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Instructors

Ricky Rowe, Deborah Hopkins

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.

Attendees will learn how to:

• Determine the difference between a service animal and a therapy animal.
• Recognize when an emotional support animal would be a reasonable accommodation
• Effectively navigate the interactive process.

Price

• Early Bird Tuition: $270 per site, per webinar (payment required by September 27)
• Standard Tuition: $295 per site, per webinar (payments made September 28 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.

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Instructor

Katherine Atkinson

Program Description

There are several reasons why an EEO claim might be dismissed, but it’s not a decision that should be made too quickly or without much thought. A surprising number of agency dismissals are overturned by the EEOC each year. Don’t become another EEOC statistic.

FELTG Instructor Katherine Atkinson will review the lawful reasons for dismissing a claim — failure to state a claim, timeliness, collateral attack — and walk you through making that determination.

Learning objectives:

• Identify claims that do not fall under the EEO process
• Understand the components of timeliness in EEO claims
• Draft legally-sufficient acceptance and dismissal documents

Price

• Early Bird Tuition: $270 per site, per webinar (payment required by November 8)
• Standard Tuition: $295 per site, per webinar (payments made November 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.

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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.

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Instructor

Katherine Atkinson

Program Description

Unlike the MSPB, the EEOC allows parties to file motions for summary judgment, potentially eliminating the need for a time-consuming, expensive, and risky hearing. Yet, many agencies fail to take advantage of this opportunity. During this 60-minute webinar, FELTG Instructor Katherine Atkinson will explain the the importance of the Report of Investigation and thorough discovery, the benefits of motions for for summary judgment (MSJs), and what to include in the MSJ to best represent your client and case.

Attendees will learn how to:

Price

• Early Bird Tuition: $270 per site, per webinar (payment required by February 11)
• Standard Tuition: $295 per site, per webinar (payments made February 12 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.

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Instructor

Katherine Atkinson

Course Description

Are you likely to outright deny a reasonable accommodation request for leave or a flexible work schedule? Do you think undue hardship is a viable reason to deny most reasonable accommodations? Do you think it’s the supervisor’s responsibility to determine if the individual is really disabled? Have you reached out to an employee’s doctor to find out more about his disability? If so, we have one word for you: Uh-oh.

Oftentimes the best way to learn is by making mistakes. But not when it comes to reasonable accommodation law. Instead, learn from the costly and embarrassing blunders that other agencies have already made. Attorney Katherine Atkinson will review recent EEO cases to share these mistakes so you know how to avoid them.

During this webinar, attendees will learn:

• What steps to take when an employee informs you of his or her disability
• How to determine if telework would be an effective accommodation
• When leave would be considered an accommodation
• Whether long-term telework during the pandemic affects an agency’s processing of telework accommodation requests
• Why undue hardship is rarely a successful defense for denying an accommodation request

Learn how to handle reasonable accommodation requests with confidence.

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

Price

• Early Bird Tuition: $270 per site, per session (payment made by April 5).
• Standard Tuition: $295 per site, per session (payment made April 6 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.

Download Individual Registration Form

Instructor

Shana Palmieri

Description

Violence is on the upswing across the country, and mass shootings have taken place at concerts, in shopping centers, in subways — and in workplaces. This violence and other stressors, such as inflation and lingering partisan bitterness about pandemic-related issues, have many people on edge at the same time that agencies are bringing employees back to the physical workplace, after over two years of isolation for many.

Join FELTG Instructor Shana Palmieri, LCSW, as she provides critical information about managing these workplace challenges, including vital guidance on responding to possible threats to self or to others, and practical, effective techniques to de-escalate potentially dangerous situations at Federal agencies.

Attendees will leave with answers to the following questions:

• What warning signs do employees exhibit when they are considering violence?
• What steps should you take if an employee threatens suicide or violence?
• What are the agency’s options when the threat comes from someone outside the workplace such as a spouse, family member, or extremist?

Crisis management in the Federal workplace is a crucial area to understand — it truly is a matter of life and death. This session, held from 1:00-3:00 pm eastern, is too important to miss.

Price

• Early Bird Tuition: $295 (register by July 5)
• Standard Tuition: $325 (register July 6 or later)
• Rates per registrant.
• Want to register a group? Group discounts for 10 or more attendees are available through July 5. 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 July 5.

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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Instructor

Deborah Hopkins

Course Description

 1

FELTG kicks off its five-part webinar series Reasonable Accommodation in the Federal Workplace with an overview of the the current state of disability law and how the ADA, ADAAA, and Rehabilitation Act apply to federal employees with disabilities. Before you can appropriately manage the complex reasonable accommodation requests you’re likely to receive in the next few months, you need a thorough understanding of the basics. Attendees will learn about:

• Making disability determinations
• What “qualified individual” actually means
• Reasonable accommodation requests
• The interactive process
• Denials of reasonable accommodation
• Reassignment and Medical Inability to Perform removals

Whether you’re an attorney, disability program manager, EEO or HR Specialist or a supervisor, you’ll want to be sure to attend this session.

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

Price

• Early Bird Tuition: $250 per site, per session (payment made by July 11).
• Standard Tuition: $280 per site, per session (payment made July 12 or later).
• Register for all five webinars in the series by July 11 and pay only $1195!

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

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Instructor

Bob Woods

Course Description

 1

The Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) requires employers to reasonably accommodate qualified employees who have disabilities, as long as doing so doesn’t cause an undue hardship. Reasonable accommodations should be determined by the employee and the agency, through what those of us in the business call “the interactive process.”

This 60-minute webinar, the second in FELTG’s Reasonable Accommodation in the Federal Workplace series, will tackle what agencies need to know when they work with employees on reasonable accommodation, including practical applications and best practices on topics including:

• Determining the essential functions of the job
• Accommodations of choice: who gets to select the accommodation
• Holding successful discussions with the employee

Whether you’re an attorney, disability program manager, EEO or HR Specialist or a supervisor, you’ll want to be sure to attend this session.

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

Price

• Early Bird Tuition: $250 per site, per session (payment made by July 11).
• Standard Tuition: $280 per site, per session (payment made July 12 or later).
• Register for all five webinars in the series by July 11 and pay only $1195!

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

Deborah Hopkins

Program Description

Could use of pronouns or names that are inconsistent with an individual’s gender identity be considered discrimination or harassment?

Yes.

In certain circumstances.

Gender identity and related topics are so important that in June 2022 the EEOC introduced a nonbinary gender marker for people to use during the intake process, reasoning that “presenting only ‘male’ and ‘female’ options does not reflect the full range of gender identities.

In this 60-minute webinar, FELTG President Deborah Hopkins will explain how and why proper pronoun use, name use, and recognition of employee gender identity in the workplace is more than just a liability issue for your agency. From the statutory bases through precedent-setting decisions on sexual orientation and gender identity, to President Biden’s Executive order on Preventing and Combating Discrimination on the Basis of Gender Identity or Sexual Orientation, this issue is prevalent in every workplace in America.

Attendees will learn how to:

• Define key terms and concepts related to gender identity, including gender identity, confirmation, sex/gender stereotyping and more.
• Recognize microaggressions and other harassment related to gender identity.
• Identify situations when misuse of an employee’s pronoun would constitute sex-based discrimination and/or harassment.

Price

• Early Bird Tuition: $285 per site (payment required by July 18)
• Standard Tuition: $315 per site (payments made July 19 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.

Download Registration Form

Instructor

Deborah Hopkins

Course Description

 1

Before the pandemic, telework was one of the the most commonly requested accommodations for individuals with physical and mental disabilities.

After the success of two years of pandemic-induced remote work, you better believe that you’ll be getting even more reasonable accommodation requests for telework as employees are directed to return to the physical workplace. Are you ready to do the appropriate interactive discussion and analysis?

Join FELTG President and Attorney at Law Deborah Hopkins for a discussion on this timely topic, during the third event in our Reasonable Accommodation in the Federal Workplace webinar series. Ms Hopkins will detail the required three-step process for agencies to be compliant when dealing with reasonable accommodation requests.

From there, she’ll discuss:

• What to do if telework would be an effective accommodation – but something else would work too
• Who gets to choose the accommodation
• What the EEOC says about accommodating an employee’s commute
• When an agency can legally deny telework as an accommodation

Often times the best way to learn is by looking at real-life case studies, so the session will include a discussion on recent federal cases – won and lost – involving telework requests as reasonable accommodation. Because of the cost incurred when handling a reasonable accommodation complaint, your agency EEO staff, reasonable accommodation coordinators, disability coordinators, HR staff and supervisors truly cannot afford to miss this event.

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

Price

• Early Bird Tuition: $250 per site, per session (payment made by July 11).
• Standard Tuition: $280 per site, per session (payment made July 12 or later).
• Register for all five webinars in the series by July 11 and pay only $1195!

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

Ann Boehm

Course Description

Are you likely to outright deny a reasonable accommodation request for leave or a flexible work schedule? Do you think undue hardship is a viable reason to deny most reasonable accommodations? Do you think it’s the supervisor’s responsibility to determine if the individual is really disabled? Have you reached out to an employee’s doctor to find out more about his disability? If so, we have one word for you: Uh-oh.

Oftentimes the best way to learn is by making mistakes. But not when it comes to reasonable accommodation law. Instead, learn from the costly and embarrassing blunders that other agencies have already made. Attorney Ann Boehm will review recent EEO cases to share these mistakes so you know how to avoid them.

During this webinar, the fourth in FELTG’s Reasonable Accommodation in the Federal Workplace webinar series, attendees will learn:

• What steps to take when an employee informs you of his or her disability
• How to determine if telework would be an effective accommodation
• When leave would be considered an accommodation
• Whether long-term telework during the pandemic affects an agency’s processing of telework accommodation requests
• Why undue hardship is rarely a successful defense for denying an accommodation request

Learn how to handle reasonable accommodation requests with confidence.

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

Price

• Early Bird Tuition: $250 per site, per session (payment made by July 11).
• Standard Tuition: $280 per site, per session (payment made July 12 or later).
• Register for all five webinars in the series by July 11 and pay only $1195!

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

Download Registration Form

Instructor

Katherine Atkinson

Program Description

Along with sex and politics, religion has often been cited as a topic that’s improper for workplace discussion.

However, religious expression has taken on a more prominent role through all aspects of society, and has been the defining issue in several high-profile court cases, including those from the Supreme Court. People are no longer afraid to discuss the topic. Some may aggressively discuss their beliefs, while others feel free to disparage.

Title VII makes it illegal to discriminate against someone based on religion. In this 60-minute session, FELTG Instructor and Attorney at Law Katherine Atkinson will discuss agency challenges with ensuring religious discrimination beyond reasonable accommodation. What constitutes religious harassment in the Federal workplace? When would an agency be liable for religious discrimination? What do you do when one employee’s religious belief impacts another employee’s protected status?

Attendees will learn how to:

• Determine whether an employee’s religious display is appropriate.
• Inquire into the sincerity of an employee’s religious beliefs.
• Prevent and promptly correct harassing behavior aimed at an employee’s religious beliefs.

Price

• Early Bird Tuition: $270 per site (payment required by October 3)
• Standard Tuition: $295 per site (payments made October 4 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.

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Instructor

Bob Woods

Program Description

The selection and promotion process is an emotional one, especially for those who aren’t selected. If you’re a federal EEO practitioner, chances are you’ve had a case where an employee alleges that she was not selected or promoted because of something other than job qualifications – race, sex, age, disability, or another protected class.

Although these cases are common, they can present agency reps with major challenges from properly defining the claim to collecting the right information during the investigation, and, eventually, to presenting evidence at the hearing or in a motion for summary judgment.

FELTG instructor Bob Woods will guides you through the important considerations necessary to defend your selections and promotions. He will begin by covering the basic principles of selection cases, and will take you through all the important categories of selection criteria.

Attendees will learn how to:

• Ensure that your selection criteria is valid and subjective.
• Explain the importance of selection records.
• Defend your selection cases before the EEOC or an arbitrator.

Price

• Early Bird Tuition: $270 per site (payment required by November 1)
• Standard Tuition: $295 per site (payments made November 2 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.

Download Registration Form

Instructor

Shana Palmieri

Program Description

The workforce is stressed out.

More than 40 percent of employees are feeling “highly stressed,” according to one recent report. In the workplace, stress leads to disengagement, conflict, and large drops in productivity.

It’s no wonder that employers, including some Federal agencies, are putting a high priority on employee mental well-being.

In this 60-minute webinar, Shana Palmieri, LCSW will supply your agency with the tools of knowledge, awareness, and interventions to support a healthy, successful and productive workforce.

Those who attend this webinar will learn how to:

• Understand the impact of stress on an employee’s health and work performance
• Develop effective strategies for coping with stress and improving focus
• Create an agency culture that is supportive, inclusive and accepting of employees’ differences
• Manage difficult personalities in the workplace

Note: This class focuses on the practical and clinical side of managing employees who have experienced stress rather than the legal side.

Price

• Early Bird Tuition: $270 per site (payment required by March 13)
• Standard Tuition: $295 per site (payments made March 14 or later)

Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $60 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.

Program Description

One of the most important, yet often forgotten, parts of the reasonable accommodation process is the follow up, or what FELTG calls the “check in.” Sometimes, accommodations are no longer effective, no longer needed – or, perhaps, a more effective accommodation has become available. It’s more important than ever for agencies to be aware of the benefits and pitfalls of revisiting existing accommodations.

And as employees start returning to the physical workplace, some after more than three years of remote work, now may be the time to re-evaluate the effectiveness of employees’ reasonable accommodations. FELTG Instructor Katherine Atkinson, Attorney at Law, will explain why this is important, how to go about ensuring you find the right accommodation, and how to build the re-evaluation of an employee’s accommodation into a regular seamless process. She’ll also discuss scenarios where agencies shouldn’t change an existing accommodation.

Learning takeaways

Attendees will learn how to:

• Restart the interactive process when necessary.
• Make an appropriate, individualized reasonable accommodation determination.
• Determine if telework is an effective accommodation.

Date and Time

Thursday, April 13, 2023, 1:00 – 2:00pm ET.

Instructor

Katherine Atkinson

Registration

Download Registration Form

Price

• Early Bird Tuition: $270 per site (payment required by April 3)
• Standard Tuition: $295 per site (payments made April 4 or later)

Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $60 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.

Program Description

Preparing performance narratives can be tough. It’s a lot of writing, sometimes it’s hard to make the documentation you have fit what was written in the performance plan, and sometimes you know there’s going to be a fight about what you put down on that form. In certain instances, it’s the employee who thinks the rating should be higher. Other times, it’s a reviewer who doesn’t necessarily see your employee’s performance at the same level as you do. And, in some agencies, there are review panels that may be scouring your documentation.

FELTG Senior Instructor Barbara Haga provides guidance to make preparing performance narratives less tough – and more effective.

Learning takeaways

Attendees will learn how to:

• Understand the basic principles of performance plans.
• Effectively assign rating levels.
• Recognize problems with elements and standards.

Date and Time

Thursday, May 4, 2023, 1:00 -2:00pm ET.

Instructor

Barbara Haga

Registration

Download Registration Form Here

Price

• Early Bird Tuition: $270 per site (payment required by April 24, 2023)
• Standard Tuition: $295 per site (payments made after April 25, 2023)

Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $60 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.

Download Registration Form

Instructor

Katherine Atkinson

Course Description

 1

The reasonable accommodation process starts with a request from an employee or applicant. However, that request does not need to be in writing or be formalized in any certain way. In fact, an agency cannot require that a request for reasonable accommodation even include the words “ADA,” “request,” or even “reasonable accommodation.”

Heck, the request doesn’t even have to come from the employee.

If a employee makes a reference to a need for an adjustment or change and it’s related to a medical condition, then you have a request for reasonable accommodation.

During this training, you’ll receive guidance on how to “spot” a reasonable accommodation request, discuss the importance of having a reasonable accommodation policy, and provide examples of each.

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

Price

• Early Bird Tuition: $270 per site, per session (payment made by July 10).
• Standard Tuition: $295 per site, per session (payment made July 11 or later).
• Register for all five webinars in the series by July 10 and pay only $1295!

Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $60 per teleworker, per webinar, 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.

Download Registration Form

Instructor

Katherine Atkinson

Course Description

 1

Agencies must accommodate qualified individuals with disabilities unless doing so would be an undue hardship. But what constitutes “undue hardship?” It’s a term of art that’s not so easily defined. And since it’s the only “statutory limitation on an employer’s obligation to provide reasonable accommodation,” the undue hardship claim is one that’s often misunderstood and misused.

This presentation will provide a thorough review of the various factors involved in making an undue hardship determination, as well as a review of case examples that show when the determination was made correctly and, more importantly, when it wasn’t.

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

Price

• Early Bird Tuition: $270 per site, per session (payment made by July 10).
• Standard Tuition: $295 per site, per session (payment made July 11 or later).
• Register for all five webinars in the series by July 10 and pay only $1295!

Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $60 per teleworker, per webinar, 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.

Download Registration Form

Instructor

Deborah J. Hopkins

Course Description

 1

Congratulations, you’ve gone through the interactive process and come up with a reasonable accommodation that both you and the employee think will be effective.

But wait. It’s not over yet.

Over time, accommodations may lose their effectiveness. They may no longer be needed. Or, perhaps, a more effective accommodation has become available. One of the most important, yet often forgotten, parts of the reasonable accommodation process is the follow up, or what FELTG calls the “check-in.” It’s more important than ever for agencies to be aware of the benefits and pitfalls of revisiting existing accommodations.

And as employees start returning to the physical workplace, some after more than three years of remote work, now may be the time to re-evaluate the effectiveness of employees’ reasonable accommodations. In this class, you’ll learn how to:

• Go about ensuring you find the right accommodation.
• Build the re-evaluation of an employee’s accommodation into a regular seamless process.
• Recognize situations when an existing accommodation shouldn’t change.

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

Price

• Early Bird Tuition: $270 per site, per session (payment made by July 10).
• Standard Tuition: $295 per site, per session (payment made July 11 or later).
• Register for all five webinars in the series by July 10 and pay only $1295!

Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $60 per teleworker, per webinar, 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.

Download Registration Form

Instructor

Ricky Rowe

Course Description

 1

Before the pandemic, telework was one of the the most commonly requested accommodations for individuals with physical and mental disabilities.

After the success of pandemic-induced remote work, agencies are receiving more reasonable accommodation requests for telework, especially as employees are directed to return to the physical workplace. If someone has successfully teleworked already and is a qualified individual with a disability, must you grant the requested accommodation?

Join us for a discussion on this timely topic during the fourth event in our Reasonable Accommodation in the Federal Workplace in 2023 webinar series. This course will detail the required three-step process for agencies to be compliant when dealing with reasonable accommodation requests.

From there, we’ll cover: What to do if telework would be an effective accommodation – but something else would work too.

• Who gets to choose the accommodation?
• What the EEOC says about accommodating an employee’s commute.
• When an agency can legally deny telework as an accommodation.

Often times the best way to learn is by looking at real-life case studies, so the session will include a discussion on recent federal cases – won and lost – involving telework requests as reasonable accommodation. Because of the cost incurred when handling a reasonable accommodation complaint, your agency EEO staff, reasonable accommodation coordinators, disability coordinators, HR staff and supervisors truly cannot afford to miss this event.

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

Price

• Early Bird Tuition: $270 per site, per session (payment made by July 10).
• Standard Tuition: $295 per site, per session (payment made July 11 or later).
• Register for all five webinars in the series by July 10 and pay only $1295!

Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $60 per teleworker, per webinar, 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.

Course Description

Congratulations, you’ve gone through the interactive process and come up with a reasonable accommodation that both you and the employee think will be effective.

But wait. It’s not over yet.

Over time, accommodations may lose their effectiveness. They may no longer be needed. The nature of the work might change. Or, perhaps, a more effective accommodation has become available. One of the most important, yet often forgotten, parts of the reasonable accommodation process is the follow up, or what FELTG calls the “check-in.” It’s more important than ever for agencies to be aware of the benefits and pitfalls of revisiting existing accommodations.

And as employees have begun returning to the physical workplace at least a few days a month, now may be the time to re-evaluate the effectiveness of employees’ reasonable accommodations.

Learning takeaways

Attendees will learn how to:

• Restart the interactive process when necessary
• Make an appropriate, individualized reasonable accommodation determination
• Determine if telework is an effective accommodation

Date and Time

Thursday, March 14, 2024, 1 – 2 pm ET

Instructor

Katherine Atkinson

Registration

Download Individual Registration Form

Pricing

• Early Bird Tuition (register by February 13): $145
• Standard Tuition (register February 14 or later): $195
• Rates per registrant.
• Want to register a group? Group discounts for 10 or more attendees are available through February 13. Contact FELTG.

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 individuals. Group discounts are available through February 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.

Course Description

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 (or sometimes two-legged, or no-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.

Attendees will learn how to:

• Determine the difference between a service animal and a therapy animal
• Recognize when an emotional support animal would be a reasonable accommodation
• Effectively navigate the interactive process

Date and Time

May 23, 2024; 1 – 2 pm ET

Instructor

Deborah Hopkins

Registration

Download Individual Registration Form

Pricing

• Early Bird Tuition (register by April 23): $145
• Standard Tuition (register April 24 or later): $195
• Rates per registrant.
• Want to register a group? Group discounts for 10 or more attendees are available through April 23. Contact FELTG.

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 individuals. Group discounts are available through April 23. 

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.

Course Description

Not everyone has the same definition of “harassment.” While most professionals recognize harassment that violates Title VII, some employees consider it harassment when supervisors provide critical performance feedback or assign work.  And, in between, there are threatening, intimidating, and disturbing acts that are unrelated to protected classes, but nonetheless may be non-EEO harassment and must be addressed as misconduct. This program will not only identify the lines that separate these different levels of harassment both perceived and real, but also explain how and when to address harassment as misconduct.

Attendees will learn how to:

• Differentiate between non-EEO harassment, EEO harassment, and actions that don’t qualify as harassment
• Use the appropriate disciplinary framework for handling harassment
• Recognize agency obligations for addressing harassing employee behavior

Date and Time

July 11, 2024; 1 – 2 pm ET

Instructor

Deborah Hopkins

Registration

Download Individual Registration Form

Pricing

• Early Bird Tuition (register by June 11): $145
• Standard Tuition (register June 12 or later): $195
• Rates per registrant.
• Want to register a group? Group discounts for 10 or more attendees are available through June 11. Contact FELTG.

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 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.

Course Description

The reasonable accommodation process has always been challenging and full of surprises. The past year alone has seen the introduction of a new reasonable accommodation requirement for pregnant employees and the Supreme Court’s decision changing the undue hardship definition for religious accommodations. Part of the Managing the Federal Workplace in 2024: Dos and Don’ts for Supervisors webinar series, this fast-paced webinar will provide you with the most current legal and practical guidance.

Attendees will learn how to:

• Stay up to date on changing requirements in the reasonable accommodation process.
• Broaden knowledge of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act and how it relates to the Federal workplace.
• Decipher the new guidelines for employees who request an accommodation for religious purposes.

Date and Time

July 16, 2024; 1 – 2 pm ET

Instructor

Deborah Hopkins

Registration

Download Individual Registration Form

Pricing

• Early Bird Tuition (register by March 8): $145
• Standard Tuition (register March 9 or later): $195
• Rates per registrant.
• Want to register a group? Group discounts for 10 or more attendees are available through March 8. Contact FELTG.

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 individuals. Group discounts are available through March 8. 

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.

Download Registration Form

Instructor

Katherine Atkinson

Course Description

FELTG’s annual Reasonable Accommodation webinar series returns in 2024 with new and updated material. We kick off the series with a webinar that lays the important groundwork necessary to understand how to successfully manage disability accommodation requests.

This 60-minute class offers and an overview of the current state of disability law and details how the ADA, ADAAA, and Rehabilitation Act apply to qualified Federal employees with disabilities. This overview will cover the legal steps required when an employee requests an accommodation, and the information the employee must provide in order to be granted an accommodation.

Attendees will learn how to:

• Understand the process for making disability determinations.
• Discuss what “qualified individual” actually means.
• Explain the purpose of the interactive process.

 1

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

Price

• Early Bird Tuition: (payment by June 18) $145
• Standard Tuition: (payment made June 19-July 18) $195
• Rates per registrant.
• Want to register a group? Group discounts for 10 or more attendees are available through June 18. Contact FELTG.

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.

Download Registration Form

Instructor

Katherine Atkinson

Course Description

The second session in FELTG’s annual Reasonable Accommodation webinar series builds on the first and focuses on the step that is critically important yet seemingly indescribable for many Federal supervisors, HR and EEO specialists, and program managers – the “interactive process.”

Reasonable accommodations should generally be determined after a discussion between the employee and the agency, through what is called “the interactive process.” This 60-minute webinar will tackle what you need to know about this process, when working with employees to determine a reasonable accommodation.

 1

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

Price

• Early Bird Tuition: (payment by June 18) $145
• Standard Tuition: (payment made June 19-July 25) $195
• Rates per registrant.
• Want to register a group? Group discounts for 10 or more attendees are available through June 18. Contact FELTG.

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.

Download Registration Form

Instructor

Deborah J. Hopkins

Course Description

The third session in FELTG’s annual Reasonable Accommodation webinar series focuses on one of the most commonly requested accommodations for individuals with physical and mental disabilities – telework. It turns out telework may also be one of the most effective accommodations, but it’s not for everybody.

This 60-minute webinar will dive into a discussion on recent and relevant Federal cases – won and lost – involving telework requests as reasonable accommodation. This course will explain the circumstances and that make telework “unique” among reasonable accommodation requests and prepare you to do the appropriate interactive discussion and analysis.

Attendees will learn how to:

• Recognize when an agency can legally deny telework as an accommodation.
• Determine what to do if telework would be an effective accommodation, but something else would work, too.
• Identify what the EEOC says about accommodating an employee’s commute.

 1

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

Price

• Early Bird Tuition: (payment by June 18) $145
• Standard Tuition: (payment made June 19-August 1) $195
• Rates per registrant.
• Want to register a group? Group discounts for 10 or more attendees are available through June 18. Contact FELTG.

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.

Download Registration Form

Instructor

Meghan Droste

Course Description

The reasonable accommodation process is full of pitfalls that could land your agency before an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission administrative judge (AJ). The fourth session in FELTG’s annual Reasonable Accommodation webinar series explains in detail when that happens – and you’ll hear it directly from an AJ.

In this 60-minute webinar, EEOC AJ Meghan Droste will share the embarrassing gaffes and challenging issues that she’s seen in her time as an EEOC AJ — and how to avoid them. Join us for an inside look at this stage of the EEO process.

Attendees will learn how to:

• Gain a better understanding of how hearings before an EEOC AJ work.
• Recognize potential mistakes in the accommodation process – before you make them.
• Identify the most challenging types of reasonable accommodation cases.

 1

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

Price

• Early Bird Tuition: (payment by June 18) $145
• Standard Tuition: (payment made June 19-August 8) $195
• Rates per registrant.
• Want to register a group? Group discounts for 10 or more attendees are available through June 18. Contact FELTG.

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.

Download Registration Form

Instructor

Katherine Atkinson

Course Description

The fifth session in FELTG’s annual Reasonable Accommodation webinar series focuses on a law that went into effect in 2023: the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA), which requires agencies to provide reasonable accommodations to employees who are pregnant or have medical restrictions related to pregnancy or childbirth.

In this 60-minute webinar, you will learn answers to the following questions: What are your responsibilities under the PWFA? What are some examples of PWFA reasonable accommodations? What is the best way to prepare for the interactive process when discussing accommodations for pregnancy?

Attendees will learn how to:

• Identify potential accommodations for pregnant employees.
• Determine an appropriate length of time for a pregnancy-related accommodation.
• Understand how the EEOC will analyze charges regarding accommodations for
  employees affected by pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions.

 1

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

Price

• Early Bird Tuition: (payment by June 18) $145
• Standard Tuition: (payment made June 19-August 15) $195
• Rates per registrant.
• Want to register a group? Group discounts for 10 or more attendees are available through June 18. Contact FELTG.

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.