Calendar

FELTG Executive Director Deborah Hopkins instructing a class
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.

Apr
5
Wed
Virtual Training Event – Nondiscriminatory Hiring in the Federal Workplace: Advancing Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility
Apr 5 @ 1:00 pm – 4:30 pm

Course Description

The federal hiring process is a challenging one that requires patience. Those who hurry the hiring process are not only likely to make a mistake in hiring, but they may also end up without sufficient documentation to combat a discrimination complaint, making the allegation difficult to defend against.

And there is NO excuse these days for having any steps in your hiring process that could be discriminatory. Per Executive Order, your agency should have already taken steps to “advance diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility,” and “eliminate, where applicable, barriers to equity, in Federal workforce functions.”

Regardless of where you are in the development of an agency Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) plan or whether your agency is even currently hiring, this half-day virtual training provides important guidance that you cannot afford to miss if you want to ensure your hiring practices are nondiscriminatory and align with the federal merit system principles.

FELTG instructor and attorney at law Katherine Atkinson will explain the types of interview questions that cause problems, and discuss selection panel roles and responsibilities, including ensuring the selecting officials implement best practices to develop and maintain evidence, demonstrating the non-selection was neither discriminatory nor retaliatory.

Attend from wherever you are working — agency office or home. The program will be presented live, and you’ll have time to ask questions and get answers in real time. This program runs from 1:00 – 4:30 pm eastern, with a 30-minute break midway.

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

Date and Time

Wednesday, April 5, 2023, 1:00 – 4:30 pm ET

Instructor

Katherine Atkinson

Registration

Download Individual Registration Form

Price

  • Early Bird Tuition: $370 (register by March 21)
  • Standard Tuition: $395 (register March 22 or later)
  • Rates per registrant.
  • Want to register a group? Group discounts for 10 or more attendees are available through March 21. Contact FELTG.

Event FAQs

  • Can I attend Virtual Training from my government computer?
    • FELTG uses Zoom for this Virtual Training Institute event. Many government computers and systems allow Zoom access. If for some reason your firewall will not allow access, you’re welcome to use your personal email address to register, and to attend the sessions from your personal device. You may also attend the training event as an audio training, by dialing in over the phone and following along with the materials independently.
  • Can I earn CLE credits for this class?
    • CLE applications are the responsibility of each attendee; FELTG does not apply for the credits on behalf of attendees.  If you are seeking CLE credit, attendees may use the materials provided by FELTG in submission to your state bar. Attendees may also request a certificate of completion which will contain the number of training hours attended.
  • What if I want to attend a session but have a schedule conflict?
    • FELTG plans to offer this live event periodically, so check our calendar for upcoming dates.
  • Can I share my access link with co-workers?
    • No. Registration for this event is per individual, and access links may not be shared. Each link may only be used by one person.
  • Can I register a teleworker?
    • This event is individual registration, so the cost is the same whether the person is teleworking or in an agency facility.
  • How do I receive a group rate discount?
    • Group rates are available for agencies registering 10 or more individuals. Group discounts are available through March 21.

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
18
Tue
Virtual Training Event – Emerging Issues in Federal Employment Law
Apr 18 – Apr 21 all-day

Event Description

They just don’t get it. Some people think of the Federal workplace as a slow, monolithic bureaucracy. They don’t see the the abrupt changes in priorities that accompany every change in presidential administrations. They don’t understand how decisions by the Merit Systems Protection Board, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Federal Labor Relations Authority, Federal Circuit, or even the Supreme Court can upend years (even decades sometimes) of policies and procedures. And we haven’t even touched on Office of Personnel Management regulations. They don’t see the challenges of ensuring the workplace is accountable, striving to make the workplace look more like America, and resolving disputes that could the end up costing those same taxpayers.

There are people in all sectors of work that have an easy job. But if you’re an HR professional, attorney, supervisor, or an EEO or ER/LR specialist, you’re not one of those people.

We’ve got you. We understand the impact of changing times, rules, and laws.

This year’s Emerging Issues in Federal Employment Law provides the guidance to succeed in the dynamic (yes, dynamic) Federal Workplace. Learn from those you may see in the trenches, like former FELTG Instructor and current EEOC Administrative Judge Meghan Droste and arbitrator Joseph Schimansky. We’ll guide you through the ever-changing law, whether it’s justifying a PIP or recognizing the new face of reprisal. We’ll give you the path for moving forward, whether it’s overcoming bias or getting more use out of the probationary period.

With 11 unique sessions over four days, FELTG’s Emerging Issues in Federal Employment Law offers an opportunity to receive guidance with a fresh perspective. And many sessions offer opportunities to pick up CLE or EEO refresher credits.

Emerging Issues in Federal Employment Law provides benefits you just can’t get from online virtual training providers. You can register for any of the sessions individually, or you can register for the whole program.  Also, the training is presented LIVE by FELTG’s experienced and respected instructors, who will answer your questions, so you get answers in real time. Don’t put off getting the important training you need.

Download Individual Registration Form

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



Tuesday, April 18, 2023

Lessons Learned

 

Session 1
10:30 – 11:45 am ET
Avoiding Pitfalls: Advice from an EEOC AJ
Presented by Meghan Droste, Administrative Judge, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

 

Course description: Be prepared. Be on time. Be civil. These are pretty basic expectations. Yet, they’re often forgotten once parties enter the EEO process. And once in the process, the potential pitfalls only increase. EEOC Administrative Judge Meghan Droste will discuss the common mistakes agencies make, from missing important deadlines to missing the mark in pleadings, whether it’s failing to provide citations to the record or exceeding page limits, or another reason. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear an EEOC AJ point out the specific perils you need to avoid to achieve success in the EEO process. Earn 1.25 CLE credits. 1.25


Session 2
1:00 – 2:15 pm ET
13 Months In: Tristan Leavitt Shares Important Lessons from the MSPB
Presented by Tristan Leavitt, former MSPB Member/President Empower Oversight; and Deborah J. Hopkins, Attorney at Law, FELTG President

 

Course Description: The Merit Systems Protection Board went through a tumultuous period recently. No one has had a bigger role during that time period than Tristan Leavitt. Leavitt served as a Board Member from 2022-2023 as part of the first quorum in over 5 years. Before that he served as General Counsel, and was the acting agency head after remaining Member Mark Robbins’ term expired in 2019.  FELTG President Deborah J. Hopkins will talk with Leavitt about how he steered the Board through the long period with no members, and will discuss important takeaways on topics including the Board’s view on post-Santos performance cases, the pendulum swing on comparator employees over the past decade-plus, important lessons on whistleblower protections, and more. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear Leavitt’s unique perspective. Ensure you’re prepared for the next time you have business with the agency.  Earn 1.25 CLE credits. 


Session 3
3:00 – 4:15 pm ET 
What I’ve Learned: Advice from an Arbitrator
Presented by Joseph Schimansky, Former Executive Director/Federal Service Impasses Panel,  FELTG Instructor

 

Course Description: The Federal Service Impasses Panel’s former Executive Director now spends his time, when not teaching for FELTG, arbitrating federal Labor Relations disputes. Joe Schimansky will share his guidance and advice on topics such as educating the arbitrator about your case, how the arbitrators view the Douglas factors in discipline cases, the rules in handling requests for attorney’s fees, navigating loser pays provisions, and the role of past practices when interpreting contract provisions.


Wednesday, April 19, 2023

The Ever-Changing Law

 

Session 4
10:30 – 11:45 am ET
The How, Why, and When of Justifying a PIP
Presented by Robert Woods, Attorney at Law, FELTG Instructor

 

Course Description: 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, even before the recent decision in Santos v. NASA, which requires agencies to have substantial evidence of poor performance BEFORE the implementing the PIP. FELTG Instructor Bob Woods will detail the ins and outs of this new requirement and share clear guidance and the effective, time-tested FELTG approach to handling unacceptable performance. Earn 1.25 CLE credits.


 

Session 5
1:00 – 2:15 pm ET
The Many Faces of Reprisal
Presented by Katherine Atkinson, Attorney at Law, FELTG Instructor

 

Course description: Did you know that the most common discrimination finding in Federal sector cases is reprisal, also known as retaliation? Why does it continue to be the most common finding and why does it show up in nearly half of all EEO complaints? Because it’s ubiquitous. Reprisal rears its ugly head in numerous situations – and those scenarios continue to change over time. FELTG Instructor Katie Atkinson will provide a thorough review of the various forms of EEO reprisal and share important guidance on how to keep it from happening at your agency, with a special focus on “per se reprisal.” Earn 1.25 CLE credits. 1.25


Session 6
3:00 – 4:15 pm ET
MSPB and EEOC Case Law Update
Presented by Deborah Hopkins, Attorney at Law, FELTG President

 

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

 


Thursday, April 20, 2023

Moving Forward

 

Session 7
10:30 – 11:45 am ET
Overcoming Bias: The Power to Make Visible the Invisible
Presented by Dr. J. Bruce Stewart, Chief Executive Officer, Small World Solutions

 

Course description: Unconscious bias is natural, prevalent, and human, according to Bruce Stewart. But that doesn’t mean it should be ignored. In some cases, unconscious bias can lead people, teams, and organizations to be less creative, inclusive, and effective as they could be. This 75-minute training will provide strategies and structures for individuals, teams, and organizations to overcome the negative impact of the human condition known as unconscious bias. 1.25


Session 8
1:00 – 2:15 pm ET
Up in Smoke? Changing Laws, Marijuana, and the Federal Workplace
Presented by Deborah Hopkins, Attorney at Law, FELTG President

 

Course description:This presentation coincides with 4/20 celebrations across the country, as marijuana dispensaries offer big sales and individuals partake in the drug, many of them doing so legally. Following President Biden’s pardon for people convicted of simple possession of marijuana, and the growing legalization movement, we received a lot of questions regarding Federal employees and their use, whether recreationally, medicinally, or “accidentally” – of marijuana.  FELTG President Deborah Hopkins will review the laws that apply to Federal employees, discuss relevant MSPB cases, and share the most effective approach to managing and/or disciplining employees when their drug usage seeps into the workplace. Earn 1.25 CLE credits. 

 


Session 9
3:00 – 4:15 pm ET
Everything You Want to Know About Probationary Periods 
Presented by Ann Boehm, Attorney at Law, FELTG Instructor

 

Course description: On the surface, probationary periods seem rather simple. An employee is given a year to prove they are a good fit for the job. But, as many agencies are now realizing, there can be challenges. What if, due to the employee’s shifting job responsibilities or leave, you are unable to make an appropriate determination at the end of the period? Must you notify employees when their probationary periods are coming to an end? Can you discipline or PIP someone during a probationary period? When re-instating or competitively hiring an employee, is a new probationary period required? FELTG Instructor Ann Boehm will lead a discussion on all you need to know. Earn 1.25 CLE credits. 

 


Friday April 21, 2023

Labor Relations Spotlight

 

Session 10
10:30 – 11:45 am ET
The Union Doesn’t Get to Attend Every Meeting
Presented by Ann Boehm, Attorney at Law, FELTG Instructor

 

Course description: 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 FELTG Instructor Ann Boehm has all the answers. Earn 1.25 CLE credits.

 

 


Session 11
1:00 – 2:15 pm ET
FLRA Case Law Update
Presented by Joseph Schimansky, Former Executive Director/FSIP, FELTG Instructor

 

Course description: During this 75-minute session, Joe Schimansky will bring you up to speed on everything FLRA, from significant decisions in the areas of negotiability, arbitration, unfair labor practices, and representation to the impact that the lack of a third member has had on the Authority.

 

 

Registration

Download Individual Registration Form

Price

  • Early Bird Tuition (register by April 3):
    • One Session = $165
    • One Day (Three Sessions) = $425
    • Labor Relations Day = $295
    • April 18-20 All Access  = $1245
    • April 18-21 All Access with Labor Relations = $1495
  • Standard Tuition (register April 4-21)
    • One Session = $195
    • One Day (Three Sessions) = $525
    • Labor Relations Day = $355
    • April 18-20 All Access = $1565
    • April 18-21 All Access with Labor Relations = $1895
  • Rates per registrant and may not be used for groups under any circumstances. No split registrations.

Event FAQs

  • Can I attend Virtual Training from my government computer?
    • FELTG uses Zoom to broadcast its Virtual Training Institute events. Many government computers and systems allow Zoom access. If for some reason your firewall will not allow access, you’re welcome to use your personal email address to register, and to attend the sessions from your personal device.
  • How do I claim CLE or EEO refresher credits?
    • This program has been submitted (and we anticipate this program will be approved) for Virginia CLE credits. Members of other state bars must submit for CLE credit on their own, and may use the materials provided by FELTG in submissions. Attendees may also request a certificate of completion which will contain the number of training hours attended, and will designate how many EEO refresher hours were earned.
  • Can I get HRCI credits for attending this class?
    • Each session is approved for 1.25 hours of HRCI general recertification credit. The HRCI course numbers will be available upon the conclusion of the training.
  • Can I share my access link with co-workers?
    • No. Registration for this event is per individual, and access links may not be shared. Each link may only be used by one person.
  • Can I register a teleworker?
    • This event is individual registration, so the cost is the same whether the person is teleworking or in an agency facility.
  • How do I receive a group rate discount?
    • Group rates are available for agencies registering 10 or more individuals for the full event. Group discounts are available through April 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.

 

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.

May
24
Wed
Virtual Training Event – UnCivil Servant: Holding Employees Accountable for Performance and Conduct
May 24 – May 25 all-day

Course Description

FELTG’s flagship course UnCivil Servant empowers federal supervisors and advisers to confidently handle the challenges that come with supervising in the federal workplace. We hope that you never have to fire an employee. But it’s important that you have the tools to effectively address poor performance and misconduct, should the need arise.

Over the course of two half-days, UnCivil Servant identifies misconceptions about performance and misconduct-based actions and provides you with simple step-by-step guidance for taking swift, appropriate and legally defensible actions. The program also covers the very latest with Executive Order 14003, plus OPM regulations on performance and conduct.

Join FELTG for this special event, from wherever you are working – agency office or home. The program will be presented live, and you’ll have time to ask questions and get answers in real time. Note: This course fulfills OPM’s mandatory training requirements for new supervisors found at 5 CFR 412.202(b).

Registrants for both days will also receive a copy of the textbook UnCivil Servant: Holding Federal Employees Accountable for Performance and Conduct, 5th Ed., by William Wiley and Deborah Hopkins.

Agenda

Wednesday, May 24

Accountability for Conduct and Performance, Part I: Accountability and supervisory authority; discipline and misconduct theory and practice; the five elements of discipline; off-duty misconduct; penalty defense and due process.

Thursday, May 25

Accountability for Conduct and Performance, Part II: Discipline procedures and appeals; disciplinary documents; defining unacceptable performance; dealing with poor performers; performance-based removal procedures

Date and Time

May 24-25, 2023

12:30 pm – 4:00 pm ET each day (with a 30-minute break)

Instructor

Deborah J. Hopkins

Registration

Download Individual Registration Form

Price

  • Early Bird Tuition: $425 per session, $755 for both sessions (register by May 8).
  • Standard Tuition: $525 per session, $855 for both sessions (register May 9-25).
  • Rates per registrant. No split registrations permitted.
  • Want to register a group? Contact FELTG.

Event FAQs

  • Can I attend Virtual Training from my government computer?
    • FELTG uses Zoom for its Virtual Training Institute events. Many government computers and systems allow Zoom access. If for some reason your firewall will not allow access, you’re welcome to use your personal email address to register, and to attend the sessions from your personal device.
  • What if I want to attend a session but have a schedule conflict?
    • FELTG also plans to offer this live event periodically, so check our calendar for upcoming dates.
  • Can I share my access link with co-workers?
    • No. Registration for this event is per individual, and access links may not be shared. Each link may only be used by one person.
  • Can I register a teleworker?
    • This event is individual registration, so the cost is the same whether the person is teleworking or in an agency facility.
  • How do I receive a group rate discount?
    • If an agency wishes to register 10 or more attendees for the full event, a group discount will be applied if all registrations are received and paid for together. Group discount deadline is May 8.
  • 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.

Seminar registration includes a PDF copy of the program materials, plus a hard copy of the textbook UnCivil Servant: Holding Employees Accountable for Performance and Conduct, 5th ed., by Wiley and Hopkins. In order to receive the textbook by the training date, please register by May 8 and provide a shipping address. Registrations received after May 8 will also receive a textbook, but materials are not guaranteed to arrive by the training date.

Jun
1
Thu
Webinar – Do You Really Know How to Use the Douglas Factors?
Jun 1 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Program Description

It’s been more than 40 years since we were all introduced to those 12 factors identified in the MSPB’s landmark Douglas decision, the most cited case in Federal employment law. But you don’t have to go back to the Reagan Administration to find examples of agencies’ misunderstanding and/or misapplying those factors.

A review of recent decisions by the new MSPB shows a lot of confusion about how to appropriately determine a penalty – and clarity from the Board about their view on Douglas.

Attorney Ann Boehm will share recent case law, highlighting how agencies correctly use the Douglas factors and also how they have been misapplied. She will answer all your Douglas questions, such as: Do the factors go in the proposal or the decision? What do OPM’s new regs say about the Douglas factors? Considering the VA Accountability Act, does the VA still have to do Douglas factors?

Learning takeaways

Attendees will learn how to:

  • Understand the Douglas principles.
  • Explain when and how to use each factor.
  • Avoid the too-common Douglas mistakes that sink your case.

Date and Time

Thursday, June 1, 2023, 1:00 – 2:00pm ET.

Instructor

Ann Boehm

Registration

Download Registration Form Here

Price

  • Early Bird Tuition: $270 per site (payment required by May 22)
  • Standard Tuition: $295 per site (payments made May 23 or later)

Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $60 per teleworker, on a space-available basis.

Cancellation and No-show Policy for Registered Participants: Cancellations made after the cancel date on the registration form will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses. Pre-paid training using the “Pay Now” option will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses. No-shows will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses.

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.

Jun
29
Thu
Virtual Training Event – Addressing Bias and Microaggressions to Advance Agency DEIA
Jun 29 @ 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm

Course Description

Office of Personnel Management Director (OPM) Kiran Ahuja recently echoed the Administration’s commitment to ensuring that every “service-minded individual feels welcome and supported in contributing their talents to the Federal workforce.”

Employees, regardless of race, color, national origin, age, disability, religion, gender identity or sexual orientation, will not feel welcome, supported, respected, or empowered unless the agency addresses unconscious bias and microaggressions in the workplace.

If you have not yet addressed bias or microaggression in your DEIA training, then you can’t afford to miss this two-hour virtual event.

What is a microaggression? FELTG Instructor Katherine Atkinson, attorney at law, will explain what microaggressions look like in their various forms — microinsults, microassaults, and microinvalidations.

Whether intentional or not, microaggressions can be very hurtful to the employees who experience them, and such behaviors indicating implicit bias can lead to a hostile work environment. They also put a serious dent in employee morale, productivity, and retention.

Ms. Atkinson will also share an implicit bias test, explain its impact, and provide examples. She’ll provide a quick review of EEO law so you can determine when bias or microaggression leads to the level of discrimination.

Attendees will learn how to:

  • Identify acts of microaggression and acts influenced by implicit bias.
  • Recognize and define harassment.
  • Respond appropriately and effectively when you see a microaggression in the workplace.

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

Date and Time

Thursday, June 29, 2023, 1:00 – 3:00 pm ET

Instructor

Katherine Atkinson

Registration

Download Individual Registration Form

Price

  • Early Bird Tuition: $295 (register by June 14)
  • Standard Tuition: $325 (register June 15-29)
  • Rates per registrant.

Event FAQs

  • Can I attend Virtual Training from my government computer?
    • FELTG uses Zoom for this Virtual Training Institute event. Many government computers and systems allow Zoom access. If for some reason your firewall will not allow access, you’re welcome to use your personal email address to register, and to attend the sessions from your personal device. You may also attend the training event as an audio training, by dialing in over the phone and following along with the materials independently.
  • Can I earn CLE credits for this class?
    • CLE applications are the responsibility of each attendee; FELTG does not apply for the credits on behalf of attendees.  If you are seeking CLE credit, attendees may use the materials provided by FELTG in submission to your state bar. Attendees may also request a certificate of completion which will contain the number of training hours attended.
  • 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 until June 14.

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.

Jul
31
Mon
Virtual Training Event – Federal Workplace 2023: Accountability, Challenges, and Trends
Jul 31 – Aug 4 all-day

Course Description

Welcome to FELTG’s annual Federal Workplace event. This year, we’ve altered the format, but here’s what hasn’t changed: Federal Workplace 2023: Accountability, Challenges, and Trends will provide in-depth, up-to-date, 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.

In half-day classes over five days, you will learn how to effectively manage performance in a hybrid workplace, properly assess requests for telework as a reasonable accommodation, draft disciplinary charges and make penalty determinations that withstand the review of the new MSPB, address your own biases and recognize how racial myths have infiltrated policies and procedures, make the most of your job interviews and reference checks, and identify the pitfalls that are derailing your EEO investigations.

Federal Workplace 2023: Accountability, Challenges, and Trends offers benefits that you just can’t get from most virtual training programs. You can register for any of the sessions individually, or for the whole program. The training is presented LIVE by some of your favorite engaging and knowledgeable FELTG instructors – President Deborah J. Hopkins, Ann Boehm, and Barbara Haga – along with highly respected guest presenters J. Bruce Stewart, Ph.D., and Roslyn Brown.

Earn CLE credits, EEO refresher hours, and receive unique DEIA training that meets the President’s mandate.

The new fiscal year is just weeks away. Make sure you’re prepared to tackle the challenges coming your way. Attend FELTG’s Federal Workplace 2023: Accountability, Challenges, and Trends.

Monday, July 31, 2023

The Post-pandemic Federal Workplace: Telework and Hybrid Work Challenges

Presented by Ann Boehm, Attorney at Law, FELTG Instructor

The pandemic has likely forever changed the Federal workplace. More employees (and applicants) than ever before not only want to work remotely but expect to. In an effort to bring some employees back to their physical workspace, the “hybrid” workplace has become the norm for most Federal agencies.

With some people working remotely and others onsite, how do you ensure that you hold all employees accountable for performance – and how do you ensure that it’s done fairly? And how do you handle the increasing number of requests to telework, especially those citing the request as an accommodation for a disability?

Some employees will struggle regardless of whether they’re at home or in an office. Using framework from FELTG’s flagship course UnCivil Servant: Holding Employees Accountable for Performance and Conduct, Ann Boehm will provide guidance on swiftly and effectively addressing unacceptable performance, regardless of where the employee is working. Plus she’ll discuss setting expectations and monitoring performance of employees who aren’t onsite.

She’ll also leave you with a path to determine when to say yes to a request for reasonable accommodation to telework – and when to say no.  Find out what the EEOC says about accommodating an employee’s commute and what to do if telework would be an effective accommodation, but another accommodation would work too.

Attendees will learn how to:

  • Appropriately handle requests for telework as a reasonable accommodation.
  • Write valid performance standards that apply to the employee’s current working situation.
  • Improve their skills for handling unacceptable performers, regardless of their work location.

Tuesday, August 1, 2023

Charges and Penalties Under the New MSPB

Presented by Deborah J. Hopkins, Attorney at Law, FELTG President

If you’ve been in the business for more than a few days, you know the importance of drafting legally sufficient disciplinary charges and making a defensible penalty determination. Yet many agencies still lose cases because of poorly drafted charges, or inadequate Douglas factor penalty assessments.

FELTG President Deborah J. Hopkins 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. From there the discussion will cover the factors required to determine an appropriate penalty for employee misconduct. We’ll also look at how the current MSPB views charges and penalties by deconstructing recent cases they’ve issued.

Attendees will learn how to:

  • Determine what charges to use based on the circumstances.
  • Defend the reasonableness of the penalty using the Douglas Factors.
  • Increase their chances of penalty deference based on this Board’s view on penalty assessment.

Wednesday, August 2, 2023

The Race Ahead: Breaking the Cycle of Racial Bias by Rewiring the American Mind

Dr. J. Bruce Stewart, Chief Executive Officer, Small World Solutions

Are you curious about how our perceptions of race have been rewired over time? Do you want to explore the negative associations with race and how they perpetuate racial biases? This class is not about blame and shame, it’s about gaining a deeper understanding of how demographic changes in America have impacted our understanding of race. J. Bruce Stewart will delve into the myths of meritocracy, character, and intelligence that have perpetuated racial biases. When racial biases inform policies and practices, it results in unequal treatment and creates a system where some individuals or groups are favored over others. Join us to discover how you can move your agency towards a more inclusive and equitable future.

Attendees will learn how to:

  • Identify the negative associations that perpetuate racial myths and shape policies and practices.
  • Gain insight into the power of networks and stories in challenging the race myth and how to shift towards a more inclusive future.
  • Develop strategies and tactics to dismantle racial bias in their own communities and confront their own biases.

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

Thursday, August 3, 2023

Successful Hiring: Effective Techniques for Interviewing and Reference Checking

Barbara Haga, President/Federal HR Services, FELTG Senior Instructor

The Federal hiring process requires patience. If you’ve finally been granted approval to fill a position, you may be tempted to get someone hired as quickly as possible.

This interactive training will prepare supervisors and managers for conducting legal and successful job interviews, and will help agency advisors who assist managers in the hiring process. Barbara Haga will share guidance on how to make the most out of interviewing and checking references, from crafting an accurate position description, to asking the right questions, to assessing a candidate’s ability to perform the job. Ms. Haga will also throw back the curtains on perennial questions, such as: Are we required to interview all candidates? Do we have to ask all candidates the same exact questions? How do you use behavior-based questions to get answers about depth of experience or knowledge? What can or can’t you ask during a reference check?

Attendees will learn how to:

  • Prepare defensible questions for applicants.
  • Identify hiring practices that work and those to avoid.
  • Get critical job-related information from current and past supervisors.

Friday, August 4, 2023

Bad Detective: The Mistakes That Hamper Agency Investigations

Roslyn Brown, President/CEO at EEO Workplace Strategies

Maybe you envision yourself donning a Sherlock Holmes hat and cape. Or, perhaps, your model is the masterful Benoit Blanc of Knives Out Mystery fame. If only the work of a Federal administrative investigation was as easy as these fictional detectives make their jobs seem. Instead, there are more than enough opportunities for you to come out looking like a bumbling Inspector Clouseau.

During her distinguished Federal (and post-Federal) career, Roslyn Brown has seen her fair share of investigations that have gone the wrong way. It could be an investigator’s failure to interview certain witnesses, a failure to take a complainant’s statement into account, or, perhaps, an action, such as a widely shared email, that shows a lack of objectivity. An investigator’s failure to stay up to date with case law could sink a case, as could the inability to meet your deadlines.

Over the course of an afternoon, Ms. Brown will provide guidance on how to conduct a timely and effective investigation, while identifying the pitfalls that have doomed such efforts in the past.

Attendees will learn how to:

  • Collect relevant evidence during the investigation.
  • Refine their investigation skills.
  • Identify the pitfalls that that derail effective investigations.

Attendees can also earn up to 3.5 EEO refresher credits by attending this session.

Date and Time

July 31 – August 4, 2023

1:00 – 4:30 pm ET each day (with a 30-minute break)

Instructors

Deborah J. Hopkins, Ann Boehm, Barbara Haga, J. Bruce Stewart, Roslyn Brown

Registration

Download Individual Registration Form

Price

Early Bird Tuition (register by July 6):

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

Standard Tuition (register July 7 and later):

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

Rates per registrant. No split registrations permitted.

Want to register a group? Group discounts are available through July 6. Contact FELTG. REGISTER NOW.

Event FAQs

  • Can I attend Virtual Training from my government computer?
    • FELTG uses Zoom to broadcast this Virtual Training Institute event. Many government computers and systems allow Zoom access. If for some reason your firewall will not allow access, you’re welcome to use your personal email address to register, and to attend the sessions from your personal device.
  • Can I earn CLE credits for this class?
    • CLE applications are the responsibility of each attendee; FELTG does not apply for the credits on behalf of attendees.  If you are seeking CLE credit, attendees may use the materials provided by FELTG in submission to your state bar. Attendees may also request a certificate of completion which will contain the number of training hours attended.
  • Can I share my access link with co-workers?
    • No. Registration for this event is per individual, and access links may not be shared. Each link may only be used by one person.
  • Can I register a teleworker?
    • This event is individual registration, so the cost is the same whether the person is teleworking or in an agency facility.
  • How do I receive a group rate discount?
    • Group rates are available for agencies registering 10 or more attendees for the full event. Group discounts are available through July 6.

Cancellation and No-show Policy for Registered Participants: Cancellations made after the cancel date on the registration form will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses. Pre-paid training using the “Pay Now” option will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses. No-shows will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses.

Virtual Training Event – The Post-pandemic Federal Workplace: Telework and Hybrid Work Challenges
Jul 31 @ 1:00 pm – 4:30 pm

Course Description

The pandemic has likely forever changed the Federal workplace. More employees (and applicants) than ever before not only want to work remotely but expect to. In an effort to bring some employees back to their physical workspace, the “hybrid” workplace has become the norm for most Federal agencies.

With some people working remotely and others onsite, how do you ensure that you hold all employees accountable for performance – and how do you ensure that it’s done fairly? And how do you handle the increasing number of requests to telework, especially those citing the request as an accommodation for a disability?

Some employees will struggle regardless of whether they’re at home or in an office. Using framework from FELTG’s flagship course UnCivil Servant: Holding Employees Accountable for Performance and Conduct, Ann Boehm will provide guidance on swiftly and effectively addressing unacceptable performance, regardless of where the employee is working. Plus she’ll discuss setting expectations and monitoring performance of employees who aren’t onsite.

She’ll also leave you with a path to determine when to say yes to a request for reasonable accommodation to telework – and when to say no.  Find out what the EEOC says about accommodating an employee’s commute and what to do if telework would be an effective accommodation, but another accommodation would work too.

Attendees will learn how to:

  • Appropriately handle requests for telework as a reasonable accommodation.
  • Write valid performance standards that apply to the employee’s current working situation.
  • Improve their skills for handling unacceptable performers, regardless of their work location.

This session is a part of FELTG’s weeklong virtual training event Federal Workplace 2023: Accountability, Challenges, and Trends. Visit here for more information on the full event.

Date and Time

July 31, 2023, 1 – 4:30 pm ET

Instructor

Ann Boehm

Registration

Download Individual Registration Form

Price

  • Early Bird Tuition (register by July 6): $395
  • Standard Tuition (register July 7 or later): $495
  • Rates per registrant.
  • Want to register a group? Group discounts are available through July 6. Contact FELTG. REGISTER NOW.

Event FAQs

  • Can I attend Virtual Training from my government computer?
    • FELTG uses Zoom to broadcast this Virtual Training Institute event. Many government computers and systems allow Zoom access. If for some reason your firewall will not allow access, you’re welcome to use your personal email address to register, and to attend the sessions from your personal device.
  • Can I earn CLE credits for this class?
    • CLE applications are the responsibility of each attendee; FELTG does not apply for the credits on behalf of attendees.  If you are seeking CLE credit, attendees may use the materials provided by FELTG in submission to your state bar. Attendees may also request a certificate of completion which will contain the number of training hours attended.
  • Can I share my access link with co-workers?
    • No. Registration for this event is per individual, and access links may not be shared. Each link may only be used by one person.
  • Can I register a teleworker?
    • This event is individual registration, so the cost is the same whether the person is teleworking or in an agency facility.
  • How do I receive a group rate discount?
    • Group rates are available for agencies registering 10 or more attendees for the full event. Group discounts are available through July 6.

Cancellation and No-show Policy for Registered Participants: Cancellations made after the cancel date on the registration form will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses. Pre-paid training using the “Pay Now” option will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses. No-shows will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses.

Aug
2
Wed
Virtual Training Event – The Race Ahead: Breaking the Cycle of Racial Bias by Rewiring the American Mind
Aug 2 @ 1:00 pm – 4:30 pm

Course Description

Are you curious about how our perceptions of race have been rewired over time? Do you want to explore the negative associations with race and how they perpetuate racial biases? This class is not about blame and shame, it’s about gaining a deeper understanding of how demographic changes in America have impacted our understanding of race. J. Bruce Stewart will delve into the myths of meritocracy, character, and intelligence that have perpetuated racial biases. When racial biases inform policies and practices, it results in unequal treatment and creates a system where some individuals or groups are favored over others. Join us to discover how you can move your agency towards a more inclusive and equitable future.

Attendees will learn how to:

  • Identify the negative associations that perpetuate racial myths and shape policies and practices.
  • Gain insight into the power of networks and stories in challenging the race myth and how to shift towards a more inclusive future.
  • Develop strategies and tactics to dismantle racial bias in their own communities and confront their own biases.

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

This session is a part of FELTG’s weeklong virtual training event Federal Workplace 2023: Accountability, Challenges, and Trends. Visit here for more information on the full event.

Date and Time

August 2, 2023, 1 – 4:30 pm ET

Instructor

J. Bruce Stewart

Registration

Download Individual Registration Form

Price

  • Early Bird Tuition (register by July 6): $395
  • Standard Tuition (register July 7 or later): $495
  • Rates per registrant.
  • Want to register a group? Group discounts are available through July 6. Contact FELTG. REGISTER NOW.

Event FAQs

  • Can I attend Virtual Training from my government computer?
    • FELTG uses Zoom to broadcast this Virtual Training Institute event. Many government computers and systems allow Zoom access. If for some reason your firewall will not allow access, you’re welcome to use your personal email address to register, and to attend the sessions from your personal device.
  • Can I earn CLE credits for this class?
    • CLE applications are the responsibility of each attendee; FELTG does not apply for the credits on behalf of attendees.  If you are seeking CLE credit, attendees may use the materials provided by FELTG in submission to your state bar. Attendees may also request a certificate of completion which will contain the number of training hours attended.
  • Can I share my access link with co-workers?
    • No. Registration for this event is per individual, and access links may not be shared. Each link may only be used by one person.
  • Can I register a teleworker?
    • This event is individual registration, so the cost is the same whether the person is teleworking or in an agency facility.
  • How do I receive a group rate discount?
    • Group rates are available for agencies registering 10 or more attendees for the full event. Group discounts are available through July 6.

Cancellation and No-show Policy for Registered Participants: Cancellations made after the cancel date on the registration form will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses. Pre-paid training using the “Pay Now” option will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses. No-shows will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses.

Aug
3
Thu
Virtual Training Event – Successful Hiring: Effective Techniques for Interviewing and Reference Checking
Aug 3 @ 1:00 pm – 4:30 pm

Course Description

The Federal hiring process requires patience. If you’ve finally been granted approval to fill a position, you may be tempted to get someone hired as quickly as possible.

This interactive training will prepare supervisors and managers for conducting legal and successful job interviews, and will help agency advisors who assist managers in the hiring process. Barbara Haga will share guidance on how to make the most out of interviewing and checking references, from crafting an accurate position description, to asking the right questions, to assessing a candidate’s ability to perform the job. Ms. Haga will also throw back the curtains on perennial questions, such as: Are we required to interview all candidates? Do we have to ask all candidates the same exact questions? How do you use behavior-based questions to get answers about depth of experience or knowledge? What can or can’t you ask during a reference check?

Attendees will learn how to:

  • Prepare defensible questions for applicants.
  • Identify hiring practices that work and those to avoid.
  • Get critical job-related information from current and past supervisors.

This session is a part of FELTG’s weeklong virtual training event Federal Workplace 2023: Accountability, Challenges, and Trends. Visit here for more information on the full event.

Date and Time

August 3, 2023, 1 – 4:30 pm ET

Instructor

Barbara Haga

Registration

Download Individual Registration Form

Price

  • Early Bird Tuition (register by July 6): $395
  • Standard Tuition (register July 7 or later): $495
  • Rates per registrant.
  • Want to register a group? Group discounts are available through July 6. Contact FELTG. REGISTER NOW.

Event FAQs

  • Can I attend Virtual Training from my government computer?
    • FELTG uses Zoom to broadcast this Virtual Training Institute event. Many government computers and systems allow Zoom access. If for some reason your firewall will not allow access, you’re welcome to use your personal email address to register, and to attend the sessions from your personal device.
  • Can I earn CLE credits for this class?
    • CLE applications are the responsibility of each attendee; FELTG does not apply for the credits on behalf of attendees.  If you are seeking CLE credit, attendees may use the materials provided by FELTG in submission to your state bar. Attendees may also request a certificate of completion which will contain the number of training hours attended.
  • Can I share my access link with co-workers?
    • No. Registration for this event is per individual, and access links may not be shared. Each link may only be used by one person.
  • Can I register a teleworker?
    • This event is individual registration, so the cost is the same whether the person is teleworking or in an agency facility.
  • How do I receive a group rate discount?
    • Group rates are available for agencies registering 10 or more attendees for the full event. Group discounts are available through July 6.

Cancellation and No-show Policy for Registered Participants: Cancellations made after the cancel date on the registration form will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses. Pre-paid training using the “Pay Now” option will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses. No-shows will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses.

Aug
4
Fri
Virtual Training Event – Bad Detective: The Mistakes That Hamper Agency Investigations
Aug 4 @ 1:00 pm – 4:30 pm

Course Description

Maybe you envision yourself donning a Sherlock Holmes hat and cape. Or, perhaps, your model is the masterful Benoit Blanc of Knives Out Mystery fame. If only the work of a Federal administrative investigation was as easy as these fictional detectives make their jobs seem. Instead, there are more than enough opportunities for you to come out looking like a bumbling Inspector Clouseau.

During her distinguished Federal (and post-Federal) career, Roslyn Brown has seen her fair share of investigations that have gone the wrong way. It could be an investigator’s failure to interview certain witnesses, a failure to take a complainant’s statement into account, or, perhaps, an action, such as a widely shared email, that shows a lack of objectivity. An investigator’s failure to stay up to date with case law could sink a case, as could the inability to meet your deadlines.

Over the course of an afternoon, Ms. Brown will provide guidance on how to conduct a timely and effective investigation, while identifying the pitfalls that have doomed such efforts in the past.

Attendees will learn how to:

  • Collect relevant evidence during the investigation.
  • Refine their investigation skills.
  • Identify the pitfalls that that derail effective investigations.

Attendees can also earn up to 3.5 EEO refresher credits by attending this session.

This session is a part of FELTG’s weeklong virtual training event Federal Workplace 2023: Accountability, Challenges, and Trends. Visit here for more information on the full event.

Date and Time

August 4, 2023, 1 – 4:30 pm ET

Instructor

Roslyn Brown

Registration

Download Individual Registration Form

Price

  • Early Bird Tuition (register by July 6): $395
  • Standard Tuition (register July 7 or later): $495
  • Rates per registrant.
  • Want to register a group? Group discounts are available through July 6. Contact FELTG. REGISTER NOW.

Event FAQs

  • Can I attend Virtual Training from my government computer?
    • FELTG uses Zoom to broadcast this Virtual Training Institute event. Many government computers and systems allow Zoom access. If for some reason your firewall will not allow access, you’re welcome to use your personal email address to register, and to attend the sessions from your personal device.
  • Can I earn CLE credits for this class?
    • CLE applications are the responsibility of each attendee; FELTG does not apply for the credits on behalf of attendees.  If you are seeking CLE credit, attendees may use the materials provided by FELTG in submission to your state bar. Attendees may also request a certificate of completion which will contain the number of training hours attended.
  • Can I share my access link with co-workers?
    • No. Registration for this event is per individual, and access links may not be shared. Each link may only be used by one person.
  • Can I register a teleworker?
    • This event is individual registration, so the cost is the same whether the person is teleworking or in an agency facility.
  • How do I receive a group rate discount?
    • Group rates are available for agencies registering 10 or more attendees for the full event. Group discounts are available through July 6.

Cancellation and No-show Policy for Registered Participants: Cancellations made after the cancel date on the registration form will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses. Pre-paid training using the “Pay Now” option will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses. No-shows will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses.

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.

Aug
29
Tue
Virtual Training Event – Writing Final Agency Decisions
Aug 29 – Aug 30 all-day

Course Description

Final Agency Decision sounds so, well, “final.” But it most definitely is not. A FAD is appealable, by the complainant, to the EEOC. And many employees have and will continue to take advantage of that opportunity to appeal the agency’s decision. And here’s the thing: The EEOC’s decisions are filled with reversals of the agency’s FAD, finding no discrimination.

How do you avoid such a disappointing decision?

Learn how to write an effective final agency decision. To do that requires a knowing and understanding of discrimination law, as it is uniquely applied to the Federal workplace.

That’s what FELTG Instructor and Attorney at Law Katherine Atkinson will teach you over two half-days of virtual training. Attendees will leave with all they need to know to write an effective FAD, including identifying and avoiding the pitfalls that often lead to the EEOC reversals that plague so many EEO professionals.

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

Tuesday, August 29

Applying Theories of Discrimination: EEO Law Overview; Intentional Discrimination; Disparate Impact; Hostile Work Environment; Reasonable Accommodation; Retaliation; Overlapping Forms of Discrimination.

Wednesday, August 30

Writing the Report: Timeliness Issues; Effective Legal Writing: structure and language; FAD Legal Sufficiency; Deconstruction Exercise.

Date and Time

August 29-30, 2023

1-4:30 pm ET each day (with a 30-minute break)

Instructor

Katherine Atkinson

Registration

Download Individual Registration Form

Price

  • Early Bird Tuition: $395 per session, $725 for both sessions (register by August 14).
  • Standard Tuition: $495 per session, $825 for both sessions (register August 15-30).
  • Rates per registrant. No split registrations permitted.
  • Want to register a group? Contact FELTG.

Event FAQs

  • Can I attend Virtual Training from my government computer?
    • FELTG will use Zoom for this Virtual Training Institute event. Many government computers and systems allow Zoom access. If for some reason your firewall will not allow access, you’re welcome to use your personal email address to register, and to attend the sessions from your personal device.
  • What if I want to attend a session but have a schedule conflict?
    • FELTG plans to offer this live event periodically, so check our calendar for upcoming dates.
  • Can I share my access link with co-workers?
    • No. Registration for this event is per individual, and access links may not be shared. Each link may only be used by one person.
  • Can I register a teleworker?
    • This event is individual registration, so the cost is the same whether the person is teleworking or in an agency facility.
  • How do I receive a group rate discount?
    • If an agency wishes to register 10 or more attendees for the full event, a group discount will be applied if all registrations are received and paid for together. Group discount deadline is August 14.
  • Can I earn CLE credits for this class?
    • CLE applications are the responsibility of each attendee; FELTG does not apply for the credits on behalf of attendees.  If you are seeking CLE credit, attendees may use the materials provided by FELTG in submission to your state bar. Attendees may also request a certificate of completion which will contain the number of training hours attended.

Cancellation and No-show Policy for Registered Participants: Cancellations made after the cancel date on the registration form will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses. Pre-paid training using the “Pay Now” option will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses. No-shows will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses.

Sep
6
Wed
Virtual Training Event – UnCivil Servant: Holding Employees Accountable for Performance and Conduct
Sep 6 – Sep 7 all-day

Download Individual Registration Form

Course Description

FELTG’s flagship course UnCivil Servant empowers federal supervisors and advisers to confidently handle the challenges that come with supervising in the federal workplace. We hope that you never have to fire an employee. But it’s important that you have the tools to effectively address poor performance and misconduct, should the need arise.

Over the course of two half-days, UnCivil Servant identifies misconceptions about performance and misconduct-based actions and provides you with simple step-by-step guidance for taking swift, appropriate and legally defensible actions. The program also covers the very latest with Executive Order 14003, plus OPM regulations on performance and conduct.

Join FELTG for this special event, from wherever you are working – agency office or home. The program will be presented live, and you’ll have time to ask questions and get answers in real time. Note: This course fulfills OPM’s mandatory training requirements for new supervisors found at 5 CFR 412.202(b).

Registrants for both days will also receive a copy of the textbook UnCivil Servant: Holding Federal Employees Accountable for Performance and Conduct, 5th Ed., by William Wiley and Deborah Hopkins.

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

Download Individual Registration Form

Instructor

Deborah J. Hopkins

Who Should Attend

Federal supervisors and managers; attorneys; Labor and Employee Relations Specialists; EEO specialists; union representatives.

Agenda

Wednesday, September 6

Accountability for Conduct and Performance, Part I: Accountability and supervisory authority; discipline and misconduct theory and practice; the five elements of discipline; off-duty misconduct; penalty defense and due process.

Thursday, September 7

Accountability for Conduct and Performance, Part II: Discipline procedures and appeals; disciplinary documents; defining unacceptable performance; dealing with poor performers; performance-based removal procedures.

Price

  • Early Bird Tuition: $425 per session, $755 for both sessions (register by August 22).
  • Standard Tuition: $525 per session, $855 for both sessions (register August 23-September 7).
  • Rates per registrant. No split registrations permitted.
  • Want to register a group? Contact FELTG.

Event FAQs

  • Can I attend Virtual Training from my government computer?
    • FELTG uses Zoom for its Virtual Training Institute events. Many government computers and systems allow Zoom access. If for some reason your firewall will not allow access, you’re welcome to use your personal email address to register, and to attend the sessions from your personal device.
  • What if I want to attend a session but have a schedule conflict?
    • FELTG also plans to offer this live event periodically, so check our calendar for upcoming dates.
  • Can I share my access link with co-workers?
    • No. Registration for this event is per individual, and access links may not be shared. Each link may only be used by one person.
  • Can I register a teleworker?
    • This event is individual registration, so the cost is the same whether the person is teleworking or in an agency facility.
  • How do I receive a group rate discount?
    • If an agency wishes to register 10 or more attendees for the full event, a group discount will be applied if all registrations are received and paid for together. Group discount deadline is August 22.
  • 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.

Seminar registration includes a PDF copy of the program materials, plus a hard copy of the textbook UnCivil Servant: Holding Employees Accountable for Performance and Conduct, 5th ed., by Wiley and Hopkins. In order to receive the textbook by the training date, please register by August 22 and provide a shipping address. Registrations received after August 22 will also receive a textbook, but materials are not guaranteed to arrive by the training date.

Sep
13
Wed
Virtual Training Event – Nondiscriminatory Hiring in the Federal Workplace: Advancing Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility
Sep 13 @ 1:00 pm – 4:30 pm

Course Description

The federal hiring process is a challenging one that requires patience. Those who hurry the hiring process are not only likely to make a mistake in hiring, but they may also end up without sufficient documentation to combat a discrimination complaint, making the allegation difficult to defend against.

And there is NO excuse these days for having any steps in your hiring process that could be discriminatory. Per Executive Order, your agency should have already taken steps to “advance diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility,” and “eliminate, where applicable, barriers to equity, in Federal workforce functions.”

Regardless of where you are in the development of an agency Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) plan or whether your agency is even currently hiring, this half-day virtual training provides important guidance that you cannot afford to miss if you want to ensure your hiring practices are nondiscriminatory and align with the federal merit system principles.

FELTG instructor and attorney at law Katherine Atkinson will explain the types of interview questions that cause problems, and discuss selection panel roles and responsibilities, including ensuring the selecting officials implement best practices to develop and maintain evidence, demonstrating the non-selection was neither discriminatory nor retaliatory.

Attend from wherever you are working — agency office or home. The program will be presented live, and you’ll have time to ask questions and get answers in real time. This program runs from 1:00 – 4:30 pm eastern, with a 30-minute break midway.

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

Date and Time

Wednesday, September 13, 2023, 1:00 – 4:30 pm ET

Instructor

Katherine Atkinson

Registration

Download Individual Registration Form

Price

  • Early Bird Tuition: $370 (register by August 29)
  • Standard Tuition: $395 (register August 30 or later)
  • Rates per registrant.
  • Want to register a group? Group discounts for 10 or more attendees are available through August 29. Contact FELTG.

Event FAQs

  • Can I attend Virtual Training from my government computer?
    • FELTG uses Zoom for this Virtual Training Institute event. Many government computers and systems allow Zoom access. If for some reason your firewall will not allow access, you’re welcome to use your personal email address to register, and to attend the sessions from your personal device. You may also attend the training event as an audio training, by dialing in over the phone and following along with the materials independently.
  • Can I earn CLE credits for this class?
    • CLE applications are the responsibility of each attendee; FELTG does not apply for the credits on behalf of attendees.  If you are seeking CLE credit, attendees may use the materials provided by FELTG in submission to your state bar. Attendees may also request a certificate of completion which will contain the number of training hours attended.
  • What if I want to attend a session but have a schedule conflict?
    • FELTG plans to offer this live event periodically, so check our calendar for upcoming dates.
  • Can I share my access link with co-workers?
    • No. Registration for this event is per individual, and access links may not be shared. Each link may only be used by one person.
  • Can I register a teleworker?
    • This event is individual registration, so the cost is the same whether the person is teleworking or in an agency facility.
  • How do I receive a group rate discount?
    • Group rates are available for agencies registering 10 or more individuals. Group discounts are available through August 29.

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
26
Tue
Advanced Employee Relations – Washington, DC
Sep 26 – Sep 28 all-day

Download Individual Registration Form

Course Description

Let’s face it: being a federal sector Employee Relations Specialist is a tough job. It’s great to know the basics, but the basics don’t always help you when you’re facing those really challenging situations. That’s when you realize that there is much more to learn.

FELTG is presenting Advanced Employee Relations, a three-day seminar that gives you the kind of interactive foundational-based training necessary to handle the most challenging and complicated situations.

Held in Washington, DC, you’ll receive in-depth training on topics including leave, performance, misconduct, disability accommodation and medical issues that affect Federal employees, and more. Plus, hands-on workshops will allow you to leave with the tools you’ll need to succeed. And it will all be taught by FELTG Senior Instructor Barbara Haga.

Great training. Great instructor. Great location. Register now.

The class will run from 8:30 am – 4:30 pm each day.

Instructor

Barbara Haga

Daily Agenda:

Tuesday, September 26

Leave and Attendance: Administering leave, with particular emphasis on sick leave, LWOP,
and FMLA. Detailed review of sick leave provisions including authorized purposes for use of sick leave, limitations on use of sick leave for family care and bereavement, eligibility to use leave for care, notice requirements, acceptable documentation. Management actions to control use of leave and abuse of sick leave. Detailed review of FMLA provisions including eligibility to
invoke FMLA, entitlement, coverage of family members, administration and notice
requirements. Acceptable medical documentation under FMLA, definition of serious health
condition. Substitution of paid leave, including a review of the requirements for administering
Paid Parental Leave. Discipline tied to FMLA. LWOP – when LWOP is mandatory, limits on
granting LWOP, employee status while on extended LWOP. Other topics – issues related to
annual leave and leave transfer, other leave entitlements.

Wednesday, September 27

Performance Management: Managing performance from system establishment to conducting
annual appraisals to taking actions linked to performance.  Requirements for
performance plans, including design of agency systems, rating schemes, and procedures for
conducting appraisals. Linkage between appraisal and other personnel management decisions, including reduction-in-force and within-grade increases. Writing effective and measurable performance criteria that will withstand third-party review, including a workshop where participants will do an in-depth review of performance plans. Requirements for successful performance-based actions – from drafting a PIP notice that will withstand scrutiny (including post-Santos issues) to conducting a bona fide PIP.

Thursday, September 28

Misconduct and Other Related Issues: Implementation of a successful disciplinary program – delegation of authority, role of advisors, warnings and cautions, use of administrative leave. Nexus. Dealing with comparators in determining a penalty. Adjudication of claimed involuntary resignations and retirements. Ordering and offering offering medical examinations. Specific disciplinary situations: handling situations when an employee is unable to perform including excessive leave, separation disability; conduct unbecoming; misuse and technology-related misconduct; failure to meet conditions of employment.

Pricing

Early Bird Tuition (register by September 1):

  • 3 days = $1795
  • 2 days = $1335
  • 1 day = $745

Standard Tuition (register September 2 or later):

  • 3 days = $1995
  • 2 days = $1535
  • 1 day = $945

Metro, Parking, Directions

Metro: The International Student House (1825 R Street NW) is located in convenient proximity to the Red Line. Exit Metro at the Dupont Circle station and proceed to the Q Street/North exit. Head north (you will come off the escalator facing north; if you use the elevator take a left after exiting) on Connecticut Avenue to R Street NW (approximately one block). Turn right onto R Street NW. Cross 19th Street NW and the International Student House will be on the left side of the street approximately halfway down the block. If you reach the Bikeshare dock, you’ve gone too far. Approximate walk time: 7-10 minutes.

Parking: Street parking is metered and is limited to two hours, unless you have a Washington, DC, Zone 2 parking pass. The closest parking garage is at 11 Dupont Circle, approximately two blocks from the International Student House (1825 R Street NW). Approximate walk time: 5 -7 minutes.

From the Lyle Hotel: After exiting the Lyle Hotel, turn left. At the first intersection, R Street NW, turn right. Proceed approximately one block. The International Student House (1825 R Street NW) will be on your right, just past the Bikeshare dock. Approximate walk time: 4-6 minutes.

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
14
Wed
Virtual Training Event – UnCivil Servant: Holding Employees Accountable for Performance and Conduct
Feb 14 – Feb 15 all-day

Download Individual Registration Form

Course Description

UnCivil Servant empowers federal supervisors and advisers to confidently handle the challenges that come with supervising in the federal workplace. We hope that you never have to fire an employee. But it’s important that you have the tools to effectively address poor performance and misconduct, should the need arise.

Over the course of two half-days, UnCivil Servant identifies misconceptions about performance and misconduct-based actions and provides you with simple step-by-step guidance for taking swift, appropriate and legally defensible actions. This flagship FELTG class is continuously updated to reflect the latest case law, regulations, and guidance.

Join FELTG for this special event, from wherever you are working – agency office or home. The program will be presented live, and you’ll have time to ask questions and get answers in real time. Note: This course fulfills OPM’s mandatory training requirements for new supervisors found at 5 CFR 412.202(b).

Registrants for both days will also receive a copy of the textbook UnCivil Servant: Holding Federal Employees Accountable for Performance and Conduct, 5th Ed., by William Wiley and Deborah Hopkins.

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

Download Individual Registration Form

Instructor

Deborah J. Hopkins

Who Should Attend

Federal supervisors and managers; attorneys; Labor and Employee Relations Specialists; EEO specialists; union representatives.

Agenda

Wednesday, February 14

Accountability for Conduct and Performance, Part I: Accountability and supervisory authority; discipline and misconduct theory and practice; the five elements of discipline; off-duty misconduct; penalty defense and due process.

Thursday, February 15

Accountability for Conduct and Performance, Part II: Discipline procedures and appeals; disciplinary documents; defining unacceptable performance; dealing with poor performers; performance-based removal procedures.

Price

  • Early Bird Tuition: $525 per session, $855 for both sessions (register by January 15).
  • Standard Tuition: $625 per session, $955 for both sessions (register January 16 – February 14).
  • Rates per registrant. No split registrations permitted.
  • Want to register a group? Contact FELTG.

Event FAQs

  • Can I attend Virtual Training from my government computer?
    • FELTG uses Zoom for its Virtual Training Institute events. Many government computers and systems allow Zoom access. If for some reason your firewall will not allow access, you’re welcome to use your personal email address to register, and to attend the sessions from your personal device.
  • What if I want to attend a session but have a schedule conflict?
    • FELTG also plans to offer this live event periodically, so check our calendar for upcoming dates.
  • Can I share my access link with co-workers?
    • No. Registration for this event is per individual, and access links may not be shared. Each link may only be used by one person.
  • Can I register a teleworker?
    • This event is individual registration, so the cost is the same whether the person is teleworking or in an agency facility.
  • How do I receive a group rate discount?
    • If an agency wishes to register 10 or more attendees for the full event, a group discount will be applied if all registrations are received and paid for together. Group discount deadline is January 15.
  • 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.

Seminar registration includes a PDF copy of the program materials, plus a hard copy of the textbook UnCivil Servant: Holding Employees Accountable for Performance and Conduct, 5th ed., by Wiley and Hopkins. In order to receive the textbook by the training date, please register by January 31 and provide a shipping address. Registrations received after January 31 will also receive a textbook, but materials are not guaranteed to arrive by the training date.

Mar
12
Tue
Virtual Training Event – Successfully Leading a Multi-generational Team
Mar 12 @ 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm

Course Description

The Federal workplace is rapidly changing. As Baby Boomers retire, Generation Z employees are entering the workplace. And in between, you have Gen X and Millennials. How do you not only work with, but lead such a diverse array of generations? This two-hour class will show you how to use generational differences to understand your workforce – not categorize it. You will leave with foundational tools for motivating and mentoring your multi-generational team.

Attendees will learn also how to:

  • Understand key events that have impacted each generation
  • Identify potential workplace sticking points where generations may have different preferences, such as feedback or meetings, and use them as opportunities for new solutions
  • Develop strategies for communicating with different generations

 

Date and Time

March 12, 2024, 1 – 3 pm ET

Instructor

Susan Schneider

Registration

Download Individual Registration Form

Price

  • Early Bird Tuition (register by February 14): $345
  • Standard Tuition (register February 15-March 12): $385
  • Rates per registrant.
  • Want to register a group? Group discounts for 10 or more attendees are available through February 14. Contact FELTG.

 

Event FAQs

  • Can I attend Virtual Training from my government computer?
    • FELTG uses Zoom to broadcast this Virtual Training Institute event. Many government computers and systems allow Zoom access. If for some reason your firewall will not allow access, you’re welcome to use your personal email address to register, and to attend the sessions from your personal device.
  • Can I earn CLE credits for this class?
    • CLE applications are the responsibility of each attendee; FELTG does not apply for the credits on behalf of attendees.  If you are seeking CLE credit, attendees may use the materials provided by FELTG in submission to your state bar. Attendees may also request a certificate of completion which will contain the number of training hours attended.
  • Can I share my access link with co-workers?
    • No. Registration for this event is per individual, and access links may not be shared. Each link may only be used by one person.
  • Can I register a teleworker?
    • This event is individual registration, so the cost is the same whether the person is teleworking or in an agency facility.
  • How do I receive a group rate discount?
    • Group rates are available for agencies registering 10 or more individuals. Group discounts are available through February 14. 

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
20
Wed
Virtual Training Event – Handling Teleworker Performance and Conduct Challenges
Mar 20 @ 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm

Course Description

Remote work opportunities are no longer a wish for many employees, but an expectation. Even as agencies transition staff back to the workplace, a good deal of remote work remains. And so does the big problem: Telework isn’t for everyone.

It’s likely that you have employees who struggle whether they’re at home or in an office. Poor performance and misconduct can never be overlooked. FELTG’s flagship courses, such as UnCivil Servant, have empowered supervisors and their advisors to confidently handle the challenges that come with supervising federal employees. Using the UnCivil Servant framework, FELTG President and attorney at law Deborah Hopkins will address and provide guidance on handling employee conduct and performance issues, regardless of their work location.

Over the course of 90 minutes, Ms. Hopkins will address challenges such as remote employees, who:

  • Misuse technology or violate time and attendance protocols.
  • Fail to perform their critical element(s) at an acceptable level.
  • Request telework as a Reasonable Accommodation.

It’s imperative to agency mission that you use the right tools to swiftly and effectively address poor performance and misconduct, regardless of where the employee is doing – or NOT doing – the actual work.

Learning Objectives

Attendees will learn how to:

  • Take disciplinary action against a teleworking employee.
  • Determine whether you have enough evidence that a non-performer should be put on a demonstration period during emergency telework.
  • Manage a demonstration period remotely.

Date and Time

March 20, 2024, 1-2:30 pm ET

Instructor

Deborah Hopkins

Registration

Download Individual Registration Form

Price

  • Early Bird Tuition (register by February 20): $325
  • Standard Tuition (register February 21 or later): $365
  • Rates per registrant.
  • Want to register a group? Group discounts for 10 or more attendees are available through February 20. Contact FELTG.

Event FAQs

  • Can I attend Virtual Training from my government computer?
    • FELTG uses Zoom to broadcast this Virtual Training Institute event. Many government computers and systems allow Zoom access. If for some reason your firewall will not allow access, you’re welcome to use your personal email address to register, and to attend the sessions from your personal device.
  • Can I earn CLE credits for this class?
    • CLE applications are the responsibility of each attendee; FELTG does not apply for the credits on behalf of attendees.  If you are seeking CLE credit, attendees may use the materials provided by FELTG in submission to your state bar. Attendees may also request a certificate of completion which will contain the number of training hours attended.
  • Can I share my access link with co-workers?
    • No. Registration for this event is per individual, and access links may not be shared. Each link may only be used by one person.
  • Can I register a teleworker?
    • This event is individual registration, so the cost is the same whether the person is teleworking or in an agency facility.
  • How do I receive a group rate discount?
    • Group rates are available for agencies registering 10 or more individuals. Group discounts are available through February 20. 

Cancellation and No-show Policy for Registered Participants: Cancellations made after the cancel date on the registration form will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses. Pre-paid training using the “Pay Now” option will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses. No-shows will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses.

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.

Apr
22
Mon
Virtual Training Event – Emerging Issues in Federal Employment Law
Apr 22 – Apr 25 all-day

Event Description

FELTG’s annual Emerging Issues in Federal Employment Law has a simple mission — to  ensure the Federal workplace is accountable, that it looks more like the America it serves, and that you have all of the necessary tools to make this happen. Whether you’re an HR professional, attorney, supervisor, advisor, or an EEO or ER/LR specialist, you’ll find useful guidance in multiple events this week.

This year’s Emerging Issues in Federal Employment Law aims to help you succeed in the the Federal workplace circa 2024. We’ll guide you through the ever-changing law, share the steps for succeeding with up-and-down performers, provide guidance on how to make your team more resilient, offer tips for ensuring equity in hiring, and much more.

With 7 unique sessions over 4 days, FELTG’s Emerging Issues in Federal Employment Law offers an opportunity to receive guidance with a fresh perspective. And many sessions offer opportunities to pick up CLE or EEO refresher credits.

Emerging Issues in Federal Employment Law provides benefits you just can’t get from online virtual training providers. You can register for any of the sessions individually, or you can register for the whole program.  Also, the training is presented LIVE by FELTG’s experienced and respected instructors, who will answer your questions, so you get answers in real time. Don’t put off getting the important training you need.

Download Individual Registration Form

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

Download Individual Registration Form

 

Monday, April 22, 2024

Session 1
2 – 4 pm ET
What They’re Saying: MSPB, EEOC, and FLRA Case Law Update
Presented by Ann Boehm, Attorney at Law, FELTG Instructor

 

 

 

Course description: FELTG’s annual Emerging Issues Conference kicks off with a two-hour dive into the most significant caselaw coming out of the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA), and the Federal Circuit. These Federal employment law cases impact your day-to-day work, so join us and learn how to ensure a discrimination-free workplace and take effective action on performance and conduct that will hold up to third-party scrutiny.  Earn 2 CLE credits. 1

Course objectives

Attendees will learn how to:

  • Evaluate the significance of the recent case decisions in Federal employment law.
  • Avoid mistakes in performance and conduct actions.
  • Identify and immediately address potential discrimination.

.


Tuesday, April 23, 2024

Session 2
11 am – 1 pm ET
What Exactly is Undue Hardship Anymore?
Presented by Bob Woods, Attorney at Law, FELTG Instructor

 

 

 

Course Description:The Supreme Court upended decades of precedent in its unanimous decision Groff v. DeJoy. This is a big change for the concept of undue hardship in religious accommodation, experts say. But is it really? And how does it differ when it comes to reasonable accommodations for disability or pregnancy? Mr. Woods will deconstruct the distinctions between accommodations and explain the legal ramifications of each. Earn 2 CLE credits. 

Course objectives

Attendees will learn how to:

  • Understand how an agency can prove undue hardship – and how it cannot.
  • Describe the differences between undue hardship for religious, disability, and pregnancy accommodations.
  • Handle employees’ requests to be excused from performing certain job tasks because of religious reasons.

 


Session 3
2 – 4 pm ET 
Driving Resilience and Mental Wellbeing in the Federal Workplace
Presented by Shana Palmieri, LCSW, FELTG Instructor

 

 

 

Course Description: A successful team is one that can handle unexpected and stressful situations. How do you build that kind of resilience among your employees? Ms. Palmieri will explain the importance of mental wellbeing in the workplace as well as how to manage toxic and other difficult employees who derail team success.

Course objectives

Attendees will learn how to:

  • Understand mental well-being in the workplace.
  • Reduce toxic dynamics.
  • Implement strategies to retain and attract a high-functioning team.

Wednesday, April 24, 2024

Session 4
11 am – 1 pm ET
Equity in Hiring 
Presented by Katherine Atkinson, Attorney at Law, FELTG Instructor

 

 

 

Course Description: This session will provide step-by-step guide for ensuring fair treatment and nondiscrimination in every phase of your hiring process, from developing selection criteria, through recruitment and all the way to the conditional offer, with a special focus on structured interviews that are fair, equitable, and nondiscriminatory. You will leave this class with the keys and tools for creating a well-qualified workforce, while avoiding the mistakes that have befallen many other agencies. Plus, you’ll learn how to best defend against allegations of discriminatory hiring.  Earn 2 CLE credits. 2

Course objectives

Attendees will learn how to:

  • Conduct effective and equitable structured interviews.
  • Identify problematic interview questions.
  • Recognize bias in the hiring process.

Session 5
2 – 4 pm ET
Engagement to Motivation — the FEVS and Beyond
Presented by Susan Schneider, EdM, MS, FELTG Instructor

 

 

 

Course description: Employee Engagement (EE) is vital to meet today’s challenges in the Federal workplace. Each year, agencies receive an EE score, based upon a survey done months before. The data is limited, particularly for regulatory organizations in the spotlight. This course describes the limitations of the EE score and examines the link between engagement, motivation, and leveraging employees’ strengths. Participants will explore realistic strategies for increasing engagement and creating tailored, timely measures of EE.

Course objectives

Attendees will learn how to:

  • Develop a deeper understanding of engagement and motivation.
  • Explain the limitations of FEVS’ measurement of employee engagement.
  • Create realistic strategies for increasing engagement, including opportunities for employees to use their strengths.
  • Produce tailored and timely measures of engagement.

 


Thursday, April 25, 2024

Session 6
11 am – 1 pm
Say Whaaat?!? Respectful Communication in the Workplace
Presented by Roslyn Brown, President/CEO at EEO Workplace Strategies

 

 

 

Course description: Subtle and overt language, joking, off-handed comments, and offensive comments and gestures can lead to a hostile work environment. And that includes ill-advised, even if not ill-intentioned, phrases such as “hold down the fort” and “low man on the totem pole.” Being a respectful communicator means more than just not offending anyone, it also means taking preventive measures to tailor your communication to avoid misunderstandings, irrespective of the cultural and ethnic differences that we all bring into the workplace. Roslyn Brown will not only explain why certain phrases are troublesome but show you what to do when something offensive is said. 2

Course objectives

Attendees will learn how to:

  • Recognize cultural expressions that are offensive to people in protected classes.
  • Explain the importance of a respectful workplace in complying with the Executive Order on Promoting Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility in the Federal workplace.
  • Intervene effectively when offensive comments are made in the workplace.

 


Session 7
2 – 4 pm ET
Managing Chronic Performance and Conduct Issues
Presented by Deborah Hopkins, Attorney at Law, FELTG President

 

 

 

Course description: Whether it’s up-and-down roller coaster performers or repeat offenders of misconduct, chronically challenging employees eat up time, create workplace stress, and dampen productivity. And it will only get worse until you address the issue. FELTG President Deborah J. Hopkins will share the tools necessary to address performance issues and lay the groundwork for progressive discipline. Attendees will leave with the confidence to swiftly address poor-performing and misbehaving employees.

Course objectives

Attendees will learn how to:

  • Differentiate between performance problems and misconduct.
  • Manage an employee’s wide swings of performance.
  • Effectively apply progressive discipline.

Registration

Download Individual Registration Form

Price

  • Early Bird Tuition (register by March 22):
    • Per Session = $345
    • April 22-25 All Access  = $1995
  • Standard Tuition (register March 23-April 25)
    • Per Session = $385
    • April 22-25 All Access = $2295
  • Rates per registrant and may not be used for groups under any circumstances. No split registrations.

Event FAQs

  • Can I attend Virtual Training from my government computer?
    • FELTG uses Zoom to broadcast its Virtual Training Institute events. Many government computers and systems allow Zoom access. If for some reason your firewall will not allow access, you’re welcome to use your personal email address to register, and to attend the sessions from your personal device.
  • How do I claim CLE or EEO refresher credits?
    • This program has been submitted (and we anticipate this program will be approved) for Virginia CLE credits. Members of other state bars must submit for CLE credit on their own, and may use the materials provided by FELTG in submissions. Attendees may also request a certificate of completion which will contain the number of training hours attended, and will designate how many EEO refresher hours were earned.
  • Can I get HRCI credits for attending this class?
    • Each session is approved for 2 hours of HRCI general recertification credit. The HRCI course numbers will be available upon the conclusion of the training.
  • Can I share my access link with co-workers?
    • No. Registration for this event is per individual, and access links may not be shared. Each link may only be used by one person.
  • Can I register a teleworker?
    • This event is individual registration, so the cost is the same whether the person is teleworking or in an agency facility.
  • How do I receive a group rate discount?
    • Group rates are available for agencies registering 10 or more individuals for the full event. Group discounts are available through March 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.

 

Apr
23
Tue
Webinar – Do You Really Know How to Use the Douglas Factors?
Apr 23 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Course Description

It’s been over 40 years since we were all introduced to those 12 factors identified in the Merit System Protection Board’s landmark Douglas v. VA decision, the most cited case in Federal employment law. But you don’t have to go back to the Reagan Administration to find examples of agencies’ misunderstanding and/or misapplying those factors.

Just look at a any recent batch of MSPB decisions and you’ll find continued confusion about how to appropriately determine a penalty – and clarity from the Board about their view on Douglas.

Instructor and attorney Ann Boehm will share recent case law, highlighting how agencies correctly use the Douglas factors and also how they have been misapplied. She will answer all your Douglas questions, such as: Do the factors go in the proposal or the decision? What do OPM’s new regs say about the Douglas factors? What’s the best way to prevent penalty mitigation?

Learning takeaways

Attendees will learn how to:

  • Understand the Douglas factors principles
  • Explain when and how to use each factor
  • Avoid the too-common Douglas mistakes that sink your case

Date and Time

Tuesday, April 23, 2024, 1:00 – 2:00pm ET

Instructor

Ann Boehm

Registration

Download Individual Registration Form

Pricing

  • Early Bird Tuition (register by March 24): $145
  • Standard Tuition (register March 25-April 23): $195
  • Rates per registrant.
  • Want to register a group? Group discounts for 10 or more attendees are available through March 24. 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 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.

May
7
Tue
Webinar — How to Use a PIP in 2024
May 7 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Course Description

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. Part of the Managing the Federal Workplace in 2024: Dos and Don’ts for Supervisors webinar series, 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. 

Attendees will learn how to:

  • Gather the information needed prior the PIP process.
  • Discern the difference between substantial and other types of evidence.
  • Confidently handle unacceptable performance through the use of PIPs.

Date and Time

May 7, 2024; 1 – 2 pm ET

Instructor

Robert Woods

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
May 7 @ 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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