FELTG is coming to Okinawa!
The civil service world is changing and it’s important to be aware of the new laws and executive orders that apply to you. MSPB Law Week covers the basics of disciplinary charges and penalties, plus understanding the law and strategy in handling performance cases and defending against whistleblower reprisal complaints. Join MSPB practitioners and topic authors William Wiley and Deborah Hopkins, and learn the law, strategies, and techniques that will benefit your agency for years to come.
The program runs 8:00 – 4:00 each day.
* This program is taking place Camp Foster. Exact location will be emailed to confirmed participants. In order to register you MUST have either (1) a DoD Issued Common Access Card (CAC), or (2) Camp Foster Base Access Pass.
Instructors
William Wiley, Deborah Hopkins
Daily Agenda
Monday
Adverse Actions: Statutory basis including the Civil Service Reform Act; the new Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act; he five elements of every disciplinary case and the burdens of proof, the fundamentals of penalty selection and defense, obtaining testimony to protect the penalty selection should one or more charges fail, types of evidence necessary to support a penalty selection, the MSPB’s power to mitigate a penalty and recent trends in the Board’s use of that authority, educating uninformed arbitrators, using alternatives to discipline.
Tuesday
Charges: Types of charges, parts of a charge, how charges are interpreted, the role of the proposing and deciding officials, capitalizing on the general charge, allowing the inclusion of lesser-included offenses, charging in the alternative, attractive options to difficult charges and common charging mistakes, proving the difficult “intent” charge element, a step by step approach to charge drafting.
Wednesday
Penalties; Labor Relations: MSPB and Federal Circuit lead cases in penalty determination, getting “intent” penalties off of “non-intent” charges, proving harsh penalties off of vanilla charges, charging down and proving up, how the maximum penalty is established, an update of recent Board and court decisions: what’s really new and what’s old wine in new bottles, placing the emphasis on notice, labor relations considerations.
Thursday
Unacceptable Performance: Performance actions in perspective, drafting a defensible performance standard, implementing PIP’s, defeating the PIP rollercoaster, accommodating disability-related poor performance, converting an unacceptable performance problem into a Part 752 disciplinary action, termination based on failing a performance quiz.
Friday
Defending Against Affirmative Defenses: Claims of harmful error; whistleblower reprisal; reprisal for union activity; excessive penalty findings. Special Discussion: Recent Procedural Errors.
Pricing
Most people attend the full training week, but you may opt out of any days you don’t plan to attend.
- 5 days = $2130
- 4 days = $1750
- 3 days = $1350
- 2 days = $960
- 1 day = $530
Location
We anticipate this program will be held at Camp Foster or Camp Butler, and will post specifics just as soon as we have them.
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
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.