Calendar

FELTG Executive Director Deborah Hopkins instructing a class
Aug
21
Wed
Employee Relations Spotlight: Managing Attendance and Conduct – Boulder City, NV @ Reclamation Training Center
Aug 21 – Aug 22 all-day

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If only all employees showed up for work when they were supposed to and behaved like responsible adults. If so, your job would be easier. Also, you wouldn’t need to attend this open enrollment course. But alas, attendance and conduct challenges are very real. And very complicated. However, your time is limited. That’s why we created this intensive two-day course for supervisors and advisers. Over two days, leave expert Barbara Haga will provide you with everything you need to know to effectively handle your most challenging attendance and conduct issues.

Day one runs the gamut on attendance issues from AWOL to Sick Leave; from the ins and outs of the Family and Medical Leave Act to Leave Without Pay; from Annual Leave accrual to understanding the role of EEO in leave and attendance. On day two, you’ll learn the principles, understand the penalties, and gather the necessary tools to take effective and decisive disciplinary action.

Instructor

Barbara Haga

Daily Agenda:

 

Wednesday

Attendance Challenges:  Legislative and regulatory requirements related to employee relations programs; Merit Principles and Prohibited Personnel Practices; Annual Leave accrual; purposes for which sick leave may be used; sick leave for family care and bereavement; granting/denying sick leave; advanced leave; sick leave abuse, Disabled Veteran leave;  FMLA coverage, entitlements, and family member eligibility; serious health conditions; medical certification requirements, substitution of paid leave; Court Leave; LWOP; leave transfer; excused absence; AWOL; reasonable accommodation.

Thursday

Conduct Challenges:  Philosophy of discipline, roles in the process, and due process;  Nexus; Douglas factors; table of penalties; Pre-Action investigations; procedural requirements of disciplinary and adverse actions;  Common disciplinary charges, such as  Theft, insubordination, falsification, threats, misuse, negligence, unacceptable performance as a conduct matter, conduct unbecoming, excessive absence, and inability to perform; grievances and appeals; medical issues.

Pricing

Early Bird Tuition (register by August 13):

  • 2 days = $970
  • 1 day = $530

Standard Tuition (register August 8 – 22):

  • 2 days = $1070
  • 1 day = $630

 

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
10
Tue
Advanced Employee Relations – Norfolk, VA @ SpringHill Suites
Sep 10 – Sep 12 all-day

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Let’s face it: being a federal sector Employee Relations Specialist is a tough job. It’s great to know the basics, but the basics don’t always help you when you’re facing those really challenging situations. That’s when you realize that there is much more to learn. No worries. FELTG is presenting Advanced Employee Relations, a three-day seminar focused on immersing you in the employee relations training you need most.

Held in Norfolk in September 2019, you’ll receive in-depth training on topics including leave, performance, misconduct, disability accommodation, and more. Plus, hands-on workshops will allow you to leave with the tools you’ll need to succeed. And it will all be taught by FELTG Senior Instructor Barbara Haga.

Great training. Great instructor. Great location. Register now.

The program runs 8:30 – 4:30 each day.

Instructor

Barbara Haga

Daily Agenda:

Tuesday

Leave and Attendance: Administering leave, with particular emphasis on sick leave, LWOP, and FMLA. Detailed review of sick leave provisions including authorized purposes for use of sick leave, limitations on use of sick leave for family care and bereavement, eligibility to use leave for care, notice requirements, acceptable documentation. Management actions to control use of leave and abuse of sick leave. Detailed review of FMLA provisions including eligibility to invoke FMLA, entitlement, coverage of family members, administration and notice requirements. Acceptable medical documentation under FMLA, definition of serious health condition. Substitution of paid leave. Discipline tied to FMLA. LWOP – when LWOP is mandatory, limits on granting LWOP, employee status while on extended LWOP. Other topics –issues related to annual leave and leave transfer, other leave entitlements.

Wednesday

Performance Management: Managing performance from system establishment to conducting annual appraisals to taking actions linked to performance. GEAR initiative and other efforts focused on modifying Federal performance management system. Requirements for performance plans, including design of agency systems, rating schemes, and procedures for conducting appraisals. Revised DOD performance system to be implemented in 2016. Linkage between appraisal and other personnel management decisions, including reduction-in-force and within-grade increases. Writing effective and measurable performance criteria that will withstand third-party review, including a workshop where participants will do an in-depth review of performance plans. Requirements for successful performance-based actions – from drafting a PIP notice that will withstand scrutiny to conducting a bona fide PIP to ensuring that due process is met in effecting an action on unacceptable performance.

Thursday

Misconduct and Other Related Issues: Implementation of a successful disciplinary program – delegation of authority, role of advisors, warnings and cautions, use of administrative leave. Nexus. Dealing with comparators in determining a penalty. Involuntary actions – resignations and retirements. Ordering and Offering medical examinations. Specific disciplinary situations: handling situations when an employee is unable to perform including excessive leave, disability retirement, separation disability; conduct unbecoming; misuse and technology-related misconduct; failure to meet conditions of employment.

Pricing

Early Bird Tuition (register by August 27):

  • 3 days = $1370
  • 2 days = $970
  • 1 day = $530

Standard Tuition (register August 28 – September 12):

  • 3 days = $1470
  • 2 days = $1070
  • 1 day = $630

 

Lodging

The hotel has a limited block of rooms reserved for the event at the federal per diem rate. Please contact the hotel directly at 757-333-3100 and reference FELTG when booking.

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
12
Thu
Webinar – Why the Douglas Factors Are Your Friend
Sep 12 @ 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm

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Instructor

Ann Boehm

Course Description

We are often get asked: “Why should I use the Douglas factors?” Our answer is always: “Why in the world wouldn’t you?”

The Douglas factor analysis is incredibly useful in helping any manager figure out an appropriate penalty for an employee who engaged in misconduct.  If you don’t use Douglas, you are just penalizing based upon what seems or feels right, and that isn’t going to be easy to defend.

FELTG instructor Ann Boehm will explain the importance of the Douglas Factors even in the seemingly most relatively minor misconduct cases. After this 90-minute webinar, attendees will be able to :

  • Explain the importance of the Douglas Factors in penalty determination.
  • Address all 12 Douglas Factors in an analysis.
  • Identify cases that illustrate the perils of not considering the Douglas Factors.

 

Price

Early Bird Tuition: $275 per site (payment required by September 2)

Standard Tuition: $305 per site (for payments made September 3 or later)

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

Sep
17
Tue
Developing & Defending Discipline: Holding Federal Employees Accountable – Atlanta @ TWELVE Hotel Centennial Park
Sep 17 – Sep 19 all-day

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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, Dwight Lewis

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 September 3):
      • 3 days = $1380
      • 2 days = $980
      • 1 day = $540

      Standard Tuition (register September 4 – September 19):

      • 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 hotel has a limited block of rooms reserved for the event at the federal per diem rate. Please contact the hotel directly at 404-418-1212 and reference FELTG when booking.

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.

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

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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.

Sep
30
Mon
Employee Relations Week – Washington, DC @ International Student House (ISH) – Ella Burling Hall
Sep 30 – Oct 4 all-day

Download Registration Form

As an Employee Relations Specialist, you have a challenging job, and you never know just what personnel challenges might find a spot on your ever-increasing “to do” list.

This seminar starts by grounding the student in the laws, regulations and policies associated with job functions, and provides an explanation on how ER fits within the agency’s greater HR function. After the basics, we’ll dive in to a number of unique topics, which include (but definitely are not limited to) performance plans, standards and recognition; hours of work — including overtime and compensatory time; pay and RIFs; furloughs; handling specific disciplinary situations; leave – including types, accrual, FMLA, military leave and leave stacking; involuntary separations; dispute resolution; EAPs; medical issues and injury compensation; drug testing; plus basic EEO information – including disparate treatment, disparate impact and reasonable accommodation.

Daily sessions run from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Instructor

Barbara Haga

Daily Agenda:

Monday

Introduction to Employee Relations: Functions, key terms and concepts; intersection of Employee Relations and Labor Relations; merit system principles; hours of work; modified schedules; overtime; types of leave.

Tuesday

Leave Administration: Introduction to Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA); Medical documentation; military leave; administrative leave; performance management appraisal periods; monitoring performance; grievances and appeals; 432 actions.

Wednesday

Performance Issues & Introduction to EEO: Performance Plans; Performance measures; employee recognition; Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs); introduction to Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO): framework and disparate impact.

Thursday

Discipline Issues: Discipline Overview; Responsibilities of HR and supervisors; adverse actions; penalties; alternative discipline; standards of proof; harmful error; specific disciplinary situations; methods of dispute resolution.

Friday

Employee Relations Potpourri: Separations, Retirement; Involuntary Actions; Medical issues: qualification and documentations; reasonable accommodation; drug testing; roles and responsibilities of HR in the process.

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 16):

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

Standard Tuition (register September 17 – October 4):

  • 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.

Oct
3
Thu
Webinar – Dealing with Unacceptable Performance: Fast and Effective Accountability Tools for Agencies
Oct 3 @ 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm

Download Registration Form

Instructor

Deborah Hopkins

Course Description

Agencies have a problem addressing unacceptable performance. How else do you explain that nearly 75 percent of non-supervisory federal employees believe supervisors fail to take the necessary steps to address poor performance?

In this 90-minute webinar, FELTG President, attorney and author Deborah Hopkins will answer the question: How does an agency take appropriate, defensible action against poor performers?

Ms. Hopkins will explain the appropriate procedures to take when initiating an Opportunity to Demonstrate Acceptable Performance and will highlight mistakes that your agency can’t afford to make, and show you how to remove a poor performer from the federal service in just 31 days.

In addition, Ms Hopkins will discuss:

  • Critical time periods for the stages of performance-based actions
  • How to draft and deliver performance documents
  • The importance of holding employees accountable throughout the process
  • Tips for managing problem employees during the notice period
  • The necessary levels of proof an agency must maintain to defend a performance-based suspension or termination

Attend this FELTG seminar to learn the appropriate methods to safeguard your agency when removing poor performers, and guarantee that your actions will stand.

Price

Early Bird Tuition: $275 per site (payment required by September 23)

Standard Tuition: $305 per site (for payments made September 24 or later)

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

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
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
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
18
Mon
MSPB & EEOC Hearing Practices Week – Washington, DC @ International Student House (ISH) – Ella Burling Hall
Nov 18 – Nov 22 all-day

This training is SOLD OUT. 

Back by popular demand!

Join FELTG for a weeklong workshop-based seminar focused on practicing effectively and successfully in administrative hearings involving federal employment law: MSPB and EEOC, plus arbitration. Begin by preparing the case when assigned to a team that represents either the agency or the employee, get organized for the hearing, and learn the techniques of effective direct- and cross-examination. Try the case before an Administrative Judge and receive a critique along with the decision. Close out the week with an appreciation for the available appellate procedures.

No other class will better prepare you for a hearing. Space is strictly limited to 16 attendees, so register early.

The program runs 8:30 – 4:30 each day and concludes at 12:00 on Friday. Full week registrations only.

Instructors

Ernest HadleyDeborah Hopkins

Daily Agenda:

Monday

Developing Your Case: Case theory development (MSPB & EEOC), introduction to administrative hearings and arbitrations, and hearing organization. Workshop: Case Theory Development, What to Prove

Tuesday

Preparing Your Case: Preparing witnesses for direct and cross-examination, dealing with the record and objects, opening and closing arguments, conducting an effective direct examination. Workshop: Admitting Evidence and Making Objections, Direct Examination

Wednesday

Preparing for Hearing: Conducting an effective cross-examination and setting the table at the prehearing conference. Workshop: Cross-Examination

Thursday

Trying Your Case: Your case goes before an MSPB Administrative Judge. Direct and cross examination of witnesses, closing arguments, and critiques from the Judge as well as FELTG’s resident experts

Friday

Rounding Out Your Advocacy Skills: Deposition practice and filing a petition for review. Workshop: Deconstructing and Learning from the Process, Taking and Defending Depositions.

Pricing

Full Week Registrations Only 

Early Bird Tuition: $2925 (register by November 4)

Standard Tuition: $2985 (register November 5-November 22)

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.

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.

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
11
Tue
Advanced Employee Relations – Atlanta @ TWELVE Hotel Centennial Park
Feb 11 – Feb 13 all-day

Download Registration Form

Let’s face it: being a federal sector Employee Relations Specialist is a tough job. It’s great to know the basics, but the basics don’t always help you when you’re facing those really challenging situations. That’s when you realize that there is much more to learn. No worries. FELTG is presenting Advanced Employee Relations, a three-day seminar focused on immersing you in the employee relations training you need most.

You’ll receive in-depth training on topics including leave, performance, misconduct, disability accommodation, and more. Plus, hands-on workshops will allow you to leave with the tools you’ll need to succeed. And it will all be taught by FELTG Senior Instructor Barbara Haga.

Great training. Great instructor. Great location. Register now.

The program runs 8:30 – 4:30 each day.

Instructor

Barbara Haga

Daily Agenda:

Tuesday

Leave and Attendance: Administering leave, with particular emphasis on sick leave, LWOP, and FMLA. Detailed review of sick leave provisions including authorized purposes for use of sick leave, limitations on use of sick leave for family care and bereavement, eligibility to use leave for care, notice requirements, acceptable documentation. Management actions to control use of leave and abuse of sick leave. Detailed review of FMLA provisions including eligibility to invoke FMLA, entitlement, coverage of family members, administration and notice requirements. Acceptable medical documentation under FMLA, definition of serious health condition. Substitution of paid leave. Discipline tied to FMLA. LWOP – when LWOP is mandatory, limits on granting LWOP, employee status while on extended LWOP. Other topics –issues related to annual leave and leave transfer, other leave entitlements.

Wednesday

Performance Management: Managing performance from system establishment to conducting annual appraisals to taking actions linked to performance. GEAR initiative and other efforts focused on modifying Federal performance management system. Requirements for performance plans, including design of agency systems, rating schemes, and procedures for conducting appraisals. Revised DOD performance system to be implemented in 2016. Linkage between appraisal and other personnel management decisions, including reduction-in-force and within-grade increases. Writing effective and measurable performance criteria that will withstand third-party review, including a workshop where participants will do an in-depth review of performance plans. Requirements for successful performance-based actions – from drafting a PIP notice that will withstand scrutiny to conducting a bona fide PIP to ensuring that due process is met in effecting an action on unacceptable performance.

Thursday

Misconduct and Other Related Issues: Implementation of a successful disciplinary program – delegation of authority, role of advisors, warnings and cautions, use of administrative leave. Nexus. Dealing with comparators in determining a penalty. Involuntary actions – resignations and retirements. Ordering and Offering medical examinations. Specific disciplinary situations: handling situations when an employee is unable to perform including excessive leave, disability retirement, separation disability; conduct unbecoming; misuse and technology-related misconduct; failure to meet conditions of employment.

Pricing

    • Early Bird Tuition (register by January 31):
      • 3 days = $1370
      • 2 days = $970
      • 1 day = $530

      Standard Tuition (register February 1 – 13):

      • 3 days = $1470
      • 2 days = $1070
      • 1 day = $630

       

Lodging

The hotel has a limited block of rooms reserved for the event at the federal per diem rate. Please contact the hotel directly at 404-418-1212 and reference FELTG when booking, or use this link to book online: https://www.marriott.com/event-reservations/reservation-link.mi?id=1569526915772&key=GRP&app=resvlink.

Cancellation and No-show Policy for Registered Participants: Cancellations made after the cancel date on the registration form will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses. Pre-paid training will not be refunded, and will not be given credit toward another course after the cancellation date on the registration form. No-shows will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses.

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
19
Thu
Webinar – Using Progressive Discipline in the Federal Workplace
Mar 19 @ 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

Deborah Hopkins

Course Description

The Trump Executive Orders made it clear that progressive discipline is not mandatory. However, that doesn’t mean it can’t be an important tool, particularly when considering whether an employee should be fired on the heels of new misconduct. Join FELTG as we dive into when and how to effectively use progressive discipline. The 60-minute webinar will also cover the foundations of discipline, the differences between performance and misconduct; the options to discipline; and the tricky concept of comparator employees. This webinar is part of the Navigating Challenges in the Discipline Process series.

Price

  • Early Bird Tuition: $240 per site, per session (payment made by March 9).
  • Standard Tuition: $270 per site, per session (payment made March 10 or later).

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
16
Thu
Webinar – Due Process Violations: How One Mistake Could Cost You the Case
Apr 16 @ 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

Deborah Hopkins

Course Description

Due process is a simple, yet often misunderstood, concept. FELTG President Deborah Hopkins will explain constitutional due process, how it applies to the federal workforce, and what happens if your agency violates it. (Hint: You will lose your appeal.)  This 60-minute webinar, part of the Navigating Challenges in the Discipline Process series, will cover Ward and Stone violations, the role of the proposing and deciding officials and the discipline timelines as required by Executive Order 13839.

Price

  • Early Bird Tuition (payment required by April 10, 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 11, 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.

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.

 

Apr
29
Wed
Virtual Training Event – UnCivil Servant: Holding Employees Accountable for Performance and Conduct
Apr 29 – Apr 30 all-day

Download Individual Registration Form

Course Description

FELTG’s flagship course UnCivil Servant empowers federal supervisors and advisers to confidently handle the challenges that come with supervising in the federal workplace. We hope that you never have to fire an employee. But it’s important that you have the tools to effectively address poor performance and misconduct, should the need arise.

Over the course of two half-days, UnCivil Servant identifies misconceptions about performance and misconduct-based actions and provides you with simple step-by-step guidance for taking swift, appropriate and legally defensible actions. The program also covers the very latest with Executive Order 13839, plus OPM regulations on performance and conduct.

Join FELTG for this special event, from wherever you are working – agency office or home. The program will be presented live, and you’ll have time to ask questions and get answers in real time. Note: This course fulfills OPM’s mandatory training requirements for new supervisors found at 5 CFR 412.202(b).

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

Download Individual Registration Form

Instructor

Deborah Hopkins

Who Should Attend

Federal supervisors and managers; attorneys; Labor and Employee Relations Specialists; EEO specialists; union representatives.

Agenda

Wednesday, April 29

Accountability for Conduct and Performance, Part I: Accountability and supervisory authority; discipline and misconduct theory and practice; the five elements of discipline; off-duty misconduct; penalty defense and due process.

Thursday, April 30

Accountability for Conduct and Performance, Part II: Discipline procedures and appeals; disciplinary documents; defining unacceptable performance; dealing with poor performers; performance-based removal procedures.

Price

  • Early Bird Tuition: $210 per session, $395 for both sessions (register by April 20).
  • Standard Tuition: $225 per session, $425 for both sessions (register April 21-30).
  • Rates per registrant.
  • Want to register a group? Group discounts available though April 20. Contact FELTG.

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.
  • 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. FELTG also plans to offer this live event periodically.
  • 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?
    • If an agency wishes to register 10 or more attendees for the full event, a group discount will be applied if all registrations are received and paid for together. Group discount deadline is April 20.
  • Can I earn CLE credits for this class?
    • CLE applications are the responsibility of each attendee; FELTG goes 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.
  • Can I earn 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.
May
6
Wed
Webinar – Significant Cases and Developments at the FLRA
May 6 @ 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

Joe Schimansky

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.

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.

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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
14
Thu
Webinar – Handling Law Enforcement Officer Discipline
May 14 @ 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

Ann Boehm

Course Description

The federal workforce is full of incredibly talented and dedicated law enforcement personnel across many agencies. Like all federal employees, these LEOs deserve a workplace free of toxic and misbehaving coworkers. Ann Boehm, who spent most of her 26 years as a government attorney with federal law enforcement agencies, will explain how conduct standards for LEOs may differ from other feds, and she will highlight  the Douglas factors that are of specific importance when disciplining officers. This 60-minute webinar will also cover off-duty misconduct, Giglio determinations, and what to do when LEOs commit felonies. This is the final webinar in the three-part Navigating Challenges in the Discipline Process series.

 

Price

  • Early Bird Tuition (payment required by May 5, 2020):
    • 1 line: $100
    • 2-5 lines: $185
    • 6-9 lines: $260
    • 10-15 lines: $340
    • 16-20 lines: $425
  • Standard Tuition (payments made May 6, 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.

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