Calendar

FELTG Executive Director Deborah Hopkins instructing a class
Oct
13
Tue
Virtual Training Event – Developing and Defending Discipline: Holding Federal Employees Accountable
Oct 13 – Oct 15 all-day

Download Individual Registration Form

Event Description

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. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s even more imperative your employees are doing the work they are assigned to do, and following all workplace rules along the way.

FELTG is here to make federal supervisors’ and advisers’ 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 an under-performing employee working for you now, we will show you the steps to take to give the employee an opportunity to demonstrate acceptable performance, and how to determine whether the employee is successful or should be removed. In addition, we’ll discuss how you can defend against allegations of discrimination and hostile work environment claims, and the role of the supervisor and advisor throughout the EEO process.

Join us for this three-day seminar and come away with the tools you need to hold your employees accountable, and defend every action you take.

The program runs from 12:00 – 4:30 eastern each day, with a break from 2:00 – 2:30, and when taken together days 1 & 2 meet OPM’s mandatory training requirements for federal supervisors found at 5 CFR 412.202(b).

Download Individual Registration Form



Tuesday, October 13, 2020

Session 1: Accountability for Conduct and Performance, Part I

12:00 pm – 4:30 pm eastern (break from 2:00 – 2:30)
Presented by Ann Boehm, Attorney at Law, FELTG President

Course Description: This program begins with a discussion on the foundations of accountability and supervisory authority in the federal government. After learning to identify the differences between performance and conduct issues, the seminar will shift the focus to discipline and misconduct theory and practice. From emphasizing the five elements of misconduct, to explaining how an agency can defend its penalty and provide the employee with due process, to a discussion on discipline procedures and appeals, the attendee will receive a thorough education on properly – and legally – handling employee misconduct issues in the federal workplace.

Learning Objectives

  • Understand the differences between employee performance and misconduct issues
  • Identify the five elements that must be presents in every discipline case
  • Recognize the supervisor’s and advisor’s roles in disciplinary procedures and appeals

Wednesday, October 14, 2020

Session 2: Accountability for Conduct and Performance, Part II

12:00 pm – 4:30 pm eastern (break from 2:00 – 2:30)
Presented by Ann Boehm, Attorney at Law, FELTG Instructor

Course Description: This session begins with a focus on one of the most misunderstood areas of accountability: poor performance. The conversation includes the requirements to implement a performance demonstration period, initiating and completing a performance-based action, and determining the appropriate outcome after the employee has been given an opportunity to demonstrate acceptable performance. From there, the discussion turns to some tricky supervisory scenarios that become less intimidating after explanation: dealing with attendance issues, properly handling the absent employee, medical removals and dealing with union issues.

Learning Objectives

  • Understand the legally-required procedures to hold an employee accountable for poor performance
  • Identify and implement the procedures to deal with leave abuse
  • Acknowledge how dealing with employees in a bargaining unit is different than non-bargaining unit employees

 


Thursday, October 15, 2020

Session 3: Defending Against Discrimination Complaints: The Supervisor’s Role in EEO

12:00 pm – 4:30 pm eastern (break from 2:00 – 2:30)
Presented by Katherine Atkinson, Attorney at Law, FELTG Instructor

Course Description: One of the most intimidating experiences for a federal supervisor is being named in an EEO complaint. Yet, if you are a supervisor for any length of time, there’s a good chance it will happen. This session helps to clarify the federal EEO process so supervisors understand how defend against allegations of discrimination. After an explanation of the protected EEO categories, we’ll cover what to do – and what not to do – if you’re a Responding Management Official in a complaint, and what happens if you’re called as an EEO witness. From there, the program will cover the theories of discrimination, and will provide you with the tools you need to prove your workplace actions were legitimate and non-discriminatory. You’ll sleep better at night after attending this session!

Learning Objectives

  • Identify the theories of discrimination in the federal workplace
  • Recognize the situations where a employees need reasonable accommodation – and your role in the process
  • Understand how to successfully defend against allegations of harassment and discrimination


Pricing

Early Bird Tuition (register by September 30):

  • 3 days = $1015
  • 2 days = $700
  • 1 day = $370

Standard Tuition (register October 1-15):

  • 3 days = $1045
  • 2 days = $730
  • 1 day = $400

Seminar registration includes a PDF copy of the program materials, plus a hard copy of the textbook UnCivil Servant: Holding Employees Accountable for Performance and Conduct, 5th ed., by Wiley and Hopkins. In order to receive the textbook by the training date, please register by September 30 and provide a shipping address. Registrations received after September 30 will also receive a textbook, but materials are not guaranteed to arrive by the training date.

Event FAQs

  • Can I attend Virtual Training from my government computer?
    • FELTG uses Webex for this Virtual Training Institute event. Many government computers and systems allow Webex 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.
  • 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 for the full event. Group discounts are available through September 30.
Oct
20
Tue
Webinar – Preventing and Correcting Hostile Environment Harassment
Oct 20 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Download Registration Form

Instructor

Katherine Atkinson

Course Description

A lot of employees think they work in a hostile environment, and some do. But not all of the employees who make that claim actually work in a place that meets the legal definition of hostile work environment, which is a term of art.

In addition, not all hostile work environment cases involve sexual harassment. In fact, hostile environment harassment can be alleged based on any protected category: sex, race, color, national origin, religion, age, disability, genetic information, or reprisal.

Attorney and FELTG Instructor Katherine Atkinson will share the guidance you need to identify hostile work environment, discusses agency and supervisor liability, and provide successful prevention techniques.

Attendees will learn how to:

  • Identify which categories are protected – and which are not.
  • Understand the requirements of “unwelcome” and “sufficiently severe or pervasive.”
  • Effectively address instances of hostile work environment.

 1

This webinar is part of the Fall 2020 Webinar Series.

Price

  • Early Bird Tuition: $240 per site, per webinar (payment required by October 3)
  • Standard Tuition: $270 per site, per webinar (payments made October 4)
  • Register for all eight webinars by October 3 and pay only $1825!

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

Webinar Series – FELTG’s Fall 2020 Webinars
Oct 20 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Download Registration Form

Instructors

Deborah Hopkins, Ann Boehm, Katherine Atkinson, Meghan Droste, Bob Woods, Barbara Haga, Joe Schimansky

Series Description

These are demanding times. Even if your agency isn’t laser-focused on pandemic-related efforts, it is most certainly challenged to meet its mission while managing the burdens and stresses of a workplace changed by the coronavirus crisis.

Meanwhile, new issues arise that make navigating the complex and always-changing landscape of federal employment law even more difficult.

FELTG’s fall webinar series provides an opportunity to re-center your efforts, while you re-educate yourself on key legal concepts impacting today’s federal workplace.

Over eight 60-minute webinars, FELTG’s experienced and knowledgeable instructors provide support on everything from harassment to age discrimination, from medical removals to the new Federal Employee Paid Leave Act, from performance and disciplinary documents to whistleblower reprisal, as well as legal updates and recent case law involving EEO and labor relations. Register now for one, a few, or all of the courses in the series.

Sessions will be held on Tuesdays from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. ET. Click on any webinar title for a full description.

Price

  • Early Bird Tuition: $240 per site, per webinar (payment required by October 3)
  • Standard Tuition: $270 per site, per webinar (payments made October 4 or later)
  • Register for all eight webinars by October 3 and pay only $1825!

Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $40 per teleworker, on a space-available basis. Have a bunch of teleworkers? Contact FELTG for group discounts.

Oct
22
Thu
Virtual Training Event – COVID-19 and EEO: What Agencies Need to Know Today
Oct 22 all-day

Download Individual Registration Form

COVID-19 and EEO: What Agencies Need to Know Today

Back by demand and updated with the very latest guidance!

The workplace has been turned upside down over the last several months, as more than a million federal employees left their desks and agency facilities to work from home. Some agencies are ordering employees back to their offices and facilities while others are teleworking long-term. Although fewer people are working in the office, EEO problems have not vanished. 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 continues, 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?
  • Can the agency require a temperature check or COVID-19 screening before allowing an employee to report to work?

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 October 12): $340
  • Standard Tuition (register October 13-22): $380
  • Rates per registrant.
  • Want to register a group? Group discounts for 10 or more attendees are available through October 12. Contact FELTG.

 

Event FAQs

  • Can I attend Virtual Training from my government computer?
    • FELTG uses Webex to broadcast its Virtual Training Institute events. Many government computers and systems allow Webex 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. You may also attend the training event as an audio training, by dialing in over the phone and following along with the materials independently.
  • 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.
  • 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 October 12.

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
27
Tue
Webinar – Solving Problems with Disciplinary and Performance Documents
Oct 27 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Download Registration Form

Instructor

Deborah Hopkins

Course Description

A majority of federal employees say their managers fail to take the necessary steps to address poor-performing coworkers – in fact, the 2019 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey reported that only 34% of employees are happy with how their supervisors handle poor performers. And there is a general sense throughout government that in most agencies, misconduct is not being handled effectively. The problem often isn’t that supervisors are not addressing performance and conduct problems – it’s that they’re doing it incorrectly.

A poorly chosen word, too many unnecessary words, the wrong charge, too much discussion of evidence – these common occurrences will derail your efforts. FELTG President and Attorney at Law Deborah Hopkins will identify the pitfalls and offer direct guidance on drafting legally-sufficient discipline and performance documents.

Attendees will learn how to:

  • Properly assess and draft mitigating and aggravating factors.
  • Identify the pros and cons of the different styles of charges.
  • Draft an effective Performance Demonstration Period initiation memo.

This webinar is part of the Fall 2020 Webinar Series.

Price

  • Early Bird Tuition: $240 per site, per webinar (payment required by October 3)
  • Standard Tuition: $270 per site, per webinar (payments made October 4)
  • Register for all eight webinars by October 3 and pay only $1825!

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

Webinar Series – FELTG’s Fall 2020 Webinars
Oct 27 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Download Registration Form

Instructors

Deborah Hopkins, Ann Boehm, Katherine Atkinson, Meghan Droste, Bob Woods, Barbara Haga, Joe Schimansky

Series Description

These are demanding times. Even if your agency isn’t laser-focused on pandemic-related efforts, it is most certainly challenged to meet its mission while managing the burdens and stresses of a workplace changed by the coronavirus crisis.

Meanwhile, new issues arise that make navigating the complex and always-changing landscape of federal employment law even more difficult.

FELTG’s fall webinar series provides an opportunity to re-center your efforts, while you re-educate yourself on key legal concepts impacting today’s federal workplace.

Over eight 60-minute webinars, FELTG’s experienced and knowledgeable instructors provide support on everything from harassment to age discrimination, from medical removals to the new Federal Employee Paid Leave Act, from performance and disciplinary documents to whistleblower reprisal, as well as legal updates and recent case law involving EEO and labor relations. Register now for one, a few, or all of the courses in the series.

Sessions will be held on Tuesdays from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. ET. Click on any webinar title for a full description.

Price

  • Early Bird Tuition: $240 per site, per webinar (payment required by October 3)
  • Standard Tuition: $270 per site, per webinar (payments made October 4 or later)
  • Register for all eight webinars by October 3 and pay only $1825!

Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $40 per teleworker, on a space-available basis. Have a bunch of teleworkers? Contact FELTG for group discounts.

Nov
2
Mon
Precedents Broken: The New Future of Collective Bargaining
Nov 2 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Download Individual Registration Form

Instructor

Ann Boehm

Program Description

The Federal Labor Relations Authority recently issued three precedent-breaking general guidance decisions that will profoundly alter federal union collective bargaining rights. What do these decisions hold? How specifically do they change the negotiating world for management and unions? And why issue general guidance decisions now, just before an election?

Join Attorney at Law and FELTG Instructor Ann Boehm for a 60-minute webinar as she dissects what these decisions mean for agencies, and what steps officials should be taking right now in light of these stunning rulings. Beginning in 2018 and continuing today, Labor Relations hasn’t seen this much action in decades.

Attendees will learn how to:

  • Explain the standard for triggering a duty to bargain over impact and implementation.
  • Determine whether agencies have an obligation to midterm bargaining.
  • Clarify how these decisions impact the use of zipper clauses.

Price

  • Early Bird Tuition (payment required by October 21, 2020):
    • 1 line: $170
    • 2-5 lines: $255
    • 6-9 lines: $330
    • 10-15 lines: $415
    • 16-20 lines: $495
  • Standard Tuition (payment made October 22, 2020 or later):
    • 1 line: $195
    • 2-5 lines: $290
    • 6-9 lines: $370
    • 10-15 lines: $460
    • 16-20 lines: $545

Additional teleworkers may be added for $40 each, if space is available.

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.

Nov
3
Tue
Webinar – When Employees Can’t Get to Work: What You Need to Know About Medical Removals
Nov 3 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Download Registration Form

Instructor

Ann Boehm

Course Description

One of the hardest things for a supervisor to handle is a legitimately sick employee who stays out of work for an extended period of time.  How long is it reasonable for an employee to stay employed and yet not come to work?  What can a supervisor do if the employee just won’t return? During this 60-minute webinar, Ann Boehm will provide agency advisers and supervisors with the tools needed to remove employees who are medically no longer able to perform their federal jobs.

Attendees will learn how to:

  • Use the Cook criteria to determine whether an excessive absence removal is appropriate.
  • Understand the elements of the Medical Inability to Perform charge.
  • Determine when a reasonable accommodation of absence is appropriate.

This webinar is part of the Fall 2020 Webinar Series.

Price

  • Early Bird Tuition: $240 per site, per webinar (payment required by October 3)
  • Standard Tuition: $270 per site, per webinar (payments made October 4)
  • Register for all eight webinars by October 3 and pay only $1825!

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

Webinar Series – FELTG’s Fall 2020 Webinars
Nov 3 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Download Registration Form

Instructors

Deborah Hopkins, Ann Boehm, Katherine Atkinson, Meghan Droste, Bob Woods, Barbara Haga, Joe Schimansky

Series Description

These are demanding times. Even if your agency isn’t laser-focused on pandemic-related efforts, it is most certainly challenged to meet its mission while managing the burdens and stresses of a workplace changed by the coronavirus crisis.

Meanwhile, new issues arise that make navigating the complex and always-changing landscape of federal employment law even more difficult.

FELTG’s fall webinar series provides an opportunity to re-center your efforts, while you re-educate yourself on key legal concepts impacting today’s federal workplace.

Over eight 60-minute webinars, FELTG’s experienced and knowledgeable instructors provide support on everything from harassment to age discrimination, from medical removals to the new Federal Employee Paid Leave Act, from performance and disciplinary documents to whistleblower reprisal, as well as legal updates and recent case law involving EEO and labor relations. Register now for one, a few, or all of the courses in the series.

Sessions will be held on Tuesdays from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. ET. Click on any webinar title for a full description.

Price

  • Early Bird Tuition: $240 per site, per webinar (payment required by October 3)
  • Standard Tuition: $270 per site, per webinar (payments made October 4 or later)
  • Register for all eight webinars by October 3 and pay only $1825!

Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $40 per teleworker, on a space-available basis. Have a bunch of teleworkers? Contact FELTG for group discounts.

Nov
5
Thu
Virtual Training Event – Handling Cases Before the EEOC, MSPB and in Arbitration: Best Practices for Representatives
Nov 5 @ 12:30 pm – 4:00 pm

Download Individual Registration Form

Handling Cases Before the EEOC, MSPB and in Arbitration: Best Practices for Representatives

Litigating cases in federal sector employment law is a unique prospect, and isn’t for the unprepared. In addition, taking a case to arbitration is also a world of its own. This half-day virtual class focuses on providing tips to practice effectively and successfully in administrative hearings before the EEOC, MSPB, and in arbitration. Learn the similarities and differences between these forums, how to get organized for the hearing, and the techniques of effective direct- and cross-examination, and gain insight to the thought processes of the adjudicators. Plus, you’ll receive an overview of the available appellate procedures – from someone who has vast experience .

Learning Objectives

Attendees will learn:

  • The unique aspects to practicing before the EEOC, MSPB and in arbitration
  • The best techniques for persuading the adjudicator
  • How to handle hearings in a virtual setting
  • They ways in which administrative hearings are NOT like litigating in court

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

Instructor

 

 

 

 

Katherine Atkinson

Price

  • Early Bird Tuition (register by October 26): $340
  • Standard Tuition (register October 27-November 5): $380
  • Rates per registrant.
  • Want to register a group? Group discounts for 10 or more attendees are available through October 12. Contact FELTG.

 

Event FAQs

  • Can I attend Virtual Training from my government computer?
    • FELTG uses Webex to broadcast its Virtual Training Institute events. Many government computers and systems allow Webex 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. You may also attend the training event as an audio training, by dialing in over the phone and following along with the materials independently.
  • 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.
  • 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 October 12.

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.

Nov
10
Tue
Webinar – Implementing the New Federal Employee Paid Leave Act
Nov 10 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Download Registration Form

Instructor

Barbara Haga

Course Description

During this 60-minute webinar, FELTG Senior Instructor Barbara Haga will share the details practitioners need regarding implementation and use of paid time off for childbirth, adoption, and foster care under the provisions of the Federal Employee Paid Leave Act, which are effective on October 1, 2020. Ms. Haga will focus eligibility, computing the number of hours an employee may be paid for, the length of time the employee has to use the leave, and notification procedures. Attendees will learn about return to work agreements and the enforcement of those agreements.

Attendees will also learn how to:

  • Explain all of the conditions that determine when a parent is eligible to utilize the paid leave.
  • Identify when the leave may be used after the son or daughter is born or placed.
  • Successfully execute return to work agreements and determine what funds can be collected if the employee does not return to work.

This webinar is part of the Fall 2020 Webinar Series.

Price

  • Early Bird Tuition: $240 per site, per webinar (payment required by October 3)
  • Standard Tuition: $270 per site, per webinar (payments made October 4)
  • Register for all eight webinars by October 3 and pay only $1825!

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

Webinar Series – FELTG’s Fall 2020 Webinars
Nov 10 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Download Registration Form

Instructors

Deborah Hopkins, Ann Boehm, Katherine Atkinson, Meghan Droste, Bob Woods, Barbara Haga, Joe Schimansky

Series Description

These are demanding times. Even if your agency isn’t laser-focused on pandemic-related efforts, it is most certainly challenged to meet its mission while managing the burdens and stresses of a workplace changed by the coronavirus crisis.

Meanwhile, new issues arise that make navigating the complex and always-changing landscape of federal employment law even more difficult.

FELTG’s fall webinar series provides an opportunity to re-center your efforts, while you re-educate yourself on key legal concepts impacting today’s federal workplace.

Over eight 60-minute webinars, FELTG’s experienced and knowledgeable instructors provide support on everything from harassment to age discrimination, from medical removals to the new Federal Employee Paid Leave Act, from performance and disciplinary documents to whistleblower reprisal, as well as legal updates and recent case law involving EEO and labor relations. Register now for one, a few, or all of the courses in the series.

Sessions will be held on Tuesdays from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. ET. Click on any webinar title for a full description.

Price

  • Early Bird Tuition: $240 per site, per webinar (payment required by October 3)
  • Standard Tuition: $270 per site, per webinar (payments made October 4 or later)
  • Register for all eight webinars by October 3 and pay only $1825!

Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $40 per teleworker, on a space-available basis. Have a bunch of teleworkers? Contact FELTG for group discounts.

Nov
12
Thu
Webinar – Implementing New OPM Regs for More Effective Disciplinary and Performance Actions
Nov 12 @ 11:30 am – 12:30 pm

This event is sold out. Attend the encore (also a live webinar presentation) on December 3. Click here for details and registration.

Instructor

Deborah Hopkins

Program Description

OPM recently released updated regulations for 5 CFR Parts 315, 432 and 752 that go into effect on November 15. Is your agency ready to implement them? These regulations provide details on processes and build on Executive Order 13839, to make it easier for agencies to terminate poor performers and those involved in misconduct, plus provide new information on probationary periods, clean record settlements, and more.

If you’ve attended FELTG training in the last couple of years, then you have a good head start on implementing these regulations, and this webinar will ensure you have everything in place. If not, we welcome you to join us and buckle up as FELTG President Deborah Hopkins presents a 60-minute webinar to answer the following questions:

  • What types of assistance must agencies give employees during the performance opportunity period?
  • How long should you give employees to respond to allegations of poor performance or misconduct?
  • How should agencies discipline supervisors who retaliate against whistleblowers?
  • Do supervisors need to affirmatively decide to keep probationary employees beyond the initial appointment probationary period?
  • And more!

You cannot afford to miss this webinar. Attendees will learn not only how implement these regulations, but they’ll leave the webinar with the tools to more effectively hold employees accountable for performance and conduct.

Price

  • Early Bird Tuition (payment required by November 3):
    • 1 line: $170
    • 2-5 lines: $255
    • 6-9 lines: $330
    • 10-15 lines: $415
    • 16-20 lines: $495
  • Standard Tuition (payment made November 4 or later):
    • 1 line: $195
    • 2-5 lines: $290
    • 6-9 lines: $370
    • 10-15 lines: $460
    • 16-20 lines: $545

Additional teleworkers may be added for $40 each, if space is available.

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.

Webinar – Threats of Violence in the Federal Workplace: Assessing Risk and Taking Action
Nov 12 @ 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm

Download Registration Form

Instructor

Shana Palmieri

Course Description

Workplace violence statistics tell a harrowing story. In 2017, workplace assaults resulted in 458 fatalities and 18,400 injuries.

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 and clinical 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. This is the final webinar of FELTG’s three-part series Handling Behavioral Health Issues in the Federal Workplace.

Price

  • Early Bird Tuition: $275 per site, per session (payment made by May 12).
  • Standard Tuition: $305 per site, per session (payment made May 13 or later).

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

Nov
16
Mon
Virtual Training Event: Workplace Investigations Week
Nov 16 – Nov 20 all-day

Download Individual Registration Form

Event Description

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, factfinding, 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.

This program fulfills the requirements for 32-hour EEO Investigator training and 8-hour annual EEO investigator refresher training.

This program runs from 9:30 – 4:00 eastern each day, with a 60-minute break from 12:00 – 1:00. See blow for a detailed agenda.

Download Individual Registration Form



Instructors

Ann BoehmKatherine AtkinsonMeghan Droste

Daily Agenda

Monday

Administrative Investigations: The Substantive Basis: Why investigate; discipline law and elements; understanding charges of misconduct; collecting penalty evidence; the law behind other types of administrative investigations; reprisal investigations.

Tuesday

Harassment Investigations: Investigating allegations of harassment; differentiating between EEO and non-EEO harassment; the EEO process for EEO investigators; special topics.

Wednesday

Conducting the Investigation, Part I: Evidentiary principles; witness rights; union representation; purpose of investigation; preparing for the investigation; role of the investigator; planning the investigation; beginning the interview; exercise.

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; medical information and investigations.

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 November 2):

  • 5 days = $2190
  • 4 days = $1795
  • 3 days = $1385
  • 2 days = $980
  • 1 day = $540

Standard Tuition (register November 3-20):

  • 5 days = $2290
  • 4 days = $1895
  • 3 days = $1485
  • 2 days = $1080
  • 1 day = $640

Group discounts are available through November 2. Contact FELTG.

Class Materials

Seminar registration includes a printed copy of the materials. In order to have the best chance to receive materials by the training date, please register by November 2 and provide a shipping address, and your materials will be sent via USPS Priority Mail. Registrations received after November 2 will also receive printed materials, which will be shipped Priority Mail when registration is received; they may not arrive in time for the training.



 

Event FAQs

  • Can I attend Virtual Training from my government computer?
    • FELTG uses Webex to broadcast this Virtual Training Institute event. Many government computers and systems allow Webex 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.
  • 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 attendees for the full event. Group discounts are only available through November 2.

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.

Virtual Training Event – Leave and Attendance 2020: EPSLA, FMLA, PPL, and Related Topics
Nov 16 @ 12:30 pm – 4:00 pm

Download Individual Registration Form

Rules about attendance have changed dramatically since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act (EPSLA) provides a new form of leave for Federal employees infected, quarantined, or required to fulfill caregiving responsibilities. Paid Parental Leave (PPL) is now in effect, and many practitioners have questions about exactly how this leave will work. FMLA regulations were modified concurrently with the issuance of the PPL regulations and that will require adjustments to how FMLA is managed. Weather and Safety Leave has been used in ways no one has ever seen before, and there are also workers’ compensation issues if employees are infected through their employment.

HR specialists, agency attorneys and supervisors are on the hot seat to answer questions about these various attendance issues and types of leave – and to deal with unions about the requirements for implementation of these types of leave, potential claims that EPSLA was violated, grievances about FMLA and PPL, and more.

During this half-day virtual training event, Barbara Haga will provide answers to questions such as:

  • What are the uses for EPSLA and what documentation must be provided for those uses?
  • Could an employee become eligible for PPL after the date of birth or placement?
  • What are the service agreement requirements for use of the PPL and when can they be waived?
  • How does prior use of FMLA affect eligibility for PPL?
  • Does COVID-19 meet the definition of serious health condition?

Learning Objectives

Attendees will learn:

  • How to determine when an employee is eligible to utilize EPSLA and which pay caps apply.
  • What guidance OPM has issued on the use of weather and safety leave and what the Department of Labor has issued regarding workers’ compensation coverage.
  • Under what circumstances an employee is eligible to utilize PPL and what restrictions apply to how that time is spent.
  • Whether intermittent use of FMLA for birth and placement requires agency approval.

Plus, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to ask questions about how these situations play out in Federal agencies. This training will be held from 12:30 pm – 4 pm, and there will be a break between 2-2:30 pm.

Instructor

Barbara Haga

Price

  • Early Bird Tuition (register by November 2): $340
  • Standard Tuition (register November 3-16): $380
  • Rates per registrant.
  • Want to register a group? Group discounts for 10 or more attendees are available through November 2. Contact FELTG.

Event FAQs

  • Can I attend Virtual Training from my government computer?
    • FELTG uses Zoom to for this 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. You may also attend the training event as an audio training, by dialing in over the phone and following along with the materials independently.
  • 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.
  • 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 November 2.

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.

Nov
17
Tue
Webinar Series – FELTG’s Fall 2020 Webinars
Nov 17 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Download Registration Form

Instructors

Deborah Hopkins, Ann Boehm, Katherine Atkinson, Meghan Droste, Bob Woods, Barbara Haga, Joe Schimansky

Series Description

These are demanding times. Even if your agency isn’t laser-focused on pandemic-related efforts, it is most certainly challenged to meet its mission while managing the burdens and stresses of a workplace changed by the coronavirus crisis.

Meanwhile, new issues arise that make navigating the complex and always-changing landscape of federal employment law even more difficult.

FELTG’s fall webinar series provides an opportunity to re-center your efforts, while you re-educate yourself on key legal concepts impacting today’s federal workplace.

Over eight 60-minute webinars, FELTG’s experienced and knowledgeable instructors provide support on everything from harassment to age discrimination, from medical removals to the new Federal Employee Paid Leave Act, from performance and disciplinary documents to whistleblower reprisal, as well as legal updates and recent case law involving EEO and labor relations. Register now for one, a few, or all of the courses in the series.

Sessions will be held on Tuesdays from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. ET. Click on any webinar title for a full description.

Price

  • Early Bird Tuition: $240 per site, per webinar (payment required by October 3)
  • Standard Tuition: $270 per site, per webinar (payments made October 4 or later)
  • Register for all eight webinars by October 3 and pay only $1825!

Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $40 per teleworker, on a space-available basis. Have a bunch of teleworkers? Contact FELTG for group discounts.

Nov
19
Thu
Webinar – Properly Executing Annual Planning and Outreach: A Guide for OIGs
Nov 19 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Download Individual Webinar Registration Form

Instructor

Scott Boehm

Course Description

Aside from completing a comprehensive OIG strategic plan, annual planning with robust outreach to your stakeholders is the single most important thing an OIG does. When properly executed, OIG annual planning focuses your personnel, time, budget, and oversight resources on the issues that really matter to your Agency and the accomplishment of its fundamental missions. We all have limited resources. Therefore, it is imperative that OIGs also conduct continual stakeholder outreach to understand what challenges impede their mission.

FELTG Instructor Scott Boehm, whose federal career included a stint benchmarking for Best Practices within the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE), will walk you through the five-step annual planning and outreach process while discussing elusive OIG and Agency data sources that too many OIGs overlook. Attendees will leave this session with a template for OIG annual planning and outreach, complete with stakeholder questions that will reduce agency risk and maximize OIG return on investment (ROI).

Attendees will learn how to:

  • Write succinct project proposals.
  • Conduct risk analysis and prioritize potential projects.
  • Outline strategies to align potential projects with agency stakeholders.

And you’ll have multiple opportunities to ask questions – and get answers in real time – as you develop a complete methodology to executive your own OIG annual planning and outreach.

Price

  • Early Bird Tuition (payment required by November 9, 2020):
    • 1 line: $170
    • 2-5 lines: $255
    • 6-9 lines: $330
    • 10-15 lines: $415
    • 16-20 lines: $495
  • Standard Tuition (payment made November 10, 2020 or later):
    • 1 line: $195
    • 2-5 lines: $290
    • 6-9 lines: $370
    • 10-15 lines: $460
    • 16-20 lines: $545

Additional teleworkers may be added for $40 each, if space is available.

 

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.

Dec
1
Tue
Virtual Training Event – Advanced Employee Relations
Dec 1 – Dec 3 all-day

Download Individual Registration Form

Course Description

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 complicated or challenging situations. That’s when you realize that there is much more to learn. No worries. The FELTG Virtual Training Institute presents 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, interactive 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, one of the most experienced federal employee relations professionals you’ll ever meet.

The program runs 9:00 – 4:00 each day and is approved for 18 HRCI general recertification credits.

Instructor

Barbara Haga

Daily Agenda:

Tuesday, December 1

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, December 2

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, December 3

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 November 15):
      • 3 days = $1370
      • 2 days = $970
      • 1 day = $530

      Standard Tuition (register November 16 – December 3):

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

       

Seminar registration includes a printed copy of the materials. In order to have the best chance to receive materials by the training date, please register by November 15 and provide a shipping address, and your materials will be sent via USPS Priority Mail. Registrations received after November 15 will also receive printed materials, which will be shipped Priority Mail when registration is received; they may not arrive in time for the training.

Event FAQs

  • Can I attend Virtual Training from my government computer?
    • FELTG uses Webex for this Virtual Training Institute event. Many government computers and systems allow Webex 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.
  • 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 for the full event. Group discounts are available through November 15.
Webinar – What’s Going on With Federal Sector EEO? Case Law Update and More
Dec 1 @ 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. And you also certainly can’t afford to sit through a boring case law update that will put you to sleep. That’s why you need to join Attorney and FELTG Instructor Meghan Droste for this fast-paced review of the most surprising, significant, and groundbreaking recent decisions from the EEOC – and the Supreme Court. And you’ll get your questions answered in real time.

Attendees will learn how to:

  • Analyze the Supreme Court decisions in Bostock and Babb v. Wilkie.
  • Understand the impact of recent decisions involving retaliation.
  • Understand the impact of recent decisions involving harassment.

1

This webinar is part of the Fall 2020 Webinar Series.

Price

  • Early Bird Tuition: $240 per site, per webinar (payment required by October 3)
  • Standard Tuition: $270 per site, per webinar (payments made October 4)
  • Register for all eight webinars by October 3 and pay only $1825!

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

Webinar Series – FELTG’s Fall 2020 Webinars
Dec 1 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Download Registration Form

Instructors

Deborah Hopkins, Ann Boehm, Katherine Atkinson, Meghan Droste, Bob Woods, Barbara Haga, Joe Schimansky

Series Description

These are demanding times. Even if your agency isn’t laser-focused on pandemic-related efforts, it is most certainly challenged to meet its mission while managing the burdens and stresses of a workplace changed by the coronavirus crisis.

Meanwhile, new issues arise that make navigating the complex and always-changing landscape of federal employment law even more difficult.

FELTG’s fall webinar series provides an opportunity to re-center your efforts, while you re-educate yourself on key legal concepts impacting today’s federal workplace.

Over eight 60-minute webinars, FELTG’s experienced and knowledgeable instructors provide support on everything from harassment to age discrimination, from medical removals to the new Federal Employee Paid Leave Act, from performance and disciplinary documents to whistleblower reprisal, as well as legal updates and recent case law involving EEO and labor relations. Register now for one, a few, or all of the courses in the series.

Sessions will be held on Tuesdays from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. ET. Click on any webinar title for a full description.

Price

  • Early Bird Tuition: $240 per site, per webinar (payment required by October 3)
  • Standard Tuition: $270 per site, per webinar (payments made October 4 or later)
  • Register for all eight webinars by October 3 and pay only $1825!

Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $40 per teleworker, on a space-available basis. Have a bunch of teleworkers? Contact FELTG for group discounts.

Dec
3
Thu
Webinar – Implementing New OPM Regs for More Effective Disciplinary and Performance Actions
Dec 3 @ 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm

Download Individual Registration Form

Instructor

Deborah Hopkins

Program Description

Back for an encore! OPM recently released updated regulations for 5 CFR Parts 315, 432 and 752 that went into effect on November 15. Has your agency implemented them? These regulations provide details on processes and build on Executive Order 13839, to make it easier for agencies to terminate poor performers and those involved in misconduct, plus provide new information on probationary periods, clean record settlements, and more.

If you’ve attended FELTG training in the last couple of years, then you have a good head start on implementing these regulations, and this webinar will ensure you have everything in place. If not, we welcome you to join us and buckle up as FELTG President Deborah Hopkins presents a 60-minute webinar to answer the following questions:

  • What types of assistance must agencies give employees during the performance opportunity period?
  • How long should you give employees to respond to allegations of poor performance or misconduct?
  • Who is responsible for completing the Douglas Factors analysis?
  • How should agencies discipline supervisors who retaliate against whistleblowers?
  • Do supervisors need to affirmatively decide to keep probationary employees beyond the initial appointment probationary period?
  • And more!

Attendees will leave the webinar with the tools to more effectively hold employees accountable for performance and conduct. You cannot afford to miss this training.

Price

  • Early Bird Tuition (payment required by Nov. 24):
    • 1 line: $170
    • 2-5 lines: $255
    • 6-9 lines: $330
    • 10-15 lines: $415
    • 16-20 lines: $495
  • Standard Tuition (payment made Nov. 25 or later):
    • 1 line: $195
    • 2-5 lines: $290
    • 6-9 lines: $370
    • 10-15 lines: $460
    • 16-20 lines: $545

Additional teleworkers may be added for $40 each, if space is available.

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.

Dec
7
Mon
Access Webinar Recording – Implementing New OPM Regs for More Effective Disciplinary and Performance Actions
Dec 7 – Dec 18 all-day

Download Registration Form

Instructor

Deborah Hopkins

Program Description

Did you miss this important event? Register now and we’ll send you a special link and password to view a recorded video of the training on Vimeo. But hurry: This recording will only be available until December 18.

OPM’s updated regulations for 5 CFR Parts 315, 432 and 752 went into effect on November 15. Has your agency implemented them? These regulations provide details on processes and build on Executive Order 13839, to make it easier for agencies to terminate poor performers and those involved in misconduct, plus provide new information on probationary periods, clean record settlements, and more.

If you’ve attended FELTG training in the last couple of years, then you have a good head start on implementing these regulations, and this webinar will ensure you have everything in place. If not, then buckle up as FELTG President Deborah Hopkins presents a fast-paced 60-minute webinar that will answer the following questions:

  • What types of assistance must agencies give employees during the performance opportunity period?
  • How long should you give employees to respond to allegations of poor performance or misconduct?
  • Who is responsible for completing the Douglas Factors analysis?
  • How should agencies discipline supervisors who retaliate against whistleblowers?
  • Do supervisors need to affirmatively decide to keep probationary employees beyond the initial appointment probationary period?
  • And more!

Attendees will leave the webinar with the tools to more effectively hold employees accountable for performance and conduct. You cannot afford to miss this training.

This event is available to view through 5:00 pm eastern on Friday, December 18. Approx. 60 minutes.

Price

$55 per person

Interested in providing access to a large group? Contact us at 844-283-3584, or email [email protected].

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.

Dec
8
Tue
Webinar – What’s Going on at the FLRA? Case Law Update and More
Dec 8 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Download Registration Form

Instructor

Joseph Schimansky

Program Description

The lights are off on the Executive Floor at the Merit Systems Protection Board and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is still waiting on new Commissioners. However, despite the lack of a General Counsel the Federal Labor Relations Authority keeps chugging along, releasing numerous significant decisions, most recently three precedent-breaking decisions that will alter the future of collective bargaining in the federal sector. Don’t let yourself fall behind. Join FELTG Instructor Joseph Schimansky, the former Executive Director of the Federal Service Impasses Panel, as he reviews the most recent FLRA decisions and union actions, including decisions undercutting deference to arbitrators regarding procedural arbitrability, past practices, temporary promotions and remedies.

Attendees will learn how to:

  • Evaluate the significance of the FLRA’s most recent major policy decisions.
  • Determine which standard to use — “excessive interference” or “abrogation” — when assessing whether an arbitration award violates a management right.
  • Determine whether agencies have an obligation to midterm bargaining.
  • Understand the Authority’s new interpretation of sections 7116(d) and 7131(d) of the Statute.
  • Recognize the significance of the DC Circuit’s reversal of the FLRA’s decision on “conditions of employment” and “working conditions.

This program is part of the Fall 2020 webinar series

Price

  • Early Bird Tuition: $240 per site, per webinar (payment required by October 3)
  • Standard Tuition: $270 per site, per webinar (payments made October 4)
  • Register for all eight webinars by October 3 and pay only $1825!

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

Webinar Series – FELTG’s Fall 2020 Webinars
Dec 8 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Download Registration Form

Instructors

Deborah Hopkins, Ann Boehm, Katherine Atkinson, Meghan Droste, Bob Woods, Barbara Haga, Joe Schimansky

Series Description

These are demanding times. Even if your agency isn’t laser-focused on pandemic-related efforts, it is most certainly challenged to meet its mission while managing the burdens and stresses of a workplace changed by the coronavirus crisis.

Meanwhile, new issues arise that make navigating the complex and always-changing landscape of federal employment law even more difficult.

FELTG’s fall webinar series provides an opportunity to re-center your efforts, while you re-educate yourself on key legal concepts impacting today’s federal workplace.

Over eight 60-minute webinars, FELTG’s experienced and knowledgeable instructors provide support on everything from harassment to age discrimination, from medical removals to the new Federal Employee Paid Leave Act, from performance and disciplinary documents to whistleblower reprisal, as well as legal updates and recent case law involving EEO and labor relations. Register now for one, a few, or all of the courses in the series.

Sessions will be held on Tuesdays from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. ET. Click on any webinar title for a full description.

Price

  • Early Bird Tuition: $240 per site, per webinar (payment required by October 3)
  • Standard Tuition: $270 per site, per webinar (payments made October 4 or later)
  • Register for all eight webinars by October 3 and pay only $1825!

Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $40 per teleworker, on a space-available basis. Have a bunch of teleworkers? Contact FELTG for group discounts.

Dec
9
Wed
Virtual Training Event – Managing Employees With Mental Health Challenges During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Dec 9 @ 1:00 pm – 4:30 pm

Download Individual Registration Form

Course Description

Back by request, and updated with the very latest.

If one of your agency’s employees had a mental health crisis in the workplace, would you know what to do? And considering most employees are working remotely, how would you even know?

Almost 18 percent of all adults have a mental illness diagnosis at some point in their lives. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the ongoing mental health crisis in this country. Meanwhile, much of the federal workplace is struggling with new work processes and heightened responsibilities, especially those working directly on the pandemic while navigating political minefields.

This virtual training program will provide highly practical guidance and straight-forward advice on dealing with the very unique challenges you face at this time. Licensed Clinical Social Work Shana Palmieri will de-stigmatize the truth about “mental illness” and will explain the impact various mental health conditions have on individuals, and those they work with. She’ll also provide strategies for effectively supervising and managing employees with these conditions, even as they work remotely.

Ms. Palmieri will answer challenging questions like:

  • What do you do if you suspect a mental health crisis and the employee won’t answer his phone?
  • How do you provide constructive criticism to someone who exhibits narcissistic behavior?
  • If you suspect that one of your employees has a mental impairment, what can you do beyond directing them to EAP?
  • What are the symptoms of a personality disorder?

Attendees will learn how to walk the tenuous line between providing accommodations and support for a mental health condition and holding employees accountable for their work performance. Attend this timely virtual training event and learn strategies to:

  • Improve performance and success for employees with mental health conditions.
  • Communicate effectively with all employees.
  • Successfully accommodate employees with behavioral health conditions.
  • Set appropriate boundaries and expectations in the workplace.
  • Handle a crisis or outburst in the workplace.

This class focuses on the practical and clinical side of managing employees with behavioral health conditions, rather than the legal side. It will be held from 1:00 – 4:30pm eastern. You won’t want to miss it.

Instructor

Shana Palmieri

Price

  • Early Bird Tuition: $325 (register by November 27).
  • Standard Tuition: $365 (register November 28-December 9).
  • Rates per registrant.

Event FAQs

  • Can I attend Virtual Training from my government computer?
    • FELTG uses Webex to broadcast this Virtual Training Institute event. Many government computers and systems allow Webex 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 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.
  • Can I earn CLE credits or EEO refresher training 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.
  • How do I receive a group rate discount?
    • Group rates are available for agencies registering 10 or more individuals. Group discounts are available through November 27.

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.

 

Dec
10
Thu
Webinar – Effectively Handling Security Clearance Suspensions and Revocations
Dec 10 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Download Individual Registration Form

Instructor

Ann Boehm

Program Description

Executive Order 12968.  The Adjudicative Guidelines.  Department of Navy v. Egan.

If these things sound familiar to you, you probably work for an agency that has employees with security clearances – and as a result, handles security clearance revocations. If a federal employee is required to have access to classified information, then he must be eligible for a security clearance in order to keep that position.

What happens when that employee no longer has that clearance? What role does the MSPB play? What proof does the agency need to provide if the employee appeals her removal? What are the pitfalls that agencies need to avoid?

Join Ann Boehm for a 60-minute webinar that will cover how to handle a security clearance revocation and any resulting indefinite suspension or removal from employment. Ms. Boehm spent 26 years as a government attorney, focusing primarily on employment and labor law in federal enforcement agencies, so she’s just the person to answer any questions you might have – and she’ll do so in this live event.

This is an important topic that can’t be ignored. Employee security clearances are a matter of national security, and they must be handled appropriately. We hope you’ll join us.

Price

  • Early Bird Tuition (payment required by November 30, 2020):
    • 1 line: $170
    • 2-5 lines: $255
    • 6-9 lines: $330
    • 10-15 lines: $415
    • 16-20 lines: $495
  • Standard Tuition (payment made December 1, 2020 or later):
    • 1 line: $195
    • 2-5 lines: $290
    • 6-9 lines: $370
    • 10-15 lines: $460
    • 16-20 lines: $545

Additional teleworkers may be added for $40 each, if space is available.

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.

Jan
21
Thu
Webinar – Federal Employment Law: The Current Landscape
Jan 21 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Download Registration Form

Instructor

Deborah Hopkins

Course Description

This webinar is the first in FELTG’s three-part series Toolkit for a New Administration: Essential Skills and Knowledge for Federal Supervisors, Managers, and Leaders.

January 21 — Federal Employment Law: The Current Landscape: Over the last few years, President Trump issued several Executive Orders that created significant changes to labor relations, employee accountability, EEO training, and more. What will come of those EOs? Will there finally be a full Board at the MSPB? What are the new trends in EEO law? And how has the pandemic impacted agencies’ accountability systems, particularly the management of a remote workforce? FELTG President Deborah Hopkins will discuss likely upcoming legal changes, share recent critical case law, and prepare you for the year ahead.

Pricing

Early Bird Tuition (price per webinar, payment required by January 12): $240

Standard Tuition (price per webinar, payment made by January 13 or later): $270

Teleworker lines may be added to a main site registration for $50 per person, on a space-available basis.

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.

Jan
27
Wed
Virtual Training Event – An OIG Guide to Annual Planning and Benchmarking for Best Practices
Jan 27 all-day

Download Individual Registration Form

Aside from completing a comprehensive OIG strategic plan, annual planning with robust outreach to your stakeholders is the single most important thing an OIG does. When properly executed, OIG annual planning focuses your personnel, time, budget, and oversight resources on the issues that really matter to your Agency and the accomplishment of its fundamental missions. We all have limited resources. Therefore, it is imperative that OIGs also conduct continual stakeholder outreach to understand what challenges impede their mission. FELTG Instructor Scott Boehm, whose federal career included a stint benchmarking for Best Practices within the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE), will walk you through the five-step annual planning and outreach process while discussing elusive OIG and Agency data sources that too many OIGs overlook.

Every Office of Inspector General should also periodically conduct benchmarking for Best Practices with other OIGs. No OIG has all the answers or “perfect internal controls” and should, therefore, regularly seek better business practices from peer organizations. In fact, both the “Silver Book” for federal, and the “Green Book” for state and local OIGs, state: “OIGs should strive to conduct their operation in the most efficient and effective manner. Each OIG should manage available resources, at the least cost, to produce the greatest results in terms of public benefit, return on investment, and risk reduction.”

Benchmarking ensures your limited OIG resources – budgets, personnel, supplies, infrastructure, training, and time – are focused on the issues that really matter to your Agency.

Attendees will leave this session with a template for OIG annual planning and outreach, complete with stakeholder questions that will reduce agency risk and maximize OIG return on investment (ROI), as well as an OIG benchmarking template that can improve your OIG’s annual planning process; audit, investigation and evaluation handbooks; product lines and report production; return on investment (ROI); and follow-up processes.

Attendees will learn how to:

  • Write succinct project proposals
  • Conduct risk analysis and prioritize the OIG internal controls requiring the most improvement
  • Outline strategies to incorporate Best Practices into their OIG internal controls and peer review quality standards

And you’ll have multiple opportunities to ask questions – and get answers in real time – as you develop a complete methodology to execute your own OIG benchmarking process. This program runs from 12:30 – 4:00 eastern, with a 30-minute break from 2:00 – 2:30 eastern.

Download Individual Registration Form

Instructor

Scott Boehm

Price

  • Early Bird Tuition (register by January 15): $325
  • Standard Tuition (register January 16-27): $365
  • Rates per registrant.
  • Want to register a group? Group discounts for 10 or more attendees are available through January 15. Contact FELTG.

Event FAQs

  • Can I attend Virtual Training from my government computer?
    • FELTG uses Zoom for this Virtual Training Institute event. 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. You may also attend the training event as an audio training, by dialing in over the phone and following along with the materials independently.
  • 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.
  • 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 January 15.

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.

Feb
3
Wed
Virtual Training Event – The Performance Equation: Providing Feedback That Makes a Difference
Feb 3 all-day

Download Registration Form

There is one action you can take that, when done effectively, could have a major impact on your team’s morale and productivity. This action is something that you should be doing on a regular basis, yet it’s often overlooked amid your busy schedule. What’s this transformative action? It’s giving your employees honest, and ongoing, feedback.

During this half-day interactive virtual training experience, FELTG Instructor Anthony Marchese, Ph.D., will equip participants with the necessary tools to nurture a culture of candor that will lead to healthy and actionable feedback. You’ll learn best practices for motivating and recognizing employees, and neuroscience-based strategies for maximizing performance even when leading employees in a virtual environment. Dr. Marchese will also expose feedback myths and share the ineffective practices that you need to avoid.

Don’t let anxiety, frustration, or confusion prevent you from having honest performance-related discussions with your employees. Providing feedback effectively is a skill that can — and should — be developed. Fix performance problems before they begin. Make your agency a more efficient place to work.

This interactive session will include breakout groups, giving participants a chance to interact with each other.

Learning Objectives

Attendees will learn how to:

  • Communicate performance expectations.
  • Supervise effectively in a virtual environment.
  • Differentiate between positive and negative framing.
  • Identify behavioral styles, including your own, to provide feedback that is better understood and more useful.

Also, you will have numerous  opportunities to ask questions about the unique problems you’re facing during these unprecedented times. This program runs from 12:30 – 4:00 eastern, with a 30-minute break from 2:00 – 2:30 eastern.

Download Registration Form

Instructor

Anthony Marchese

Price

  • Early Bird Tuition (register by January 22): $325
  • Standard Tuition (register January 23 – February 3): $365
  • Rates per registrant.
  • Want to register a group? Group discounts for 10 or more attendees are available through January 22. Contact FELTG.

 

Event FAQs

  • Can I attend Virtual Training from my government computer?
    • FELTG uses Zoom for this 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. You may also attend the training event as an audio training, by dialing in over the phone and following along with the materials independently.
  • 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.
  • 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 October 15.

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.

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