Calendar

FELTG Executive Director Deborah Hopkins instructing a class
Aug
1
Mon
Managing Federal Employee Accountability: A Training Event for Federal Supervisors (and Those Who Advise Them) – Honolulu @ Ala Moana Hotel
Aug 1 – Aug 5 all-day

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  • Are you a federal supervisor, or an HR professional or attorney who advises federal supervisors?
  • Do you live on the west coast, in the Pacific Islands, or in Asia?
  • Do you want to attend world-class employment law training in Honolulu, Hawaii?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions, then this special FELTG event is just for you. Read on.

Managing employee accountability for performance and conduct is critical to any agency’s success. It is also important to understand – and effectively supervise matters involving  – supervision of union employees, managing leave scenarios, handling EEO issues and successfully communicating with a diverse workforce.

This FELTG seminar covers all of the most important topics federal supervisors – and those who advise them – need to know about the relevant law, policy, strategy and best practices related to HR skills in the government workforce.

Take a look at the details below, or download event training flyer.

Instructors

William Wiley, Deborah Hopkins

Daily Agenda:

Monday

Uncivil Servant: Holding Employees Accountable for Performance and Conduct: Fundamentals of disciplinary actions and unacceptable performance actions; establishing rules of conduct; proving misconduct; selecting a defensible penalty; providing due process via agency discipline procedures; writing valid performance standards; implement a Performance Improvement Plan; removal for unacceptable performance in 31 days.

Tuesday

Supervising in a Unionized Environment: What every supervisor should know about federal labor unions; collective bargaining agreements; official time; LR meetings; an overview of the Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statute; fundamental employee, union, and management rights; unfair labor practices; controlling official time; handling information requests.

Wednesday

Handling Employee Leave Issues: An overview of leave types and entitlements; annual leave; sick leave; AWOL and Leave Without Pay; FMLA crash course; medical certification requirements; substitution of paid leave; handling complicated leave issues.

Thursday

The Manager’s Role in EEO: The role of EEO in the federal government; defining protected categories: race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, disability and reprisal; what to do if you’re a Responding Management Official in a complaint; EEO witness tips.

Friday

Essential Management and Communication Skills: Communicating effectively with employees; identifying your leadership style; managing a multigenerational workforce; handling difficult employees; managing a mobile workforce; mentorship.

As an added incentive, supervisors who attend Monday and Friday sessions will receive a special certificate verifying participation in OPM’s mandatory training requirements for new supervisors, found at 5 CFR 412.202(b).

Sessions run from 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Pricing

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

  • 5 days = $2075
  • 4 days = $1705
  • 3 days = $1315
  • 2 days = $935
  • 1 day = $515

* Cost includes a copy of the textbook UnCivil Servant: Holding Employees Accountable for Performance and Conduct (3rd ed.), by William Wiley

Oct
4
Wed
Developing & Defending Discipline: Holding Federal Employees Accountable – Honolulu @ Ala Moana Hotel
Oct 4 – Oct 6 all-day

The 2017 Honolulu class is SOLD OUT. Register now for this program in Houston (November 28-30) or Las Vegas (February 27-March1).

Holding federal employees accountable for performance and conduct is easier than you might think. Too many supervisors believe that an employee’s protected activity (EEO complaints, whistleblower disclosures, or union activity) precludes the supervisor from initiating a suspension or removal, but that’s just not true.

FELTG is here to make federal supervisors’ lives easier by clarifying those misconceptions while helping supervisors understand how to take defensible misconduct actions quickly and fairly – actions that withstand scrutiny on appeal by the MSPB, EEOC, or in grievance arbitration. Plus, if you have a non-performing employee working for you now, we show you how you can remove that employee from your workplace in 31 days, among many other things. Join us for this brand-new three-day seminar and come away with the tools you need to hold your employees accountable.

The program runs 8:30 – 4:00 each day and meets OPM’s mandatory training requirements for federal supervisors found at 5 CFR 412.202(b).

Instructors

William WileyDeborah Hopkins

Daily Agenda:

Wednesday

Accountability for Conduct and Performance, Part I: Accountability and supervisory authority; discipline and misconduct theory and practice; penalty defense and due process; discipline procedures and appeals; psychology of performance appraisal; performance-based removal procedures.

Thursday

Accountability for Conduct and Performance, Part II: Completing a performance action; team workshop; mentoring programs; handling the absent employee; union considerations; understanding the federal supervisor’s personal liability in employment actions.

Friday

Defending Against Discrimination Complaints: The Supervisor’s Role: The role of EEO in the federal government; defining protected categories: race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, disability, genetic information and reprisal; theories of discrimination; agency defenses; what to do if you’re a Responding Management Official in a complaint; what happens if you’re called as an EEO witness.

Pricing

  • 3 days = $1325
  • 2 days = $945
  • 1 day = $525

Seminar registration includes a copy of the textbook UnCivil Servant: Holding Employees Accountable for Performance and Conduct, 4th ed.

Mar
6
Tue
Handling Behavioral Health Issues and Threats of Violence in the Federal Workplace – Honolulu @ Ala Moana Hotel
Mar 6 – Mar 7 all-day

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Course Description

Attention federal supervisors, HR professionals, medical professionals, attorneys, and other agency employees:

  • What should you do when an employee with a behavioral health issue has an episode in the workplace?
  • Do you know how to accommodate and work with employees who have PTSD or substance abuse issues?
  • What steps should you take if the employee threatens violence or suicide?

According to the National Institute of Mental Health 43.4 million adults – nearly 1 in 5 – had a mental illness diagnosis during the past year. Crisis management in the federal workplace is a critical area to understand – it is truly life and death.

This class is unique in that it covers the legal issues (for example, avoiding discrimination when it comes to behavioral health disabilities; providing reasonable accommodation for “unseen” disabilities; discipline under Title 5 for things such as threats, outbursts, and off-duty violent conduct) as well as the practical/clinical issues (what to do/say when someone has a dissociative episode, or threatens suicide, or has PTSD, or makes violent comments toward a supervisor).

It’s a combination of learning the law, understanding how to deal with employees who have mental issues, and managing risk in your agency. 

Join FELTG Executive Director Deborah Hopkins and Shana Palmieri, Managing Partner of Clinical Education & Consulting at the Healthcare Legal Education & Consulting Network, for the two-day workshop Handling Behavioral Health Issues and Threats of Violence in the Federal Workplace. See below for a daily agenda.

Instructors

Deborah HopkinsShana Palmieri

Daily Agenda:

Tuesday

Handling Behavioral Health Issues: An overview of the ADA requirements on accommodating individuals with mental impairments and other behavioral health issues; your agency’s legal obligation to provide its employees with a safe workplace; types of mental disabilities and how they may exhibit in the workplace; the “direct threat” analysis; PTSD, substance abuse disorders;dos and don’ts when working employees who have behavioral health issues.

Wednesday

Dealing with Threats of Violence: Legal considerations for federal agencies; dangerous scenarios during the notice period; myths and facts about targeted violence in the workplace; dealing with suicidal employees; individual characteristics that put an employee at higher risk of committing an act of violence;how to develop and implement an in-house threat management team to deal with threat assessments, risk management, and the best ways to keep employees safe during a crisis; steps to take if someone becomes violent in the workplace

Pricing

  • 2 days = $950
  • 1 day = $530
Aug
27
Mon
MSPB Law Week – Okinawa
Aug 27 – Aug 31 all-day

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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.

Oct
2
Tue
Developing & Defending Discipline: Holding Federal Employees Accountable – Honolulu @ Ala Moana Hotel
Oct 2 – Oct 4 all-day

Download Registration Form

Holding federal employees accountable for performance and conduct is easier than you might think. Too many supervisors believe that an employee’s protected activity (EEO complaints, whistleblower disclosures, or union activity) precludes the supervisor from initiating a suspension or removal, but that’s just not true.

FELTG is here to make federal supervisors’ lives easier by clarifying those misconceptions while helping supervisors understand how to take defensible misconduct actions quickly and fairly – actions that withstand scrutiny on appeal by the MSPB, EEOC, or in grievance arbitration. Plus, if you have a non-performing employee working for you now, we show you how you can remove that employee from your workplace in 31 days, among many other things. Join us for this brand-new three-day seminar and come away with the tools you need to hold your employees accountable.

The program runs 8:30 – 4:00 each day and meets OPM’s mandatory training requirements for federal supervisors found at 5 CFR 412.202(b).

Instructors

William WileyDeborah Hopkins

Daily Agenda:

Tuesday

Accountability for Conduct and Performance, Part I: Accountability and supervisory authority; discipline and misconduct theory and practice; penalty defense and due process; discipline procedures and appeals; psychology of performance appraisal; performance-based removal procedures.

Wednesday

Accountability for Conduct and Performance, Part II: Completing a performance action; team workshop; mentoring programs; handling the absent employee; union considerations; understanding the federal supervisor’s personal liability in employment actions.

Thursday

Defending Against Discrimination Complaints: The Supervisor’s Role: The role of EEO in the federal government; defining protected categories: race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, disability, genetic information and reprisal; theories of discrimination; agency defenses; what to do if you’re a Responding Management Official in a complaint; what happens if you’re called as an EEO witness.

Pricing

  • 3 days = $1350
  • 2 days = $960
  • 1 day = $530

Seminar registration includes a copy of the textbook UnCivil Servant: Holding Employees Accountable for Performance and Conduct, 4th ed.

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 will not be refunded, and will not be given credit toward another course after the cancellation date on the registration form. No-shows will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses.

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