with may not only be different but difficult. If you fail to address the issue, you are likely to see decreased production, lowered morale, and increased absenteeism from the rest of the your team.
This 90-minute webinar, hosted by FELTG President Deborah Hopkins and instructor and author/leadership expert Dr. Anthony Marchese, will explain how get the best from all of your employees. They will also provide guidance on:
- Handling issues of performance and conduct
- Communication fundamentals
- Employee types
- Managing difficult employees
- Creating a positive work environment
Join FELTG for an informative, entertaining, and useful session.
Price
Early Bird Tuition: $275 per site (payment required by October 28)
Standard Tuition: $305 per site (for payments made October 29 or later)
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $35 each, if space is available.
Instructor
Course Description
Absence due to illness has changed the landscape in dealing with federal workplace issues. Problems arise when employees are absent – let alone the huge amounts of leave entitlements tied to family member medical conditions.
Administering sick leave can be complicated, and proper documentation is critical. The Family & Medical Leave Act adds an additional layer of complexity to these illness-related absences. When can you require medical examinations? When can you take action on excessive absences?
If you need more information on absence related to illness so you are able to answer those tough questions on sick leave and FMLA – or if you want to ensure that the adverse action case you assemble will withstand the scrutiny of the MSPB – then this webinar series is custom-made for you.
While the near future of the Merit Systems Protection Board remains uncertain, FELTG is staying on top of the situation and will provide attendees with the most up-to-date information they need to know.
Instructors Deborah Hopkins, William Wiley, and Barbara Haga will guide you through these thorny issues. Register for any or all of the sessions.
- Session 1 – Sick Leave, Part I (October 16)
- Earning and accumulation
- Authorized uses of sick leave
- Family care sick leave – documentation and limits
- Advance sick leave
- Session 2 – Sick Leave, Part II (October 30)
- Notice requirements
- Definition of “serious health condition”
- Substitution of paid leave for FMLA LWOP
- Medical certification – what is required and what needs to be in it
- Sick leave abuse
- Medical examinations
- Taking action on sick leave-related absences
- Session 3 – Understanding FMLA (November 13)
- Basic entitlement
- Notice requirements
- FMLA Medical certification requirements
- Discipline and FMLA – excessive absence, falsified information, failure to comply with notice requirements, last chance agreements
You’ll have the chance to ask your questions, and get them answered in real time, during each of these 90-minute sessions. Register your site today.
Price
Early Bird Tuition: $275 per webinar per site (registration submitted by October 7)
Standard Tuition: $305 per webinar per site (registration submitted October 8 or later)
Register for all three webinars by October 7 and pay only $795.
Add a teleworker for $35 per webinar, in addition to a main site registration, if space permits.
Instructor
When must you accommodate an employee who is pregnant? Can you request medical documentation if a pregnant employee asks for an accommodation? What if an employee can’t do the critical elements of her job because she is pregnant? What are the options for an employee who hasn’t worked long enough to be eligible for FMLA?
Federal law protects employees from pregnancy-based discrimination and harassment at work, and it allows that employees have a legal right to work adjustments to allow them to do their job without jeopardizing their health. However, these protections come at the intersection of three different laws — the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Family and Medical Leave Act.
This 90-minute webinar, hosted by FELTG instructor and attorney at law Meghan Droste, will explain the protections afforded pregnant employees under all three laws, as well as explain:
- When you have an obligation to accommodate pregnant employees.
- What medical documentation you are permitted to ask for when evaluating a request for accommodations.
- How to avoid discriminating against pregnant job applicants.
- What to do when supervisors try to “protect” pregnant employees from difficult work.
Get up to speed on this challenging area of law. Register today.
Price
Early Bird Tuition: $275 per site (payment required by November 11)
Standard Tuition: $305 per site (for payments made November 12 or later)
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $35 each, if space is available.
Instructor
From chronic pain and chronic fatigue to depression and diabetes, disabilities are not always visible or obvious in the workplace. As the federal workforce ages, the number of employees with hidden disabilities continues to grow. This can make providing reasonable accommodation a challenge for HR professionals, supervisors, and the people who advise them.
During this 90-minute webinar, attorney Katherine Atkinson will explain to how properly navigate Rehabilitation Act regulations and EEOC guidance while taking a common sense approach to reasonably accommodating hidden disabilities. Ms. Atkinson will provide examples of accommodations that have proven successful for hidden disabilities.
Attendees will learn how to:
- Recognize myths and misconceptions about specific disabilities.
- Determine whether the employee is a qualified individual.
- Use the interactive process to find an effective reasonable accommodation.
Price
Early Bird Tuition: $275 per site (payment required by November 25)
Standard Tuition: $305 per site (for payments made November 26 or later)
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $35 each, if space is available.
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.
Instructor
Course Description
Ensuring that employees remain capable of performing their duties, whether those requirements involve physical or mental demands of other requirements such as licenses and certifications, is a challenging issue for many HR practitioners. FELTG instructor Barbara Haga will share specific guidance on how to effectively enforce medical requirements without running afoul of the Merit Systems Protection Board or the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
During this 90-minute webinar, Ms. Haga will review a number of MSPB cases about employees who either met a qualification requirement or certification requirement and then lost it – or never were able to obtain it all. This program will also cover the gamut from IT to EMT certifications, pilot certifications, ability to qualify with a weapon, and much more.
Attendees will learn how to:
Price
- Early Bird Tuition: $275 per site (payment made by January 27).
- Standard Tuition: $305 per site (payment made January 28 or later).
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $40 per teleworker, on a space-available basis.
Instructor
Course Description
There are several reasons why an EEO claim might be dismissed, but it’s not a decision that should be made quickly or without much thought. A surprising number of agency dismissals are overturned by the EEOC each year. Join FELTG as we dive into the very core of the EEO complaint process, and understand when to accept EEO claims, and when to deny them. This 60-minute webinar will review the reasons for dismissing a claim — failure to state a claim, timeliness, collateral attack, and framing claims.
This is the first of a four-part series on Navigating Challenges in the EEO Process.
1
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.
Course Description
In a matter of weeks, the COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed the federal workplace, the country, and the world. In this free 30-minute webinar, FELTG President and attorney at law Deborah Hopkins discusses two areas where the response to this virus has impacted the federal workplace:
- ADA and EEOC guidance on the medical impact of COVID-19 in the federal workplace
- Including medical inquiries, fitness for duty exams, and clearance to return to work
- OPM and White House guidance on agency operations during the COVID-19 pandemic
- Including telework, evacuation orders, and weather and safety leave
Instructor
Price and Registration
FREE. Registration is currently full. However, if you use the registration link below FELTG will add you to the wait list, and after the webinar’s conclusion we will email you a link so you can view the recorded presentation.
Register here. Enrollment is limited to the first 200 individuals and space is not guaranteed.
If you are one of the first 200 participants to register, you will receive a confirmation email from Zoom webinars confirming your registration and containing important access information.
FELTG is making its webinars easier to access during the COVID-19 closures and emergency telework scheduling, to ensure that proper training is still available when the majority of employees are working at home. Contact us at 844.283.3584 or [email protected] to find out how this applies to our webinars, or how you can bring FELTG’s off-the-shelf or custom webinars directly to your agency.
Instructor
Course Description
Navigating the FMLA is one of the most complex challenges a federal agency can face unless, of course, it is navigating the ADA at the same time. What’s the difference between a serious health condition and an ADA disability? Does the FMLA limit on leave apply to a reasonable accommodation of leave? This 60-minute webinar will compare and contrast coverage under the FMLA and coverage under the ADA, discuss the tricky role of medical documentation, and review leave under the FMLA and as a reasonable accommodation.
This is the second of four webinars on Navigating Challenges in the EEO Process.
EEO Refresher Hours: 1
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.
FELTG is making its webinars easier to access during the COVID-19 closures and emergency telework scheduling, to ensure that proper training is still available when the majority of employees are working at home. Contact us at 844.283.3584 or [email protected] to find out how this applies to our webinars, or how you can bring FELTG’s off-the-shelf or custom webinars directly to your agency.
Instructor
Course Description
Navigating the FMLA is one of the most complex challenges a federal agency can face unless, of course, it is navigating the ADA at the same time. What’s the difference between a serious health condition and an ADA disability? Does the FMLA limit on leave apply to a reasonable accommodation of leave? This 60-minute webinar will compare and contrast coverage under the FMLA and coverage under the ADA, discuss the tricky role of medical documentation, and review leave under the FMLA and as a reasonable accommodation.
This is the second of four webinars on Navigating Challenges in the EEO Process.
EEO Refresher Hours: 1
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.
Download Individual Registration Form
Event Description
These are challenging times for the federal workforce. Over three days, the FELTG Virtual Training Institute will broadcast nine live instructor-led sessions, aimed at providing you with the latest legal and practical guidance to meet these current challenges.
Renew your efforts to hold employees accountable for performance and conduct. Review your responsibilities regarding leave, reasonable accommodation, investigating harassment, and preventing discrimination in the workplace. Stay current on case law. Learn strategies for managing teleworkers – and for managing your own stress and handling employee stress during these trying times. And much more.
There’s no need to feel isolated – even if you’re working alone at home. The open enrollment FELTG Virtual Training Institute’s Emerging Issues in Federal Employment Law program offers opportunities to ask questions of FELTG’s experienced instructors, and get answers in real time. Plus, we’ll provide a forum for participants to get in touch and discuss the issues after the sessions are over.
You can register for any of the sessions individually. You can register for a whole day. Or you can register for the whole program. Earn CLE credits and EEO refresher training credits. Three days. Nine sessions. Eight instructors. We’d love to have you join us.
Download Individual Registration Form
Tuesday, April 21, 2020
Performance, Conduct and Legal Updates
Session 1
10:30 am – 12:00 pm EDT
Accountability for Conduct: Taking Defensible Disciplinary Actions
Presented by Deborah J. Hopkins, Attorney at Law, FELTG President
Course Description: This session begins with a discussion on the foundation of supervisory authority, and it will clarify the too-common misconceptions that prevent federal agencies from taking successful misconduct actions against employees. Attendees will learn the five elements that must be present in a disciplinary case, with a special focus on penalty justification and due process requirements. Attendees will leave with the guidance necessary to take defensible actions quickly and fairly – and to ensure that those actions will withstand scrutiny on appeal by the MSPB, EEOC, or in grievance arbitration. Earn 1.5 CLE credits.
Learning Objectives
Attendees will learn how to:
- Understand the legal definition of discipline, and which corrective actions are not discipline under the law.
- Identify the legal elements required in every disciplinary case, and the standard of proof to take a defensible action.
- Use the Douglas Factors in penalty determination.
Session 2
1:00 – 2:30 pm EDT
Unacceptable Performance: Streamlining the Procedures
Presented by William Wiley, Attorney at Law, FELTG Past President
Course Description: When it comes to poor performance, the one action you can’t afford to take is not taking action. Yet, when you do take a performance-based action, there are limitless mistakes that can trip you up and result in lost appeals. During this session, Bill Wiley shares the tools you need to confidently and effectively address poor performance, including initiating a performance demonstration period/PIP, the evidence and documentation needed to justify a performance-based action, and a secret trick on removing an employee for poor performance without using a demonstration period/PIP. After this session, attendees will have the tools necessary to remove an unacceptable performer in 31 days. Earn 1.5 CLE credits.
Learning Objectives
Attendees will learn how to:
- Recognize the standards of proof needed for a performance-based action.
- Implement recent Executive Orders and OPM guidance into your performance procedures.
- Successfully take a defensible performance-based action.
Session 3
3:00 – 4:30 pm EDT
Federal Employment Law Update: Recent Developments at the EEOC, FLRA and MSPB
Presented by Ann Boehm, Attorney at Law, FELTG Instructor
Course Description: In the world of federal employment law, things can change quickly; there has been more action in the past three years than in the last 35 years before. Join FELTG Instructor Ann Boehm for a review of the most recent and relevant cases, regulations, studies and reports from the EEOC, FLRA and MSPB, plus information from OPM and the Office of Special Counsel. She will also cover the very latest on Executive Orders 13836, 13836, 13837 and 13839. Attendees will leave with knowledge of recent developments and with an in-depth analysis of the current employment law climate and its impact on the federal workplace. Earn 1.5 CLE credits.
Learning Objectives
Attendees will learn how to:
- Identify the most critical recent decisions from the EEOC and FLRA.
- Explain the status and impact of President Trump’s Executive Orders regarding the federal workplace.
- Understand the current status of the MSPB and how the lack of quorum impacts agency actions and appeals.
Wednesday, April 22, 2020
Managing and Advising During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond
Session 4
10:30 am – 12:00 pm EDT
Handling Current Leave Challenges in the Federal Workplace
Presented by Barbara Haga, President/Federal HR Services, FELTG Senior Instructor
Course description: Barbara Haga will review some of the most pressing issues involving leave, including tough questions related to FMLA and sick leave, the paid family leave provisions expected to go into effect in October, and the flexibilities related to leave tied to the COVID-19 pandemic including weather and safety leave. Attendees will come away with an array of knowledge for handling the leave issues they’re likely to face in the coming weeks and months, and will be equipped for a successful return to more normal operations in the future.
Learning Objectives
Attendees will learn how to:
- Apply weather and safety leave standards during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Identify the provisions of the new paid family leave, and which employees are affected.
- Manage requests for sick leave and FMLA, from near and far.
Session 5
1:00 – 2:30 pm EDT
Managing a Mobile Workforce: Tools for Accountability
Presented by Deborah J. Hopkins, Attorney at Law, FELTG President
Course description: One of the biggest challenges facing agencies during this COVID-19 Pandemic is that so much of the workforce is no longer in the workplace. How do you handle performance issues? What about conduct? Are work expectations lowered or amended when people telework in emergency situations? What are the pitfalls or best practices for managing employees from afar? Using anecdotes from her decade of experience managing a remote workforce, FELTG President Deborah J. Hopkins will provide the answers and share exclusive tips you shouldn’t miss. Earn 1.5 CLE credits
Learning Objectives
Attendees will learn how to:
- Communicate expectations to employees who are new to telework.
- Conduct a performance demonstration period while an employee is working remotely.
- Identify the telework performance pitfalls for employees and supervisors.
Session 6
3:00 – 4:30 pm EDT
Strategies for Stress: Effectively Coping in a COVID-19 World
Presented by Shana Palmieri, LCSW, FELTG Instructor
Course description: The COVID-19 pandemic has required all of us to make major lifestyle changes, whether you’re in the office or working from home. Our lives have quickly been altered, creating varying levels of anxiety and uncertainty. Change, stress and social isolation can significantly impact your health and job performance. Licensed Clinical Social Worker Shana Palmieri will guide you through how to manage change and stress for yourself and your employees so you can continue to focus on your agency’s mission – from wherever you happen to be working.
Learning Objectives
Attendees will learn how to:
- Manage workforce disruptions to successfully stay focused on work during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Cope with social distancing and social isolation.
- Recognize and manage stress levels that, when unaddressed, impact your work performance and overall wellness.
Thursday, April 23, 2020
EEO Challenges in the Federal Workplace
Session 7
10:30 am – 12:00 pm EDT
Preventing and Correcting Discrimination: A Focus on Race, Color, and National Origin
Presented by Ricky Rowe, Former National EEO Manager/Veterans Affairs, FELTG Instructor
Course description: During stressful times, there is often a desire to find something, or someone, to blame. In some cases, employees perceive a conflict with agency management to be motivated by an illegal reason. And every now and then, an agency official engages in unlawful discrimination, and then the agency has a responsibility to make amends with the employee. FELTG Instructor Ricky Rowe will use his 38 years of federal sector EEO and HR experience to address these scenarios with a review of relevant EEOC decisions involving employee race, color and national origin, and will share timely and critical information to ensure that your workplace is safe and inclusive for all. Earn 1.5 EEO refresher training hours by attending this session.
Learning Objectives
Attendees will learn how to:
- Identify the discrimination theories where race, color and national origin could form the basis of a complaint.
- Recognize and immediately address instances of race, color, and national origin discrimination in the workplace.
- Determine when language-restrictive policies are discriminatory – and when they are permitted.
Session 8
1:00 – 2:30 pm EDT
Conducting Effective Harassment Investigations
Presented by Katherine Atkinson, Attorney at Law, FELTG Instructor
Course description: If there’s one topic on every agency’s front burner, it’s harassment. FELTG Instructor Katherine Atkinson will explain the differences between EEO and non-EEO harassment, and the critical steps that agencies should take when investigating misconduct. An incomplete investigation could cost you the case, so it’s imperative to understand the requirements for a legally sufficient harassment investigation. Attendees will leave with useful guidance and practical tools to help them complete an effective and thorough investigation. Earn 1.5 EEO refresher training hours by attending this session. Earn 1.5 CLE credits.
Learning Objectives
Attendees will learn how to:
- Address the issue of harassment as misconduct, not just an EEO issue.
- Identify the numerous forms that harassment takes.
- Interview all relevant parties in a harassment investigation: the complainant, the accused, and material witnesses.
Session 9
3:00 – 4:30 pm EDT
Reasonable Accommodation in the Federal Workplace: Challenges and Solutions for 2020
Presented by Meghan Droste, Attorney at Law, FELTG Instructor
Course description: Reasonable accommodation for disabilities intersects with every aspect of the federal workforce: conduct, performance, leave, telework, and more. FELTG Instructor Meghan Droste will explain answers to the most common questions including: What does qualified individual really mean? What is the agency required to do during the interactive process? Must I provide a provisional accommodation? Do I have to grant telework as an accommodation? Is providing a new supervisor a reasonable accommodation? You’ll receive guidance on other perplexing reasonable accommodation challenges, and discuss the mistakes agencies have made in recent cases – so you can avoid similar mistakes. You can’t afford to miss this session. Earn 1.5 EEO refresher hours and 1.5 CLE credits.
Learning Objectives
Attendees will learn how to:
- Make legal disability determinations.
- Understand “qualified individual” standard.
- Provide the most effective reasonable accommodation to allow the employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job.
Price
- Early Bird Tuition (register by April 14): One Session = $100 | Three Sessions = $250 | All Access = $700
- Standard Tuition (register April 15-23): One Session = $115 | Three Sessions = $275 | All Access = $750
- Rates per registrant.
- REGISTER NOW.
Event FAQs
- Can I attend Virtual Training from my government computer?
- FELTG uses Zoom Webinars (not Zoom Meetings) to broadcast its Virtual Training Institute events. Many government computers and systems allow Zoom access. If for some reason your firewall will not allow access, you’re welcome to use your personal email address to register, and to attend the sessions from your personal device.
- How do I claim CLE or EEO refresher credits?
- This program has been submitted (and we anticipate this program will be approved) for Virginia CLE credits. Members of other state bars must submit for CLE credit on their own, and may use the materials provided by FELTG in submissions. Attendees may also request a certificate of completion which will contain the number of training hours attended, and will designate how many EEO refresher hours were earned.
- Can I get HRCI credits for attending this class?
- Each session is approved for 1.5 hours of HRCI general recertification credit. The HRCI course numbers will be available upon the conclusion of the training.
- What if I want to attend a session but have a schedule conflict?
- FELTG plans to record every session, and will make recordings available for purchase after the conclusion of the event.
- Can I share my access link with co-workers?
- No. Registration for this event is per individual, and access links may not be shared. Each link may only be used by one person.
- Can I register a teleworker?
- This event is individual registration, so the cost is the same whether the person is teleworking or in an agency facility.
- How do I receive a group rate discount?
- The group discount deadline has passed.
FELTG is making its webinars easier to access during the COVID-19 closures and emergency telework scheduling, to ensure that proper training is still available when the majority of employees are working at home. Contact us at 844.283.3584 or [email protected] to find out how this applies to our webinars, or how you can bring FELTG’s off-the-shelf or custom webinars directly to your agency.
Instructor
Course Description
What will be the impact on President Trump’s letter permitting the Department of Defense to bypass unions? What about the FLRA’s decision to change the rules on dues withholding?
Joe Schimansky, former Executive Director of the Federal Service Impasses Panel, will take a look at what’s been happening at the FLRA in the last several months, and what’s likely to happen in the near future. He’ll review the latest decisions by the FLRA and FSIP to demonstrate how the world of federal labor relations is changing daily.
If you are involved in federal sector labor relations, this is a webinar you can’t afford to miss.
Price
- Early Bird Tuition (payment required by April 27, 2020):
- 1 line: $100
- 2-5 lines: $185
- 6-9 lines: $260
- 10-15 lines: $340
- 16-20 lines: $425
- Standard Tuition (payments made April 28, 2020 or later):
- 1 line: $115
- 2-5 lines: $215
- 6-9 lines: $290
- 10-15 lines: $370
- 16-20 lines: $455
Additional teleworkers may be added for $40 each, if space is available.