Calendar

FELTG Executive Director Deborah Hopkins instructing a class
Mar
2
Tue
Virtual Training Event – Conducting Effective Harassment Investigations
Mar 2 – Mar 4 all-day

Download Individual Registration Form

Event Description

Investigating harassment in your Federal agency can be an intimidating assignment, one that is rife with innuendo, conflicting accounts, and raw emotions. Ensuring that your investigation is legally compliant and protects employees, while helping the agency minimize liability, is a taxing task. It’s even more challenging during the COVID-19 pandemic when most investigations must be done virtually.

Together, these three instructor-led live training sessions will provide a solid basis for a successful and effective approach to conducting legally-sufficient harassment investigations that stand up upon third-party review. Peruse MSPB and EEOC cases and you’ll find that poorly conducted investigations are far more common than they should be, and the cost of these investigations to agencies are bigger than you’d expect.

Understand the differences between EEO and non-EEO harassment. Learn the best techniques to conduct an investigation – whether onsite or virtually. Write a report that covers all the crucial information. And much more.

This open enrollment FELTG Virtual Training Institute program Conducting Effective Harassment Investigations offers opportunities to ask questions of FELTG’s experienced instructors, and get answers in real time. Plus, this program fulfills the requirements for 8-hour annual EEO investigator refresher training.

You can register for any of the sessions individually, or you can register for all three. This program runs from 12:30 – 4:00 eastern each day, with a 30-minute break from 2:00 – 2:30 eastern. Participants will receive program materials via email on Monday, October 5.

Download Individual Registration Form



Tuesday, March 2, 2021

Session 1: Investigating Harassment: Misconduct Principles

12:30 pm – 4:00 pm eastern (break from 2:00 – 2:30)
Presented by Deborah J. Hopkins, Attorney at Law, FELTG President

Course Description: An effective harassment investigation begins with a solid foundation of misconduct law in the federal workplace. Attorney and FELTG President Deborah J. Hopkins will explain the principles that underpin a successful investigation of federal employee misconduct, whether it’s on-duty or off-duty. Attendees will learn the five elements of discipline and understand how they relate to the misconduct investigation process. Plus, they’ll learn about evidence standards and burdens of proof in misconduct cases, how Douglas factors play in to an investigation, the importance of nexus, what to do when a witness won’t cooperate, and much more.

Learning Objectives

Attendees will learn how to:

  • Identify the relationship between the foundations of federal accountability and misconduct investigations.
  • Identify and collect relevant penalty evidence during the investigation.
  • Recognize the mistakes that derail effective misconduct and harassment investigations.

Wednesday, March 3, 2021

Session 2: Understanding Harassment and Planning the Investigation

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

Course description: What is the scope of the investigation? Who should you interview? What documents are you going to need? Preparing your investigative plan is a critical step in developing a legally sufficient investigation. Attorney Meghan Droste will explain the proper role of the investigator and how you can avoid the pitfalls of an insufficient investigation with the proper preparation and knowledge. Plus, she’ll answer important questions about representation: Does the witness have the right to a representative? Does the union have a right to attend the interview – even if the witness doesn’t want the union there? What rights does agency management have in the process?

Learning Objectives

Attendees will learn how to:

  • Discern the difference between EEO and non-EEO harassment, and the impact that has on the investigations’ legal sufficiency.
  • Identify witness rights and management rights.
  • Recognize the three basic characteristics of evidence in a harassment investigation.

Thursday, March 4, 2021

Session 3: Conducting the Investigation and Writing the Report

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

Course description: Attorney Katherine Atkinson will share legal principles and proven guidance to navigate this most critical and challenging part of harassment investigations: conducting the interviews and gathering relevant evidence. Attendees will leave the session with techniques for questioning, tools for reading body language, suggestions on how to handle difficult personality types, and tips for writing the fact-finding report (FFR) and report of investigation (ROI). Ms. Atkinson will also share how technology is changing the investigation process, including a very timely discussion of conducting virtual interviews.

Learning Objectives

Attendees will learn how to:

  • Identify the similarities and differences in conducting onsite and virtual interviews.
  • Apply logic and judgment to evaluate conflicting statements.
  • Write a fulsome report on the findings from the harassment investigation.


Price

  • Early Bird Tuition (register by February 19): One Session = $340  |  Two Sessions = $650  |  Full Event = $900
  • Standard Tuition (register February 20 – March 4: One Session = $390  |  Two Sessions = $695  |  Full Event = $950
  • Rates per registrant. No split registrations permitted.
  • Want to register a group? Group discounts are available through February 19. Contact FELTG.
  • REGISTER NOW.

 

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 February 19.

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.

Mar
9
Tue
Webinar Series – Supervising Federal Employees: Managing Accountability and Defending Your Actions
Mar 9 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Download Registration Form

Instructors

Deborah Hopkins, Barbara Haga, Meghan Droste, Ann Boehm, Katherine Atkinson, Anthony Marchese

Course Description

President Biden’s Executive Orders on the Federal Workplace. OPM’s recent guidance. A new focus on diversity and inclusion. A recent decision that broke 40 years of precedent to require agencies to have substantial evidence before putting an employee on a performance demonstration period. FELTG’s annual webinar training series Supervising Federal Employees: Managing Accountability and Defending Your Actions can help you and your supervisors get up to speed on the changing nature of the federal workplace.

FELTG’s talented team of engaging and experienced instructors will teach 14 60-minute webinars every two weeks from March through the end of August. The webinars are updated to provide a comprehensive curriculum for those who supervisor federal employees.  Supervising Federal Employees: Managing Accountability and Defending Your Actions addresses the most timely and important topics supervisors are facing at the moment. Courses are taught on everything from managing poor performance and disciplining for employee misconduct to providing reasonable accommodation and rooting out leave abuse. Those who attend can rest assured that they are well-prepared to face the new and challenging issues amid complex and changing laws.

There is no other training available that provides the depth and breadth of guidance that federal supervisors need to manage the agency workplace effectively and efficiently.

You can register for one, several, or all of the courses in the series. The webinars will be held every other Tuesday from 1 – 2 p.m. eastern time, and will expand upon legal principles to provide attendees with the necessary tools and best practices. Plus, you’ll have a chance to ask questions and get answers from FELTG instructors – in real time.

As an added bonus, this series fulfills OPM’s mandatory training requirements for new supervisors found at 5 CFR 412.202(b).

2021 dates:

March 9: The Foundations of Accountability: Performance vs. Misconduct: The distinction between performance and conduct; an overview on holding employees accountable; setting the stage for discipline and performance actions.

March 23: Disciplining Employees for Misconduct, Part I: The five elements of discipline in the federal government; documentation supervisors need to succeed in a disciplinary action.

April 6: Disciplining Employees for Misconduct, Part II: Disciplinary procedures: reprimand, suspension, termination; appeals process; agency liability.

April 20: Writing Effective Performance Plans: Performance management; understanding the performance appraisal system; defining elements and standards; drafting standards according to legal requirements; creating the performance plan.

May 4: Handling an Unacceptable Performance Case: Performance accountability in a nutshell; recent decision requiring agencies to have substantial evidence before putting an employee on a performance demonstration period; executing a performance demonstration period; proof and evidence standards.

May 18: Addressing Special Challenges with Performance: Permutations on performance accountability and the performance warning period; performance standards with multiple sub-components; managing teleworker performance; what do when a poor-performing employee requests reasonable accommodation.

June 1: Providing Performance Feedback That Makes a Difference: Communicating performance expectations; providing ongoing feedback; positive vs. negative framing; why you shouldn’t wait until the mid-year to discuss performance issues.

June 15: Tackling Leave Issues I: Handling the leave issues most common in the federal government: annual leave, sick leave, leave transfer.

June 29: Tackling Leave Issues II: Handling more complicated leave scenarios: FMLA, LWOP, administrative leave, AWOL. 

July 13: Disability Accommodation in 60 Minutes: Defining a disability; requests for accommodation; the interactive process; accommodations of choice; undue hardship.

July 27: Intentional EEO Discrimination: What supervisors should know about EEO discrimination; discrete acts of discrimination; selection and promotion cases; defending against claims of intentional discrimination.

August 10:  Combating Against Hostile Work Environment Harassment Claims: The elements of a hostile work environment; liability in hostile work environment claims; tangible employment actions; harassment v. bullying; supervisor responsibilities in harassment claims; agency defenses.

August 24: EEO Reprisal: Handle It, Don’t Fear It: How reprisal is different than other EEO claims; what the complainant must show to establish reprisal; how a supervisor can defend against reprisal claims; what to do and what not to do when an employee engages in protected EEO activity.

August 31: Supervising in a Unionized Environment: The right to be bargained with; forming a union; employee and union rights; ULPs.

Pricing

Early Bird Tuition:

  • $240 per site, per session (payment required by March 1).
  • Special series discounts available through March 1: $2,925 for the first 13 webinars or $3,150 for all 14. See registration form for details.

Standard Tuition: 

  • $270 per site, per session (payments made March 2 or later).

Working from home? Teleworkers may be added to a primary site registration for $50 each, per session, on a space-available basis.

Have a large group teleworking? Contact FELTG for information on group discounts.

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.

Mar
23
Tue
Webinar Series – Supervising Federal Employees: Managing Accountability and Defending Your Actions
Mar 23 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Download Registration Form

Instructors

Deborah Hopkins, Barbara Haga, Meghan Droste, Ann Boehm, Katherine Atkinson, Anthony Marchese

Course Description

President Biden’s Executive Orders on the Federal Workplace. OPM’s recent guidance. A new focus on diversity and inclusion. A recent decision that broke 40 years of precedent to require agencies to have substantial evidence before putting an employee on a performance demonstration period. FELTG’s annual webinar training series Supervising Federal Employees: Managing Accountability and Defending Your Actions can help you and your supervisors get up to speed on the changing nature of the federal workplace.

FELTG’s talented team of engaging and experienced instructors will teach 14 60-minute webinars every two weeks from March through the end of August. The webinars are updated to provide a comprehensive curriculum for those who supervisor federal employees.  Supervising Federal Employees: Managing Accountability and Defending Your Actions addresses the most timely and important topics supervisors are facing at the moment. Courses are taught on everything from managing poor performance and disciplining for employee misconduct to providing reasonable accommodation and rooting out leave abuse. Those who attend can rest assured that they are well-prepared to face the new and challenging issues amid complex and changing laws.

There is no other training available that provides the depth and breadth of guidance that federal supervisors need to manage the agency workplace effectively and efficiently.

You can register for one, several, or all of the courses in the series. The webinars will be held every other Tuesday from 1 – 2 p.m. eastern time, and will expand upon legal principles to provide attendees with the necessary tools and best practices. Plus, you’ll have a chance to ask questions and get answers from FELTG instructors – in real time.

As an added bonus, this series fulfills OPM’s mandatory training requirements for new supervisors found at 5 CFR 412.202(b).

2021 dates:

March 9: The Foundations of Accountability: Performance vs. Misconduct: The distinction between performance and conduct; an overview on holding employees accountable; setting the stage for discipline and performance actions.

March 23: Disciplining Employees for Misconduct, Part I: The five elements of discipline in the federal government; documentation supervisors need to succeed in a disciplinary action.

April 6: Disciplining Employees for Misconduct, Part II: Disciplinary procedures: reprimand, suspension, termination; appeals process; agency liability.

April 20: Writing Effective Performance Plans: Performance management; understanding the performance appraisal system; defining elements and standards; drafting standards according to legal requirements; creating the performance plan.

May 4: Handling an Unacceptable Performance Case: Performance accountability in a nutshell; recent decision requiring agencies to have substantial evidence before putting an employee on a performance demonstration period; executing a performance demonstration period; proof and evidence standards.

May 18: Addressing Special Challenges with Performance: Permutations on performance accountability and the performance warning period; performance standards with multiple sub-components; managing teleworker performance; what do when a poor-performing employee requests reasonable accommodation.

June 1: Providing Performance Feedback That Makes a Difference: Communicating performance expectations; providing ongoing feedback; positive vs. negative framing; why you shouldn’t wait until the mid-year to discuss performance issues.

June 15: Tackling Leave Issues I: Handling the leave issues most common in the federal government: annual leave, sick leave, leave transfer.

June 29: Tackling Leave Issues II: Handling more complicated leave scenarios: FMLA, LWOP, administrative leave, AWOL. 

July 13: Disability Accommodation in 60 Minutes: Defining a disability; requests for accommodation; the interactive process; accommodations of choice; undue hardship.

July 27: Intentional EEO Discrimination: What supervisors should know about EEO discrimination; discrete acts of discrimination; selection and promotion cases; defending against claims of intentional discrimination.

August 10:  Combating Against Hostile Work Environment Harassment Claims: The elements of a hostile work environment; liability in hostile work environment claims; tangible employment actions; harassment v. bullying; supervisor responsibilities in harassment claims; agency defenses.

August 24: EEO Reprisal: Handle It, Don’t Fear It: How reprisal is different than other EEO claims; what the complainant must show to establish reprisal; how a supervisor can defend against reprisal claims; what to do and what not to do when an employee engages in protected EEO activity.

August 31: Supervising in a Unionized Environment: The right to be bargained with; forming a union; employee and union rights; ULPs.

Pricing

Early Bird Tuition:

  • $240 per site, per session (payment required by March 1).
  • Special series discounts available through March 1: $2,925 for the first 13 webinars or $3,150 for all 14. See registration form for details.

Standard Tuition: 

  • $270 per site, per session (payments made March 2 or later).

Working from home? Teleworkers may be added to a primary site registration for $50 each, per session, on a space-available basis.

Have a large group teleworking? Contact FELTG for information on group discounts.

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.

Apr
6
Tue
Webinar Series – Supervising Federal Employees: Managing Accountability and Defending Your Actions
Apr 6 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Download Registration Form

Instructors

Deborah Hopkins, Barbara Haga, Meghan Droste, Ann Boehm, Katherine Atkinson, Anthony Marchese

Course Description

President Biden’s Executive Orders on the Federal Workplace. OPM’s recent guidance. A new focus on diversity and inclusion. A recent decision that broke 40 years of precedent to require agencies to have substantial evidence before putting an employee on a performance demonstration period. FELTG’s annual webinar training series Supervising Federal Employees: Managing Accountability and Defending Your Actions can help you and your supervisors get up to speed on the changing nature of the federal workplace.

FELTG’s talented team of engaging and experienced instructors will teach 14 60-minute webinars every two weeks from March through the end of August. The webinars are updated to provide a comprehensive curriculum for those who supervisor federal employees.  Supervising Federal Employees: Managing Accountability and Defending Your Actions addresses the most timely and important topics supervisors are facing at the moment. Courses are taught on everything from managing poor performance and disciplining for employee misconduct to providing reasonable accommodation and rooting out leave abuse. Those who attend can rest assured that they are well-prepared to face the new and challenging issues amid complex and changing laws.

There is no other training available that provides the depth and breadth of guidance that federal supervisors need to manage the agency workplace effectively and efficiently.

You can register for one, several, or all of the courses in the series. The webinars will be held every other Tuesday from 1 – 2 p.m. eastern time, and will expand upon legal principles to provide attendees with the necessary tools and best practices. Plus, you’ll have a chance to ask questions and get answers from FELTG instructors – in real time.

As an added bonus, this series fulfills OPM’s mandatory training requirements for new supervisors found at 5 CFR 412.202(b).

2021 dates:

March 9: The Foundations of Accountability: Performance vs. Misconduct: The distinction between performance and conduct; an overview on holding employees accountable; setting the stage for discipline and performance actions.

March 23: Disciplining Employees for Misconduct, Part I: The five elements of discipline in the federal government; documentation supervisors need to succeed in a disciplinary action.

April 6: Disciplining Employees for Misconduct, Part II: Disciplinary procedures: reprimand, suspension, termination; appeals process; agency liability.

April 20: Writing Effective Performance Plans: Performance management; understanding the performance appraisal system; defining elements and standards; drafting standards according to legal requirements; creating the performance plan.

May 4: Handling an Unacceptable Performance Case: Performance accountability in a nutshell; recent decision requiring agencies to have substantial evidence before putting an employee on a performance demonstration period; executing a performance demonstration period; proof and evidence standards.

May 18: Addressing Special Challenges with Performance: Permutations on performance accountability and the performance warning period; performance standards with multiple sub-components; managing teleworker performance; what do when a poor-performing employee requests reasonable accommodation.

June 1: Providing Performance Feedback That Makes a Difference: Communicating performance expectations; providing ongoing feedback; positive vs. negative framing; why you shouldn’t wait until the mid-year to discuss performance issues.

June 15: Tackling Leave Issues I: Handling the leave issues most common in the federal government: annual leave, sick leave, leave transfer.

June 29: Tackling Leave Issues II: Handling more complicated leave scenarios: FMLA, LWOP, administrative leave, AWOL. 

July 13: Disability Accommodation in 60 Minutes: Defining a disability; requests for accommodation; the interactive process; accommodations of choice; undue hardship.

July 27: Intentional EEO Discrimination: What supervisors should know about EEO discrimination; discrete acts of discrimination; selection and promotion cases; defending against claims of intentional discrimination.

August 10:  Combating Against Hostile Work Environment Harassment Claims: The elements of a hostile work environment; liability in hostile work environment claims; tangible employment actions; harassment v. bullying; supervisor responsibilities in harassment claims; agency defenses.

August 24: EEO Reprisal: Handle It, Don’t Fear It: How reprisal is different than other EEO claims; what the complainant must show to establish reprisal; how a supervisor can defend against reprisal claims; what to do and what not to do when an employee engages in protected EEO activity.

August 31: Supervising in a Unionized Environment: The right to be bargained with; forming a union; employee and union rights; ULPs.

Pricing

Early Bird Tuition:

  • $240 per site, per session (payment required by March 1).
  • Special series discounts available through March 1: $2,925 for the first 13 webinars or $3,150 for all 14. See registration form for details.

Standard Tuition: 

  • $270 per site, per session (payments made March 2 or later).

Working from home? Teleworkers may be added to a primary site registration for $50 each, per session, on a space-available basis.

Have a large group teleworking? Contact FELTG for information on group discounts.

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.

Apr
20
Tue
Webinar Series – Supervising Federal Employees: Managing Accountability and Defending Your Actions
Apr 20 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Download Registration Form

Instructors

Deborah Hopkins, Barbara Haga, Meghan Droste, Ann Boehm, Katherine Atkinson, Anthony Marchese

Course Description

President Biden’s Executive Orders on the Federal Workplace. OPM’s recent guidance. A new focus on diversity and inclusion. A recent decision that broke 40 years of precedent to require agencies to have substantial evidence before putting an employee on a performance demonstration period. FELTG’s annual webinar training series Supervising Federal Employees: Managing Accountability and Defending Your Actions can help you and your supervisors get up to speed on the changing nature of the federal workplace.

FELTG’s talented team of engaging and experienced instructors will teach 14 60-minute webinars every two weeks from March through the end of August. The webinars are updated to provide a comprehensive curriculum for those who supervisor federal employees.  Supervising Federal Employees: Managing Accountability and Defending Your Actions addresses the most timely and important topics supervisors are facing at the moment. Courses are taught on everything from managing poor performance and disciplining for employee misconduct to providing reasonable accommodation and rooting out leave abuse. Those who attend can rest assured that they are well-prepared to face the new and challenging issues amid complex and changing laws.

There is no other training available that provides the depth and breadth of guidance that federal supervisors need to manage the agency workplace effectively and efficiently.

You can register for one, several, or all of the courses in the series. The webinars will be held every other Tuesday from 1 – 2 p.m. eastern time, and will expand upon legal principles to provide attendees with the necessary tools and best practices. Plus, you’ll have a chance to ask questions and get answers from FELTG instructors – in real time.

As an added bonus, this series fulfills OPM’s mandatory training requirements for new supervisors found at 5 CFR 412.202(b).

2021 dates:

March 9: The Foundations of Accountability: Performance vs. Misconduct: The distinction between performance and conduct; an overview on holding employees accountable; setting the stage for discipline and performance actions.

March 23: Disciplining Employees for Misconduct, Part I: The five elements of discipline in the federal government; documentation supervisors need to succeed in a disciplinary action.

April 6: Disciplining Employees for Misconduct, Part II: Disciplinary procedures: reprimand, suspension, termination; appeals process; agency liability.

April 20: Writing Effective Performance Plans: Performance management; understanding the performance appraisal system; defining elements and standards; drafting standards according to legal requirements; creating the performance plan.

May 4: Handling an Unacceptable Performance Case: Performance accountability in a nutshell; recent decision requiring agencies to have substantial evidence before putting an employee on a performance demonstration period; executing a performance demonstration period; proof and evidence standards.

May 18: Addressing Special Challenges with Performance: Permutations on performance accountability and the performance warning period; performance standards with multiple sub-components; managing teleworker performance; what do when a poor-performing employee requests reasonable accommodation.

June 1: Providing Performance Feedback That Makes a Difference: Communicating performance expectations; providing ongoing feedback; positive vs. negative framing; why you shouldn’t wait until the mid-year to discuss performance issues.

June 15: Tackling Leave Issues I: Handling the leave issues most common in the federal government: annual leave, sick leave, leave transfer.

June 29: Tackling Leave Issues II: Handling more complicated leave scenarios: FMLA, LWOP, administrative leave, AWOL. 

July 13: Disability Accommodation in 60 Minutes: Defining a disability; requests for accommodation; the interactive process; accommodations of choice; undue hardship.

July 27: Intentional EEO Discrimination: What supervisors should know about EEO discrimination; discrete acts of discrimination; selection and promotion cases; defending against claims of intentional discrimination.

August 10:  Combating Against Hostile Work Environment Harassment Claims: The elements of a hostile work environment; liability in hostile work environment claims; tangible employment actions; harassment v. bullying; supervisor responsibilities in harassment claims; agency defenses.

August 24: EEO Reprisal: Handle It, Don’t Fear It: How reprisal is different than other EEO claims; what the complainant must show to establish reprisal; how a supervisor can defend against reprisal claims; what to do and what not to do when an employee engages in protected EEO activity.

August 31: Supervising in a Unionized Environment: The right to be bargained with; forming a union; employee and union rights; ULPs.

Pricing

Early Bird Tuition:

  • $240 per site, per session (payment required by March 1).
  • Special series discounts available through March 1: $2,925 for the first 13 webinars or $3,150 for all 14. See registration form for details.

Standard Tuition: 

  • $270 per site, per session (payments made March 2 or later).

Working from home? Teleworkers may be added to a primary site registration for $50 each, per session, on a space-available basis.

Have a large group teleworking? Contact FELTG for information on group discounts.

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.

Apr
27
Tue
Virtual Training Event – Emerging Issues in Federal Employment Law
Apr 27 – Apr 30 all-day

Download Registration Form

Event Description

A brand-new administration with starkly different priorities than the previous White House occupants. A massive effort to return to pre-pandemic normalcy in the workplace. New case law eventually emerging from EEOC, FLRA, and, possibly, MSPB. This year in the federal employment law world is bound to be one of change and challenge. Over four days, the FELTG Virtual Training Institute’s second annual Emerging Issues in Federal Employment Law event will focus on complying with laws, regulations, and Executive Orders under a new administration.

This event offers 15 live instructor-led sessions, aimed at providing you with the latest legal and practical guidance to meet the current situation. Renew your efforts to hold employees accountable for roller-coaster performance. Identify the mistakes holding you back from taking misconduct actions that withstand third-party scrutiny. Take steps to prevent and correct harassment. Find out how to address contractors’ EEO complaints. Review your responsibilities for handling the new complexities of leave, reasonable accommodation requests involving animals, and preventing and correcting workplace harassment. Learn strategies for managing teleworkers. Get the latest on case law and all other developments at the EEOC, FLRA, and MSPB. Review the EEO lessons learned – and still being learned – from COVID-19.  And much much more. Don’t put off getting the important training you need. The open enrollment FELTG Virtual Training Institute’s Emerging Issues in Federal Employment Law program provides benefits you won’t get from other online conference providers. You can register for any of the sessions individually, or you can register for the whole program. You receive opportunities to ask questions of FELTG’s experienced instructors, and get answers in real time. Earn CLE credits and EEO refresher training credits. Four days. Fifteen sessions. Ten instructors. We’d love to have you join us.

Download Registration Form

This program meets the President’s mandate to provide training on diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility in the Federal workplace.



Tuesday, April 27, 2021

MSPB Day

 

Session 1
9:30 – 10:45 am EDT

 

What to Expect When You’re Expecting a New Board
Presented by Deborah J. Hopkins, Attorney at Law, FELTG President

Course Description: Once again, we have a glimmer of hope that a new Board will be nominated and voted into place at the MSPB. What does this mean for federal HR professionals? What does this mean for all those agencies and employees whose cases have been piling up unread at the Board? How will Executive Order 14003 and OPM regulations fit into the picture? How is the Board impacted by the decisions the Federal Circuit has been making in its absence of a quorum? FELTG President Deborah Hopkins will give an overview of what we can expect in the upcoming months from a new MSPB, the challenges awaiting the incoming members, and where the Board might stand on critical issues like performance and conduct accountability under the Biden Administration. Earn 1.25 CLE credits.


Session 2
11:15 am  – 12:30 pm EDT

 

What Do You Do With the Douglas Factors?
Presented by Ann Boehm, Attorney at Law, FELTG Instructor

Course Description: You likely know those 12 factors identified in the landmark 1981 MSPB decision that birthed their name. But do you know how to use them to determine the appropriate penalty? Attorney Ann Boehm will share case law highlighting how agencies correctly use the Douglas factors and, more importantly, how they were misapplied. She will answer all your Douglas questions, such as: Do the factors go in the proposal or the decision? What do OPM’s new regs say about the Douglas factors? In light of the Accountability Act, does the VA still have to do Douglas factors? Attendees will leave this session with the knowledge to avoid the too-common Douglas mistakes. Earn 1.25 CLE credits.


Session 3
1:30 – 2:45 pm EDT 

 

The Roller Coaster Employee: Managing Up-and-Down Performance
Presented by Robert Woods, Attorney at Law, FELTG Instructor

Course Description: You’ve undoubtedly seen it several times, and it’s always frustrating. An employee is put on a performance demonstration period (DP, PIP, ODAP – or whatever your agency calls it) and does well enough to stay in his position. But when the DP ends, his performance dips again. As employees return en masse and attempt to re-adjust to the physical workplace, it’s highly likely that you’ll see some drops in performance  – whether they employees are on a DP or not. Attorney Bob Woods will explain how to effectively and efficiently handle wide swings in performance. Earn 1.25 CLE credits.


Session 4
3:15 pm – 4:30 pm EDT

 

When Employees Go Insubordinate: Don’t Mess With the Wrong Elements
Presented by Deborah J. Hopkins, Attorney at Law, FELTG President; and Marcus Hill, former Senior Executive Advisor/Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, FELTG Instructor

Course Description: If you’ve ever been a supervisor or advised one, then you’ve most likely dealt with an employee who did not do what he was asked, or, possibly, did the exact opposite. That may sound like a good definition of insubordination for Webster’s Dictionary, but it’s not going to work for the MSPB.  Charges of workplace misconduct have specific legal definitions, which include elements. And to prove a charge, you need to prove all of its elements. FELTG President Deborah Hopkins will walk you through the elements of insubordination and the factors that determine how to best deal with employees who disobey, or refuse to follow, management orders. Earn 1.25 CLE credits.

 



Wednesday, April 28, 2021

EEOC Day

 

Session 5
9:30 am – 10:45 am EDT

 

Preventing and Correcting Hostile Work Environment Harassment
Presented by Meghan Droste, Attorney at Law, FELTG Instructor

Course description: Not all hostile work environment cases involve sexual harassment. However, as attorney Meghan Droste will show you, a large majority do. And yet, hostile environment harassment is often alleged based on all of the protected categories –  sex, race, color, national origin, religion, age, disability, genetic information, or reprisal. Ms. Droste will define the “nature of the conduct,” as well as the “unwelcome” and the “sufficiently severe or pervasive” requirements. She’ll also discuss agency and supervisor liability, share successful prevention techniques, and the provisions of Executive Order 13985 and 13988 that apply to Federal agencies. Earn 1.25 CLE credits. 1.25


Session 6
11:15 am – 12:30 pm EDT

 

Barking Up the Wrong Tree? Service and Therapy Animals in the Workspace
Presented by Deborah J. Hopkins, Attorney at Law, FELTG President; and Ricky Rowe, Former National EEO Manager/Veterans Affairs, FELTG Instructor

Course description: Pet ownership increased and animal shelters emptied during COVID-enforced lockdowns in 2020. Undoubtedly, remote workers have enjoyed the therapeutic benefits that come with owning a pet. But does that make their new furry friends therapy or emotional support animals? And can no-longer-remote employees bring their new four-legged friends to the workplace? In most cases, the answer is an easy no. But if it’s a reasonable accommodation request, the answer isn’t quite as definitive. The EEOC’s stance that an emotional support animal may be a required reasonable accommodation for a qualified individual with a disability, even if it is not a trained service dog, fails to provide an easy answer. FELTG President Deborah Hopkins will explain the difference between a service animal and a therapy animal, and provide guidance on how to determine if an emotional support animal would be a reasonable accommodation for an individual with a disability. Earn 1.25 CLE credits. 1.25


Session 7
1:30 – 2:45 pm EDT

 

What to Do When Contractors File EEO Complaints
Presented by Robert Woods, Attorney at Law, FELTG Instructor

Course description: A federal contractor may file a formal EEO complaint if the agency is determined to be a “joint employer.” How do you determine if you are a joint employer? That determination begins with the case Ma v. HHS. Attorney Bob Woods will walk you through how to apply the Ma factors to your situation. He’ll also explain the roles and responsibilities of agency personnel when contractors start the EEO process, as well as defenses to the “joint employer” allegation. Earn 1.25 CLE credits. 1.25


Session 8
3:15 – 4:30 pm EDT

 

COVID-19 and EEO: What We’ve Learned and What We Still Need to Know
Presented by Katherine Atkinson, Attorney at Law FELTG Instructor

Course description: The pandemic turned the federal workplace upside down, creating numerous unique situations for supervisors and EEO professionals. Increased vaccinations have eased the burden somewhat, but many EEO challenges remain. Attorney Katherine Atkinson will walk you through some of these remaining challenges, and share the EEO lessons learned from  that past year. Attendees will leave with a basic EEO framework that can be used to address COVID-related issues as well as other challenges long after the virus is eradicated. Earn 1.25 CLE credits. 1.25



Thursday, April 29, 2021

Emerging Trends Day

 

Session 9
9:30 – 10:45 am EDT

 

Leave for the Federal Employee in 2021
Presented by Barbara Haga, President/Federal HR Services, FELTG Senior Instructor

Course description: Rules about leave and attendance have always been complicated. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the complexities grew. FELTG Senior Instructor Barbara Haga will give an overview of leave entitlements with a focus on new Paid Parental Leave (PPL), and recent modifications to FMLA, use of COVID-related weather and safety leave and sick leave. Earn 1.25 CLE credits.

 


Session 10
11:15 am – 12:30 pm EDT

 

The Telework Tango: Communication and Feedback for a Remote Workplace
Presented by Anthony Marchese, PhD., Consultant/Author/Trainer, FELTG Instructor

Course description: One of the biggest surprises of the pandemic was how well many Federal employees transitioned to 100% telework. It was so successful that many employees and agencies expect telework opportunities to expand in a post-pandemic world. Anthony Marchese will explain how to tweak and improve your management and communication skills for a remote staff, with specific guidance on providing employee feedback and setting expectations in a virtual world.


Session 11
1:30 – 2:30 pm EDT

 

Addressing Microaggressions and Bias in the Federal Workplace
Presented by Meghan Droste, Attorney at Law, FELTG Instructor

Course description: Microaggressions, whether intentional or not, can be very hurtful to the employees who experience them. Microaggressions and implicit bias can lead to discrimination. FELTG Instructor Meghan Droste, attorney at law, will explain what microaggressions look like it in their various forms, and provide a quick review of EEO law, so you can determine when bias or microaggression might rise to the level of discrimination. Attend the session, learn how to comply with Executive Orders 13985 and 13988, and you’ll be well on your way to providing a safe and inclusive work environment for all employees. Earn 1.25 CLE credits. 1.25


Session 12
3:15 – 4:30 pm EDT

 

Legal Update: Recent Developments in Federal Employment Law, Part I (MSPB, EEOC, Federal Circuit)
Presented by Ann Boehm, Attorney at Law, FELTG Instructor

Course description: In federal employment law, things can change quickly. FELTG Instructor Ann Boehm will review the most recent and relevant cases, regulations, studies and reports from OPM, the EEOC, the courts, OSC, and (hopefully) the MSPB. 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 1.25 CLE credits.



Friday, April 30, 2021

FLRA Day

 

Session 13
9:30 am – 10:45 pm EDT

 

Legal Update: Recent Developments in Federal Employment Law, Part II (FLRA, FSIP)
Presented by Joseph Schimansky, Former Executive Director/FSIP, FELTG Instructor

Course description: Over the past year, the Federal Labor Relations Authority has released several precedent-altering decisions. The Federal Service Impasses Panel has issued several noteworthy decisions, but a new panel is on its way. Join FELTG Instructor Joseph Schimansky, the former Executive Director of the Federal Service Impasses Panel, as he reviews the cases and explains what it all means for federal counsel, HR professionals, and labor relations practitioners. Earn 1.25 CLE credits.


Session 14
11:15 am – 12:30 pm EDT

 

Labor-Management Partnerships: What if They Are Back in Vogue?
Presented by Ann Boehm, Attorney at Law, FELTG Instructor

Course description: With a change in Administration often comes a new approach to labor management relations. And with a Democrat in the White House, we’re likely to soon see a push for a more collaborative method. Will it be like the Clinton-era partnerships? Or more like a Obama-era forums? FELTG Instructor Ann Boehm will explain what the new approach will likely look like, and how you and your agency can best prepare. Earn 1.25 CLE credits.


Session 15
1:30 – 2:45 pm EDT

 

Impact and Implementation Bargaining in the Federal Workplace
Presented by Joseph Schimansky, Former Executive Director/FSIP, FELTG Instructor

Course description: When an agency makes a change, it may trigger an obligation to negotiate. In late 2020, however, the Federal Labor Relations Authority released three precedent-breaking decisions that pushed the reset button on bargaining with unions. The Authority’s decision in U.S. Department of Education, in particular, seriously diluted that management obligation to negotiate. FELTG Instructor Joe Schimansky will explain the standard for triggering a duty to bargain over impact and implementation. Earn 1.25 CLE credits.


Price

  • Early Bird Tuition (register by April 13): One Session = $130 (April 27-29) | One SessIon = $135 (April 30)  |                                      April 27-29 All Access = $1400 |  April 27-30 All Access with Labor Relations = $1725
  • Standard Tuition (register April 14-30): One Session = $160 | One SessIon = $165 (April 30)  |                                                            April 27-29 All Access = $1500 |  April 27-30 All Access with Labor Relations = $1825
  • Rates per registrant.

 

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.
  • 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 1.25 hours of HRCI general recertification credit. The HRCI course numbers will be available upon the conclusion of the training.
  • 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 April 13.

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.

 

May
4
Tue
Webinar Series – Supervising Federal Employees: Managing Accountability and Defending Your Actions
May 4 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Download Registration Form

Instructors

Deborah Hopkins, Barbara Haga, Meghan Droste, Ann Boehm, Katherine Atkinson, Anthony Marchese

Course Description

President Biden’s Executive Orders on the Federal Workplace. OPM’s recent guidance. A new focus on diversity and inclusion. A recent decision that broke 40 years of precedent to require agencies to have substantial evidence before putting an employee on a performance demonstration period. FELTG’s annual webinar training series Supervising Federal Employees: Managing Accountability and Defending Your Actions can help you and your supervisors get up to speed on the changing nature of the federal workplace.

FELTG’s talented team of engaging and experienced instructors will teach 14 60-minute webinars every two weeks from March through the end of August. The webinars are updated to provide a comprehensive curriculum for those who supervisor federal employees.  Supervising Federal Employees: Managing Accountability and Defending Your Actions addresses the most timely and important topics supervisors are facing at the moment. Courses are taught on everything from managing poor performance and disciplining for employee misconduct to providing reasonable accommodation and rooting out leave abuse. Those who attend can rest assured that they are well-prepared to face the new and challenging issues amid complex and changing laws.

There is no other training available that provides the depth and breadth of guidance that federal supervisors need to manage the agency workplace effectively and efficiently.

You can register for one, several, or all of the courses in the series. The webinars will be held every other Tuesday from 1 – 2 p.m. eastern time, and will expand upon legal principles to provide attendees with the necessary tools and best practices. Plus, you’ll have a chance to ask questions and get answers from FELTG instructors – in real time.

As an added bonus, this series fulfills OPM’s mandatory training requirements for new supervisors found at 5 CFR 412.202(b).

2021 dates:

March 9: The Foundations of Accountability: Performance vs. Misconduct: The distinction between performance and conduct; an overview on holding employees accountable; setting the stage for discipline and performance actions.

March 23: Disciplining Employees for Misconduct, Part I: The five elements of discipline in the federal government; documentation supervisors need to succeed in a disciplinary action.

April 6: Disciplining Employees for Misconduct, Part II: Disciplinary procedures: reprimand, suspension, termination; appeals process; agency liability.

April 20: Writing Effective Performance Plans: Performance management; understanding the performance appraisal system; defining elements and standards; drafting standards according to legal requirements; creating the performance plan.

May 4: Handling an Unacceptable Performance Case: Performance accountability in a nutshell; recent decision requiring agencies to have substantial evidence before putting an employee on a performance demonstration period; executing a performance demonstration period; proof and evidence standards.

May 18: Addressing Special Challenges with Performance: Permutations on performance accountability and the performance warning period; performance standards with multiple sub-components; managing teleworker performance; what do when a poor-performing employee requests reasonable accommodation.

June 1: Providing Performance Feedback That Makes a Difference: Communicating performance expectations; providing ongoing feedback; positive vs. negative framing; why you shouldn’t wait until the mid-year to discuss performance issues.

June 15: Tackling Leave Issues I: Handling the leave issues most common in the federal government: annual leave, sick leave, leave transfer.

June 29: Tackling Leave Issues II: Handling more complicated leave scenarios: FMLA, LWOP, administrative leave, AWOL. 

July 13: Disability Accommodation in 60 Minutes: Defining a disability; requests for accommodation; the interactive process; accommodations of choice; undue hardship.

July 27: Intentional EEO Discrimination: What supervisors should know about EEO discrimination; discrete acts of discrimination; selection and promotion cases; defending against claims of intentional discrimination.

August 10:  Combating Against Hostile Work Environment Harassment Claims: The elements of a hostile work environment; liability in hostile work environment claims; tangible employment actions; harassment v. bullying; supervisor responsibilities in harassment claims; agency defenses.

August 24: EEO Reprisal: Handle It, Don’t Fear It: How reprisal is different than other EEO claims; what the complainant must show to establish reprisal; how a supervisor can defend against reprisal claims; what to do and what not to do when an employee engages in protected EEO activity.

August 31: Supervising in a Unionized Environment: The right to be bargained with; forming a union; employee and union rights; ULPs.

Pricing

Early Bird Tuition:

  • $240 per site, per session (payment required by March 1).
  • Special series discounts available through March 1: $2,925 for the first 13 webinars or $3,150 for all 14. See registration form for details.

Standard Tuition: 

  • $270 per site, per session (payments made March 2 or later).

Working from home? Teleworkers may be added to a primary site registration for $50 each, per session, on a space-available basis.

Have a large group teleworking? Contact FELTG for information on group discounts.

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.

May
18
Tue
Webinar Series – Supervising Federal Employees: Managing Accountability and Defending Your Actions
May 18 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Download Registration Form

Instructors

Deborah Hopkins, Barbara Haga, Meghan Droste, Ann Boehm, Katherine Atkinson, Anthony Marchese

Course Description

President Biden’s Executive Orders on the Federal Workplace. OPM’s recent guidance. A new focus on diversity and inclusion. A recent decision that broke 40 years of precedent to require agencies to have substantial evidence before putting an employee on a performance demonstration period. FELTG’s annual webinar training series Supervising Federal Employees: Managing Accountability and Defending Your Actions can help you and your supervisors get up to speed on the changing nature of the federal workplace.

FELTG’s talented team of engaging and experienced instructors will teach 14 60-minute webinars every two weeks from March through the end of August. The webinars are updated to provide a comprehensive curriculum for those who supervisor federal employees.  Supervising Federal Employees: Managing Accountability and Defending Your Actions addresses the most timely and important topics supervisors are facing at the moment. Courses are taught on everything from managing poor performance and disciplining for employee misconduct to providing reasonable accommodation and rooting out leave abuse. Those who attend can rest assured that they are well-prepared to face the new and challenging issues amid complex and changing laws.

There is no other training available that provides the depth and breadth of guidance that federal supervisors need to manage the agency workplace effectively and efficiently.

You can register for one, several, or all of the courses in the series. The webinars will be held every other Tuesday from 1 – 2 p.m. eastern time, and will expand upon legal principles to provide attendees with the necessary tools and best practices. Plus, you’ll have a chance to ask questions and get answers from FELTG instructors – in real time.

As an added bonus, this series fulfills OPM’s mandatory training requirements for new supervisors found at 5 CFR 412.202(b).

2021 dates:

March 9: The Foundations of Accountability: Performance vs. Misconduct: The distinction between performance and conduct; an overview on holding employees accountable; setting the stage for discipline and performance actions.

March 23: Disciplining Employees for Misconduct, Part I: The five elements of discipline in the federal government; documentation supervisors need to succeed in a disciplinary action.

April 6: Disciplining Employees for Misconduct, Part II: Disciplinary procedures: reprimand, suspension, termination; appeals process; agency liability.

April 20: Writing Effective Performance Plans: Performance management; understanding the performance appraisal system; defining elements and standards; drafting standards according to legal requirements; creating the performance plan.

May 4: Handling an Unacceptable Performance Case: Performance accountability in a nutshell; recent decision requiring agencies to have substantial evidence before putting an employee on a performance demonstration period; executing a performance demonstration period; proof and evidence standards.

May 18: Addressing Special Challenges with Performance: Permutations on performance accountability and the performance warning period; performance standards with multiple sub-components; managing teleworker performance; what do when a poor-performing employee requests reasonable accommodation.

June 1: Providing Performance Feedback That Makes a Difference: Communicating performance expectations; providing ongoing feedback; positive vs. negative framing; why you shouldn’t wait until the mid-year to discuss performance issues.

June 15: Tackling Leave Issues I: Handling the leave issues most common in the federal government: annual leave, sick leave, leave transfer.

June 29: Tackling Leave Issues II: Handling more complicated leave scenarios: FMLA, LWOP, administrative leave, AWOL. 

July 13: Disability Accommodation in 60 Minutes: Defining a disability; requests for accommodation; the interactive process; accommodations of choice; undue hardship.

July 27: Intentional EEO Discrimination: What supervisors should know about EEO discrimination; discrete acts of discrimination; selection and promotion cases; defending against claims of intentional discrimination.

August 10:  Combating Against Hostile Work Environment Harassment Claims: The elements of a hostile work environment; liability in hostile work environment claims; tangible employment actions; harassment v. bullying; supervisor responsibilities in harassment claims; agency defenses.

August 24: EEO Reprisal: Handle It, Don’t Fear It: How reprisal is different than other EEO claims; what the complainant must show to establish reprisal; how a supervisor can defend against reprisal claims; what to do and what not to do when an employee engages in protected EEO activity.

August 31: Supervising in a Unionized Environment: The right to be bargained with; forming a union; employee and union rights; ULPs.

Pricing

Early Bird Tuition:

  • $240 per site, per session (payment required by March 1).
  • Special series discounts available through March 1: $2,925 for the first 13 webinars or $3,150 for all 14. See registration form for details.

Standard Tuition: 

  • $270 per site, per session (payments made March 2 or later).

Working from home? Teleworkers may be added to a primary site registration for $50 each, per session, on a space-available basis.

Have a large group teleworking? Contact FELTG for information on group discounts.

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.

Jun
1
Tue
Webinar Series – Supervising Federal Employees: Managing Accountability and Defending Your Actions
Jun 1 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Download Registration Form

Instructors

Deborah Hopkins, Barbara Haga, Meghan Droste, Ann Boehm, Katherine Atkinson, Anthony Marchese

Course Description

President Biden’s Executive Orders on the Federal Workplace. OPM’s recent guidance. A new focus on diversity and inclusion. A recent decision that broke 40 years of precedent to require agencies to have substantial evidence before putting an employee on a performance demonstration period. FELTG’s annual webinar training series Supervising Federal Employees: Managing Accountability and Defending Your Actions can help you and your supervisors get up to speed on the changing nature of the federal workplace.

FELTG’s talented team of engaging and experienced instructors will teach 14 60-minute webinars every two weeks from March through the end of August. The webinars are updated to provide a comprehensive curriculum for those who supervisor federal employees.  Supervising Federal Employees: Managing Accountability and Defending Your Actions addresses the most timely and important topics supervisors are facing at the moment. Courses are taught on everything from managing poor performance and disciplining for employee misconduct to providing reasonable accommodation and rooting out leave abuse. Those who attend can rest assured that they are well-prepared to face the new and challenging issues amid complex and changing laws.

There is no other training available that provides the depth and breadth of guidance that federal supervisors need to manage the agency workplace effectively and efficiently.

You can register for one, several, or all of the courses in the series. The webinars will be held every other Tuesday from 1 – 2 p.m. eastern time, and will expand upon legal principles to provide attendees with the necessary tools and best practices. Plus, you’ll have a chance to ask questions and get answers from FELTG instructors – in real time.

As an added bonus, this series fulfills OPM’s mandatory training requirements for new supervisors found at 5 CFR 412.202(b).

2021 dates:

March 9: The Foundations of Accountability: Performance vs. Misconduct: The distinction between performance and conduct; an overview on holding employees accountable; setting the stage for discipline and performance actions.

March 23: Disciplining Employees for Misconduct, Part I: The five elements of discipline in the federal government; documentation supervisors need to succeed in a disciplinary action.

April 6: Disciplining Employees for Misconduct, Part II: Disciplinary procedures: reprimand, suspension, termination; appeals process; agency liability.

April 20: Writing Effective Performance Plans: Performance management; understanding the performance appraisal system; defining elements and standards; drafting standards according to legal requirements; creating the performance plan.

May 4: Handling an Unacceptable Performance Case: Performance accountability in a nutshell; recent decision requiring agencies to have substantial evidence before putting an employee on a performance demonstration period; executing a performance demonstration period; proof and evidence standards.

May 18: Addressing Special Challenges with Performance: Permutations on performance accountability and the performance warning period; performance standards with multiple sub-components; managing teleworker performance; what do when a poor-performing employee requests reasonable accommodation.

June 1: Providing Performance Feedback That Makes a Difference: Communicating performance expectations; providing ongoing feedback; positive vs. negative framing; why you shouldn’t wait until the mid-year to discuss performance issues.

June 15: Tackling Leave Issues I: Handling the leave issues most common in the federal government: annual leave, sick leave, leave transfer.

June 29: Tackling Leave Issues II: Handling more complicated leave scenarios: FMLA, LWOP, administrative leave, AWOL. 

July 13: Disability Accommodation in 60 Minutes: Defining a disability; requests for accommodation; the interactive process; accommodations of choice; undue hardship.

July 27: Intentional EEO Discrimination: What supervisors should know about EEO discrimination; discrete acts of discrimination; selection and promotion cases; defending against claims of intentional discrimination.

August 10:  Combating Against Hostile Work Environment Harassment Claims: The elements of a hostile work environment; liability in hostile work environment claims; tangible employment actions; harassment v. bullying; supervisor responsibilities in harassment claims; agency defenses.

August 24: EEO Reprisal: Handle It, Don’t Fear It: How reprisal is different than other EEO claims; what the complainant must show to establish reprisal; how a supervisor can defend against reprisal claims; what to do and what not to do when an employee engages in protected EEO activity.

August 31: Supervising in a Unionized Environment: The right to be bargained with; forming a union; employee and union rights; ULPs.

Pricing

Early Bird Tuition:

  • $240 per site, per session (payment required by March 1).
  • Special series discounts available through March 1: $2,925 for the first 13 webinars or $3,150 for all 14. See registration form for details.

Standard Tuition: 

  • $270 per site, per session (payments made March 2 or later).

Working from home? Teleworkers may be added to a primary site registration for $50 each, per session, on a space-available basis.

Have a large group teleworking? Contact FELTG for information on group discounts.

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.

Jun
15
Tue
Webinar Series – Supervising Federal Employees: Managing Accountability and Defending Your Actions
Jun 15 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Download Registration Form

Instructors

Deborah Hopkins, Barbara Haga, Meghan Droste, Ann Boehm, Katherine Atkinson, Anthony Marchese

Course Description

President Biden’s Executive Orders on the Federal Workplace. OPM’s recent guidance. A new focus on diversity and inclusion. A recent decision that broke 40 years of precedent to require agencies to have substantial evidence before putting an employee on a performance demonstration period. FELTG’s annual webinar training series Supervising Federal Employees: Managing Accountability and Defending Your Actions can help you and your supervisors get up to speed on the changing nature of the federal workplace.

FELTG’s talented team of engaging and experienced instructors will teach 14 60-minute webinars every two weeks from March through the end of August. The webinars are updated to provide a comprehensive curriculum for those who supervisor federal employees.  Supervising Federal Employees: Managing Accountability and Defending Your Actions addresses the most timely and important topics supervisors are facing at the moment. Courses are taught on everything from managing poor performance and disciplining for employee misconduct to providing reasonable accommodation and rooting out leave abuse. Those who attend can rest assured that they are well-prepared to face the new and challenging issues amid complex and changing laws.

There is no other training available that provides the depth and breadth of guidance that federal supervisors need to manage the agency workplace effectively and efficiently.

You can register for one, several, or all of the courses in the series. The webinars will be held every other Tuesday from 1 – 2 p.m. eastern time, and will expand upon legal principles to provide attendees with the necessary tools and best practices. Plus, you’ll have a chance to ask questions and get answers from FELTG instructors – in real time.

As an added bonus, this series fulfills OPM’s mandatory training requirements for new supervisors found at 5 CFR 412.202(b).

2021 dates:

March 9: The Foundations of Accountability: Performance vs. Misconduct: The distinction between performance and conduct; an overview on holding employees accountable; setting the stage for discipline and performance actions.

March 23: Disciplining Employees for Misconduct, Part I: The five elements of discipline in the federal government; documentation supervisors need to succeed in a disciplinary action.

April 6: Disciplining Employees for Misconduct, Part II: Disciplinary procedures: reprimand, suspension, termination; appeals process; agency liability.

April 20: Writing Effective Performance Plans: Performance management; understanding the performance appraisal system; defining elements and standards; drafting standards according to legal requirements; creating the performance plan.

May 4: Handling an Unacceptable Performance Case: Performance accountability in a nutshell; recent decision requiring agencies to have substantial evidence before putting an employee on a performance demonstration period; executing a performance demonstration period; proof and evidence standards.

May 18: Addressing Special Challenges with Performance: Permutations on performance accountability and the performance warning period; performance standards with multiple sub-components; managing teleworker performance; what do when a poor-performing employee requests reasonable accommodation.

June 1: Providing Performance Feedback That Makes a Difference: Communicating performance expectations; providing ongoing feedback; positive vs. negative framing; why you shouldn’t wait until the mid-year to discuss performance issues.

June 15: Tackling Leave Issues I: Handling the leave issues most common in the federal government: annual leave, sick leave, leave transfer.

June 29: Tackling Leave Issues II: Handling more complicated leave scenarios: FMLA, LWOP, administrative leave, AWOL. 

July 13: Disability Accommodation in 60 Minutes: Defining a disability; requests for accommodation; the interactive process; accommodations of choice; undue hardship.

July 27: Intentional EEO Discrimination: What supervisors should know about EEO discrimination; discrete acts of discrimination; selection and promotion cases; defending against claims of intentional discrimination.

August 10:  Combating Against Hostile Work Environment Harassment Claims: The elements of a hostile work environment; liability in hostile work environment claims; tangible employment actions; harassment v. bullying; supervisor responsibilities in harassment claims; agency defenses.

August 24: EEO Reprisal: Handle It, Don’t Fear It: How reprisal is different than other EEO claims; what the complainant must show to establish reprisal; how a supervisor can defend against reprisal claims; what to do and what not to do when an employee engages in protected EEO activity.

August 31: Supervising in a Unionized Environment: The right to be bargained with; forming a union; employee and union rights; ULPs.

Pricing

Early Bird Tuition:

  • $240 per site, per session (payment required by March 1).
  • Special series discounts available through March 1: $2,925 for the first 13 webinars or $3,150 for all 14. See registration form for details.

Standard Tuition: 

  • $270 per site, per session (payments made March 2 or later).

Working from home? Teleworkers may be added to a primary site registration for $50 each, per session, on a space-available basis.

Have a large group teleworking? Contact FELTG for information on group discounts.

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.

Jun
28
Mon
Virtual Training Event – FELTG Town Hall: Handling Threats of Violence on the Federal Workforce
Jun 28 @ 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm

Download Individual Registration Form

Course Description

The country and its workplaces are eyeing a return to pre-pandemic normalcy. But normal didn’t equate to perfect before COVID-19, and it won’t be that way after. As virus-related restrictions began to ease in recent weeks, news networks shifted their focus to a string of deadly violence across the country. The network attention was new, but the violence wasn’t. It had been on the upswing before the pandemic even arrived.

It’s not hyperbole to suggest that a violent threat (whether by gun, knife, vehicle, bomb, or mob) in or near your workplace would be the most demanding and traumatic situation you’ve ever faced.  Unfortunately, the federal government is not immune from this violence, as recent events at the Capitol illustrate. This training aims to provide you with the knowledge and foresight to be as prepared as you can be.

During this special 2-hour event, you will learn how to:

  • Efficiently and effectively address threats of violence made by an employee, customer, known entity, or stranger with anti-government motivations.
  • Understand the role of Federal law enforcement in managing a crisis.
  • Implement best practices for workplace safety.

This special FELTG Town Hall is a rare opportunity to discuss this difficult topic as it applies specifically to the federal workplace. It’s a must-attend for Law Enforcement Officers, HR directors, L/ER specialists, EEO professionals, agency counsel, supervisors, union officials, and employees, or anyone else in your agency who wants to learn about bystander intervention, de-escalation techniques, and other tools for handling threats of violence.

Our panel provides unique experience and expertise. As co-founder and a senior vice president at Xferall, Shana Palmieri has more than 15 issues of direct clinical experience in areas including emergency psychiatric assessment and treatment, domestic violence, chronic homelessness, mental health, and substance use disorders. Attorney at Law Deborah Hopkins is president of FELTG and co-author of UnCivil Servant: Holding Employees Accountable for Performance and Conduct. And the majority of Ann Boehm’s 26-year career as a government attorney was spent in law enforcement organizations.

This LIVE event also provides several opportunities to ask questions.

Download Individual Registration Form

Instructor

Shana Palmieri

Ann Boehm

Deborah Hopkins

Price

  • Early Bird Tuition: $295 (register by June 11).
  • Standard Tuition: $345 (register by June 12-28).
  • 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 June 11.

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.

Jun
29
Tue
Webinar Series – Supervising Federal Employees: Managing Accountability and Defending Your Actions
Jun 29 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Download Registration Form

Instructors

Deborah Hopkins, Barbara Haga, Meghan Droste, Ann Boehm, Katherine Atkinson, Anthony Marchese

Course Description

President Biden’s Executive Orders on the Federal Workplace. OPM’s recent guidance. A new focus on diversity and inclusion. A recent decision that broke 40 years of precedent to require agencies to have substantial evidence before putting an employee on a performance demonstration period. FELTG’s annual webinar training series Supervising Federal Employees: Managing Accountability and Defending Your Actions can help you and your supervisors get up to speed on the changing nature of the federal workplace.

FELTG’s talented team of engaging and experienced instructors will teach 14 60-minute webinars every two weeks from March through the end of August. The webinars are updated to provide a comprehensive curriculum for those who supervisor federal employees.  Supervising Federal Employees: Managing Accountability and Defending Your Actions addresses the most timely and important topics supervisors are facing at the moment. Courses are taught on everything from managing poor performance and disciplining for employee misconduct to providing reasonable accommodation and rooting out leave abuse. Those who attend can rest assured that they are well-prepared to face the new and challenging issues amid complex and changing laws.

There is no other training available that provides the depth and breadth of guidance that federal supervisors need to manage the agency workplace effectively and efficiently.

You can register for one, several, or all of the courses in the series. The webinars will be held every other Tuesday from 1 – 2 p.m. eastern time, and will expand upon legal principles to provide attendees with the necessary tools and best practices. Plus, you’ll have a chance to ask questions and get answers from FELTG instructors – in real time.

As an added bonus, this series fulfills OPM’s mandatory training requirements for new supervisors found at 5 CFR 412.202(b).

2021 dates:

March 9: The Foundations of Accountability: Performance vs. Misconduct: The distinction between performance and conduct; an overview on holding employees accountable; setting the stage for discipline and performance actions.

March 23: Disciplining Employees for Misconduct, Part I: The five elements of discipline in the federal government; documentation supervisors need to succeed in a disciplinary action.

April 6: Disciplining Employees for Misconduct, Part II: Disciplinary procedures: reprimand, suspension, termination; appeals process; agency liability.

April 20: Writing Effective Performance Plans: Performance management; understanding the performance appraisal system; defining elements and standards; drafting standards according to legal requirements; creating the performance plan.

May 4: Handling an Unacceptable Performance Case: Performance accountability in a nutshell; recent decision requiring agencies to have substantial evidence before putting an employee on a performance demonstration period; executing a performance demonstration period; proof and evidence standards.

May 18: Addressing Special Challenges with Performance: Permutations on performance accountability and the performance warning period; performance standards with multiple sub-components; managing teleworker performance; what do when a poor-performing employee requests reasonable accommodation.

June 1: Providing Performance Feedback That Makes a Difference: Communicating performance expectations; providing ongoing feedback; positive vs. negative framing; why you shouldn’t wait until the mid-year to discuss performance issues.

June 15: Tackling Leave Issues I: Handling the leave issues most common in the federal government: annual leave, sick leave, leave transfer.

June 29: Tackling Leave Issues II: Handling more complicated leave scenarios: FMLA, LWOP, administrative leave, AWOL. 

July 13: Disability Accommodation in 60 Minutes: Defining a disability; requests for accommodation; the interactive process; accommodations of choice; undue hardship.

July 27: Intentional EEO Discrimination: What supervisors should know about EEO discrimination; discrete acts of discrimination; selection and promotion cases; defending against claims of intentional discrimination.

August 10:  Combating Against Hostile Work Environment Harassment Claims: The elements of a hostile work environment; liability in hostile work environment claims; tangible employment actions; harassment v. bullying; supervisor responsibilities in harassment claims; agency defenses.

August 24: EEO Reprisal: Handle It, Don’t Fear It: How reprisal is different than other EEO claims; what the complainant must show to establish reprisal; how a supervisor can defend against reprisal claims; what to do and what not to do when an employee engages in protected EEO activity.

August 31: Supervising in a Unionized Environment: The right to be bargained with; forming a union; employee and union rights; ULPs.

Pricing

Early Bird Tuition:

  • $240 per site, per session (payment required by March 1).
  • Special series discounts available through March 1: $2,925 for the first 13 webinars or $3,150 for all 14. See registration form for details.

Standard Tuition: 

  • $270 per site, per session (payments made March 2 or later).

Working from home? Teleworkers may be added to a primary site registration for $50 each, per session, on a space-available basis.

Have a large group teleworking? Contact FELTG for information on group discounts.

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.

Jul
13
Tue
Webinar Series – Supervising Federal Employees: Managing Accountability and Defending Your Actions
Jul 13 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Download Registration Form

Instructors

Deborah Hopkins, Barbara Haga, Meghan Droste, Ann Boehm, Katherine Atkinson, Anthony Marchese

Course Description

President Biden’s Executive Orders on the Federal Workplace. OPM’s recent guidance. A new focus on diversity and inclusion. A recent decision that broke 40 years of precedent to require agencies to have substantial evidence before putting an employee on a performance demonstration period. FELTG’s annual webinar training series Supervising Federal Employees: Managing Accountability and Defending Your Actions can help you and your supervisors get up to speed on the changing nature of the federal workplace.

FELTG’s talented team of engaging and experienced instructors will teach 14 60-minute webinars every two weeks from March through the end of August. The webinars are updated to provide a comprehensive curriculum for those who supervisor federal employees.  Supervising Federal Employees: Managing Accountability and Defending Your Actions addresses the most timely and important topics supervisors are facing at the moment. Courses are taught on everything from managing poor performance and disciplining for employee misconduct to providing reasonable accommodation and rooting out leave abuse. Those who attend can rest assured that they are well-prepared to face the new and challenging issues amid complex and changing laws.

There is no other training available that provides the depth and breadth of guidance that federal supervisors need to manage the agency workplace effectively and efficiently.

You can register for one, several, or all of the courses in the series. The webinars will be held every other Tuesday from 1 – 2 p.m. eastern time, and will expand upon legal principles to provide attendees with the necessary tools and best practices. Plus, you’ll have a chance to ask questions and get answers from FELTG instructors – in real time.

As an added bonus, this series fulfills OPM’s mandatory training requirements for new supervisors found at 5 CFR 412.202(b).

2021 dates:

March 9: The Foundations of Accountability: Performance vs. Misconduct: The distinction between performance and conduct; an overview on holding employees accountable; setting the stage for discipline and performance actions.

March 23: Disciplining Employees for Misconduct, Part I: The five elements of discipline in the federal government; documentation supervisors need to succeed in a disciplinary action.

April 6: Disciplining Employees for Misconduct, Part II: Disciplinary procedures: reprimand, suspension, termination; appeals process; agency liability.

April 20: Writing Effective Performance Plans: Performance management; understanding the performance appraisal system; defining elements and standards; drafting standards according to legal requirements; creating the performance plan.

May 4: Handling an Unacceptable Performance Case: Performance accountability in a nutshell; recent decision requiring agencies to have substantial evidence before putting an employee on a performance demonstration period; executing a performance demonstration period; proof and evidence standards.

May 18: Addressing Special Challenges with Performance: Permutations on performance accountability and the performance warning period; performance standards with multiple sub-components; managing teleworker performance; what do when a poor-performing employee requests reasonable accommodation.

June 1: Providing Performance Feedback That Makes a Difference: Communicating performance expectations; providing ongoing feedback; positive vs. negative framing; why you shouldn’t wait until the mid-year to discuss performance issues.

June 15: Tackling Leave Issues I: Handling the leave issues most common in the federal government: annual leave, sick leave, leave transfer.

June 29: Tackling Leave Issues II: Handling more complicated leave scenarios: FMLA, LWOP, administrative leave, AWOL. 

July 13: Disability Accommodation in 60 Minutes: Defining a disability; requests for accommodation; the interactive process; accommodations of choice; undue hardship.

July 27: Intentional EEO Discrimination: What supervisors should know about EEO discrimination; discrete acts of discrimination; selection and promotion cases; defending against claims of intentional discrimination.

August 10:  Combating Against Hostile Work Environment Harassment Claims: The elements of a hostile work environment; liability in hostile work environment claims; tangible employment actions; harassment v. bullying; supervisor responsibilities in harassment claims; agency defenses.

August 24: EEO Reprisal: Handle It, Don’t Fear It: How reprisal is different than other EEO claims; what the complainant must show to establish reprisal; how a supervisor can defend against reprisal claims; what to do and what not to do when an employee engages in protected EEO activity.

August 31: Supervising in a Unionized Environment: The right to be bargained with; forming a union; employee and union rights; ULPs.

Pricing

Early Bird Tuition:

  • $240 per site, per session (payment required by March 1).
  • Special series discounts available through March 1: $2,925 for the first 13 webinars or $3,150 for all 14. See registration form for details.

Standard Tuition: 

  • $270 per site, per session (payments made March 2 or later).

Working from home? Teleworkers may be added to a primary site registration for $50 each, per session, on a space-available basis.

Have a large group teleworking? Contact FELTG for information on group discounts.

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.

Jul
21
Wed
Virtual Training Event – Dealing With Employee Mental Health Challenges During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic
Jul 21 all-day

Download Individual Registration Form

Course Description

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the ongoing behavioral and mental health crisis in this country. Almost 18 percent of all adults have a behavioral health diagnosis at some point in their lives. After a year of isolation, new work processes, heightened responsibilities, and political minefields, employees with a mental health diagnosis will soon be returning to the physical workplace.

On April 30, OPM released a memo on the importance of mental health and the well-being of Federal employees: “Awareness of mental health supports for Federal employees is an important element of protecting employee well-being and sustaining a high performing Federal workforce.”

What are you doing to prepare yourself and your agency for the influx of challenges you’ll face as all employees return, particularly those with a mental health diagnosis? If one of your employees had a mental health crisis in the workplace, would you know what to do? What if employee in crisis is working from home?

This virtual training program will provide highly practical guidance and straight-forward advice on dealing with the very unique challenges you face, as some employees continue to telework, while others make their way back to the workplace.

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 with whom they work. She’ll also provide strategies for effectively supervising and managing employees with these conditions, whether they’re in the office or working 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 ET. You won’t want to miss it.

This program meets the President’s mandate to provide training on diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility in the Federal workplace.

Download Individual Registration Form

Instructor

Shana Palmieri

Price

  • Early Bird Tuition: $340 (register by July 6).
  • Standard Tuition: $380 (register by July 7-21).
  • Rates per registrant.

Event FAQs

  • Can I attend Virtual Training from my government computer?
    • FELTG uses Zoom to broadcast 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.
  • 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 July 6.

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.

 

Jul
27
Tue
Webinar Series – Supervising Federal Employees: Managing Accountability and Defending Your Actions
Jul 27 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Download Registration Form

Instructors

Deborah Hopkins, Barbara Haga, Meghan Droste, Ann Boehm, Katherine Atkinson, Anthony Marchese

Course Description

President Biden’s Executive Orders on the Federal Workplace. OPM’s recent guidance. A new focus on diversity and inclusion. A recent decision that broke 40 years of precedent to require agencies to have substantial evidence before putting an employee on a performance demonstration period. FELTG’s annual webinar training series Supervising Federal Employees: Managing Accountability and Defending Your Actions can help you and your supervisors get up to speed on the changing nature of the federal workplace.

FELTG’s talented team of engaging and experienced instructors will teach 14 60-minute webinars every two weeks from March through the end of August. The webinars are updated to provide a comprehensive curriculum for those who supervisor federal employees.  Supervising Federal Employees: Managing Accountability and Defending Your Actions addresses the most timely and important topics supervisors are facing at the moment. Courses are taught on everything from managing poor performance and disciplining for employee misconduct to providing reasonable accommodation and rooting out leave abuse. Those who attend can rest assured that they are well-prepared to face the new and challenging issues amid complex and changing laws.

There is no other training available that provides the depth and breadth of guidance that federal supervisors need to manage the agency workplace effectively and efficiently.

You can register for one, several, or all of the courses in the series. The webinars will be held every other Tuesday from 1 – 2 p.m. eastern time, and will expand upon legal principles to provide attendees with the necessary tools and best practices. Plus, you’ll have a chance to ask questions and get answers from FELTG instructors – in real time.

As an added bonus, this series fulfills OPM’s mandatory training requirements for new supervisors found at 5 CFR 412.202(b).

2021 dates:

March 9: The Foundations of Accountability: Performance vs. Misconduct: The distinction between performance and conduct; an overview on holding employees accountable; setting the stage for discipline and performance actions.

March 23: Disciplining Employees for Misconduct, Part I: The five elements of discipline in the federal government; documentation supervisors need to succeed in a disciplinary action.

April 6: Disciplining Employees for Misconduct, Part II: Disciplinary procedures: reprimand, suspension, termination; appeals process; agency liability.

April 20: Writing Effective Performance Plans: Performance management; understanding the performance appraisal system; defining elements and standards; drafting standards according to legal requirements; creating the performance plan.

May 4: Handling an Unacceptable Performance Case: Performance accountability in a nutshell; recent decision requiring agencies to have substantial evidence before putting an employee on a performance demonstration period; executing a performance demonstration period; proof and evidence standards.

May 18: Addressing Special Challenges with Performance: Permutations on performance accountability and the performance warning period; performance standards with multiple sub-components; managing teleworker performance; what do when a poor-performing employee requests reasonable accommodation.

June 1: Providing Performance Feedback That Makes a Difference: Communicating performance expectations; providing ongoing feedback; positive vs. negative framing; why you shouldn’t wait until the mid-year to discuss performance issues.

June 15: Tackling Leave Issues I: Handling the leave issues most common in the federal government: annual leave, sick leave, leave transfer.

June 29: Tackling Leave Issues II: Handling more complicated leave scenarios: FMLA, LWOP, administrative leave, AWOL. 

July 13: Disability Accommodation in 60 Minutes: Defining a disability; requests for accommodation; the interactive process; accommodations of choice; undue hardship.

July 27: Intentional EEO Discrimination: What supervisors should know about EEO discrimination; discrete acts of discrimination; selection and promotion cases; defending against claims of intentional discrimination.

August 10:  Combating Against Hostile Work Environment Harassment Claims: The elements of a hostile work environment; liability in hostile work environment claims; tangible employment actions; harassment v. bullying; supervisor responsibilities in harassment claims; agency defenses.

August 24: EEO Reprisal: Handle It, Don’t Fear It: How reprisal is different than other EEO claims; what the complainant must show to establish reprisal; how a supervisor can defend against reprisal claims; what to do and what not to do when an employee engages in protected EEO activity.

August 31: Supervising in a Unionized Environment: The right to be bargained with; forming a union; employee and union rights; ULPs.

Pricing

Early Bird Tuition:

  • $240 per site, per session (payment required by March 1).
  • Special series discounts available through March 1: $2,925 for the first 13 webinars or $3,150 for all 14. See registration form for details.

Standard Tuition: 

  • $270 per site, per session (payments made March 2 or later).

Working from home? Teleworkers may be added to a primary site registration for $50 each, per session, on a space-available basis.

Have a large group teleworking? Contact FELTG for information on group discounts.

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.

Aug
10
Tue
Webinar Series – Supervising Federal Employees: Managing Accountability and Defending Your Actions
Aug 10 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Download Registration Form

Instructors

Deborah Hopkins, Barbara Haga, Meghan Droste, Ann Boehm, Katherine Atkinson, Anthony Marchese

Course Description

President Biden’s Executive Orders on the Federal Workplace. OPM’s recent guidance. A new focus on diversity and inclusion. A recent decision that broke 40 years of precedent to require agencies to have substantial evidence before putting an employee on a performance demonstration period. FELTG’s annual webinar training series Supervising Federal Employees: Managing Accountability and Defending Your Actions can help you and your supervisors get up to speed on the changing nature of the federal workplace.

FELTG’s talented team of engaging and experienced instructors will teach 14 60-minute webinars every two weeks from March through the end of August. The webinars are updated to provide a comprehensive curriculum for those who supervisor federal employees.  Supervising Federal Employees: Managing Accountability and Defending Your Actions addresses the most timely and important topics supervisors are facing at the moment. Courses are taught on everything from managing poor performance and disciplining for employee misconduct to providing reasonable accommodation and rooting out leave abuse. Those who attend can rest assured that they are well-prepared to face the new and challenging issues amid complex and changing laws.

There is no other training available that provides the depth and breadth of guidance that federal supervisors need to manage the agency workplace effectively and efficiently.

You can register for one, several, or all of the courses in the series. The webinars will be held every other Tuesday from 1 – 2 p.m. eastern time, and will expand upon legal principles to provide attendees with the necessary tools and best practices. Plus, you’ll have a chance to ask questions and get answers from FELTG instructors – in real time.

As an added bonus, this series fulfills OPM’s mandatory training requirements for new supervisors found at 5 CFR 412.202(b).

2021 dates:

March 9: The Foundations of Accountability: Performance vs. Misconduct: The distinction between performance and conduct; an overview on holding employees accountable; setting the stage for discipline and performance actions.

March 23: Disciplining Employees for Misconduct, Part I: The five elements of discipline in the federal government; documentation supervisors need to succeed in a disciplinary action.

April 6: Disciplining Employees for Misconduct, Part II: Disciplinary procedures: reprimand, suspension, termination; appeals process; agency liability.

April 20: Writing Effective Performance Plans: Performance management; understanding the performance appraisal system; defining elements and standards; drafting standards according to legal requirements; creating the performance plan.

May 4: Handling an Unacceptable Performance Case: Performance accountability in a nutshell; recent decision requiring agencies to have substantial evidence before putting an employee on a performance demonstration period; executing a performance demonstration period; proof and evidence standards.

May 18: Addressing Special Challenges with Performance: Permutations on performance accountability and the performance warning period; performance standards with multiple sub-components; managing teleworker performance; what do when a poor-performing employee requests reasonable accommodation.

June 1: Providing Performance Feedback That Makes a Difference: Communicating performance expectations; providing ongoing feedback; positive vs. negative framing; why you shouldn’t wait until the mid-year to discuss performance issues.

June 15: Tackling Leave Issues I: Handling the leave issues most common in the federal government: annual leave, sick leave, leave transfer.

June 29: Tackling Leave Issues II: Handling more complicated leave scenarios: FMLA, LWOP, administrative leave, AWOL. 

July 13: Disability Accommodation in 60 Minutes: Defining a disability; requests for accommodation; the interactive process; accommodations of choice; undue hardship.

July 27: Intentional EEO Discrimination: What supervisors should know about EEO discrimination; discrete acts of discrimination; selection and promotion cases; defending against claims of intentional discrimination.

August 10:  Combating Against Hostile Work Environment Harassment Claims: The elements of a hostile work environment; liability in hostile work environment claims; tangible employment actions; harassment v. bullying; supervisor responsibilities in harassment claims; agency defenses.

August 24: EEO Reprisal: Handle It, Don’t Fear It: How reprisal is different than other EEO claims; what the complainant must show to establish reprisal; how a supervisor can defend against reprisal claims; what to do and what not to do when an employee engages in protected EEO activity.

August 31: Supervising in a Unionized Environment: The right to be bargained with; forming a union; employee and union rights; ULPs.

Pricing

Early Bird Tuition:

  • $240 per site, per session (payment required by March 1).
  • Special series discounts available through March 1: $2,925 for the first 13 webinars or $3,150 for all 14. See registration form for details.

Standard Tuition: 

  • $270 per site, per session (payments made March 2 or later).

Working from home? Teleworkers may be added to a primary site registration for $50 each, per session, on a space-available basis.

Have a large group teleworking? Contact FELTG for information on group discounts.

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.

Aug
23
Mon
Virtual Training Event – Writing Final Agency Decisions
Aug 23 – Aug 24 all-day

Download Individual Registration Form

Course Description

As Federal EEO practitioners know, FAD is short for Final Agency Decision. But the word “Final” is often misleading. A FAD is appealable, by the complainant, to the EEOC. And many employees will take advantage of that opportunity to appeal the agency’s decision.

EEOC decisions are littered with reversals of agency’s FADs finding no discrimination. An employee has that right to appeal and you cannot interfere with that. However, you can ensure that your FADs are written in a way that withstands scrutiny by the EEOC, and it starts with knowing and understanding discrimination law, as applied to the Federal workplace.

Over two half-days, Attorney Katherine Atkinson will present you with everything you need to know to write an effective FAD, including identifying and avoiding the pitfalls that often lead to the EEOC reversals.

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

This program meets the President’s mandate to provide training on diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility in the Federal workplace.

Instructor

Katherine Atkinson

Agenda

Monday, August 23

Applying Theories of Discrimination: EEO Law Overview; Intentional Discrimination; Disparate Impact; Hostile Work Environment; Reasonable Accommodation; Retaliation; overlapping forms of discrimination.

Tuesday, August 24

Writing the Report: Timeliness Issues; Effective Legal Writing: structure and language; FAD Legal Sufficiency; deconstruction exercise.

Price

  • Early Bird Tuition: $370 per session, $700 for both sessions (register by August 6).
  • Standard Tuition: $400 per session, $750 for both sessions (register August 7-24).
  • Rates per registrant. No split registrations permitted.
  • Want to register a group? Contact FELTG.

Event FAQs

  • Can I attend Virtual Training from my government computer?
    • FELTG will use 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.
  • What if I want to attend a session but have a schedule conflict?
    • FELTG plans to offer this live event periodically, so check our calendar for upcoming dates.
  • 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 August 6.
  • 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.

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.

Aug
24
Tue
Webinar Series – Supervising Federal Employees: Managing Accountability and Defending Your Actions
Aug 24 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Download Registration Form

Instructors

Deborah Hopkins, Barbara Haga, Meghan Droste, Ann Boehm, Katherine Atkinson, Anthony Marchese

Course Description

President Biden’s Executive Orders on the Federal Workplace. OPM’s recent guidance. A new focus on diversity and inclusion. A recent decision that broke 40 years of precedent to require agencies to have substantial evidence before putting an employee on a performance demonstration period. FELTG’s annual webinar training series Supervising Federal Employees: Managing Accountability and Defending Your Actions can help you and your supervisors get up to speed on the changing nature of the federal workplace.

FELTG’s talented team of engaging and experienced instructors will teach 14 60-minute webinars every two weeks from March through the end of August. The webinars are updated to provide a comprehensive curriculum for those who supervisor federal employees.  Supervising Federal Employees: Managing Accountability and Defending Your Actions addresses the most timely and important topics supervisors are facing at the moment. Courses are taught on everything from managing poor performance and disciplining for employee misconduct to providing reasonable accommodation and rooting out leave abuse. Those who attend can rest assured that they are well-prepared to face the new and challenging issues amid complex and changing laws.

There is no other training available that provides the depth and breadth of guidance that federal supervisors need to manage the agency workplace effectively and efficiently.

You can register for one, several, or all of the courses in the series. The webinars will be held every other Tuesday from 1 – 2 p.m. eastern time, and will expand upon legal principles to provide attendees with the necessary tools and best practices. Plus, you’ll have a chance to ask questions and get answers from FELTG instructors – in real time.

As an added bonus, this series fulfills OPM’s mandatory training requirements for new supervisors found at 5 CFR 412.202(b).

2021 dates:

March 9: The Foundations of Accountability: Performance vs. Misconduct: The distinction between performance and conduct; an overview on holding employees accountable; setting the stage for discipline and performance actions.

March 23: Disciplining Employees for Misconduct, Part I: The five elements of discipline in the federal government; documentation supervisors need to succeed in a disciplinary action.

April 6: Disciplining Employees for Misconduct, Part II: Disciplinary procedures: reprimand, suspension, termination; appeals process; agency liability.

April 20: Writing Effective Performance Plans: Performance management; understanding the performance appraisal system; defining elements and standards; drafting standards according to legal requirements; creating the performance plan.

May 4: Handling an Unacceptable Performance Case: Performance accountability in a nutshell; recent decision requiring agencies to have substantial evidence before putting an employee on a performance demonstration period; executing a performance demonstration period; proof and evidence standards.

May 18: Addressing Special Challenges with Performance: Permutations on performance accountability and the performance warning period; performance standards with multiple sub-components; managing teleworker performance; what do when a poor-performing employee requests reasonable accommodation.

June 1: Providing Performance Feedback That Makes a Difference: Communicating performance expectations; providing ongoing feedback; positive vs. negative framing; why you shouldn’t wait until the mid-year to discuss performance issues.

June 15: Tackling Leave Issues I: Handling the leave issues most common in the federal government: annual leave, sick leave, leave transfer.

June 29: Tackling Leave Issues II: Handling more complicated leave scenarios: FMLA, LWOP, administrative leave, AWOL. 

July 13: Disability Accommodation in 60 Minutes: Defining a disability; requests for accommodation; the interactive process; accommodations of choice; undue hardship.

July 27: Intentional EEO Discrimination: What supervisors should know about EEO discrimination; discrete acts of discrimination; selection and promotion cases; defending against claims of intentional discrimination.

August 10:  Combating Against Hostile Work Environment Harassment Claims: The elements of a hostile work environment; liability in hostile work environment claims; tangible employment actions; harassment v. bullying; supervisor responsibilities in harassment claims; agency defenses.

August 24: EEO Reprisal: Handle It, Don’t Fear It: How reprisal is different than other EEO claims; what the complainant must show to establish reprisal; how a supervisor can defend against reprisal claims; what to do and what not to do when an employee engages in protected EEO activity.

August 31: Supervising in a Unionized Environment: The right to be bargained with; forming a union; employee and union rights; ULPs.

Pricing

Early Bird Tuition:

  • $240 per site, per session (payment required by March 1).
  • Special series discounts available through March 1: $2,925 for the first 13 webinars or $3,150 for all 14. See registration form for details.

Standard Tuition: 

  • $270 per site, per session (payments made March 2 or later).

Working from home? Teleworkers may be added to a primary site registration for $50 each, per session, on a space-available basis.

Have a large group teleworking? Contact FELTG for information on group discounts.

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.

Aug
31
Tue
Webinar Series – Supervising Federal Employees: Managing Accountability and Defending Your Actions
Aug 31 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Download Registration Form

Instructors

Deborah Hopkins, Barbara Haga, Meghan Droste, Ann Boehm, Katherine Atkinson, Anthony Marchese

Course Description

President Biden’s Executive Orders on the Federal Workplace. OPM’s recent guidance. A new focus on diversity and inclusion. A recent decision that broke 40 years of precedent to require agencies to have substantial evidence before putting an employee on a performance demonstration period. FELTG’s annual webinar training series Supervising Federal Employees: Managing Accountability and Defending Your Actions can help you and your supervisors get up to speed on the changing nature of the federal workplace.

FELTG’s talented team of engaging and experienced instructors will teach 14 60-minute webinars every two weeks from March through the end of August. The webinars are updated to provide a comprehensive curriculum for those who supervisor federal employees.  Supervising Federal Employees: Managing Accountability and Defending Your Actions addresses the most timely and important topics supervisors are facing at the moment. Courses are taught on everything from managing poor performance and disciplining for employee misconduct to providing reasonable accommodation and rooting out leave abuse. Those who attend can rest assured that they are well-prepared to face the new and challenging issues amid complex and changing laws.

There is no other training available that provides the depth and breadth of guidance that federal supervisors need to manage the agency workplace effectively and efficiently.

You can register for one, several, or all of the courses in the series. The webinars will be held every other Tuesday from 1 – 2 p.m. eastern time, and will expand upon legal principles to provide attendees with the necessary tools and best practices. Plus, you’ll have a chance to ask questions and get answers from FELTG instructors – in real time.

As an added bonus, this series fulfills OPM’s mandatory training requirements for new supervisors found at 5 CFR 412.202(b).

2021 dates:

March 9: The Foundations of Accountability: Performance vs. Misconduct: The distinction between performance and conduct; an overview on holding employees accountable; setting the stage for discipline and performance actions.

March 23: Disciplining Employees for Misconduct, Part I: The five elements of discipline in the federal government; documentation supervisors need to succeed in a disciplinary action.

April 6: Disciplining Employees for Misconduct, Part II: Disciplinary procedures: reprimand, suspension, termination; appeals process; agency liability.

April 20: Writing Effective Performance Plans: Performance management; understanding the performance appraisal system; defining elements and standards; drafting standards according to legal requirements; creating the performance plan.

May 4: Handling an Unacceptable Performance Case: Performance accountability in a nutshell; recent decision requiring agencies to have substantial evidence before putting an employee on a performance demonstration period; executing a performance demonstration period; proof and evidence standards.

May 18: Addressing Special Challenges with Performance: Permutations on performance accountability and the performance warning period; performance standards with multiple sub-components; managing teleworker performance; what do when a poor-performing employee requests reasonable accommodation.

June 1: Providing Performance Feedback That Makes a Difference: Communicating performance expectations; providing ongoing feedback; positive vs. negative framing; why you shouldn’t wait until the mid-year to discuss performance issues.

June 15: Tackling Leave Issues I: Handling the leave issues most common in the federal government: annual leave, sick leave, leave transfer.

June 29: Tackling Leave Issues II: Handling more complicated leave scenarios: FMLA, LWOP, administrative leave, AWOL. 

July 13: Disability Accommodation in 60 Minutes: Defining a disability; requests for accommodation; the interactive process; accommodations of choice; undue hardship.

July 27: Intentional EEO Discrimination: What supervisors should know about EEO discrimination; discrete acts of discrimination; selection and promotion cases; defending against claims of intentional discrimination.

August 10:  Combating Against Hostile Work Environment Harassment Claims: The elements of a hostile work environment; liability in hostile work environment claims; tangible employment actions; harassment v. bullying; supervisor responsibilities in harassment claims; agency defenses.

August 24: EEO Reprisal: Handle It, Don’t Fear It: How reprisal is different than other EEO claims; what the complainant must show to establish reprisal; how a supervisor can defend against reprisal claims; what to do and what not to do when an employee engages in protected EEO activity.

August 31: Supervising in a Unionized Environment: The right to be bargained with; forming a union; employee and union rights; ULPs.

Pricing

Early Bird Tuition:

  • $240 per site, per session (payment required by March 1).
  • Special series discounts available through March 1: $2,925 for the first 13 webinars or $3,150 for all 14. See registration form for details.

Standard Tuition: 

  • $270 per site, per session (payments made March 2 or later).

Working from home? Teleworkers may be added to a primary site registration for $50 each, per session, on a space-available basis.

Have a large group teleworking? Contact FELTG for information on group discounts.

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
5
Tue
Virtual Training Event – Conducting Effective Harassment Investigations
Oct 5 – Oct 7 all-day

Download Registration Form

Event Description

Investigating harassment in your Federal agency can be an intimidating assignment, one that is rife with innuendo, conflicting accounts, and raw emotions. Ensuring that your investigation is legally compliant and protects employees, while helping the agency minimize liability, is a taxing task. It’s even more challenging during the COVID-19 pandemic when most investigations must be done virtually.

Together, these three instructor-led live training sessions will provide a solid basis for a successful and effective approach to conducting legally-sufficient harassment investigations that stand up upon third-party review. Peruse MSPB and EEOC cases and you’ll find that poorly conducted investigations are far more common than they should be, and the cost of these investigations to agencies are bigger than you’d expect.

Understand the differences between EEO and non-EEO harassment. Learn the best techniques to conduct an investigation – whether onsite or virtually. Write a report that covers all the crucial information. And much more.

This open enrollment FELTG Virtual Training Institute program Conducting Effective Harassment Investigations offers opportunities to ask questions of FELTG’s experienced instructors, and get answers in real time. Plus, this program fulfills the requirements for 8-hour annual EEO investigator refresher training.

You can register for any of the sessions individually, or you can register for all three. This program runs from 12:30 – 4:00 eastern each day, with a 30-minute break from 2:00 – 2:30 eastern. Participants will receive program materials via email on Monday, October 5.

Download Registration Form



Tuesday, October 5, 2021

Session 1: Investigating Harassment: Misconduct Principles

12:30 pm – 4:00 pm eastern (break from 2:00 – 2:30)
Presented by Deborah J. Hopkins, Attorney at Law, FELTG President

Course Description: An effective harassment investigation begins with a solid foundation of misconduct law in the federal workplace. Attorney and FELTG President Deborah J. Hopkins will explain the principles that underpin a successful investigation of federal employee misconduct, whether it’s on-duty or off-duty. Attendees will learn the five elements of discipline and understand how they relate to the misconduct investigation process. Plus, they’ll learn about evidence standards and burdens of proof in misconduct cases, how Douglas factors play in to an investigation, the importance of nexus, what to do when a witness won’t cooperate, and much more.

Learning Objectives

Attendees will learn how to:

  • Identify the relationship between the foundations of federal accountability and misconduct investigations.
  • Identify and collect relevant penalty evidence during the investigation.
  • Recognize the mistakes that derail effective misconduct and harassment investigations.

Wednesday, October 6, 2021

Session 2: Understanding Harassment and Planning the Investigation

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

Course description: What is the scope of the investigation? Who should you interview? What documents are you going to need? Preparing your investigative plan is a critical step in developing a legally sufficient investigation. Attorney Katherine Atkinson will explain the proper role of the investigator and how you can avoid the pitfalls of an insufficient investigation with the proper preparation and knowledge. Plus, she’ll answer important questions about representation: Does the witness have the right to a representative? Does the union have a right to attend the interview – even if the witness doesn’t want the union there? What rights does agency management have in the process?

Learning Objectives

Attendees will learn how to:

  • Discern the difference between EEO and non-EEO harassment, and the impact that has on the investigations’ legal sufficiency.
  • Identify witness rights and management rights.
  • Recognize the three basic characteristics of evidence in a harassment investigation.

Thursday, October 7, 2021

Session 3: Conducting the Investigation and Writing the Report

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

Course description: Attorney Katherine Atkinson will share legal principles and proven guidance to navigate this most critical and challenging part of harassment investigations: conducting the interviews and gathering relevant evidence. Attendees will leave the session with techniques for questioning, tools for reading body language, suggestions on how to handle difficult personality types, and tips for writing the fact-finding report (FFR) and report of investigation (ROI). Ms. Atkinson will also share how technology is changing the investigation process, including a very timely discussion of conducting virtual interviews.

Learning Objectives

Attendees will learn how to:

  • Identify the similarities and differences in conducting onsite and virtual interviews.
  • Apply logic and judgment to evaluate conflicting statements.
  • Write a fulsome report on the findings from the harassment investigation.


Price

  • Early Bird Tuition (register by Sept 20): One Session = $340  |  Two Sessions = $650  |  Full Event = $900
  • Standard Tuition (register Sept 21 – Oct 7): One Session = $390  |  Two Sessions = $695  |  Full Event = $950
  • Rates per registrant. No split registrations permitted.
  • Want to register a group? Group discounts are available through Sept 20. Contact FELTG.
  • REGISTER NOW.

 

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 September 20.

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
21
Thu
Webinar – Workplace Investigations: Successfully Interviewing Witnesses With Mental and Behavioral Health Conditions
Oct 21 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Download Registration Form

Instructor

Shana Palmieri

Program Description

For many, it’s the most difficult and unpredictable part of the workplace investigation — conducting the interview. This is especially the case when the witness has a behavioral or mental health issue, or violent tendencies. Shana Palmieri, LCSW, will provide you with a set of tools to handle these challenging interviews. During this 60-minute webinar, Ms. Palmieri, the co-founder and COO of Xferall, will explain temperament traits and personality disorders, and then provide a road map for interviews. She’ll share guidance on how to de-escalate emotionally charged situations.

Attendees to this webinar will also learn how to:

  • Interview witnesses with violent tendencies.
  • Handle delicate interviews.
  • Interview witnesses with past trauma.

This class focuses on the practical and clinical side of managing employees with behavioral health conditions, rather than the legal side.

Price

  • Early Bird Tuition: $285 per site, per webinar (payment required by October 8)
  • Standard Tuition: $315 per site, per webinar (payments made October 9 or later)

Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $50 per teleworker, 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.

Dec
9
Thu
Virtual Training Event – Managing Employee Mental Health Challenges During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic
Dec 9 @ 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm

Download Individual Registration Form

Course Description

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 still 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. Earlier this year, OPM released a memo on the importance of mental health and the well-being of Federal employees: “Awareness of mental health supports for Federal employees is an important element of protecting employee well-being and sustaining a high performing Federal workforce.”

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, such as:

  • 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. This event will be held from 1:00 – 3:00 pm ET. You won’t want to miss it.

This program meets the President’s mandate to provide training on diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility in the Federal workplace.

Download Individual Registration Form

Instructor

Shana Palmieri

Price

  • Early Bird Tuition: $295 (register by November 22).
  • Standard Tuition: $325 (register by November 23-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.
  • 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 22.

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
20
Thu
Webinar – Workplace Investigations: Trauma and PTSD – Considerations for Effective Interviews
Jan 20 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Download Registration Form

Instructor

Shana Palmieri

Program Description

For many, it’s the most difficult and unpredictable part of the workplace investigation — conducting the interview. This is especially the case when the witness has suffered trauma. And it’s likely to happen, considering these sobering statistics:

  • Seven to eight percent will have PTSD at some point in their lifetimes.
  • Eight million adults will experience PTSD in a given year. This is only a small number of the people that experience a trauma.
  • Ten percent of women will experience PTSD at some point in their lifetimes, compared with four percent of men.

Shana Palmieri, LCSW, will provide you with a set of tools to handle these challenging interviews. During this 60-minute webinar, Ms. Palmieri, the co-founder and COO of Xferall, will explain the connection between trauma and memory and its implications for the interview. Attendees will learn the considerations of a trauma-influenced interview.

This class focuses on the practical and clinical side of managing employees who have experienced trauma, rather than the legal side.

Price

  • Early Bird Tuition: $270 per site, per webinar (payment required by January 4)
  • Standard Tuition: $295 per site, per webinar (payments made January 5 or later)

Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $50 per teleworker, 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.

Mar
8
Tue
Webinar Series – The Federal Supervisor’s Workshop: Building the Best Toolkit for Managing Today’s Workforce
Mar 8 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Download Registration Form

Instructors

Deborah Hopkins, Marcus Hill, Barbara Haga, Katherine Atkinson, Bob Woods, Joseph Schimansky

Course Description

Federal supervisors and advisers: Your time is valuable as ever, yet your challenges are changing — and growing.

FELTG’s annual supervisory training event returns in 2022 with a new look and focus. We’re still offering comprehensive training that expands upon legal principles to provide you with the necessary tools and best practices to manage the agency workplace effectively and efficiently. But this time, we take a laser focus on sessions that specifically address the unique challenges faced by supervisors in agencies across the country, and around the world.

These monthly 60-minute webinars provide you with the legal foundation for managing distinct situations regarding performance and conduct accountability, reasonable accommodation, sick leave, harassment, and labor relations (for those of you who supervise bargaining unit employees). But the guidance provided will help you build the necessary framework to tackle other equally specific and challenging situations.

These sessions are held live and provide an opportunity to ask questions — and get answers — from FELTG’s experienced instructors.

2022 dates:

March 8: Understanding Performance vs. Misconduct: Is it a performance issue or a conduct issue? Knowing how to answer this question will allow you to take the appropriate action. This webinar will teach the distinction between performance and conduct; provide an overview on holding employees accountable; discuss the “can’t vs. won’t” conundrum; and set the stage for defensible discipline and performance actions.

April 12: Insubordinate Employee? Don’t Mess With the Wrong Elements: Ever have an employee who refused to follow your orders? What if the employee failed to follow the order, but you’re not sure if it was intentional? The first step to dealing with the issue is to understand the word “insubordinate” and its legal implications. Learn the factors that will help you determine the most effective way to take action against employees who disobey lawful orders.

May 10: The Roller Coaster Employee: Managing Up-and-Down Performance: You’ve undoubtedly seen it several times, and it’s always frustrating. An employee is put on a performance demonstration period (DP, PIP, ODAP – or whatever your agency calls it) and does well enough to stay in his position. But when the DP ends, his performance dips again. You don’t have to feel helpless. Learn the most effective way to manage wide swings in performance.

June 14: Reasonable Accommodation: The Interactive Process: An important step after an employee requests a reasonable accommodation for a disability and provides supporting medical documentation is to engage in the “interactive process” with the employee. This training will explain what that process entails, how supervisors should work with disability program managers and reasonable accommodation coordinators, and answer key questions, such as: How do you define undue hardship? How do you determine essential functions? Do I have to give an employee telework as an accommodation? And much more.

July 12: Effectively Handling Sick Leave Use and Abuse: Managing the uncertainty and increased workload when employees call in sick is a perennial challenge for Federal supervisors. Even more complicated is administering sick leave, considering the multiple uses and numerous family members covered. Learn the six authorized uses of sick leave, who is a family member for sick leave purposes, the potential signs of sick leave abuse and how to counsel the employee; and the actions you can take for sick leave abuse, providing false medical information, or excessive absences.

August 9: The New Hostile Work Environment:  As the pandemic raged and employees remained home, many thought that reprehensible harassing incidents would wane, yet the targets of hostile work environment merely expanded and changed. More harassment was aimed at Asian American and Pacific Islanders and LGBTQ employees, and harassment took more virtual forms including email and social media. Learn what hostile work environment entails, what you can do to prevent it, and how to take prompt and effective action when harassment is alleged.

August 23: Do I Need to Invite the Union to this Meeting? You know that there are certain types of meetings that require you to invite the union. But meetings happen every day, so does that mean the union has a right to be at every one? Which ones need to include the union? Learn what makes a meeting a formal discussion, the union’s rights and responsibilities when it comes to meeting, and what the union rep can and cannot do during the formal discussion.

Pricing

Early Bird Tuition:

  • $270 per site, per session (payment required by February 28).
  • Special series discounts available through February 28: $1,525 for the first 6 webinars or $1,795 for all 7. See registration form for details.

Standard Tuition: 

  • $295 per site, per session (payments made March 1 or later).

Working from home? Teleworkers may be added to a primary site registration for $50 each, per session, 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.

Apr
12
Tue
Webinar Series – The Federal Supervisor’s Workshop: Building the Best Toolkit for Managing Today’s Workforce
Apr 12 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Download Registration Form

Instructors

Deborah Hopkins, Marcus Hill, Barbara Haga, Katherine Atkinson, Bob Woods, Joseph Schimansky

Course Description

Federal supervisors and advisers: Your time is valuable as ever, yet your challenges are changing — and growing.

FELTG’s annual supervisory training event returns in 2022 with a new look and focus. We’re still offering comprehensive training that expands upon legal principles to provide you with the necessary tools and best practices to manage the agency workplace effectively and efficiently. But this time, we take a laser focus on sessions that specifically address the unique challenges faced by supervisors in agencies across the country, and around the world.

These monthly 60-minute webinars provide you with the legal foundation for managing distinct situations regarding performance and conduct accountability, reasonable accommodation, sick leave, harassment, and labor relations (for those of you who supervise bargaining unit employees). But the guidance provided will help you build the necessary framework to tackle other equally specific and challenging situations.

These sessions are held live and provide an opportunity to ask questions — and get answers — from FELTG’s experienced instructors.

2022 dates:

March 8: Understanding Performance vs. Misconduct: Is it a performance issue or a conduct issue? Knowing how to answer this question will allow you to take the appropriate action. This webinar will teach the distinction between performance and conduct; provide an overview on holding employees accountable; discuss the “can’t vs. won’t” conundrum; and set the stage for defensible discipline and performance actions.

April 12: Insubordinate Employee? Don’t Mess With the Wrong Elements: Ever have an employee who refused to follow your orders? What if the employee failed to follow the order, but you’re not sure if it was intentional? The first step to dealing with the issue is to understand the word “insubordinate” and its legal implications. Learn the factors that will help you determine the most effective way to take action against employees who disobey lawful orders.

May 10: The Roller Coaster Employee: Managing Up-and-Down Performance: You’ve undoubtedly seen it several times, and it’s always frustrating. An employee is put on a performance demonstration period (DP, PIP, ODAP – or whatever your agency calls it) and does well enough to stay in his position. But when the DP ends, his performance dips again. You don’t have to feel helpless. Learn the most effective way to manage wide swings in performance.

June 14: Reasonable Accommodation: The Interactive Process: An important step after an employee requests a reasonable accommodation for a disability and provides supporting medical documentation is to engage in the “interactive process” with the employee. This training will explain what that process entails, how supervisors should work with disability program managers and reasonable accommodation coordinators, and answer key questions, such as: How do you define undue hardship? How do you determine essential functions? Do I have to give an employee telework as an accommodation? And much more.

July 12: Effectively Handling Sick Leave Use and Abuse: Managing the uncertainty and increased workload when employees call in sick is a perennial challenge for Federal supervisors. Even more complicated is administering sick leave, considering the multiple uses and numerous family members covered. Learn the six authorized uses of sick leave, who is a family member for sick leave purposes, the potential signs of sick leave abuse and how to counsel the employee; and the actions you can take for sick leave abuse, providing false medical information, or excessive absences.

August 9: The New Hostile Work Environment:  As the pandemic raged and employees remained home, many thought that reprehensible harassing incidents would wane, yet the targets of hostile work environment merely expanded and changed. More harassment was aimed at Asian American and Pacific Islanders and LGBTQ employees, and harassment took more virtual forms including email and social media. Learn what hostile work environment entails, what you can do to prevent it, and how to take prompt and effective action when harassment is alleged.

August 23: Do I Need to Invite the Union to this Meeting? You know that there are certain types of meetings that require you to invite the union. But meetings happen every day, so does that mean the union has a right to be at every one? Which ones need to include the union? Learn what makes a meeting a formal discussion, the union’s rights and responsibilities when it comes to meeting, and what the union rep can and cannot do during the formal discussion.

Pricing

Early Bird Tuition:

  • $270 per site, per session (payment required by February 28).
  • Special series discounts available through February 28: $1,525 for the first 6 webinars or $1,795 for all 7. See registration form for details.

Standard Tuition: 

  • $295 per site, per session (payments made March 1 or later).

Working from home? Teleworkers may be added to a primary site registration for $50 each, per session, 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.

Apr
13
Wed
Virtual Training Event – Navigating the Realities of Employee Stress, Anxiety, and PTSD in the Post-pandemic Workplace
Apr 13 all-day

Download Individual Registration Form

Instructor

Shana Palmieri

Program Description

It may seem that you or your coworkers are a little more on edge lately. Most likely, you or they are. Nearly 8 million adults annually experienced Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome in a given year – and that data was collected before the pandemic. More recent studies show increases in stress, anxiety, and PTSD among adults, and at the same time agencies are planning to bring employees back to the physical workspace. Attendees will learn how PTSD, stress, and anxiety could manifest in the workplace and how agencies can create success for employees with these mental health conditions.

The rates of anxiety and depression among U.S. adults increased times 4 between April 2020 and August 2021, compared to 2019. Prior to the pandemic anxiety rates hovered between 7.4% – 8.6% of U.S. adults, compared to 28.2% and 37.2% after the pandemic hit.  Similarly, for depressive symptoms prior to the pandemic, the rates hovered between 5.9% -7.5% compared to 20.2% to 31.1% after the pandemic.

This FELTG training will supply your agency with the tools of knowledge, awareness and interventions to support a healthy, successful and productive workforce.

Topics covered include:

  • Overview of symptom profile and the impact on work performance
  • Overview of workplace accommodations for mental health conditions
  • Management strategies to provide support and improve productivity
  • Effective communication techniques and strategies
  • How to develop a plan and handle a behavioral health crisis in the workplace

This class focuses on the practical and clinical side of managing employees who have experienced stress, anxiety, and PTSD, rather than the legal side. This class will be held from 1:00 – 3:00 PM ET.

Price

  • Early Bird Tuition: $295 (register by April 1)
  • Standard Tuition: $325 (register April 2 or later)
  • Rates per registrant.
  • Want to register a group? Group discounts for 10 or more attendees are available through April 1. 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.
  • What if I want to attend a session but have a schedule conflict?
    • FELTG plans to offer this live event periodically, so check our calendar for upcoming dates.
  • 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 April 1.

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.

Apr
26
Tue
Virtual Training Event – Emerging Issues in Federal Employment Law
Apr 26 – Apr 29 all-day

Download Individual Registration Form

Event Description

A politicized multi-year pandemic, a change in Administration, and nationwide trends, such as the Great Resignation, have set the Federal workplace reeling with seemingly new and daunting employment-related challenges, along with several that won’t go away. FELTG’s four-day training event Emerging Issues in Federal Employment Law returns for a third straight year, poised to provide you with the strategies and challenges to meet these unique times.

Three years ago, who would have thought that:

  • Federal agencies would be devising detailed plans to create hybrid workplaces?
  • The FLRA, under a Democratic Administration, would continue to issue decisions rankling unions?
  • The MSPB would go without a quorum for nearly 1,900 days?
  • Diversity and inclusion efforts would go from persona non grata to major priority with the stroke of a pen?
  • A Federal Circuit would suddenly end 40 years of MSPB precedent on PIPs, only to have OPM release conflicting guidance months later?
  • EEO discrimination issues would continue to flourish despite a majority of employees working from home?

The FELTG Virtual Training Institute’s Emerging Issues in Federal Employment Law program offers 11 unique and timely sessions to help you navigating these unsettling times. Hold remote and on-site employees equally accountable for performance and conduct. Stay up to date on changing legal issues involving performance improvement, leave, labor relations and more. Identify and prepare your agency for new EEO trends. Learn effective strategies for managing in a hybrid workplace and negotiating collective bargaining agreements.

We’ve developed these sessions to fit into your busy workdays. The training sessions are 75 minutes long, and you can register for all or for any of them individually. Or you can register for a whole day. Or all four days. Earn CLE credits and EEO refresher training credits.

The training is presented LIVE by FELTG’s experienced and respected instructors, who will answer your questions, so you get answers in real time.

Download Individual Registration Form

This program meets the President’s mandate to provide training on diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility in the Federal workplace.



Tuesday, April 26, 2022

The New Hybrid Workplace

 

Session 1
10:30 – 11:45 am ET

 

Holding Employees Accountable Regardless of Their Work Location
Presented by Ann Boehm, Attorney at Law, FELTG Instructor

 

Course description: Agencies face many challenges and unanswered questions about performance and conduct as they attempt to bring some workers back to the physical workspace. How do you hold workers accountable for performance and conduct when some are in the office and others are remote? How do you provide a performance demonstration period for an employee who is teleworking? As always, FELTG has the answers when it comes to accountability. Attendees will leave with a simple and effective approach to accountability, regardless of where the employee is working. Earn 1.25 CLE credits.


Session 2
1:00 – 2:15 pm ET

 

What to Do When Harassment Occurs Outside the Building
Presented by Katherine Atkinson, Attorney at Law, FELTG Instructor

 

Course Description: Hostile environment harassment can be alleged based not only on sex, but any protected category, such as race, national origin, religion, disability, and more. With the pandemic-fueled increase in telework and virtual meetings, and continued vitriol on social media, hostile environment harassment does not require that people be in the same location. Attendees will learn how to identify hostile work environment scenarios, discuss agency and supervisory liability, and develop successful prevention techniques. Earn 1.25 CLE credits. 1.25


Session 3
3:00 – 4:15 pm ET 

 

The New World of Work: Understanding Expectations, Aspirations, and Opportunities
Presented by Anthony Marchese, PhD., Consultant/Author/Trainer, FELTG Instructor

 

Course Description: The Pandemic of 2020-2022 thrust leaders into an unusual, unsettling territory where many are unequipped to rapidly respond to the systematic shift in employee expectations. Employees want increased autonomy and a voice in the decision-making process. With increased scrutiny of the employee value proposition (EVP), employees are eagerly anticipating how things will look in the next 6-12 months. Attendees will learn about embedded and emerging trends happening across the Federal landscape and leave with relevant best practices to navigate this landscape as a supervisor.


Wednesday, April 27, 2022

The Ever-Changing Law

 

Session 4
10:30 – 11:45 am ET

 

Santos, OPM and Performance Accountability: What Gives?
Presented by Robert Woods, Attorney at Law, FELTG Instructor

 

Course Description: Last year, the Federal Circuit in Santos v. NASA undid more than 40 years of case precedent, requiring agencies to have substantial evidence of poor performance before they can place an employee on a PIP. Yet, OPM’s proposed regulations, while not yet final, seem to indicate that employees must first be notified and given an opportunity to improve. Don’t let these seemingly contradictory approaches keep you from taking appropriate action. Attendees will leave this session with clear guidance and an effective approach for placing an employee on notice about unacceptable performance and explaining to the employee what’s required next. Earn 1.25 CLE credits.


 

Session 5
1:00 – 2:15 pm ET

 

What’s New in Leave 2022?
Presented by Barbara Haga, President/Federal HR Services, FELTG Senior Instructor

 

Course description: Leave is an ever-changing topic and 2022 is no exception.  The passage of the NDAA for FY 2022 created a new type of leave: Parental Bereavement Leave will allow for two weeks of paid time off in the event of death of a son or daughter.  The devil, of course, is in the details.  Which employees are covered?  How is son or daughter defined?  As if that wasn’t enough, the NDAA for FY 2021 made a change to the type of service that is qualifying to become FMLA eligible, and the regulations implementing the Paid Parental Leave Act issued in 2020 made some changes to the basic FMLA entitlement.  The session will cover these changes, as well as leave in COVID-related situations. Earn 1.25 CLE credits.


Session 6
3:00 – 4:15 pm ET

 

Federal Employment Law Update: Significant Cases and Developments
Presented by Ann Boehm, Attorney at Law, FELTG Instructor

 

Course description: The MSPB is back and delivering decisions, the FLRA and EEOC continue to issue important decisions, the Federal Circuit has been hopping, and OPM regularly updates its guidance. A District Court in Texas recently put a hold on major Federal workplace mandates, and a Federal Appeals court has recently struck down FLRA policy decisions. It’s a lot to keep up with. That’s why you need to join FELTG for this fast-paced review of the most surprising, significant, and groundbreaking developments in Federal employment law. Earn 1.25 CLE credits.

 


Thursday, April 28, 2022

Post-COVID EEO Challenges

 

Session 7
10:30 – 11:45 am ET

 

The Widening Net of Reprisal Discrimination
Presented by Deborah Hopkins, Attorney at Law, FELTG President

 

Course description: Reprisal is asserted in almost half of all EEO complaints, and it’s the most common discrimination finding in Federal sector cases. With increasing political and societal rifts creating workplace conflicts, ongoing questions about employee vaccination and exemption status, and the soon-to-be imminent return of many Federal employees to the physical workplace, EEO challenges such as reprisal are expected to grow even more. Attendees will learn the various forms of EEO reprisal and receive important guidance on how to limit it from happening at your agency. Earn 1.25 CLE credits.   1.25


Session 8
1:00 – 2:15 pm ET

 

Telework as a Reasonable Accommodation When Employees Return to the Workplace
Presented by Ricky Rowe, Former National EEO Manager/Veterans Administration

 

Course description: By most accounts, telework was an enormous success for Federal agencies over the past two years. As you start the process of returning most employees back to the physical workplace, it’s likely that you’re going to receive a sudden increase in requests for telework, likely within the framework of reasonable accommodation. OPM guidance last summer anticipated as much. Attend this session to best prepare yourself for this onslaught of requests and give you and your staff a proper guide on how to determine whether telework is an effective reasonable accommodation, and what alternative accommodations might be available as well. 1.25

 


Session 9
3:00 – 4:15 pm ET

 

When Medical Issues Cause Performance and Misconduct Problems
Presented by Deborah Hopkins, Attorney at Law, FELTG President

 

Course description: Few situations draw as much angst among supervisors as when they have an employee with a physical or mental impairment who is struggling to do the job and/or failing to meet conduct standards. With the rise in mental health diagnoses, substance abuse disorders and the physical challenges that come with an aging workforce, Federal supervisors can expect more of these gut-wrenching situations. If the employee already has a reasonable accommodation, can you put him on a PIP or must you offer a new reasonable accommodation first? Should disability be a mitigating factor in discipline? How do you process removals for medical inability to perform? Attendees will learn the answers to these questions and much more.Earn 1.25 CLE credits. 1.25

 


Friday April 29, 2022

Labor Relations Spotlight

 

Session 10
10:30 – 11:45 am ET

 

Representation Decisions Under FLRA
Presented by Joseph Schimansky, Former Executive Director/FSIP, FELTG Instructor

 

Course description: The FLRA, by a 2-1 margin, recently rejected requests to throw out its 2020 decision that stripped immigration judges of their collective bargaining rights. This rejection came just a month after the Biden Administration reversed a Trump-era policy and officially recognized the union. In this session, Mr. Schimansky will examine Representation decisions under the current FLRA and what they mean for agencies and unions in the short and long term. Earn 1.25 CLE credits.


Session 11
1:00 – 2:15 pm ET

 

What I Learned as a Chief Management Negotiator
Marcus Hill, Principal/Hill Management Consultancy, FELTG Instructor

 

Course description: Have you been appointed chief management negotiator charged with representing the agency during collective bargaining with the union? Were you a little apprehensive or challenged how to start and ultimate accomplish this critical assignment? Whether you are a seasoned labor relations professional or a manager possessing little to no collective bargaining experience, this session is for you. During his distinguished Federal career, Mr. Hill served as Chief Management Negotiator on several occasions, achieving effective collective bargaining agreements for industrial and professional environments. Mr. Hill will share experiences, and successful strategies that will result in win-win, labor-management agreements.

 


Price

  • Early Bird Tuition (register by April 11):
    • One Session = $150
    • One Day (Three Sessions) = $395
    • Labor Relations Day = $275
    • April 26-28 All Access  = $1175
    • April 26-29 All Access with Labor Relations = $1450
  • Standard Tuition (register April 12-29)
    • One Session = $175
    • One Day (Three Sessions) = $495
    • Labor Relations Day = $325
    • April 26-28 All Access = $1475
    • April 26-29 All Access with Labor Relations = $1795
  • Rates per registrant and may not be used for groups under any circumstances. No split registrations.

Event FAQs

  • Can I attend Virtual Training from my government computer?
    • FELTG uses Zoom 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 1.25 hours of HRCI general recertification credit. The HRCI course numbers will be available upon the conclusion of the training.
  • 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 April 11.

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.

 

May
3
Tue
Virtual Training Event – Conducting Effective Harassment Investigations
May 3 – May 5 all-day

Download Individual Registration Form

Event Description

Investigating harassment in your Federal agency can be an intimidating assignment, one that is rife with innuendo, conflicting accounts, and raw emotions. Ensuring that your investigation is legally compliant and protects employees, while helping the agency minimize liability, is a taxing task. It’s even more challenging during the COVID-19 pandemic when most investigations must be done virtually.

Together, these three instructor-led live training sessions will provide a solid basis for a successful and effective approach to conducting legally-sufficient harassment investigations that stand up upon third-party review. Peruse MSPB and EEOC cases and you’ll find that poorly conducted investigations are far more common than they should be, and the cost of these investigations to agencies are bigger than you’d expect.

Understand the differences between EEO and non-EEO harassment. Learn the best techniques to conduct an investigation – whether onsite or virtually. Write a report that covers all the crucial information. And much more.

This open enrollment FELTG Virtual Training Institute program Conducting Effective Harassment Investigations offers opportunities to ask questions of FELTG’s experienced instructors, and get answers in real time. Plus, this program fulfills the requirements for 8-hour annual EEO investigator refresher training.

You can register for any of the sessions individually, or you can register for all three. 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



Tuesday, May 3

Session 1: Investigating Harassment: Misconduct Principles

12:30 pm – 4:00 pm eastern (break from 2:00 – 2:30)
Presented by Deborah J. Hopkins, Attorney at Law, FELTG President

Course Description: An effective harassment investigation begins with a solid foundation of misconduct law in the federal workplace. Attorney and FELTG President Deborah J. Hopkins will explain the principles that underpin a successful investigation of federal employee misconduct, whether it’s on-duty or off-duty. Attendees will learn the five elements of discipline and understand how they relate to the misconduct investigation process. Plus, they’ll learn about evidence standards and burdens of proof in misconduct cases, how Douglas factors play in to an investigation, the importance of nexus, what to do when a witness won’t cooperate, and much more.

Learning Objectives

Attendees will learn how to:

  • Identify the relationship between the foundations of federal accountability and misconduct investigations.
  • Identify and collect relevant penalty evidence during the investigation.
  • Recognize the mistakes that derail effective misconduct and harassment investigations.

Wednesday, May 4

Session 2: Understanding Harassment and Planning the Investigation

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

Course description: What is the scope of the investigation? Who should you interview? What documents are you going to need? Preparing your investigative plan is a critical step in developing a legally sufficient investigation. Attorney Katherine Atkinson will explain the proper role of the investigator and how you can avoid the pitfalls of an insufficient investigation with the proper preparation and knowledge. Plus, she’ll answer important questions about representation: Does the witness have the right to a representative? Does the union have a right to attend the interview – even if the witness doesn’t want the union there? What rights does agency management have in the process?

Learning Objectives

Attendees will learn how to:

  • Discern the difference between EEO and non-EEO harassment, and the impact that has on the investigations’ legal sufficiency.
  • Identify witness rights and management rights.
  • Recognize the three basic characteristics of evidence in a harassment investigation.

Thursday, May 5

Session 3: Conducting the Investigation and Writing the Report

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

Course description: Attorney Katherine Atkinson will share legal principles and proven guidance to navigate this most critical and challenging part of harassment investigations: conducting the interviews and gathering relevant evidence. Attendees will leave the session with techniques for questioning, tools for reading body language, suggestions on how to handle difficult personality types, and tips for writing the fact-finding report (FFR) and report of investigation (ROI). Ms. Atkinson will also share how technology is changing the investigation process, including a very timely discussion of conducting virtual interviews.

Learning Objectives

Attendees will learn how to:

  • Identify the similarities and differences in conducting onsite and virtual interviews.
  • Apply logic and judgment to evaluate conflicting statements.
  • Write a fulsome report on the findings from the harassment investigation.


Price

  • Early Bird Tuition (register by April 18): One Session = $340  |  Two Sessions = $650  |  Full Event = $900
  • Standard Tuition (register April 19-May 5): One Session = $390  |  Two Sessions = $695  |  Full Event = $950
  • Rates per registrant. No split registrations permitted.
  • Want to register a group? Group discounts are available through April 18. Contact FELTG.
  • REGISTER NOW.

 

Event FAQs

  • Can I attend Virtual Training from my government computer?
    • FELTG uses Zoom to broadcast 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.
  • 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 available through April 18.

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.

May
10
Tue
Webinar Series – The Federal Supervisor’s Workshop: Building the Best Toolkit for Managing Today’s Workforce
May 10 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Download Registration Form

Instructors

Deborah Hopkins, Marcus Hill, Barbara Haga, Katherine Atkinson, Bob Woods, Joseph Schimansky

Course Description

Federal supervisors and advisers: Your time is valuable as ever, yet your challenges are changing — and growing.

FELTG’s annual supervisory training event returns in 2022 with a new look and focus. We’re still offering comprehensive training that expands upon legal principles to provide you with the necessary tools and best practices to manage the agency workplace effectively and efficiently. But this time, we take a laser focus on sessions that specifically address the unique challenges faced by supervisors in agencies across the country, and around the world.

These monthly 60-minute webinars provide you with the legal foundation for managing distinct situations regarding performance and conduct accountability, reasonable accommodation, sick leave, harassment, and labor relations (for those of you who supervise bargaining unit employees). But the guidance provided will help you build the necessary framework to tackle other equally specific and challenging situations.

These sessions are held live and provide an opportunity to ask questions — and get answers — from FELTG’s experienced instructors.

2022 dates:

March 8: Understanding Performance vs. Misconduct: Is it a performance issue or a conduct issue? Knowing how to answer this question will allow you to take the appropriate action. This webinar will teach the distinction between performance and conduct; provide an overview on holding employees accountable; discuss the “can’t vs. won’t” conundrum; and set the stage for defensible discipline and performance actions.

April 12: Insubordinate Employee? Don’t Mess With the Wrong Elements: Ever have an employee who refused to follow your orders? What if the employee failed to follow the order, but you’re not sure if it was intentional? The first step to dealing with the issue is to understand the word “insubordinate” and its legal implications. Learn the factors that will help you determine the most effective way to take action against employees who disobey lawful orders.

May 10: The Roller Coaster Employee: Managing Up-and-Down Performance: You’ve undoubtedly seen it several times, and it’s always frustrating. An employee is put on a performance demonstration period (DP, PIP, ODAP – or whatever your agency calls it) and does well enough to stay in his position. But when the DP ends, his performance dips again. You don’t have to feel helpless. Learn the most effective way to manage wide swings in performance.

June 14: Reasonable Accommodation: The Interactive Process: An important step after an employee requests a reasonable accommodation for a disability and provides supporting medical documentation is to engage in the “interactive process” with the employee. This training will explain what that process entails, how supervisors should work with disability program managers and reasonable accommodation coordinators, and answer key questions, such as: How do you define undue hardship? How do you determine essential functions? Do I have to give an employee telework as an accommodation? And much more.

July 12: Effectively Handling Sick Leave Use and Abuse: Managing the uncertainty and increased workload when employees call in sick is a perennial challenge for Federal supervisors. Even more complicated is administering sick leave, considering the multiple uses and numerous family members covered. Learn the six authorized uses of sick leave, who is a family member for sick leave purposes, the potential signs of sick leave abuse and how to counsel the employee; and the actions you can take for sick leave abuse, providing false medical information, or excessive absences.

August 9: The New Hostile Work Environment:  As the pandemic raged and employees remained home, many thought that reprehensible harassing incidents would wane, yet the targets of hostile work environment merely expanded and changed. More harassment was aimed at Asian American and Pacific Islanders and LGBTQ employees, and harassment took more virtual forms including email and social media. Learn what hostile work environment entails, what you can do to prevent it, and how to take prompt and effective action when harassment is alleged.

August 23: Do I Need to Invite the Union to this Meeting? You know that there are certain types of meetings that require you to invite the union. But meetings happen every day, so does that mean the union has a right to be at every one? Which ones need to include the union? Learn what makes a meeting a formal discussion, the union’s rights and responsibilities when it comes to meeting, and what the union rep can and cannot do during the formal discussion.

Pricing

Early Bird Tuition:

  • $270 per site, per session (payment required by February 28).
  • Special series discounts available through February 28: $1,525 for the first 6 webinars or $1,795 for all 7. See registration form for details.

Standard Tuition: 

  • $295 per site, per session (payments made March 1 or later).

Working from home? Teleworkers may be added to a primary site registration for $50 each, per session, 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.

Jun
14
Tue
Webinar Series – The Federal Supervisor’s Workshop: Building the Best Toolkit for Managing Today’s Workforce
Jun 14 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Download Registration Form

Instructors

Deborah Hopkins, Marcus Hill, Barbara Haga, Katherine Atkinson, Bob Woods, Joseph Schimansky

Course Description

Federal supervisors and advisers: Your time is valuable as ever, yet your challenges are changing — and growing.

FELTG’s annual supervisory training event returns in 2022 with a new look and focus. We’re still offering comprehensive training that expands upon legal principles to provide you with the necessary tools and best practices to manage the agency workplace effectively and efficiently. But this time, we take a laser focus on sessions that specifically address the unique challenges faced by supervisors in agencies across the country, and around the world.

These monthly 60-minute webinars provide you with the legal foundation for managing distinct situations regarding performance and conduct accountability, reasonable accommodation, sick leave, harassment, and labor relations (for those of you who supervise bargaining unit employees). But the guidance provided will help you build the necessary framework to tackle other equally specific and challenging situations.

These sessions are held live and provide an opportunity to ask questions — and get answers — from FELTG’s experienced instructors.

2022 dates:

March 8: Understanding Performance vs. Misconduct: Is it a performance issue or a conduct issue? Knowing how to answer this question will allow you to take the appropriate action. This webinar will teach the distinction between performance and conduct; provide an overview on holding employees accountable; discuss the “can’t vs. won’t” conundrum; and set the stage for defensible discipline and performance actions.

April 12: Insubordinate Employee? Don’t Mess With the Wrong Elements: Ever have an employee who refused to follow your orders? What if the employee failed to follow the order, but you’re not sure if it was intentional? The first step to dealing with the issue is to understand the word “insubordinate” and its legal implications. Learn the factors that will help you determine the most effective way to take action against employees who disobey lawful orders.

May 10: The Roller Coaster Employee: Managing Up-and-Down Performance: You’ve undoubtedly seen it several times, and it’s always frustrating. An employee is put on a performance demonstration period (DP, PIP, ODAP – or whatever your agency calls it) and does well enough to stay in his position. But when the DP ends, his performance dips again. You don’t have to feel helpless. Learn the most effective way to manage wide swings in performance.

June 14: Reasonable Accommodation: The Interactive Process: An important step after an employee requests a reasonable accommodation for a disability and provides supporting medical documentation is to engage in the “interactive process” with the employee. This training will explain what that process entails, how supervisors should work with disability program managers and reasonable accommodation coordinators, and answer key questions, such as: How do you define undue hardship? How do you determine essential functions? Do I have to give an employee telework as an accommodation? And much more.

July 12: Effectively Handling Sick Leave Use and Abuse: Managing the uncertainty and increased workload when employees call in sick is a perennial challenge for Federal supervisors. Even more complicated is administering sick leave, considering the multiple uses and numerous family members covered. Learn the six authorized uses of sick leave, who is a family member for sick leave purposes, the potential signs of sick leave abuse and how to counsel the employee; and the actions you can take for sick leave abuse, providing false medical information, or excessive absences.

August 9: The New Hostile Work Environment:  As the pandemic raged and employees remained home, many thought that reprehensible harassing incidents would wane, yet the targets of hostile work environment merely expanded and changed. More harassment was aimed at Asian American and Pacific Islanders and LGBTQ employees, and harassment took more virtual forms including email and social media. Learn what hostile work environment entails, what you can do to prevent it, and how to take prompt and effective action when harassment is alleged.

August 23: Do I Need to Invite the Union to this Meeting? You know that there are certain types of meetings that require you to invite the union. But meetings happen every day, so does that mean the union has a right to be at every one? Which ones need to include the union? Learn what makes a meeting a formal discussion, the union’s rights and responsibilities when it comes to meeting, and what the union rep can and cannot do during the formal discussion.

Pricing

Early Bird Tuition:

  • $270 per site, per session (payment required by February 28).
  • Special series discounts available through February 28: $1,525 for the first 6 webinars or $1,795 for all 7. See registration form for details.

Standard Tuition: 

  • $295 per site, per session (payments made March 1 or later).

Working from home? Teleworkers may be added to a primary site registration for $50 each, per session, 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.

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