Calendar

FELTG Executive Director Deborah Hopkins instructing a class
Aug
5
Mon
Workplace Investigations Week – Denver @ Sheraton Denver West
Aug 5 – Aug 9 all-day

Download Registration Form

This week focuses on conducting administrative investigations in the federal workplace with an emphasis on employee misconduct including workplace harassment. After an overview of the substantive law, participants will learn procedures and best practices for conducting investigations in the federal workplace, including planning the investigation, fact finding, collecting evidence, dealing with witnesses, understanding types of questioning, and testifying at hearing. The week concludes with a day focused on writing an investigative report.

The program runs 8:30 – 4:00 each day and is pre-approved for 29 CLE credits in Virginia and California. It is also approved for 29 HRCI general recertification credits.

This program fulfills the requirements for 32-hour EEO Investigator training and 8-hour annual EEO investigator refresher training. It also meets the requirements for training under the Department of Interior’s Anti-Harassment Policy.

Instructors

Deborah Hopkins, Ann Boehm

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.

Sep
5
Thu
Webinar – Sex Discrimination, Gender Identity, and LGBTQ+ Protections in the Federal Workplace
Sep 5 @ 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm

Download Registration Form

Instructor

Meghan Droste

Course Description

 1.5

The law regarding sexual orientation and gender identity in the workplace continues to evolve, but not in a way that makes the law clear. For example: The EEOC says sexual orientation and gender identity are protected under Title VII. The Department of Justice says just the opposite. There is the federal circuit split on the issue. And in October 2019, the Supreme Court will finally consider the issue.

It may be confusing, but you don’t have to be confused. In this 90-minute webinar, FELTG instructor Meghan Droste, attorney at law and experienced LGBTQ and Gender Issues Practice Group team lead, will explain where the law stands now. She will provide the latest information on protections under the law, define the terminology, and explain gender stereotyping as sex discrimination.

Attendees will also learn about:

  • Transgender status and legal protections
  • Identify the actions that have gotten agencies into legal trouble
  • Cases involving LGBTQ status and religion
  • The best practices for agencies to follow

Price

Early Bird Tuition: $275 per site (payment required by August 26)

Standard Tuition: $305 per site (for payments made August 27 or later)

Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $35 each, if space is available.

Sep
16
Mon
EEOC Law Week – Washington, DC @ International Student House (ISH) – Ella Burling Hall
Sep 16 – Sep 20 all-day

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.

Sep
23
Mon
Absence, Leave Abuse & Medical Issues Week – Washington, DC @ International Student House (ISH) – Ella Burling Hall
Sep 23 – Sep 27 all-day

Download Registration Form

Federal employees enjoy a wide variety of leave-related benefits. However, many of us would never use the words “enjoy” and “leave” so closely together. Whether you’re an HR professional, employee relations practitioner, EEO specialist, supervisor, or agency counsel, you have undoubtedly faced a leave-related challenge. FELTG’s Absence, Leave Abuse & Medical Issues Week will give you the critical foundation you need to address the most complex areas of federal employment law.

Our expert speakers will discuss sick leave, annual leave, leave without pay, absence without leave, and FMLA. Then they will tackle the most current, relevant topics, such as medical issues and unacceptable performance, leave and reasonable accommodation, medical documentation, medical exams, and, of course, leave abuse.

You’re going to learn an awful lot about “leave” and you’re going to “enjoy” the training.

The program runs 8:30 – 4:00 each day and is pre-approved for 29 CLE credits in Virginia and California. It is also approved for 29 HRCI general recertification credits.

Instructors

Deborah Hopkins, Barbara Haga, Katherine Atkinson

Daily Agenda:

Monday – Leave Use Overview

Types of leave and leave entitlements; proper leave administration; discretionary leave scenarios; leave stacking; understanding when you can say no to a leave request; Administrative Leave Act of 2016 changes.

Tuesday – FMLA Law & Policy

Federal sector FMLA basics, military family leave, serious health condition developments, medical certification issues, managing intermittent FMLA leave; discipline, FMLA and the under-performer; and employee notice issues.

Wednesday Handling the Leave Abuser; Medical Removals

Handling the leave abuser; documentation necessary to discipline an employee for leave abuse; steps to disciplining leave abusers; AWOL charges; leave restriction; excessive absence removals; medical inability to perform removals.

Thursday – Reasonable Accommodation: Entitlements and Processes

The ADA Amendments Act; the reasonable accommodation process; the “regarded as” provision of the ADA; telework and leave as reasonable accommodation; religious accommodation.

Friday  Medical Documentation, Medical Requests and Record Confidentiality

How the ADAAA and GINA impact the collection of medical information; pre- and post-employment medical exams and inquiries; conditional employment offers; medical documentation requests; direct threat; conflicting regulations and contra court decisions.

Pricing

Most people attend the full training week, but you may opt out of any days you don’t plan to attend.

Early Bird Tuition (register by September 9):

  • 5 days = $2170
  • 4 days = $1780
  • 3 days = $1370
  • 2 days = $970
  • 1 day = $530

Standard Tuition (register September 10 – September 27):

  • 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.

Sep
26
Thu
Webinar – Suicidal Employees in the Federal Workplace: Your Actions Can Save a Life
Sep 26 @ 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm

Download Registration Form

Instructor

Shana Palmieri

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.

Oct
7
Mon
Legal Writing Week – Washington, DC @ International Student House (ISH) – Ella Burling Hall
Oct 7 – Oct 11 all-day

Download Registration Form

All too often, legal cases are lost not for lack of evidence, but based on some procedural issue that could have been avoided through careful drafting of legal documents. Whether it’s a motion for summary judgment, a prehearing brief, or a final agency decision, words matter.

So back by request, it’s FELTG’s new and improved Legal Writing Week, a writing-based workshop program that focuses specifically on effective legal writing in federal sector employment law cases. We’ll start you off with the fundamentals of good legal writing and then build on those basics with sessions targeted to material organization, persuasive factual narratives, writing for your audience and drafting specific documents for the MSPB and EEOC. Analysis and evaluation of writing exercises allows you to receive immediate feedback from one of the preeminent authors in the field.

Sessions are held daily from 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 8:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Friday.

Instructor

Ernest Hadley

Daily Agenda

Monday

Legal Writing I — The Basics: Legal writing and citation formats, argumentative approaches, writing from the reader’s perspective, organizational logic, word choice and structure, legal terms and court structure. Workshops: Spin Words, Speed Ball Exercise & Spin an Issue, Putting it All Together

Tuesday

Legal Writing II — Writing for Your Audience: Defining and distinguishing claims, defenses and issues, the factual narrative, identification of material facts, and persuasion. Workshops: Defining Claims, Writing the Agency Factual Statement, Writing the Employee Factual Statement

Wednesday

Legal Writing III — Writing for Your Audience (con’t.): Educating the reader, analyzing the evidence, organizing the arguments, distinguishing cases. Workshops: State the Rule, Writing the Analysis.

Thursday

Legal Writing IV — Writing for the MSPB and EEOC: MSPB prehearing submissions, drafting final agency decisions. Workshops: Drafting a Prehearing Submission, Writing a FAD.

Friday

Legal Writing V — Writing for the MSPB and EEOC (con’t.): Motion practice and summary judgment, MSPB petitions for review and EEOC appeals, MSPB petitions for review and EEOC appeals, editing your work. Workshop: Deconstruction of a Final Decision.

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 Sept. 23):

  • 5 days = $2180
  • 4 days = $1790
  • 3 days = $1380
  • 2 days = $980
  • 1 day = $540

Standard Tuition (register Sept. 23-Oct. 11):

  • 5 days = $2280
  • 4 days = $1890
  • 3 days = $1480
  • 2 days = $1080
  • 1 day = $640

Metro, Parking, Directions

Metro: The International Student House (1825 R Street NW) is located in convenient proximity to the Red Line. Exit Metro at the Dupont Circle station and proceed to the Q Street/North exit. Head north (you will come off the escalator facing north; if you use the elevator take a left after exiting) on Connecticut Avenue to R Street NW (approximately one block). Turn right onto R Street NW. Cross 19th Street NW and the International Student House will be on the left side of the street approximately halfway down the block. If you reach the Bikeshare dock, you’ve gone too far. Approximate walk time: 7-10 minutes.

Parking: Street parking is metered and is limited to two hours, unless you have a Washington, DC, Zone 2 parking pass. The closest parking garage is at 11 Dupont Circle, approximately two blocks from the International Student House (1825 R Street NW). Approximate walk time: 5 -7 minutes.

From the Carlyle Hotel: After exiting the Carlyle Hotel, turn left. At the first intersection, R Street NW, turn right. Proceed approximately one block. The International Student House (1825 R Street NW) will be on your right, just past the Bikeshare dock. Approximate walk time: 4-6 minutes.

Cancellation and No-show Policy for Registered Participants: Cancellations made after the cancel date on the registration form will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses. Pre-paid training using the “Pay Now” option will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses. No-shows will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses.

Oct
10
Thu
Webinar — Significant Cases and Developments at the EEOC
Oct 10 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Download Registration Form

Instructor

Meghan Droste

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.

Oct
16
Wed
Webinar Series – Absence Due to Illness: Tackling Challenges with Sick Leave and FMLA
Oct 16 @ 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm

Download Registration Form

Instructor

William Wiley, Barbara Haga

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.

 

Oct
24
Thu
Webinar – Discipline Alternatives: Thinking Outside the Adverse Action
Oct 24 @ 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm

Download Registration Form

Instructor

Ann Boehm

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.

Oct
30
Wed
Webinar Series – Absence Due to Illness: Tackling Challenges with Sick Leave and FMLA
Oct 30 @ 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm

Download Registration Form

Instructor

William Wiley, Barbara Haga

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.

 

Oct
31
Thu
Webinar – Threats of Violence in the Federal Workplace: Assessing Risk and Taking Action
Oct 31 @ 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm

Download Registration Form

Instructor

Shana Palmieri

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.

Nov
7
Thu
Webinar – Managing Difficult Employees When Performance or Misconduct Isn’t the Problem
Nov 7 @ 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm

Download Registration Form

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.

Nov
13
Wed
Webinar Series – Absence Due to Illness: Tackling Challenges with Sick Leave and FMLA
Nov 13 @ 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm

Download Registration Form

Instructor

William Wiley, Barbara Haga

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.

 

Nov
21
Thu
Webinar – Pregnancy in the Federal Workplace: Discrimination, Harassment, and Accommodation
Nov 21 @ 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm

Download Registration Form

Instructor

Meghan Droste

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.

Dec
5
Thu
Webinar – Accommodating Hidden Disabilities in the Federal Workplace
Dec 5 @ 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm

Download Registration Form

Instructor

Katherine Atkinson

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.

Dec
12
Thu
Webinar – “OK, Boomer” and the Truth About Age Discrimination in the Federal Workplace
Dec 12 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Download Registration Form

Instructor

Deborah Hopkins

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.

Jan
16
Thu
Webinar Series – Legal Writing in Federal Sector Employment Law
Jan 16 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Download Registration Form

Instructors

Katherine Atkinson, Ann Boehm, Deborah Hopkins, Meghan Droste

Course Description

Legal writing in federal sector employment law is a specialized craft. Cases have been lost because of poorly or ambiguously written documents. This webinar series will help you sharpen the skills you need to produce effective, defensible, legally sound documents in the federal sector. This includes disciplinary letters, summary judgment motions, reports of investigation, and more. With the sample language, templates and documents provided during the webinars, you’ll have tools use can continue to use long after the series ends.

Sessions will be held on Thursdays from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. ET.

It doesn’t matter if you haven’t been to law school recently, or ever at all. Spend an hour a week with FELTG and you’ll find the way to make the documents you write be more clear, effective, and persuasive.

  • January 16 – Legal Writing for the MSPB, EEOC and FLRA: Nuts and Bolts
  • January 23 – Writing Performance Demonstration Period Plans that Work
  • January 30 – Framing Charges and Drafting Proposed Discipline
  • February 6 – The Douglas Factor Analysis and Writing the Decision
  • February 13 – Writing Effective Motions for Summary Judgment
  • February 20 – Drafting a Legally Sufficient Report of Investigation

Price

  • Early Bird Tuition: $240 per site (payment made by January 13).
  • Standard Tuition: $270 per site (payment made January 14 or later).
  • Register for all six webinars by January 13 and pay only $1350!

Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $40 per teleworker, on a space-available basis.

Jan
23
Thu
Webinar Series – Legal Writing in Federal Sector Employment Law
Jan 23 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Download Registration Form

Instructors

Katherine Atkinson, Ann Boehm, Deborah Hopkins, Meghan Droste

Course Description

Legal writing in federal sector employment law is a specialized craft. Cases have been lost because of poorly or ambiguously written documents. This webinar series will help you sharpen the skills you need to produce effective, defensible, legally sound documents in the federal sector. This includes disciplinary letters, summary judgment motions, reports of investigation, and more. With the sample language, templates and documents provided during the webinars, you’ll have tools use can continue to use long after the series ends.

Sessions will be held on Thursdays from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. ET.

It doesn’t matter if you haven’t been to law school recently, or ever at all. Spend an hour a week with FELTG and you’ll find the way to make the documents you write be more clear, effective, and persuasive.

  • January 16 – Legal Writing for the MSPB, EEOC and FLRA: Nuts and Bolts
  • January 23 – Writing Performance Demonstration Period Plans that Work
  • January 30 – Framing Charges and Drafting Proposed Discipline
  • February 6 – The Douglas Factor Analysis and Writing the Decision
  • February 13 – Writing Effective Motions for Summary Judgment
  • February 20 – Drafting a Legally Sufficient Report of Investigation

Price

  • Early Bird Tuition: $240 per site (payment made by January 13).
  • Standard Tuition: $270 per site (payment made January 14 or later).
  • Register for all six webinars by January 13 and pay only $1350!

Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $40 per teleworker, on a space-available basis.

Jan
30
Thu
Webinar Series – Legal Writing in Federal Sector Employment Law
Jan 30 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Download Registration Form

Instructors

Katherine Atkinson, Ann Boehm, Deborah Hopkins, Meghan Droste

Course Description

Legal writing in federal sector employment law is a specialized craft. Cases have been lost because of poorly or ambiguously written documents. This webinar series will help you sharpen the skills you need to produce effective, defensible, legally sound documents in the federal sector. This includes disciplinary letters, summary judgment motions, reports of investigation, and more. With the sample language, templates and documents provided during the webinars, you’ll have tools use can continue to use long after the series ends.

Sessions will be held on Thursdays from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. ET.

It doesn’t matter if you haven’t been to law school recently, or ever at all. Spend an hour a week with FELTG and you’ll find the way to make the documents you write be more clear, effective, and persuasive.

  • January 16 – Legal Writing for the MSPB, EEOC and FLRA: Nuts and Bolts
  • January 23 – Writing Performance Demonstration Period Plans that Work
  • January 30 – Framing Charges and Drafting Proposed Discipline
  • February 6 – The Douglas Factor Analysis and Writing the Decision
  • February 13 – Writing Effective Motions for Summary Judgment
  • February 20 – Drafting a Legally Sufficient Report of Investigation

Price

  • Early Bird Tuition: $240 per site (payment made by January 13).
  • Standard Tuition: $270 per site (payment made January 14 or later).
  • Register for all six webinars by January 13 and pay only $1350!

Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $40 per teleworker, on a space-available basis.

Feb
4
Tue
Medical Exams and Conditions of Employment: Ensuring Employees Meet the Position Requirements
Feb 4 @ 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm

Download Registration Form

Instructor

Barbara Haga

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:

·       Order and offer physical exams.
·       Incorporate physical requirements into positions.
·       Understand the narrow opportunities for requiring psychiatric examinations.
Join us for this important session.

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.

Feb
6
Thu
Webinar Series – Legal Writing in Federal Sector Employment Law
Feb 6 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Download Registration Form

Instructors

Katherine Atkinson, Ann Boehm, Deborah Hopkins, Meghan Droste

Course Description

Legal writing in federal sector employment law is a specialized craft. Cases have been lost because of poorly or ambiguously written documents. This webinar series will help you sharpen the skills you need to produce effective, defensible, legally sound documents in the federal sector. This includes disciplinary letters, summary judgment motions, reports of investigation, and more. With the sample language, templates and documents provided during the webinars, you’ll have tools use can continue to use long after the series ends.

Sessions will be held on Thursdays from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. ET.

It doesn’t matter if you haven’t been to law school recently, or ever at all. Spend an hour a week with FELTG and you’ll find the way to make the documents you write be more clear, effective, and persuasive.

  • January 16 – Legal Writing for the MSPB, EEOC and FLRA: Nuts and Bolts
  • January 23 – Writing Performance Demonstration Period Plans that Work
  • January 30 – Framing Charges and Drafting Proposed Discipline
  • February 6 – The Douglas Factor Analysis and Writing the Decision
  • February 13 – Writing Effective Motions for Summary Judgment
  • February 20 – Drafting a Legally Sufficient Report of Investigation

Price

  • Early Bird Tuition: $240 per site (payment made by January 13).
  • Standard Tuition: $270 per site (payment made January 14 or later).
  • Register for all six webinars by January 13 and pay only $1350!

Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $40 per teleworker, on a space-available basis.

Feb
13
Thu
Webinar Series – Legal Writing in Federal Sector Employment Law
Feb 13 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Download Registration Form

Instructors

Katherine Atkinson, Ann Boehm, Deborah Hopkins, Meghan Droste

Course Description

Legal writing in federal sector employment law is a specialized craft. Cases have been lost because of poorly or ambiguously written documents. This webinar series will help you sharpen the skills you need to produce effective, defensible, legally sound documents in the federal sector. This includes disciplinary letters, summary judgment motions, reports of investigation, and more. With the sample language, templates and documents provided during the webinars, you’ll have tools use can continue to use long after the series ends.

Sessions will be held on Thursdays from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. ET.

It doesn’t matter if you haven’t been to law school recently, or ever at all. Spend an hour a week with FELTG and you’ll find the way to make the documents you write be more clear, effective, and persuasive.

  • January 16 – Legal Writing for the MSPB, EEOC and FLRA: Nuts and Bolts
  • January 23 – Writing Performance Demonstration Period Plans that Work
  • January 30 – Framing Charges and Drafting Proposed Discipline
  • February 6 – The Douglas Factor Analysis and Writing the Decision
  • February 13 – Writing Effective Motions for Summary Judgment
  • February 20 – Drafting a Legally Sufficient Report of Investigation

Price

  • Early Bird Tuition: $240 per site (payment made by January 13).
  • Standard Tuition: $270 per site (payment made January 14 or later).
  • Register for all six webinars by January 13 and pay only $1350!

Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $40 per teleworker, on a space-available basis.

Feb
20
Thu
Webinar Series – Legal Writing in Federal Sector Employment Law
Feb 20 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Download Registration Form

Instructors

Katherine Atkinson, Ann Boehm, Deborah Hopkins, Meghan Droste

Course Description

Legal writing in federal sector employment law is a specialized craft. Cases have been lost because of poorly or ambiguously written documents. This webinar series will help you sharpen the skills you need to produce effective, defensible, legally sound documents in the federal sector. This includes disciplinary letters, summary judgment motions, reports of investigation, and more. With the sample language, templates and documents provided during the webinars, you’ll have tools use can continue to use long after the series ends.

Sessions will be held on Thursdays from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. ET.

It doesn’t matter if you haven’t been to law school recently, or ever at all. Spend an hour a week with FELTG and you’ll find the way to make the documents you write be more clear, effective, and persuasive.

  • January 16 – Legal Writing for the MSPB, EEOC and FLRA: Nuts and Bolts
  • January 23 – Writing Performance Demonstration Period Plans that Work
  • January 30 – Framing Charges and Drafting Proposed Discipline
  • February 6 – The Douglas Factor Analysis and Writing the Decision
  • February 13 – Writing Effective Motions for Summary Judgment
  • February 20 – Drafting a Legally Sufficient Report of Investigation

Price

  • Early Bird Tuition: $240 per site (payment made by January 13).
  • Standard Tuition: $270 per site (payment made January 14 or later).
  • Register for all six webinars by January 13 and pay only $1350!

Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $40 per teleworker, on a space-available basis.

Mar
5
Thu
Webinar – EEO Claims: When to Accept, and When to Dismiss
Mar 5 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Download Registration Form

Instructor

Meghan Droste

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.

Mar
25
Wed
Webinar – COVID-19 Guidance for the Federal Workplace: Medical Inquiries, Leave, and More
Mar 25 @ 2:30 pm – 3:00 pm

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

Deborah Hopkins

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.
Apr
9
Thu
Webinar – When the ADA and FMLA Collide
Apr 9 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

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.

Download Registration Form

Instructor

Barbara Haga

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.

Webinar – When the ADA and FMLA Collide
Apr 9 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

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.

Download Registration Form

Instructor

Barbara Haga

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.

Apr
21
Tue
Virtual Training Event: Emerging Issues in Federal Employment Law
Apr 21 – Apr 23 all-day

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.

 

May
7
Thu
Webinar – What Do You Do When Contractors File EEO Complaints?
May 7 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

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 you can bring FELTG’s off-the-shelf or custom webinars directly to your agency.

Download Registration Form

Instructor

Katherine Atkinson

Course Description

If a contractor files an EEO complaint, your agency may be liable. The federal-sector EEO process is not exclusively limited to civil service employees. Contractors can file EEO complaints if the agency is determined to be a “joint employer.” How do you determine if you are a joint employer? Join FELTG as we cover the Ma factors; applying the Ma test; roles and responsibilities of agency personnel when contractors start the EEO process; defenses to the “joint employer” allegation; and the common questions and answers that arise from agencies dealing with contractors.

This is the third webinar in a four-part series on Navigating Challenges in the EEO Process.

 1

Price

  • Early Bird Tuition (payment required by April 28, 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 29, 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.

May
13
Wed
Virtual Training Event – EEO Challenges in a COVID-19 World
May 13 all-day

Download Registration Form

EEO Challenges in a COVID-19 World

The workplace has been turned upside down over the last few weeks as more than a million federal employees have left their desks and agency facilities to work from home. But just because there’s nobody in the office doesn’t mean that EEO problems have vanished, too. Plus, EEO problems for workers whose presence is deemed essential – such as health care providers, security officers, law enforcement officials – are on the rise.

HR specialists, EEO professionals, agency attorneys and supervisors are finding that instead of decreasing as social distancing sets in, EEO problems are getting more challenging – and some of the questions that are arising have no legal precedent, due to the unprecedented nature of this pandemic. It’s expected that these challenges will continue, and possibly increase, once the majority of workers report back to their offices.

It may seem as though you’re suddenly navigating uncharted waters. Have no fear. During this half-day virtual training event, Attorney Katherine Atkinson will explain how applying the basic EEO framework can answer the aforementioned and other puzzling EEO questions you may suddenly face. Because Ms. Atkinson will use a legal analysis to address these challenges, the answers and guidance you receive during this virtual training will be useful long after the coronavirus is gone.

Topics covered will include answers to these questions:

  • If a supervisor treats an employee like she has COVID-19, could that employee have a “regarded as” claim under the ADA/Rehabilitation Act?
  • How would you handle an employee’s claim that he’s being harassed because he is at high risk for COVID-19, or has recovered from the virus?
  • Can you direct someone with asthma to telework when she prefers to work in the office?
  • Must you provide telework or other accommodations to all employees with pre-existing conditions that make them high risk for COVID-19?

Plus, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to ask questions about the unique problems you’re facing during these unprecedented times.

Learning Objectives

Attendees will learn how to determine:

  • Whether an employee with COVID-19 or pre-existing respiratory sensitivities should receive a reasonable accommodation.
  • How OPM’s telework flexibilities impact the federal workplace.
  • When and how to take action against pandemic-related harassment and discrimination.

This program runs from 12:30 – 4:00 eastern, with a 30-minute break from 2:00 – 2:30 eastern.

3

Download Individual Registration Form

Price

  • Early Bird Tuition (register by May 6): $250
  • Standard Tuition (register May 7-13): $280
  • Rates per registrant.
  • Want to register a group? Group discounts are available through May 6. Contact FELTG.
  • 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.
  • Can I earn CLE credits for this class?
    • CLE applications are the responsibility of each attendee; FELTG does not apply for the credits on behalf of attendees.  If you are seeking CLE credit, attendees may use the materials provided by FELTG in submission to your state bar. Attendees may also request a certificate of completion which will contain the number of training hours attended.
  • 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?
    • Group rates are available for agencies registering 10 or more individuals. Group discounts are available through May 6.

 

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