Calendar

FELTG Executive Director Deborah Hopkins instructing a class
Jun
13
Mon
MSPB Law Week @ Marines' Memorial Club & Hotel
Jun 13 – Jun 17 all-day

Download Registration Form

MSPB Law Week covers the basics of charges, penalties and performance cases, with special emphasis on leave abuse and medical issues. Join top MSPB practitioners and topic authors, and learn the law, strategies, and techniques from their many years of combined experience.

Become a certified MSPB practitioner: MSPB Law Week participants are eligible for the FELTG Certified Practitioner Program.

Instructors

William Wiley, Deborah Hopkins

Daily Agenda:

Monday

Adverse Actions: The five elements of every disciplinary case and the burdens of proof, the fundamentals of penalty selection and defense, obtaining testimony to protect the penalty selection should one or more charges fail, types of evidence necessary to support a penalty selection, the MSPB’s power to mitigate a penalty and recent trends in the Board’s use of that authority, educating uninformed arbitrators, using alternatives to discipline

Tuesday

Charges: Types of charges, parts of a charge, how charges are interpreted, the role of the proposing and deciding officials, capitalizing on the general charge, allowing the inclusion of lesser-included offenses, charging in the alternative, attractive options to difficult charges and common charging mistakes, proving the difficult “intent” charge element, a step by step approach to charge drafting.

Wednesday

Penalties: MSPB and Federal Circuit lead cases in penalty determination, getting “intent” penalties off of “non-intent” charges, proving harsh penalties off of vanilla charges, charging down and proving up, how the maximum penalty is established, an update of recent Board and court decisions: what’s really new and what’s old wine in new bottles, placing the emphasis on notice, the Obama-Board and big penalty mitigation changes.

Thursday

Unacceptable Performance: Performance actions in perspective, drafting a defensible performance standard, implementing PIP’s, defeating the PIP rollercoaster, accommodating disability-related poor performance, converting an unacceptable performance problem into a Part 752 disciplinary action, termination based on failing a performance quiz.

Friday

Defending Against Affirmative Defenses: Claims of harmful error; whistleblower reprisal; reprisal for union activity; excessive penalty findings. Special Discussion: Recent Procedural Errors.

Pricing

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

  • 5 days = $2050
  • 4 days = $1680
  • 3 days = $1290
  • 2 days = $910
  • 1 day = $490
Dec
5
Mon
Advanced Employee Relations – San Francisco @ Marines' Memorial Club and Hotel
Dec 5 – Dec 7 all-day

Download Registration Form

As an Employee Relations Specialist, you have a challenging job –- and once you know the basics, you realize there is always more to learn. So, FELTG is happy to present Advanced Employee Relations, a three-day seminar focused on immersing you in the employee relations topics you need most.

Held in lovely San Francisco in December 2016, you’ll receive three days of in-depth training on topics including leave, performance, misconduct and more. Plus, hands-on workshops will allow you to leave with the tools you’ll need to succeed.

The program runs 8:30 – 4:00 each day.

Instructor

Barbara Haga

Daily Agenda:

Monday

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. Aacceptable medical documentation under FMLA, definition of serious health condition. Substitution of paid 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.

Tuesday

Performance Management: Managing performance from system establishment to conducting annual appraisals to taking actions linked to performance. GEAR initiative and other efforts focused on modifying Federal performance management system. Requirements for performance plans, including design of agency systems, rating schemes, and procedures for conducting appraisals. Revised DOD performance system to be implemented in 2016. 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 to conducting a bona fide PIP to ensuring that due process is met in effecting an action on unacceptable performance.

Wednesday

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. Involuntary actions – resignations and retirements. Ordering and Offering medical examinations. Specific disciplinary situations: handling situations when an employee is unable to perform including excessive leave, disability retirement, separation disability; conduct unbecoming; misuse and technology-related misconduct; failure to meet conditions of employment

Pricing

  • 3 days = $1290
  • 2 days = $910
  • 1 day = $490
Managing Federal Employee Accountability @ Marines' Memorial Club & Hotel
Dec 5 – Dec 9 all-day

Download Registration Form

Attention, all federal supervisors (and those who advise them): this is a program you can’t afford to miss. This week covers a range of topics including employee performance and conduct, FMLA and other leave scenarios, EEO and disability discrimination, workplace management and leadership skills, and supervising unionized employees.

As a bonus, supervisors who complete this training meet OPM’s mandatory training requirements for new supervisors found at 5 CFR 412.202(b).

The program runs 8:30 – 4:00 each day.

Instructors

William Wiley, Deborah Hopkins, Barbara Haga.

Daily Agenda:

Monday

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

Tuesday

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

Wednesday

Essential Management Skills for Federal Supervisors: Communicating effectively with employees; managing a multigenerational workforce; handling difficult employees; managing a mobile workforce; mentorship; honing your presentation skills; conducting effective meetings.

Thursday

Effectively Managing Employee Leave Issues: Annual leave; sick leave; Leave Without Pay; FMLA; medical certification requirements; substitution of paid leave; leave stacking.

Friday

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

Pricing

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

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

Registered participants will receive a copy of the textbook UnCivil Servant, fourth edition (pending publication date).

Jun
12
Mon
MSPB Law Week – San Francisco @ Marines' Memorial Club and Hotel
Jun 12 – Jun 16 all-day

Download Registration Form

MSPB Law Week covers the basics of charges, penalties and performance cases, with special emphasis on leave abuse and medical issues. Join top MSPB practitioners and topic authors, and learn the law, strategies, and techniques from their many years of combined experience.

Become a certified MSPB practitioner: MSPB Law Week participants are eligible for the FELTG Certified Practitioner Program.

Instructors

William Wiley, Deborah Hopkins

Daily Agenda:

Monday

Adverse Actions: The five elements of every disciplinary case and the burdens of proof, the fundamentals of penalty selection and defense, obtaining testimony to protect the penalty selection should one or more charges fail, types of evidence necessary to support a penalty selection, the MSPB’s power to mitigate a penalty and recent trends in the Board’s use of that authority, educating uninformed arbitrators, using alternatives to discipline

Tuesday

Charges: Types of charges, parts of a charge, how charges are interpreted, the role of the proposing and deciding officials, capitalizing on the general charge, allowing the inclusion of lesser-included offenses, charging in the alternative, attractive options to difficult charges and common charging mistakes, proving the difficult “intent” charge element, a step by step approach to charge drafting.

Wednesday

Penalties: MSPB and Federal Circuit lead cases in penalty determination, getting “intent” penalties off of “non-intent” charges, proving harsh penalties off of vanilla charges, charging down and proving up, how the maximum penalty is established, an update of recent Board and court decisions: what’s really new and what’s old wine in new bottles, placing the emphasis on notice, the Obama-Board and big penalty mitigation changes.

Thursday

Unacceptable Performance: Performance actions in perspective, drafting a defensible performance standard, implementing PIP’s, defeating the PIP rollercoaster, accommodating disability-related poor performance, converting an unacceptable performance problem into a Part 752 disciplinary action, termination based on failing a performance quiz.

Friday

Defending Against Affirmative Defenses: Claims of harmful error; whistleblower reprisal; reprisal for union activity; excessive penalty findings. Special Discussion: Recent Procedural Errors.

Pricing

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

  • 5 days = $2070
  • 4 days = $1700
  • 3 days = $1310
  • 2 days = $930
  • 1 day = $510
Jul
17
Mon
FLRA Law Week – San Francisco @ Marines' Memorial Club and Hotel
Jul 17 – Jul 21 all-day

Download Registration Form

With a new administration in place, your guess is as good as ours about what the state of federal labor relations might become over the next few years. Some major areas of labor law haven’t changed in over 30 years, and some are poised to change soon. Every labor attorney, human resource specialist, and union representative in government needs to have both a firm foundation in the historical perspective and precedence of FLRA decisions, as well as a strategy for taking advantage of any new approaches that are coming out of an ever-evolving Federal Labor Relations Authority. This training week, updated to reflect the current state of the law, does just that.

The program runs 8:30 – 4:00 each day.

Become a certified FLRA practitioner: FLRA Law Week participants are eligible for the FELTG Certified Practitioner Program.

Instructors

William Wiley, Deborah Hopkins

Daily Agenda

Monday

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

Tuesday

Meetings and Bargaining: More on official time, when is the agency obligated to invite a union rep into a formal discussion, the collective bargaining process, the three categories of bargaining, management rights and management maybe’s.

Wednesday

Unfair Labor Practices and Negotiability: What happens when the FLRA comes knocking; what subjects must be bargaining, may not be bargained, and what subjects may be bargained at the agency’s discretion; the Federal Services Impasse Panel; negotiability appeals.

Thursday

Redress Alternatives and the Psychology of Bargaining: The interplay among grievances, appeals, MSPB, and EEOC; exceptions to arbitration awards; selecting a bargaining strategy; there are good ways and bad ways to implement bargaining and a lot of psychology is involved.

Friday

Two Bargaining Approaches and Arbitration Issues: Interest based bargaining as compared to hard ball bargaining, arbitration process overview, binding the arbitrator, how federal government arbitration is different from private sector arbitration and appeals, educating the arbitrator.

Pricing

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

  • 5 days = $2070
  • 4 days = $1700
  • 3 days = $1310
  • 2 days = $930
  • 1 day = $510
May
14
Mon
Workplace Investigations Week – San Francisco @ Marines' Memorial Club and Hotel
May 14 – May 18 all-day

Download Registration Form

This week focuses on administrative investigations in the federal workplace, with a focus on investigating employee misconduct. After an overview of the substantive law, participants will learn procedures and best practices for conducting investigations in the federal workplace, including planning the investigation, collecting evidence, dealing with witnesses, understanding types of questioning, and testifying at hearing. The week concludes with a day focused on writing an investigative report.

Sessions run from 8:30 – 4:00 each day.

This program fulfills the requirements for 32-hour EEO Investigator training and 8-hour annual EEO investigator refresher training.

Instructors

William Wiley, Deborah Hopkins, Ricky Rowe

Daily Agenda

Monday

Administrative Investigations: The Substantive Basis: Why investigate; discipline law and elements; understanding charges of misconduct; collecting penalty evidence; witness rights; union representation.

Tuesday

Conducting the Investigation, Part I: Evidentiary principles; purpose of investigation; preparing for the investigation; role of the investigator; planning the investigation.

Wednesday

Conducting the Investigation, Part II: Setting up the room; question types and techniques; conducting the interview; handling difficult witnesses; assessing credibility/lies/hearing what isn’t said; body language; interviewing exercise.

Thursday

Conducting the Investigation, Part III: Gathering other evidence; technology and investigations; high profile case considerations; when misconduct and EEO intersect; testifying at an administrative hearing; rules for being an effective witness.

Friday

Writing the Investigative Report: Organizing for the report; establishing the chronology; report writing style; report writing conventions; report organization.

Pricing

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

  • 5 days = $2120
  • 4 days = $1740
  • 3 days = $1340
  • 2 days = $950
  • 1 day = $520
May
15
Tue
Developing & Defending Discipline: Holding Federal Employees Accountable – San Francisco @ Marines' Memorial Club and Hotel
May 15 – May 17 all-day

Download Registration Form

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

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

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

Instructors

William WileyDeborah Hopkins

Daily Agenda:

Tuesday

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

Wednesday

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

Thursday

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

Pricing

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

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

Aug
27
Mon
MSPB Law Week – Okinawa
Aug 27 – Aug 31 all-day

Download Registration Form

FELTG is coming to Okinawa!

The civil service world is changing and it’s important to be aware of the new laws and executive orders that apply to you. MSPB Law Week covers the basics of disciplinary charges and penalties, plus understanding the law and strategy in handling performance cases and defending against whistleblower reprisal complaints. Join MSPB practitioners and topic authors William Wiley and Deborah Hopkins, and learn the law, strategies, and techniques that will benefit your agency for years to come.

The program runs 8:00 – 4:00 each day.

* This program is taking place Camp Foster. Exact location will be emailed to confirmed participants. In order to register you MUST have either (1) a DoD Issued Common Access Card (CAC), or (2) Camp Foster Base Access Pass.

Instructors

William Wiley, Deborah Hopkins

Daily Agenda

Monday

Adverse Actions: Statutory basis including the Civil Service Reform Act; the new Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act; he five elements of every disciplinary case and the burdens of proof, the fundamentals of penalty selection and defense, obtaining testimony to protect the penalty selection should one or more charges fail, types of evidence necessary to support a penalty selection, the MSPB’s power to mitigate a penalty and recent trends in the Board’s use of that authority, educating uninformed arbitrators, using alternatives to discipline.

Tuesday

Charges: Types of charges, parts of a charge, how charges are interpreted, the role of the proposing and deciding officials, capitalizing on the general charge, allowing the inclusion of lesser-included offenses, charging in the alternative, attractive options to difficult charges and common charging mistakes, proving the difficult “intent” charge element, a step by step approach to charge drafting.

Wednesday

Penalties; Labor Relations: MSPB and Federal Circuit lead cases in penalty determination, getting “intent” penalties off of “non-intent” charges, proving harsh penalties off of vanilla charges, charging down and proving up, how the maximum penalty is established, an update of recent Board and court decisions: what’s really new and what’s old wine in new bottles, placing the emphasis on notice, labor relations considerations.

Thursday

Unacceptable Performance: Performance actions in perspective, drafting a defensible performance standard, implementing PIP’s, defeating the PIP rollercoaster, accommodating disability-related poor performance, converting an unacceptable performance problem into a Part 752 disciplinary action, termination based on failing a performance quiz.

Friday

Defending Against Affirmative Defenses: Claims of harmful error; whistleblower reprisal; reprisal for union activity; excessive penalty findings. Special Discussion: Recent Procedural Errors.

Pricing

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

  • 5 days = $2130
  • 4 days = $1750
  • 3 days = $1350
  • 2 days = $960
  • 1 day = $530

Location

We anticipate this program will be held at Camp Foster or Camp Butler, and will post specifics just as soon as we have them.

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