Calendar

FELTG Executive Director Deborah Hopkins instructing a class
Nov
4
Thu
Webinar – Who’s In, Who’s Out? Understanding Bargaining Unit Exclusions
Nov 4 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Download Registration Form

Instructor

Ann Boehm

Program Description

5 USC 7112 of the Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statute defines the types of positions that must be excluded from the bargaining units. But in the modern workforce, those definitions aren’t always that clear. In this 60-minute webinar, FELTG Instructor Ann Boehm will walk you through how to not only identify the statutory provisions, but provide practical and specific examples of how particular positions are determined to be in or out of the bargaining unit.

Attendees will learn how to:

  • Identify positions the FLRA has determined to be excluded from the BU
  • Recognize the specific actions that make an employee a supervisor or a management official
  • Determine when a non-management official should be excluded from the BU
  • Navigate the FLRA representation and clarification of unit process

Price

  • Early Bird Tuition: $285 per site, per webinar (payment required by October 25)
  • Standard Tuition: $315 per site, per webinar (payments made October 26 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.

Jan
13
Thu
Virtual Training Event – Navigating Federal Labor Relations in 2022
Jan 13 @ 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm

Download Individual Registration Form

Instructors

Ann Boehm, Joe Schimansky

 

Program Description

Substantial. Dramatic. Marked. Any of these adjectives would suffice in describing the 180-degree turn in the world of federal labor relations over the past year.

President Biden’s Executive Order rescinding numerous Trump Executive Orders meant immediate about-face changes in approaches to official time, bargaining topics, negotiation timeframes, and union responsibilities to pay for things they never had to pay for before. Most agencies are still grappling to adjust, meanwhile more change could be on the way if the Democratic nominee gets appointed.

In this two-hour virtual training event held from 1:00-3:00 PM eastern, Ann Boehm and Joe Schimansky will review the previous year of federal LR under the new Administration and provide a look ahead to what you can expect in 2022. When it comes to change in federal LR, these two presenters, who have a combined total of nearly 40 years working at the FLRA, have seen their fair share.

Ms. Boehm will explore the impact of EO 14003 and the Office of Personnel Management directives issued Oct. 20, 2021 that instruct Federal agencies to highlight collective bargaining rights for Federal employees. She’ll discuss the current status of the three-member Authority and the impact of having (potentially) a permanent General Counsel, a position that has sat vacant or left for someone in an acting capacity for far too long.

Mr. Schimansky will dive into the Authority’s precedent-altering decisions over the past year-and-a-half. The former Executive Director of the Federal Service Impasses Panel will not only explain what each decision means for Federal counsel, HR professionals, Labor Relations practitioners, and union representatives, but also detail which ones are most likely to be reversed under a Democratic majority.

 

Begin 2022 on the right note. Ensure that you are prepared to navigate the continued upheaval of federal labor relations. Register now for this engaging, timely, and highly useful training.

The program will be held from 1:00-3:00 PM eastern.

Price

  • Early Bird Tuition: $295 per site (payment required by January 3)
  • Standard Tuition: $325 per site (payments made January 4 or later)
  • Rates per registrant. No split registrations permitted. 
  • Want to register a group? Group discounts are available through January 3. 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 attendees for the full event. Group discounts are available through January 3.

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.

Mar
17
Thu
Webinar – The Present and Future of the ‘Covered-by Doctrine’ in Federal Labor Relations
Mar 17 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Download Registration Form

Instructor

Joseph Schimansky

Course Description

It’s no secret that the FLRA Chair and the two other members of the Authority rarely see eye-to-eye. That was especially evident in a late 2021 decision that revealed widely differing opinions about the future of the covered-by doctrine. In this 60-minute webinar, Joseph Schimansky will explain the covered-by doctrine: what it is, and how it’s determined, plus the details of the Authority’s disagreement, and what it means to you as a labor relations practitioner or union representative. Plus, you’ll have a chance to ask your questions and get answers in real time.

With the ever-changing nature of Federal LR and the prospect of the Authority soon shifting from a Republican majority to a Democratic majority, you won’t want to miss this event.

Price

  • Early Bird Tuition: $270 per site, per webinar (payment required by March 7)
  • Standard Tuition: $295 per site, per webinar (payments made March 8 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.

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.

May
9
Mon
Virtual Training Event – FLRA Law Week
May 9 – May 13 all-day

Download Individual Registration Form

Course Description

The last year has presented a dramatic shift in the world of federal labor relations. President Biden’s Executive Order rescinding numerous Trump Executive Orders, including those regarding official time, bargaining topics, negotiation timeframes, and union responsibilities to pay for things they never had to pay for before. Meanwhile, a Democratic nominee awaits confirmation that would change the political make-up of the Authority, and another Democrat awaits confirmation for the permanent General Counsel position that sat vacant for far too long.

Now, more than ever, you need FELTG’s FLRA Law Week. Led by two instructors with a combined total of nearly 40 years experience working at the FLRA, this training will bring you up to speed on where the current law stands, and share best practices on how to effectively navigate it in your day-to-day work, whether you’re a labor attorney, labor relations specialist or union representative.

FLRA Law Week provides attendees with a firm foundation of the historical perspective and precedence of FLRA decisions, as well as a strategy for taking advantage of any new approaches that are coming out of the FLRA. And this includes the latest guidance based on the FLRA’s recent precedent-breaking decisions have on collective bargaining.

There’s no other place where you can get in-depth guidance on hot-button issues, such as permissive bargaining, official time, and negotiations, to guide you through this dynamic time. So join us for this class May 9-13, where the entire world of Federal labor relations will be discussed.

The program runs 12:00 – 4:00 pm eastern each day, with a break from 1:45 – 2:15.


Instructors

Ann Boehm, Joe Schimansky

Daily Agenda

Monday, May 9

Basic Management and Employee Rights: An overview of the Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statute; the current status of Executive Orders 13836 and 13837; fundamental employee, union, and management rights; bargaining unit definition; the union organizer’s role; information requests; official time.

Tuesday, May 10

Labor Relations Meetings and Bargaining: More on official time; formal discussions; union representative rights; the collective bargaining process; the three categories of bargaining: mandatory, permissive, and prohibited; introduction to negotiability.

Wednesday, May 11

Unfair Labor Practices and Negotiability: Employee rights vs. Management rights; the anatomy of an Unfair Labor Practice; an overview of the Federal Services Impasse Panel; negotiability appeals.

Thursday, May 12

The Psychology of Bargaining, Plus Grievances and Pandemic-Related Issues: Selecting a bargaining strategy; interest based bargaining as compared to hard ball bargaining; grievances; exceptions to arbitration awards; a new Administration.

Friday, May 13

Understanding the FSIP and Arbitration: Panel members, FSIP procedures, recent FSIP developments, the arbitration process overview; binding the arbitrator; how federal government arbitration is different from private sector arbitration and appeals; educating the arbitrator.


Pricing

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

Early Bird Tuition (register by April 22):

  • 5 days = $1475
  • 4 days = $1195
  • 3 days = $910
  • 2 days = $630
  • 1 day = $345

Standard Tuition (register April 23 or later):

  • 5 days = $1550
  • 4 days = $1285
  • 3 days = $975
  • 2 days = $685
  • 1 day = $395

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.
  • 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. No split registrations.
  • 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 22.
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.

Jun
23
Thu
Webinar – Federal Labor-Management Relations: Working Together to ‘Safeguard Public Interest’
Jun 23 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Download Registration Form

Instructor

Ann Boehm

Course Description

Did you know that the Federal labor statute says collective bargaining “safeguards the public interest,” “contributes to the effective conduct of public business,” and “facilitates and encourages the amicable settlement of disputes between employees and their employers”? If this is the case, why are labor-management relations perpetually adversarial? Are agencies and unions working together or against each other?  How can both sides get along better, as Congress intended?

This webinar will explore strategies agencies and unions can employ to fulfill their mutual obligations to the public.

Price

  • Early Bird Tuition: $270 per site, per webinar (payment required by June 13)
  • Standard Tuition: $295 per site, per webinar (payments made June 14 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.

Jul
12
Tue
Webinar Series – The Federal Supervisor’s Workshop: Building the Best Toolkit for Managing Today’s Workforce
Jul 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.

Aug
9
Tue
Webinar Series – The Federal Supervisor’s Workshop: Building the Best Toolkit for Managing Today’s Workforce
Aug 9 @ 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.

Aug
23
Tue
Webinar Series – The Federal Supervisor’s Workshop: Building the Best Toolkit for Managing Today’s Workforce
Aug 23 @ 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.

Aug
29
Mon
Virtual Training Event – Federal Workplace 2022: Accountability, Challenges, and Trends
Aug 29 – Sep 1 all-day

Download Individual Registration Form

Course Description

FELTG’s Federal Workplace 2022: Accountability, Challenges, and Trends offers short, engaging, and guidance-filled training sessions to help you effectively manage the Federal employment challenges that are new, complicated, and critical to your and your agency’s success.

Each day focuses on a specific topic – a day each on Accountability, Challenges, and Trends. And we’ve added a bonus fourth day with a focus on Labor Relations. During the course of this program, FELTG instructors will share the best practices and lessons learned over the previous year, and provide the guidance and expertise you’ll need to thrive when faced with issues such as charging for misconduct, preparing performance narratives, reassessing reasonable accommodation post-COVID, harassment other than EEO, creating an inclusive mentality, preparing to bargain and much more. And we’ll get you up to date on the latest decisions from EEOC, MSPB, and FLRA.

We know you have plenty of training options – both onsite and virtual – to choose from this time of year. This program has several advantages. Although not a conference, it provides an opportunity for conference-like training for those who can’t get travel approval, or for those not quite ready to squish themselves back into packed training rooms. Other virtual training providers make you register and pay for the full agenda. Not FELTG. This training event allows attendees to register for only the sessions they prefer to attend.

In addition, FELTG is an SBA-certified Woman Owned Small Business, allowing your agency to help achieve its small business set aside fiscal targets. And if all that wasn’t enough, Federal Workplace 2022: Accountability, Challenges, and Trends is completely live, and attendees have the opportunities to ask questions and engage in polls and other activities.

Who Should Attend

Attorneys; Labor and Employee Relations Specialists; EEO managers and directors; EEO specialists; Reasonable Accommodation Coordinators; DEIA specialists, Federal supervisors and managers; emerging leaders; union representatives.

Download Individual Registration Form



Monday, August 29, 2022

Spotlight on Accountability

Session 1
10:30 – 11:45 am EDT
Is That Misconduct? What Do I Charge?
Presented by Bob Woods, Attorney at Law, FELTG Instructor

(Earn 1.25 CLE credits)

Too often, a misconduct action is derailed not by lack of evidence, but due to a poorly drafted disciplinary charge. Attend this session to ensure that doesn’t happen to you. FELTG Instructor Bob Woods will cover the art and science behind drafting disciplinary charges, including the types of charges, parts of a charge, how charges are interpreted, and alternative charges. He’ll provide guidance on the best charge for any disciplinary scenario. This class will also include discussion of new MSPB cases involving charges.

Learning takeaways

Attendees will learn how to:

  • Discern between misconduct and poor performance.
  • Identify the pros and cons of the three different styles of charging.
  • Recognize why certain charges may fail, and select alternatives that will withstand review.
Session 2
1 – 2:15 pm EDT
Make Your Best Case: Effectively Preparing Performance Narratives
Presented by Barbara Haga, President/Federal HR Services, FELTG Senior Instructor

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. It may be the employee who thinks the rating should be higher. Sometimes, 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:

  • Ensure they have the right criteria to measure an individual’s performance.
  • Identify poorly written narratives and explain how to correct them.
  • Write narratives of deficient performance that will stand up if challenged.
Session 3
3 – 4:15 pm EDT
What You Think You Know About AWOL is Probably Wrong
Presented by Deborah J. Hopkins, Attorney at Law, FELTG President

(Earn 1.25 CLE credits)

You can’t discipline an employee for AWOL unless it has reached a certain number of days. Employees can’t be removed for AWOL. You can’t be charged AWOL for time that you were physically present in the office. None of these statements is true; they are AWOL myths. During this presentation, FELTG President Deborah Hopkins will shatter those myths and provide you with clear guidance on how to handle situations when an employee doesn’t show up for work. She’ll also explain the difference in AWOL as a charge and AWOL as a non-pay status, and provide strategies on how to handle employees who don’t report for duty.

Learning takeaways

Attendees will learn how to:

  • Understand the elements of the charge of Absent Without Leave or Unauthorized Absence.
  • Determine reasonable penalties when AWOL is charged.
  • Identify situations where a perceived AWOL might be another type of absence.


Tuesday, August 30, 2022

Spotlight on Challenges

Session 4
10:30 – 11:45 am EDT
Other Types of Harassment: Beyond Discriminatory and Sexual Harassment
Presented by Deborah J. Hopkins, Attorney at Law, FELTG President

(Earn 1.25 CLE credits)

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 unflattering performance feedback.  And, in between, there are threatening, intimidating, and disturbing acts that are unrelated to protected classes, but nonetheless must be addressed as misconduct. FELTG President Deborah Hopkins 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.

Learning takeaways

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 as misconduct.
  • Recognize agency obligations for addressing harassing employee behavior.
Session 5
1 – 2:15 pm EDT
Preparing for COVID-19 EEO Challenges in FY23
Presented by Ricky Rowe, former National EEO Manager/Veterans Administration, FELTG Instructor

As much as we are all ready to move on from COVID-19, the latest variant has made it clear: The virus is not done with us. As summer moves to fall, agencies will face new roadblocks returning employees to the physical workplace while keeping safe those employees who are already there. In this presentation, FELTG Instructor Ricky Rowe will focus on the relative laws and guidance surrounding temperature screening, which agencies will need to be familiar with this upcoming fiscal year.  This presentation will include the most up-to-date guidance available at that time.

Learning takeaways 

Attendees will learn how to:

  • Implement the most updated guidance from the EEOC, CDC, the Task Force, etc.
  • Recognize the potential legal pitfalls of seeking certain medical information.
  • Create an effective, lawful, and operational framework for temperature screening employees.
Session 6
3 – 4:15 pm EDT
Managing a Potentially Suicidal Employee
Presented by Shana Palmieri, LCSW, CCO & Co-founder, XFERALL, FELTG Instructor

As suicide rates rise across the country, the impact is being felt in the workplace. Learning how to correctly manage an employee’s suicidal crisis and ideations is increasingly important. Knowing what to do, and when, might save an employee’s life. Shana Palmieri, LCSW will provide an overview of suicide ideation in the country and, more specifically, the workplace. She’ll share the signs, symptoms, and appropriate responses when managing an individual suffering with suicidal thoughts.

Learning takeaways

Attendees will learn how to:

  • Communicate effectively with employees with suicidal ideation.
  • Identify the signs and symptoms of suicide that indicate the need for professional intervention.
  • Handle behavioral health emergencies.

 



Wednesday, August 31, 2022

Spotlight on Trends

 

Session 7
10:30 – 11:45 am EDT
The Power of an Inclusive Mentality
Presented by J. Bruce Stewart, PhD, Chief Executive Officer, Small World Solutions

What do rats addicted to heroin, Rosa Parks, a third-grade school teacher, a prize winning stage director, Miles Davis, and a little girl who has a form of autism called Williams Syndrome have in common? They have figured out the code to great performance.  And that code? It is Inclusive Mentality. Dr. Stewart, former Deputy Director for Diversity and Inclusion for the Office of Personnel Management and creator of OPM’s New IQ, will explain what the inclusive mentality code is and how it can be unlocked to unleash the full potential of diverse teams, in line with the President’s DEIA mandates.

Learning takeaways

Attendees will learn how to:

  • Develop an inclusive mentality for team and organizational success.
  • Explain why diversity alone or inclusion alone is not the answer but instead a big part of the problem.
  • Make others around you better (and explain why it’s the key 21st Century skill).
Session 8
1 – 2:15 pm EDT
Revisiting Existing Reasonable Accommodations
Presented by Katherine Atkinson, Attorney at Law, FELTG Instructor

(Earn 1.25 CLE credits)

One of the most important, yet often forgotten, parts of the reasonable accommodation process is the follow up. Sometimes, accommodations are no longer effective, no longer needed – or, perhaps, a more effective accommodation has become available. It’s a win-win process. And as employees start returning to the physical workplace after, for some, more than two years of remote work, now is the time to re-evaluate the effectiveness of employees’ reasonable accommodations. FELTG Instructor Katherine Atkinson, Attorney at Law, will explain why this is important and how to go about ensuring you find the right accommodation.

Learning takeaways

Attendees will learn how to:

  • Restart the interactive process.
  • Make an appropriate reasonable accommodation determination.
  • Determine if telework is an effective accommodation.
Session 9
3 – 4:15 pm EDT
MSPB and EEOC Case Law Update
Presented by Deborah J. Hopkins, Attorney at Law, FELTG President

Whether you’re an HR professional, attorney, EEO specialist, or supervisor, keeping up with the ever-evolving Federal employment law is a necessity. Change happens quickly. This fast-paced review of the most relevant cases from the EEOC, the newly minted MSPB, and the Federal Circuit will ensure you’re not behind the times. 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.

Learning takeaways

Attendees will learn how to:

  • Determine the impact recent MSPB decisions on whistleblowing.
  • Identify the recent critical decisions from the EEOC.
  • Understand the effect of new Federal Circuit decisions on the executive branch.

 



Thursday, September 1, 2022

Spotlight on Labor Relations

 

Session 10
10:30 – 11:45 am pm EDT
What’s Happening in Federal Labor Relations?
Presented by Ann Boehm, Attorney at Law, FELTG Instructor

(Earn 1.25 CLE credits)

Ann Boehm, who spent 26 years as a government attorney (including a stint at the Federal Labor Relations Authority), will look at what’s been happening at the FLRA and what’s likely to happen now that third member Susan Tsui Grundmann has been confirmed. She’ll review recent decisions by the Federal Service Impasses Panel and discuss the five memos recently released by OPM that address enhanced workers’ rights.

Learning takeaways

Attendees will learn how to:

  • Identify areas of labor law that may change with a fully staffed Authority.
  • Understand the recent decisions from the FLRA and FSIP.
  • Explain what your agency needs to do to meet OPM’s expectations for labor management relations.
Session 11
1 – 2:15 pm EDT
Preparing to Bargain
Presented by Joseph Schimansky, Former Executive Director/FSIP, FELTG Instructor

(Earn 1.25 CLE credits)

Whether you’re currently preparing to negotiate with the union or if it’s a year down the road, this is a do-not-miss session. Joseph Schimansky will provide you with key strategies and guidance to ensure you are well-equipped to begin negotiations, and have a plan to successfully navigate the bargaining process.

Learning takeaways

Attendees will learn how to:

  • Identify the work that must be done before bargaining begins.
  • Build an effective bargaining team.
  • Evaluate your bargaining techniques for the most effective approach.

 

Pricing

  • Early bird pricing for individual sessions starts at $150 per session. Daily and full event All Access discounts available.
  • Early Bird discounts available until August 12.
  • See registration form for full pricing details.

 

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.
  • Can I earn CLE credits for this class?
    • This program is submitted for CLE credits to the State Bar of Virginia, and we anticipate approval within. few weeks. Individual CLE applications are the responsibility of each attendee; FELTG does not apply for the credits on behalf of attendees.  If you are seeking CLE credit, attendees may use the materials provided by FELTG in submission to your state bar. Attendees may also request a certificate of completion which will contain the number of training hours attended.
  • Can I share my access link with co-workers?
    • No. Registration for this event is per individual, and access links may not be shared. Each link may only be used by one person.
  • Can I register a teleworker?
    • This event is individual registration, so the cost is the same whether the person is teleworking or in an agency facility.
  • How do I receive a group rate discount?
    • Group rates are available for agencies registering 10 or more individuals for All Access registration options only. Group discounts are available through August 12.
Sep
19
Mon
Virtual Training Event – FLRA Law Week
Sep 19 – Sep 23 all-day

Download Individual Registration Form

Course Description

The last year has presented a dramatic shift in the world of federal labor relations. President Biden’s Executive Order rescinding numerous Trump Executive Orders, including those regarding official time, bargaining topics, negotiation timeframes, and union responsibilities to pay for things they never had to pay for before. Meanwhile, a Democratic nominee awaits confirmation that would change the political make-up of the Authority, and another Democrat awaits confirmation for the permanent General Counsel position that sat vacant for far too long.

Now, more than ever, you need FELTG’s FLRA Law Week. Led by two instructors with a combined total of nearly 40 years experience working at the FLRA, this training will bring you up to speed on where the current law stands, and share best practices on how to effectively navigate it in your day-to-day work, whether you’re a labor attorney, labor relations specialist or union representative.

FLRA Law Week provides attendees with a firm foundation of the historical perspective and precedence of FLRA decisions, as well as a strategy for taking advantage of any new approaches that are coming out of the FLRA. And this includes the latest guidance based on the FLRA’s recent precedent-breaking decisions have on collective bargaining.

There’s no other place where you can get in-depth guidance on hot-button issues, such as permissive bargaining, official time, and negotiations, to guide you through this dynamic time. So join us for this class September 19-23, where the entire world of Federal labor relations will be discussed.

The program runs 12:00 – 4:00 pm eastern each day, with a 30-minute break midway through.


Instructors

Ann Boehm, Joe Schimansky

Daily Agenda

Monday, September 19

Basic Management and Employee Rights: An overview of the Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statute; the current status of Executive Orders 13836 and 13837; fundamental employee, union, and management rights; bargaining unit definition; the union organizer’s role; information requests; official time.

Tuesday, September 20

Labor Relations Meetings and Bargaining: More on official time; formal discussions; union representative rights; the collective bargaining process; the three categories of bargaining: mandatory, permissive, and prohibited; introduction to negotiability.

Wednesday, September 21

Unfair Labor Practices and Negotiability: Employee rights vs. Management rights; the anatomy of an Unfair Labor Practice; an overview of the Federal Services Impasse Panel; negotiability appeals.

Thursday, September 22

The Psychology of Bargaining, Plus Grievances and Pandemic-Related Issues: Selecting a bargaining strategy; interest based bargaining as compared to hard ball bargaining; grievances; exceptions to arbitration awards; a new Administration.

Friday, September 23

Understanding the FSIP and Arbitration: Panel members, FSIP procedures, recent FSIP developments, the arbitration process overview; binding the arbitrator; how federal government arbitration is different from private sector arbitration and appeals; educating the arbitrator.


Pricing

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

Early Bird Tuition (register by September 5):

  • 5 days = $1495
  • 4 days = $1225
  • 3 days = $935
  • 2 days = $700
  • 1 day = $370

Standard Tuition (register September 6-23):

  • 5 days = $1575
  • 4 days = $1305
  • 3 days = $995
  • 2 days = $730
  • 1 day = $400

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.
  • 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. No split registrations.
  • Can I register a teleworker?
    • This event is individual registration, so the cost is the same whether the person is teleworking or in an agency facility.
  • How do I receive a group rate discount?
    • Group rates are available for agencies registering 10 or more individuals for the full event. Group discounts are available through September 5.
Sep
29
Thu
Webinar – The Role of the Douglas Factors in Arbitration
Sep 29 @ 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm

Download Registration Form

Course Description

When faced with a case involving appealable adverse actions, an arbitrator must apply the same substantive standards as the Merit Systems Protection Board. The arbitrator must decide whether discipline was appropriate, and also assess whether the agency considered the relevant factors in determining the penalty. Just like an MSPB judge, the arbitrator has the authority to mitigate the penalty if it is outside the bounds of reasonableness. In this 60-minute webinar, Joe Schimansky will explain how the Douglas Factors came about and provide a detailed look at the role those factors play in the arbitration process.

Attendees will learn how to:

  • Identify all 12 Douglas Factors.
  • Determine whether the Douglas Factors have been appropriately considered.
  • Explain how the factors apply in the circumstances of a particular case, and how to educate the arbitrator who may be unfamiliar with the Douglas framework.

Instructor

Joseph Schimansky

Date and Time

Thursday, September 29, 2:00 – 3:00 ET

Price

  • Early Bird Tuition: $270 per site, per webinar (payment required by September 19)
  • Standard Tuition: $295 per site, per webinar (payments made September 20 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.

Jan
19
Thu
Virtual Training Event – Drawing the Line: Union Representation or Misconduct
Jan 19 @ 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm

Download Individual Registration Form

Description

Robust. Uninhibited. Wide-open. These are words the U.S. Supreme Court used to describe the type of debate by union officials that is considered “protected activity.” But how robust, uninhibited or wide open? And when? Those are the questions that Ann Boehm will answer during this training.

There are many tales of profanity, shouting, rough speech, and bullying taking place between union reps when performing representational duties — and not just during negotiations. Ms. Boehm will share several cases that highlight robust activity that were considered “protected activity” and provide details of a recent FLRA decision that illustrates behavior that very clearly crossed the line.

Learning takeaways:

Attendees will learn how to:

  • Recognize when a union representative’s behavior is outside the bounds of protected activity.
  • Effectively respond when union officials’ behavior turns threatening.
  • Use the disciplinary framework and Douglas factors to determine appropriate penalty.

Register now for this engaging, timely, and highly useful training. The program will be held from 1 – 3 pm ET

Instructor

Ann Boehm

Price

  • Early Bird Tuition: $295 (payment required by January 5)
  • Standard Tuition: $325 (payments made January 6 or later)
  • Want to register a group? Group discounts are available through January 5. 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 attendees for the full event. Group discounts are available through January 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.

Feb
2
Thu
Webinar – What Happens Now at the FLRA?
Feb 2 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Download Registration Form Here

Program Description

As the new year turned, former FLRA Chair Ernest DuBester’s holdover term ended, leaving just two Authority members — Democrat Susan Tsui Grundmann (the new Chair) and Colleen Duffy Kiko (a former FLRA Chair). No one has yet been nominated. There is also no nominee yet for General Counsel, putting the Acting GC on borrowed time.

How will this “ideological deadlock,” as one report coined it, impact the FLRA’s rulings — or will it? And what happens if there is no one serving as General Counsel?

In this 60-minute webinar, FELTG Instructor Ann Boehm will share guidance on how you can navigate this new situation at the FLRA, discuss where to put your focus, and explain what happens when the Authority is without a General Counsel.

Date and Time

Thursday, February 2, 2023, 1:00 – 2:00 PM

Instructor

Ann Boehm

Registration

Download Registration Form Here

Price

  • Early Bird Tuition: $270 per site (payment required by January 23)
  • Standard Tuition: $295 per site (payments made after January 24)

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.

Mar
7
Tue
Webinar Series – The Federal Supervisor’s Workshop: Building the Best Toolkit for Managing Today’s Workforce
Mar 7 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Download Registration Form

Instructors

Deborah Hopkins, Barbara Haga, Katherine Atkinson, Ann Boehm, Joe Schimansky

Course Description

The most comprehensive supervisory training event available anywhere returns once again. The Federal Supervisor’s Workshop: Building the Best Toolkit for Managing Today’s Workforce offers six specific sessions (with a bonus seventh session for those who manage bargaining unit employees) that will give you the tools and skills to effectively and efficiently manage in the Federal workplace circa 2023.

If you’ve attended FELTG’s previous supervisory webinar series, UnCivil Servant: Holding Employees Accountable for Performance and Conduct, or any of our other flagship courses, these fast-paced and engaging 60-minute sessions, held monthly from 1 – 2 pm ET, will expand upon the legal and foundational principles shared in those sessions with best practices to handle very specific discipline, performance, leave, and reasonable accommodation situations. And the guidance shared will help you build the necessary framework to tackle numerous other specific and equally challenging situations.

FELTG’s annual supervisory series will get you up to speed quickly, without wasting any of your time. Just 60 minutes each month. The sessions are taught live by FELTG’s experience instructors AND you’ll have the chance to ask questions and get answers — in real time.

2023 dates and topics:

March 7: Why Supervisors Need to Use the Douglas Factors

If you’re not using the Douglas factor analysis to figure out an appropriate penalty for a misbehaving employee, then you’re doing it wrong. And when an appeal is filed, your action may not be so easy to defend without this justification. A scan of MSPB cases reveals how regularly Federal supervisors fail to understand these factors, and how that lack of understanding may sink the agency’s case. FELTG instructor Ann Boehm will explain the importance of the Douglas factors, using both foundational and recent case law examples, and walk you through the importance of each factor.

 April 4: 5 Keys to Implementing and Managing a Successful Performance Opportunity Period

You’re not alone. Every agency has employees whose performance is unacceptable. The key to addressing poor performance is to initiate an opportunity to demonstrate acceptable performance (called everything from a PIP or OIP to an ODAP or DP). A successful opportunity period will either lead to sustained improved performance OR a defensible performance-based removal. From the Santos requirement to a post-PIP drop in performance, FELTG President Deborah Hopkins will explain the key steps to take and pitfalls to avoid.

May 2: They Just Won’t Show Up: Handling Excessive Absence

In a year when no-shows are more common than they should be, supervisors need to understand how to handle excessive absence, using the appropriate tools to correct employee behavior, while keeping in mind cases that involve reasonable accommodation or medical inability to perform. In 60 minutes, FELTG Senior Instructor Barbara Haga will share the documentation needed and steps necessary to effectively discipline an employee for excessive absence, leave abuse, and other related matters.

June 6: Ensuring Accountability with Hybrid and Teleworking Employees

Many experts agree: The performance success of a hybrid or telework environment will come down to managers and supervisors. You may think you know how to discipline. And you may think you know how to handle poor performance. Now that your employees are spread out beyond the physical workplace, you must hold all equally accountable for performance and conduct, regardless of where they physically work. FELTG President Deborah Hopkins will give you the tools and foundation to effectively do that, while also managing employees who remain in the physical workplace.

July 11: Trends in Hostile Work Environment Harassment: 2023 Edition

The pandemic sparked a rise in hate crimes against Asian-Pacific Americans and now the country is dealing with a steep increase in antisemitic threats and actions. How have these trends impacted the Federal workplace, and what is the supervisor’s role when it manifests in microaggressions, bias, harassment, or outright discrimination? This 60-minute webinar provides the tools supervisors need to recognize and quickly take effective action to prevent and correct illegal harassment in the workplace..

August 8: Providing Reasonable Accommodation for Invisible Disabilities

The effects of the pandemic live on in an increase in chronic fatigue and depression, not to mention the severe impact of long haul COVID. Meanwhile, chronic pain, diabetes, and other non-visible disabilities are on the rise as the Federal workplace continues to age. During this webinar, managers will learn how to find the right accommodation for a number of hidden disabilities.

August 22: What Supervisors Should Know About Official Time

The Labor-Management Statute holds labor and management equally accountable to the taxpayer with a shared responsibility to ensure that official time is authorized and used appropriately. In this 60-minute class, Joseph Schimansky will share everything that supervisors need to know to uphold that responsibility without overstepping their role. Attendees will learn who is entitled to official time — and who isn’t, along with the latest relevant case law and guidance.

Pricing

Early Bird Tuition:

  • $270 per site, per session (payment required by February 24).
  • Special series discounts available through February 24: $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 February 25 or later).

Working from home? Teleworkers may be added to a primary site registration for $60 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
4
Tue
Webinar Series – The Federal Supervisor’s Workshop: Building the Best Toolkit for Managing Today’s Workforce
Apr 4 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Download Registration Form

Instructors

Deborah Hopkins, Barbara Haga, Katherine Atkinson, Ann Boehm, Joe Schimansky

Course Description

The most comprehensive supervisory training event available anywhere returns once again. The Federal Supervisor’s Workshop: Building the Best Toolkit for Managing Today’s Workforce offers six specific sessions (with a bonus seventh session for those who manage bargaining unit employees) that will give you the tools and skills to effectively and efficiently manage in the Federal workplace circa 2023.

If you’ve attended FELTG’s previous supervisory webinar series, UnCivil Servant: Holding Employees Accountable for Performance and Conduct, or any of our other flagship courses, these fast-paced and engaging 60-minute sessions, held monthly from 1 – 2 pm ET, will expand upon the legal and foundational principles shared in those sessions with best practices to handle very specific discipline, performance, leave, and reasonable accommodation situations. And the guidance shared will help you build the necessary framework to tackle numerous other specific and equally challenging situations.

FELTG’s annual supervisory series will get you up to speed quickly, without wasting any of your time. Just 60 minutes each month. The sessions are taught live by FELTG’s experience instructors AND you’ll have the chance to ask questions and get answers — in real time.

2023 dates and topics:

March 7: Why Supervisors Need to Use the Douglas Factors

If you’re not using the Douglas factor analysis to figure out an appropriate penalty for a misbehaving employee, then you’re doing it wrong. And when an appeal is filed, your action may not be so easy to defend without this justification. A scan of MSPB cases reveals how regularly Federal supervisors fail to understand these factors, and how that lack of understanding may sink the agency’s case. FELTG instructor Ann Boehm will explain the importance of the Douglas factors, using both foundational and recent case law examples, and walk you through the importance of each factor.

 April 4: 5 Keys to Implementing and Managing a Successful Performance Opportunity Period

You’re not alone. Every agency has employees whose performance is unacceptable. The key to addressing poor performance is to initiate an opportunity to demonstrate acceptable performance (called everything from a PIP or OIP to an ODAP or DP). A successful opportunity period will either lead to sustained improved performance OR a defensible performance-based removal. From the Santos requirement to a post-PIP drop in performance, FELTG President Deborah Hopkins will explain the key steps to take and pitfalls to avoid.

May 2: They Just Won’t Show Up: Handling Excessive Absence

In a year when no-shows are more common than they should be, supervisors need to understand how to handle excessive absence, using the appropriate tools to correct employee behavior, while keeping in mind cases that involve reasonable accommodation or medical inability to perform. In 60 minutes, FELTG Senior Instructor Barbara Haga will share the documentation needed and steps necessary to effectively discipline an employee for excessive absence, leave abuse, and other related matters.

June 6: Ensuring Accountability with Hybrid and Teleworking Employees

Many experts agree: The performance success of a hybrid or telework environment will come down to managers and supervisors. You may think you know how to discipline. And you may think you know how to handle poor performance. Now that your employees are spread out beyond the physical workplace, you must hold all equally accountable for performance and conduct, regardless of where they physically work. FELTG President Deborah Hopkins will give you the tools and foundation to effectively do that, while also managing employees who remain in the physical workplace.

July 11: Trends in Hostile Work Environment Harassment: 2023 Edition

The pandemic sparked a rise in hate crimes against Asian-Pacific Americans and now the country is dealing with a steep increase in antisemitic threats and actions. How have these trends impacted the Federal workplace, and what is the supervisor’s role when it manifests in microaggressions, bias, harassment, or outright discrimination? This 60-minute webinar provides the tools supervisors need to recognize and quickly take effective action to prevent and correct illegal harassment in the workplace..

August 8: Providing Reasonable Accommodation for Invisible Disabilities

The effects of the pandemic live on in an increase in chronic fatigue and depression, not to mention the severe impact of long haul COVID. Meanwhile, chronic pain, diabetes, and other non-visible disabilities are on the rise as the Federal workplace continues to age. During this webinar, managers will learn how to find the right accommodation for a number of hidden disabilities.

August 22: What Supervisors Should Know About Official Time

The Labor-Management Statute holds labor and management equally accountable to the taxpayer with a shared responsibility to ensure that official time is authorized and used appropriately. In this 60-minute class, Joseph Schimansky will share everything that supervisors need to know to uphold that responsibility without overstepping their role. Attendees will learn who is entitled to official time — and who isn’t, along with the latest relevant case law and guidance.

Pricing

Early Bird Tuition:

  • $270 per site, per session (payment required by February 24).
  • Special series discounts available through February 24: $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 February 25 or later).

Working from home? Teleworkers may be added to a primary site registration for $60 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.

May
1
Mon
Virtual Training Event – FLRA Law Week
May 1 – May 5 all-day

Course Description

Official time. Bargaining topics. Negotiation timeframes. Meetings. Permissive bargaining. Union responsibilities.

Anyone who has worked in federal labor relations for any amount of time, knows that it’s an always-changing and ever-challenging field. It’s absolutely necessary to continually update and refresh your knowledge and skills. So why not get that important training from two instructors with a combined 40 years of experience working at the Federal Labor Relations Authority and even more years of experience in the federal employment law world.

This training will bring you up to speed on where the current law stands, and share best practices on how to effectively navigate it in your day-to-day work, whether you’re a labor attorney, labor relations specialist or union representative.

FLRA Law Week provides attendees with a firm foundation of the historical perspective and precedence of FLRA decisions, as well as a strategy for taking advantage of any new approaches that are coming out of the FLRA.

There’s no other place where you can get in-depth guidance on hot-button LR issues to guide you through this dynamic time. So join us for this class May 1-5, where the entire world of Federal labor relations will be discussed.

Daily Agenda

Monday, May 1

Basic Management and Employee Rights: An overview of the Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statute; the current status of Executive Orders 13836 and 13837; fundamental employee, union, and management rights; bargaining unit definition; the union organizer’s role; information requests; official time.

Tuesday, May 2

Labor Relations Meetings and Bargaining: More on official time; formal discussions; union representative rights; the collective bargaining process; the three categories of bargaining: mandatory, permissive, and prohibited; introduction to negotiability.

Wednesday, May 3

Unfair Labor Practices and Negotiability: Employee rights vs. Management rights; the anatomy of an Unfair Labor Practice; an overview of the Federal Services Impasse Panel; negotiability appeals.

Thursday, May 4

The Psychology of Bargaining, Plus Grievances and Pandemic-Related Issues: Selecting a bargaining strategy; interest based bargaining as compared to hard ball bargaining; grievances; exceptions to arbitration awards.

Friday, May 5

Understanding the FSIP and Arbitration: Panel members, FSIP procedures, recent FSIP developments, the arbitration process overview; binding the arbitrator; how federal government arbitration is different from private sector arbitration and appeals; educating the arbitrator.

Date and Time

May 1-5, 2023

12:30 – 4:30 pm ET each day (with a 30-minute break)

Instructors

Ann Boehm, Joe Schimansky

Registration

Download Individual Registration Form

Pricing

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

Early Bird Tuition (register by April 17):

  • 5 days = $1595
  • 4 days = $1365
  • 3 days = $995
  • 2 days = $725
  • 1 day = $395

Standard Tuition (register April 18-May 5):

  • 5 days = $1695
  • 4 days = $1465
  • 3 days = $1095
  • 2 days = $825
  • 1 day = $495

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.
  • 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. No split registrations.
  • 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 17.
May
2
Tue
Webinar Series – The Federal Supervisor’s Workshop: Building the Best Toolkit for Managing Today’s Workforce
May 2 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Download Registration Form

Instructors

Deborah Hopkins, Barbara Haga, Katherine Atkinson, Ann Boehm, Joe Schimansky

Course Description

The most comprehensive supervisory training event available anywhere returns once again. The Federal Supervisor’s Workshop: Building the Best Toolkit for Managing Today’s Workforce offers six specific sessions (with a bonus seventh session for those who manage bargaining unit employees) that will give you the tools and skills to effectively and efficiently manage in the Federal workplace circa 2023.

If you’ve attended FELTG’s previous supervisory webinar series, UnCivil Servant: Holding Employees Accountable for Performance and Conduct, or any of our other flagship courses, these fast-paced and engaging 60-minute sessions, held monthly from 1 – 2 pm ET, will expand upon the legal and foundational principles shared in those sessions with best practices to handle very specific discipline, performance, leave, and reasonable accommodation situations. And the guidance shared will help you build the necessary framework to tackle numerous other specific and equally challenging situations.

FELTG’s annual supervisory series will get you up to speed quickly, without wasting any of your time. Just 60 minutes each month. The sessions are taught live by FELTG’s experience instructors AND you’ll have the chance to ask questions and get answers — in real time.

2023 dates and topics:

March 7: Why Supervisors Need to Use the Douglas Factors

If you’re not using the Douglas factor analysis to figure out an appropriate penalty for a misbehaving employee, then you’re doing it wrong. And when an appeal is filed, your action may not be so easy to defend without this justification. A scan of MSPB cases reveals how regularly Federal supervisors fail to understand these factors, and how that lack of understanding may sink the agency’s case. FELTG instructor Ann Boehm will explain the importance of the Douglas factors, using both foundational and recent case law examples, and walk you through the importance of each factor.

 April 4: 5 Keys to Implementing and Managing a Successful Performance Opportunity Period

You’re not alone. Every agency has employees whose performance is unacceptable. The key to addressing poor performance is to initiate an opportunity to demonstrate acceptable performance (called everything from a PIP or OIP to an ODAP or DP). A successful opportunity period will either lead to sustained improved performance OR a defensible performance-based removal. From the Santos requirement to a post-PIP drop in performance, FELTG President Deborah Hopkins will explain the key steps to take and pitfalls to avoid.

May 2: They Just Won’t Show Up: Handling Excessive Absence

In a year when no-shows are more common than they should be, supervisors need to understand how to handle excessive absence, using the appropriate tools to correct employee behavior, while keeping in mind cases that involve reasonable accommodation or medical inability to perform. In 60 minutes, FELTG Senior Instructor Barbara Haga will share the documentation needed and steps necessary to effectively discipline an employee for excessive absence, leave abuse, and other related matters.

June 6: Ensuring Accountability with Hybrid and Teleworking Employees

Many experts agree: The performance success of a hybrid or telework environment will come down to managers and supervisors. You may think you know how to discipline. And you may think you know how to handle poor performance. Now that your employees are spread out beyond the physical workplace, you must hold all equally accountable for performance and conduct, regardless of where they physically work. FELTG President Deborah Hopkins will give you the tools and foundation to effectively do that, while also managing employees who remain in the physical workplace.

July 11: Trends in Hostile Work Environment Harassment: 2023 Edition

The pandemic sparked a rise in hate crimes against Asian-Pacific Americans and now the country is dealing with a steep increase in antisemitic threats and actions. How have these trends impacted the Federal workplace, and what is the supervisor’s role when it manifests in microaggressions, bias, harassment, or outright discrimination? This 60-minute webinar provides the tools supervisors need to recognize and quickly take effective action to prevent and correct illegal harassment in the workplace..

August 8: Providing Reasonable Accommodation for Invisible Disabilities

The effects of the pandemic live on in an increase in chronic fatigue and depression, not to mention the severe impact of long haul COVID. Meanwhile, chronic pain, diabetes, and other non-visible disabilities are on the rise as the Federal workplace continues to age. During this webinar, managers will learn how to find the right accommodation for a number of hidden disabilities.

August 22: What Supervisors Should Know About Official Time

The Labor-Management Statute holds labor and management equally accountable to the taxpayer with a shared responsibility to ensure that official time is authorized and used appropriately. In this 60-minute class, Joseph Schimansky will share everything that supervisors need to know to uphold that responsibility without overstepping their role. Attendees will learn who is entitled to official time — and who isn’t, along with the latest relevant case law and guidance.

Pricing

Early Bird Tuition:

  • $270 per site, per session (payment required by February 24).
  • Special series discounts available through February 24: $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 February 25 or later).

Working from home? Teleworkers may be added to a primary site registration for $60 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
6
Tue
Webinar Series – The Federal Supervisor’s Workshop: Building the Best Toolkit for Managing Today’s Workforce
Jun 6 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Download Registration Form

Instructors

Deborah Hopkins, Barbara Haga, Katherine Atkinson, Ann Boehm, Joe Schimansky

Course Description

The most comprehensive supervisory training event available anywhere returns once again. The Federal Supervisor’s Workshop: Building the Best Toolkit for Managing Today’s Workforce offers six specific sessions (with a bonus seventh session for those who manage bargaining unit employees) that will give you the tools and skills to effectively and efficiently manage in the Federal workplace circa 2023.

If you’ve attended FELTG’s previous supervisory webinar series, UnCivil Servant: Holding Employees Accountable for Performance and Conduct, or any of our other flagship courses, these fast-paced and engaging 60-minute sessions, held monthly from 1 – 2 pm ET, will expand upon the legal and foundational principles shared in those sessions with best practices to handle very specific discipline, performance, leave, and reasonable accommodation situations. And the guidance shared will help you build the necessary framework to tackle numerous other specific and equally challenging situations.

FELTG’s annual supervisory series will get you up to speed quickly, without wasting any of your time. Just 60 minutes each month. The sessions are taught live by FELTG’s experience instructors AND you’ll have the chance to ask questions and get answers — in real time.

2023 dates and topics:

March 7: Why Supervisors Need to Use the Douglas Factors

If you’re not using the Douglas factor analysis to figure out an appropriate penalty for a misbehaving employee, then you’re doing it wrong. And when an appeal is filed, your action may not be so easy to defend without this justification. A scan of MSPB cases reveals how regularly Federal supervisors fail to understand these factors, and how that lack of understanding may sink the agency’s case. FELTG instructor Ann Boehm will explain the importance of the Douglas factors, using both foundational and recent case law examples, and walk you through the importance of each factor.

 April 4: 5 Keys to Implementing and Managing a Successful Performance Opportunity Period

You’re not alone. Every agency has employees whose performance is unacceptable. The key to addressing poor performance is to initiate an opportunity to demonstrate acceptable performance (called everything from a PIP or OIP to an ODAP or DP). A successful opportunity period will either lead to sustained improved performance OR a defensible performance-based removal. From the Santos requirement to a post-PIP drop in performance, FELTG President Deborah Hopkins will explain the key steps to take and pitfalls to avoid.

May 2: They Just Won’t Show Up: Handling Excessive Absence

In a year when no-shows are more common than they should be, supervisors need to understand how to handle excessive absence, using the appropriate tools to correct employee behavior, while keeping in mind cases that involve reasonable accommodation or medical inability to perform. In 60 minutes, FELTG Senior Instructor Barbara Haga will share the documentation needed and steps necessary to effectively discipline an employee for excessive absence, leave abuse, and other related matters.

June 6: Ensuring Accountability with Hybrid and Teleworking Employees

Many experts agree: The performance success of a hybrid or telework environment will come down to managers and supervisors. You may think you know how to discipline. And you may think you know how to handle poor performance. Now that your employees are spread out beyond the physical workplace, you must hold all equally accountable for performance and conduct, regardless of where they physically work. FELTG President Deborah Hopkins will give you the tools and foundation to effectively do that, while also managing employees who remain in the physical workplace.

July 11: Trends in Hostile Work Environment Harassment: 2023 Edition

The pandemic sparked a rise in hate crimes against Asian-Pacific Americans and now the country is dealing with a steep increase in antisemitic threats and actions. How have these trends impacted the Federal workplace, and what is the supervisor’s role when it manifests in microaggressions, bias, harassment, or outright discrimination? This 60-minute webinar provides the tools supervisors need to recognize and quickly take effective action to prevent and correct illegal harassment in the workplace..

August 8: Providing Reasonable Accommodation for Invisible Disabilities

The effects of the pandemic live on in an increase in chronic fatigue and depression, not to mention the severe impact of long haul COVID. Meanwhile, chronic pain, diabetes, and other non-visible disabilities are on the rise as the Federal workplace continues to age. During this webinar, managers will learn how to find the right accommodation for a number of hidden disabilities.

August 22: What Supervisors Should Know About Official Time

The Labor-Management Statute holds labor and management equally accountable to the taxpayer with a shared responsibility to ensure that official time is authorized and used appropriately. In this 60-minute class, Joseph Schimansky will share everything that supervisors need to know to uphold that responsibility without overstepping their role. Attendees will learn who is entitled to official time — and who isn’t, along with the latest relevant case law and guidance.

Pricing

Early Bird Tuition:

  • $270 per site, per session (payment required by February 24).
  • Special series discounts available through February 24: $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 February 25 or later).

Working from home? Teleworkers may be added to a primary site registration for $60 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.

Jul
11
Tue
Webinar Series – The Federal Supervisor’s Workshop: Building the Best Toolkit for Managing Today’s Workforce
Jul 11 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Download Registration Form

Instructors

Deborah Hopkins, Barbara Haga, Katherine Atkinson, Ann Boehm, Joe Schimansky

Course Description

The most comprehensive supervisory training event available anywhere returns once again. The Federal Supervisor’s Workshop: Building the Best Toolkit for Managing Today’s Workforce offers six specific sessions (with a bonus seventh session for those who manage bargaining unit employees) that will give you the tools and skills to effectively and efficiently manage in the Federal workplace circa 2023.

If you’ve attended FELTG’s previous supervisory webinar series, UnCivil Servant: Holding Employees Accountable for Performance and Conduct, or any of our other flagship courses, these fast-paced and engaging 60-minute sessions, held monthly from 1 – 2 pm ET, will expand upon the legal and foundational principles shared in those sessions with best practices to handle very specific discipline, performance, leave, and reasonable accommodation situations. And the guidance shared will help you build the necessary framework to tackle numerous other specific and equally challenging situations.

FELTG’s annual supervisory series will get you up to speed quickly, without wasting any of your time. Just 60 minutes each month. The sessions are taught live by FELTG’s experience instructors AND you’ll have the chance to ask questions and get answers — in real time.

2023 dates and topics:

March 7: Why Supervisors Need to Use the Douglas Factors

If you’re not using the Douglas factor analysis to figure out an appropriate penalty for a misbehaving employee, then you’re doing it wrong. And when an appeal is filed, your action may not be so easy to defend without this justification. A scan of MSPB cases reveals how regularly Federal supervisors fail to understand these factors, and how that lack of understanding may sink the agency’s case. FELTG instructor Ann Boehm will explain the importance of the Douglas factors, using both foundational and recent case law examples, and walk you through the importance of each factor.

 April 4: 5 Keys to Implementing and Managing a Successful Performance Opportunity Period

You’re not alone. Every agency has employees whose performance is unacceptable. The key to addressing poor performance is to initiate an opportunity to demonstrate acceptable performance (called everything from a PIP or OIP to an ODAP or DP). A successful opportunity period will either lead to sustained improved performance OR a defensible performance-based removal. From the Santos requirement to a post-PIP drop in performance, FELTG President Deborah Hopkins will explain the key steps to take and pitfalls to avoid.

May 2: They Just Won’t Show Up: Handling Excessive Absence

In a year when no-shows are more common than they should be, supervisors need to understand how to handle excessive absence, using the appropriate tools to correct employee behavior, while keeping in mind cases that involve reasonable accommodation or medical inability to perform. In 60 minutes, FELTG Senior Instructor Barbara Haga will share the documentation needed and steps necessary to effectively discipline an employee for excessive absence, leave abuse, and other related matters.

June 6: Ensuring Accountability with Hybrid and Teleworking Employees

Many experts agree: The performance success of a hybrid or telework environment will come down to managers and supervisors. You may think you know how to discipline. And you may think you know how to handle poor performance. Now that your employees are spread out beyond the physical workplace, you must hold all equally accountable for performance and conduct, regardless of where they physically work. FELTG President Deborah Hopkins will give you the tools and foundation to effectively do that, while also managing employees who remain in the physical workplace.

July 11: Trends in Hostile Work Environment Harassment: 2023 Edition

The pandemic sparked a rise in hate crimes against Asian-Pacific Americans and now the country is dealing with a steep increase in antisemitic threats and actions. How have these trends impacted the Federal workplace, and what is the supervisor’s role when it manifests in microaggressions, bias, harassment, or outright discrimination? This 60-minute webinar provides the tools supervisors need to recognize and quickly take effective action to prevent and correct illegal harassment in the workplace..

August 8: Providing Reasonable Accommodation for Invisible Disabilities

The effects of the pandemic live on in an increase in chronic fatigue and depression, not to mention the severe impact of long haul COVID. Meanwhile, chronic pain, diabetes, and other non-visible disabilities are on the rise as the Federal workplace continues to age. During this webinar, managers will learn how to find the right accommodation for a number of hidden disabilities.

August 22: What Supervisors Should Know About Official Time

The Labor-Management Statute holds labor and management equally accountable to the taxpayer with a shared responsibility to ensure that official time is authorized and used appropriately. In this 60-minute class, Joseph Schimansky will share everything that supervisors need to know to uphold that responsibility without overstepping their role. Attendees will learn who is entitled to official time — and who isn’t, along with the latest relevant case law and guidance.

Pricing

Early Bird Tuition:

  • $270 per site, per session (payment required by February 24).
  • Special series discounts available through February 24: $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 February 25 or later).

Working from home? Teleworkers may be added to a primary site registration for $60 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.

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

Download Registration Form

Instructors

Deborah Hopkins, Barbara Haga, Katherine Atkinson, Ann Boehm, Joe Schimansky

Course Description

The most comprehensive supervisory training event available anywhere returns once again. The Federal Supervisor’s Workshop: Building the Best Toolkit for Managing Today’s Workforce offers six specific sessions (with a bonus seventh session for those who manage bargaining unit employees) that will give you the tools and skills to effectively and efficiently manage in the Federal workplace circa 2023.

If you’ve attended FELTG’s previous supervisory webinar series, UnCivil Servant: Holding Employees Accountable for Performance and Conduct, or any of our other flagship courses, these fast-paced and engaging 60-minute sessions, held monthly from 1 – 2 pm ET, will expand upon the legal and foundational principles shared in those sessions with best practices to handle very specific discipline, performance, leave, and reasonable accommodation situations. And the guidance shared will help you build the necessary framework to tackle numerous other specific and equally challenging situations.

FELTG’s annual supervisory series will get you up to speed quickly, without wasting any of your time. Just 60 minutes each month. The sessions are taught live by FELTG’s experience instructors AND you’ll have the chance to ask questions and get answers — in real time.

2023 dates and topics:

March 7: Why Supervisors Need to Use the Douglas Factors

If you’re not using the Douglas factor analysis to figure out an appropriate penalty for a misbehaving employee, then you’re doing it wrong. And when an appeal is filed, your action may not be so easy to defend without this justification. A scan of MSPB cases reveals how regularly Federal supervisors fail to understand these factors, and how that lack of understanding may sink the agency’s case. FELTG instructor Ann Boehm will explain the importance of the Douglas factors, using both foundational and recent case law examples, and walk you through the importance of each factor.

 April 4: 5 Keys to Implementing and Managing a Successful Performance Opportunity Period

You’re not alone. Every agency has employees whose performance is unacceptable. The key to addressing poor performance is to initiate an opportunity to demonstrate acceptable performance (called everything from a PIP or OIP to an ODAP or DP). A successful opportunity period will either lead to sustained improved performance OR a defensible performance-based removal. From the Santos requirement to a post-PIP drop in performance, FELTG President Deborah Hopkins will explain the key steps to take and pitfalls to avoid.

May 2: They Just Won’t Show Up: Handling Excessive Absence

In a year when no-shows are more common than they should be, supervisors need to understand how to handle excessive absence, using the appropriate tools to correct employee behavior, while keeping in mind cases that involve reasonable accommodation or medical inability to perform. In 60 minutes, FELTG Senior Instructor Barbara Haga will share the documentation needed and steps necessary to effectively discipline an employee for excessive absence, leave abuse, and other related matters.

June 6: Ensuring Accountability with Hybrid and Teleworking Employees

Many experts agree: The performance success of a hybrid or telework environment will come down to managers and supervisors. You may think you know how to discipline. And you may think you know how to handle poor performance. Now that your employees are spread out beyond the physical workplace, you must hold all equally accountable for performance and conduct, regardless of where they physically work. FELTG President Deborah Hopkins will give you the tools and foundation to effectively do that, while also managing employees who remain in the physical workplace.

July 11: Trends in Hostile Work Environment Harassment: 2023 Edition

The pandemic sparked a rise in hate crimes against Asian-Pacific Americans and now the country is dealing with a steep increase in antisemitic threats and actions. How have these trends impacted the Federal workplace, and what is the supervisor’s role when it manifests in microaggressions, bias, harassment, or outright discrimination? This 60-minute webinar provides the tools supervisors need to recognize and quickly take effective action to prevent and correct illegal harassment in the workplace..

August 8: Providing Reasonable Accommodation for Invisible Disabilities

The effects of the pandemic live on in an increase in chronic fatigue and depression, not to mention the severe impact of long haul COVID. Meanwhile, chronic pain, diabetes, and other non-visible disabilities are on the rise as the Federal workplace continues to age. During this webinar, managers will learn how to find the right accommodation for a number of hidden disabilities.

August 22: What Supervisors Should Know About Official Time

The Labor-Management Statute holds labor and management equally accountable to the taxpayer with a shared responsibility to ensure that official time is authorized and used appropriately. In this 60-minute class, Joseph Schimansky will share everything that supervisors need to know to uphold that responsibility without overstepping their role. Attendees will learn who is entitled to official time — and who isn’t, along with the latest relevant case law and guidance.

Pricing

Early Bird Tuition:

  • $270 per site, per session (payment required by February 24).
  • Special series discounts available through February 24: $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 February 25 or later).

Working from home? Teleworkers may be added to a primary site registration for $60 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.

Aug
22
Tue
Webinar Series – The Federal Supervisor’s Workshop: Building the Best Toolkit for Managing Today’s Workforce
Aug 22 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Download Registration Form

Instructors

Deborah Hopkins, Barbara Haga, Katherine Atkinson, Ann Boehm, Joe Schimansky

Course Description

The most comprehensive supervisory training event available anywhere returns once again. The Federal Supervisor’s Workshop: Building the Best Toolkit for Managing Today’s Workforce offers six specific sessions (with a bonus seventh session for those who manage bargaining unit employees) that will give you the tools and skills to effectively and efficiently manage in the Federal workplace circa 2023.

If you’ve attended FELTG’s previous supervisory webinar series, UnCivil Servant: Holding Employees Accountable for Performance and Conduct, or any of our other flagship courses, these fast-paced and engaging 60-minute sessions, held monthly from 1 – 2 pm ET, will expand upon the legal and foundational principles shared in those sessions with best practices to handle very specific discipline, performance, leave, and reasonable accommodation situations. And the guidance shared will help you build the necessary framework to tackle numerous other specific and equally challenging situations.

FELTG’s annual supervisory series will get you up to speed quickly, without wasting any of your time. Just 60 minutes each month. The sessions are taught live by FELTG’s experience instructors AND you’ll have the chance to ask questions and get answers — in real time.

2023 dates and topics:

March 7: Why Supervisors Need to Use the Douglas Factors

If you’re not using the Douglas factor analysis to figure out an appropriate penalty for a misbehaving employee, then you’re doing it wrong. And when an appeal is filed, your action may not be so easy to defend without this justification. A scan of MSPB cases reveals how regularly Federal supervisors fail to understand these factors, and how that lack of understanding may sink the agency’s case. FELTG instructor Ann Boehm will explain the importance of the Douglas factors, using both foundational and recent case law examples, and walk you through the importance of each factor.

 April 4: 5 Keys to Implementing and Managing a Successful Performance Opportunity Period

You’re not alone. Every agency has employees whose performance is unacceptable. The key to addressing poor performance is to initiate an opportunity to demonstrate acceptable performance (called everything from a PIP or OIP to an ODAP or DP). A successful opportunity period will either lead to sustained improved performance OR a defensible performance-based removal. From the Santos requirement to a post-PIP drop in performance, FELTG President Deborah Hopkins will explain the key steps to take and pitfalls to avoid.

May 2: They Just Won’t Show Up: Handling Excessive Absence

In a year when no-shows are more common than they should be, supervisors need to understand how to handle excessive absence, using the appropriate tools to correct employee behavior, while keeping in mind cases that involve reasonable accommodation or medical inability to perform. In 60 minutes, FELTG Senior Instructor Barbara Haga will share the documentation needed and steps necessary to effectively discipline an employee for excessive absence, leave abuse, and other related matters.

June 6: Ensuring Accountability with Hybrid and Teleworking Employees

Many experts agree: The performance success of a hybrid or telework environment will come down to managers and supervisors. You may think you know how to discipline. And you may think you know how to handle poor performance. Now that your employees are spread out beyond the physical workplace, you must hold all equally accountable for performance and conduct, regardless of where they physically work. FELTG President Deborah Hopkins will give you the tools and foundation to effectively do that, while also managing employees who remain in the physical workplace.

July 11: Trends in Hostile Work Environment Harassment: 2023 Edition

The pandemic sparked a rise in hate crimes against Asian-Pacific Americans and now the country is dealing with a steep increase in antisemitic threats and actions. How have these trends impacted the Federal workplace, and what is the supervisor’s role when it manifests in microaggressions, bias, harassment, or outright discrimination? This 60-minute webinar provides the tools supervisors need to recognize and quickly take effective action to prevent and correct illegal harassment in the workplace..

August 8: Providing Reasonable Accommodation for Invisible Disabilities

The effects of the pandemic live on in an increase in chronic fatigue and depression, not to mention the severe impact of long haul COVID. Meanwhile, chronic pain, diabetes, and other non-visible disabilities are on the rise as the Federal workplace continues to age. During this webinar, managers will learn how to find the right accommodation for a number of hidden disabilities.

August 22: What Supervisors Should Know About Official Time

The Labor-Management Statute holds labor and management equally accountable to the taxpayer with a shared responsibility to ensure that official time is authorized and used appropriately. In this 60-minute class, Joseph Schimansky will share everything that supervisors need to know to uphold that responsibility without overstepping their role. Attendees will learn who is entitled to official time — and who isn’t, along with the latest relevant case law and guidance.

Pricing

Early Bird Tuition:

  • $270 per site, per session (payment required by February 24).
  • Special series discounts available through February 24: $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 February 25 or later).

Working from home? Teleworkers may be added to a primary site registration for $60 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.

Sep
18
Mon
Virtual Training Event – FLRA Law Week
Sep 18 – Sep 22 all-day

Course Description

Official time. Bargaining topics. Negotiation timeframes. Meetings. Permissive bargaining. Union responsibilities.

Anyone who has worked in federal labor relations for any amount of time, knows that it’s an always-changing and ever-challenging field. It’s absolutely necessary to continually update and refresh your knowledge and skills. So why not get that important training from two instructors with a combined 40 years of experience working at the Federal Labor Relations Authority and even more years of experience in the federal employment law world.

This training will bring you up to speed on where the current law stands, and share best practices on how to effectively navigate it in your day-to-day work, whether you’re a labor attorney, labor relations specialist or union representative.

FLRA Law Week provides attendees with a firm foundation of the historical perspective and precedence of FLRA decisions, as well as a strategy for taking advantage of any new approaches that are coming out of the FLRA.

There’s no other place where you can get in-depth guidance on hot-button LR issues to guide you through this dynamic time. So join us for this class September 18-22, where the entire world of Federal labor relations will be discussed.

Daily Agenda

Monday, September 18

Basic Management and Employee Rights: An overview of the Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statute; the current status of Executive Orders 13836 and 13837; fundamental employee, union, and management rights; bargaining unit definition; the union organizer’s role; information requests; official time.

Tuesday, September 19

Labor Relations Meetings and Bargaining: More on official time; formal discussions; union representative rights; the collective bargaining process; the three categories of bargaining: mandatory, permissive, and prohibited; introduction to negotiability.

Wednesday, September 20

Unfair Labor Practices and Negotiability: Employee rights vs. Management rights; the anatomy of an Unfair Labor Practice; an overview of the Federal Services Impasse Panel; negotiability appeals.

Thursday, September 21

The Psychology of Bargaining, Plus Grievances and Pandemic-Related Issues: Selecting a bargaining strategy; interest based bargaining as compared to hard ball bargaining; grievances; exceptions to arbitration awards.

Friday, September 22

Understanding the FSIP and Arbitration: Panel members, FSIP procedures, recent FSIP developments, the arbitration process overview; binding the arbitrator; how federal government arbitration is different from private sector arbitration and appeals; educating the arbitrator.

Date and Time

September 18-22, 2023

12:30 – 4:30 pm ET each day (with a 30-minute break)

Instructors

Ann Boehm, Joe Schimansky

Registration

Download Individual Registration Form

Pricing

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

Early Bird Tuition (register by August 31):

  • 5 days = $1595
  • 4 days = $1365
  • 3 days = $995
  • 2 days = $725
  • 1 day = $395

Standard Tuition (register September 1-22):

  • 5 days = $1695
  • 4 days = $1465
  • 3 days = $1095
  • 2 days = $825
  • 1 day = $495

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.
  • 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. No split registrations.
  • 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 August 31.
Feb
22
Thu
Virtual Training Event – Drawing the Line: Union Representation or Misconduct
Feb 22 @ 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm

Course Description

Robust. Uninhibited. Wide-open. These are words the U.S. Supreme Court used to describe the type of debate by union officials that is considered “protected activity.” But how robust, uninhibited or wide open? And when? Those are the questions that Ann Boehm will answer during this training.

There are many tales of profanity, shouting, rough speech, and bullying taking place between union reps when performing representational duties — and not just during negotiations. Ms. Boehm will share several cases that highlight robust activity that were considered “protected activity” and provide details of FLRA decisions that illustrate behavior that very clearly crossed the line into misconduct.

Learning takeaways:

Attendees will learn how to:

  • Recognize when a union representative’s behavior is outside the bounds of protected activity.
  • Effectively respond when union officials’ behavior turns threatening.
  • Use the disciplinary framework and Douglas factors to determine appropriate penalty.

Date and Time

Thursday, February 22, 2024, 1-3 pm ET

Instructor

Ann Boehm

Registration

Download Individual Registration Form

Price

  • Early Bird Tuition: $345 (payments required by January 22)
  • Standard Tuition: $385 (payments made after January 23 – February  22)
  • Want to register a group? Group discounts are available through January 22. 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 attendees for the full event. Group discounts are available through January 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.

Mar
26
Tue
Virtual Training Event – A Step-by-Step Guide to Arbitration Success
Mar 26 @ 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm

Course Description

In this two-hour virtual training, FELTG Instructor Joe Schimansky will walk you through the various stages of arbitration, identifying the key actions that will lead to a successful result. Mr. Schimansky, former Executive Director of the Federal Service Impasses Panel, will share the keys to arbitration selection, witness preparation, introduction of documents, hearing room logistics, and more. You’ll learn why it’s so important to educate the arbitrator, particularly on the MSPB and FLRA law applicable to the issues in your case.

Attendees will learn how to:

  • Select the best arbitrator for a given case.
  • Improve their presentation during all phases of the arbitration process.
  • Distinguish between litigation before an arbitrator and other administrative and court hearings.

Date and Time

Tuesday, March 26, 2024, 1-3 pm ET

Instructor

Joe Schimansky

Registration

Download Individual Registration Form

Price

  • Early Bird Tuition: $345 (payments required by February 24)
  • Standard Tuition: $385 (payments made between February 25 – March 26)
  • Want to register a group? Group discounts 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 attendees for the full event. Group discounts are available through February 24.

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
9
Tue
Webinar — Handling AWOL and Failure to Follow Leave Procedures
Apr 9 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Course Description

It’s one of the situations most managers would most like to avoid — an employee who doesn’t show up for work. As agencies order some employees to return to the physical workplace, the chances an employee will not show up and not provide notice has increased. Is the best way to discipline the employee to charge him with AWOL?  What if he comes up with a reasonable explanation for his absence?  Can you deny a leave request when an employee was AWOL? Part of the Managing the Federal Workplace in 2024: Dos and Don’ts for Supervisors webinar series, this class will give you all of the tools and knowledge you need to successfully and confidently respond when employees fail to follow leave procedures.

Attendees will learn how to:

  • Hold employees accountable when they don’t show up for work.
  • Properly use an AWOL charge.
  • Expand knowledge of leave procedures.

Date and Time

April 9, 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.

Webinar Series – Managing the Federal Workplace in 2024: Dos and Don’ts for Supervisors
Apr 9 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Course Description

Being a Federal supervisor is a demanding job, made even more extracting by constant changes in Federal employment law. FELTG’s annual webinar series Managing the Federal Workplace in 2024: Dos and Don’ts for Supervisors aims to make the job a little less demanding, while providing you guidance and tools to understand the latest changes.

If you’ve attended FELTG’s previous supervisory webinar series, UnCivil Servant: Holding Employees Accountable for Performance and Conduct, or any of our other flagship courses, these fast-paced and engaging 60-minute sessions, held monthly from 1 – 2 pm ET, will expand upon the legal and foundational principles shared in those sessions with best practices to handle AWOL, improve performance, adopt coaching, accommodate employees with disabilities, and determine whether to invite the union to a meeting.

FELTG’s annual supervisory series will get you up to speed quickly, without wasting any of your time. Just 60 minutes each month. The sessions are taught live by FELTG’s experience instructors AND you’ll have the chance to ask questions and get answers — in real time.

2024 dates and topics:

April 9: Handling AWOL and Failure to Follow Leave Procedures

It’s one of the situations most managers would most like to avoid — an employee who doesn’t show up for work. As agencies order some employees to return to the physical workplace, the chances an employee will not show up and not provide notice has increased. Is the best way to discipline the employee to charge him with AWOL?  What if he comes up with a reasonable explanation for his absence?  Can you deny a leave request when an employee was AWOL? This class will give you all of the tools and knowledge you need to successfully and confidently respond when employees fail to follow leave procedures.

May 7: How to Use a PIP in 2024

Federal supervisors have a useful tool to deal with underperforming employees – the Performance Improvement Plan (PIP). Yet, supervisors have consistently struggled with getting PIPs right. And then came the decision in Santos v. NASA, which requires agencies to have substantial evidence of poor performance BEFORE the implementing the PIP. This class will detail the ins and outs of this requirement and share clear guidance and the effective, time-tested FELTG approach to handling unacceptable performance in 2024. 

June 4: Coaching for Individuals and Teams – Tips for Supervisors

Working with a skilled coach can transform individuals and teams. When coaching an individual supervisor, the coach creates a safe and confidential space to clarify issues. A client learns to maximize strengths and minimize self-sabotage, and to improve communication (up, down, and across the organization). When working with a team, the coach employs observation, discussion and assessments to understand and minimize unproductive conflict and maximize the talents and perspectives of team members. During this hour-long class, participants will learn what to expect when working with a coach, the complementary roles of a facilitator, consultant, and coach, and examples of positive outcomes for individuals and teams.

July 16: Providing Effective Reasonable Accommodations in 2024

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. This fast-paced webinar will provide you with the most current legal and practical guidance.

August 6: The Union Doesn’t Get to Attend Every Meeting

Why do unions have the right to attend formal discussions? Why did Congress use the word “formal?” What does “formal” mean? What if the employee doesn’t want the union to attend the meeting? Is it better to just invite the union to every meeting? You have questions, questions, and more questions – and we have the answers in this webinar series finale.

Instructors

Deborah HopkinsJoe SchimanskySusan Schneider, Bob Woods

Registration

Download Individual Registration Form

Pricing

Early Bird Tuition (register by March 8):

  • One Webinar: $145
  • Two Webinars: $275
  • Three Webinars: $395
  • Four Webinars: $525
  • All Access: $655
  • Rates per registrant.

Standard Tuition (register March 9-August 6): 

  • One Webinar: $195
  • Two Webinars: $315
  • Three Webinars: $430
  • Four Webinars: $550
  • All Access: $695
  • Rates per registrant.
  • Want to register a group? Group discounts for 10 or more attendees are available through March 8. 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.

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