Full-week registrations are sold out – space is still available for Monday, Thursday and Friday. Download Registration Form or register now for the full EEOC Law Week April 9-13, 2018 in Washington, DC.
This seminar is a fast-paced week of strategies, principles, and authorities relative to the major aspects of the field of discrimination law in the federal government. FELTG speakers draw on many years of experience from all three sides of the litigation table to provide both the beginning and the experienced practitioner with the foundation to work successfully in the entire field of Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) law.
The program runs 8:30 – 4:00 each day.
Become a certified EEO practitioner: EEOC Law Week participants are eligible for the FELTG Certified Practitioner Program.
Instructors
Ernest Hadley, Deborah Hopkins, Meghan Droste
Daily Agenda
Monday
Basic EEOC, Nuts & Bolts: The Basics – Statutory authority and jurisdiction of EEOC, theories of discrimination, overview of EEO process, amended and consolidated complaints; timeliness issues in the wake of the Supreme Court decisions in Morgan and Ledbetter.
Tuesday
Current Trends in EEO Law: The latest on what’s happening in EEO, hostile environment harassment, gender stereotyping, same-sex harassment sexual orientation and transgender discrimination, retaliation, national origin and religious discrimination.
Wednesday
Accommodating Individuals with Disabilities: The Rehabilitation Act, and the NEW Americans’ with Disabilities Act, the latest of revised ADA regulations, the new Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) regulations; defining individuals with a disability, major life activities and substantial limitation; essential job functions, the interactive process, types of reasonable accommodation.
Thursday
Damages & Remedies; Settlement & ADR: Overview of Equitable Remedies: back pay, front pay, reinstatement; non-pecuniary and pecuniary damages, past and future damages, damages offsets, the duty to mitigate damages, collateral sources and pre-existing conditions, multiple causations of harm, the eggshell complainant. Settlement and ADR processes and what constitutes a good written agreement; what to include and what not to include.
Friday
Selection, Promotion, Discipline & Mixed Cases – An In-Depth Look: “Mixed” cases; selection and promotion cases, subjective and objective criteria, the “best qualified” candidate, disciplinary overview, the “comparable” employee, defending against pretext; case law update.
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
Lodging
A limited block of rooms is reserved at the Kimpton Carlyle Hotel Dupont Circle, through August 17. Book here directly or call 1-800-KIMPTON to make a reservation through the reservation desk with the special code 09171FEL.
Instructor
Course Description
Unacceptable performers. Every agency has them – employees who don’t meet the minimum performance standards of their positions. How does an agency take appropriate, defensible action against poor performers? You might be surprised to know: it’s SO easy.
FELTG President, attorney and renowned author William Wiley answers that question – and several more – in this 90-minute webinar. He’ll begin the presentation by explaining the appropriate procedures to take when initiating an opportunity period and a subsequent Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) and will highlight mistakes that your agency can’t afford to make in the PIP process.
In addition, Mr. Wiley will discuss:
- Critical time periods for the stages of performance-based actions
- How to draft and deliver performance documents
- The importance of holding employees accountable throughout the process
- Tips for managing problem employees during the notice period
- The necessary levels of proof an agency must maintain to defend a performance-based suspension or termination
It’s possible to remove a poor performer from the federal civil service in just 31 days. Attend this FELTG seminar to learn the appropriate methods to safeguard your agency when removing poor performers, and guarantee that your actions will stand.
Price
$270 per site
Teleworkers may be registered for $25 each, in addition to a main site registration. Contingent on available space.
Updated to reflect the most current, relevant topics related to employees who aren’t at work, this week brings together everything involving one of the most complex areas of federal sector employment law: absences from the workplace. Topics include employee leave, leave abuse, and medical issues as they relate to unacceptable performance and conduct, sick leave, annual leave, leave without pay, absence without leave, FMLA, ADA, OWCP, and telework.
The program runs 8:30 – 4:00 each day.
Instructors
William Wiley, Deborah Hopkins, Barbara Haga, Rock Rockenbach
Daily Agenda:
Monday – Leave Use & Abuse Overview
Types of leave and leave entitlements, overviews of Family Medical Leave Act leave, Office of Workers Compensation Program absences and leave as a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act, medical determinations, leave abuse, related offenses and controlling principles from case law.
Tuesday – Labor Relations & Other Leave
The impact of collective bargaining on leave-related issues, including negotiability of leave proposals, and relevant rulings of the Federal Labor Relations Authority and the Federal Service Impasses Panel; administrative leave; forced leave; funeral leave; military leave; miscellaneous leave scenarios.
Wednesday – FMLA Law & Policy
Federal sector FMLA basics, military family leave, serious health condition developments, medical certification issues, managing intermittent FMLA leave; discipline, FMLA and the under-performer; and employee notice issues.
Thursday – Reasonable Accommodation: Entitlements and Processes
The ADA Amendments Act; the reasonable accommodation process; the “regarded as” provision of the ADA; telework and leave as reasonable accommodation; religious accommodation.
Friday – Medical Documentation, Medical Requests and Record Confidentiality
How the ADAAA and GINA impact the collection of medical information; pre- and post-employment medical exams and inquiries; conditional employment offers; medical documentation requests; direct threat; conflicting regulations and contra court decisions.
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
Lodging
A limited block of rooms is reserved at the Kimpton Carlyle Hotel Dupont Circle, through August 23. Book here directly or call 1-800-KIMPTON to make a reservation through the reservation desk with the special code 0924FELT.
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 Wiley, Deborah Hopkins
Daily Agenda:
Wednesday
Accountability for Conduct and Performance, Part I: Accountability and supervisory authority; discipline and misconduct theory and practice; penalty defense and due process; discipline procedures and appeals; psychology of performance appraisal; performance-based removal procedures.
Thursday
Accountability for Conduct and Performance, Part II: Completing a performance action; team workshop; mentoring programs; handling the absent employee; union considerations; understanding the federal supervisor’s personal liability in employment actions.
Friday
Defending Against Discrimination Complaints: The Supervisor’s Role: The role of EEO in the federal government; defining protected categories: race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, disability, genetic information and reprisal; theories of discrimination; agency defenses; what to do if you’re a Responding Management Official in a complaint; what happens if you’re called as an EEO witness.
Pricing
- 3 days = $1325
- 2 days = $945
- 1 day = $525
Seminar registration includes a copy of the textbook UnCivil Servant: Holding Employees Accountable for Performance and Conduct, 4th ed.
The 2017 Honolulu class is SOLD OUT. Register now for this program in Houston (November 28-30) or Las Vegas (February 27-March1).
Holding federal employees accountable for performance and conduct is easier than you might think. Too many supervisors believe that an employee’s protected activity (EEO complaints, whistleblower disclosures, or union activity) precludes the supervisor from initiating a suspension or removal, but that’s just not true.
FELTG is here to make federal supervisors’ lives easier by clarifying those misconceptions while helping supervisors understand how to take defensible misconduct actions quickly and fairly – actions that withstand scrutiny on appeal by the MSPB, EEOC, or in grievance arbitration. Plus, if you have a non-performing employee working for you now, we show you how you can remove that employee from your workplace in 31 days, among many other things. Join us for this brand-new three-day seminar and come away with the tools you need to hold your employees accountable.
The program runs 8:30 – 4:00 each day and meets OPM’s mandatory training requirements for federal supervisors found at 5 CFR 412.202(b).
Instructors
William Wiley, Deborah Hopkins
Daily Agenda:
Wednesday
Accountability for Conduct and Performance, Part I: Accountability and supervisory authority; discipline and misconduct theory and practice; penalty defense and due process; discipline procedures and appeals; psychology of performance appraisal; performance-based removal procedures.
Thursday
Accountability for Conduct and Performance, Part II: Completing a performance action; team workshop; mentoring programs; handling the absent employee; union considerations; understanding the federal supervisor’s personal liability in employment actions.
Friday
Defending Against Discrimination Complaints: The Supervisor’s Role: The role of EEO in the federal government; defining protected categories: race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, disability, genetic information and reprisal; theories of discrimination; agency defenses; what to do if you’re a Responding Management Official in a complaint; what happens if you’re called as an EEO witness.
Pricing
- 3 days = $1325
- 2 days = $945
- 1 day = $525
Seminar registration includes a copy of the textbook UnCivil Servant: Holding Employees Accountable for Performance and Conduct, 4th ed.
Instructor
Course Description
Not every leave request falls into a major category such as annual leave, sick leave or FMLA. What happens when someone wants to use leave for jury duty, or to attend the funeral of a friend? What about the new leave categories like investigative and notice leave, introduced in last year’s Administrative Leave Act?
Join FELTG instructor Barbara Haga as she discusses the various types of paid leave and excused time off that are often looked at as secondary to annual and sick leave and FMLA, but which can be problematic if not administered correctly.
This session will tackle discussions on several less-common types of leave – Leave Without Pay, Leave Transfer, Disabled Veteran Leave, and Court and Military Leave. Additionally, Ms Haga will cover excused absences and administrative leave and will detail the new requirements imposed by the Administrative Leave Act of 2016. You won’t want to miss this important information!
Price
$270 per webinar per site.
Add a teleworker for only $25 in addition to a main site registration. Contingent on available space.
Full week registrations only. Registration is $2970.
Join some of the field’s preeminent litigators in a week-long workshop-based seminar focused on practicing effectively and successfully in administrative hearings involving federal employment law; e.g. MSPB and EEOC. Begin by preparing the case when assigned to a team that represents either the agency or the employee, get organized for the hearing, and learn the techniques of effective direct- and cross-examination. Try the case before an Administrative Judge and receive a critique along with the decision. Close out the week with an appreciation for the available appellate procedures. Space is limited so register early.
The program runs 8:30 – 4:00 each day and concludes at 2:00 on Friday.
MSPB & EEOC Hearing Practices Week participants are eligible for the FELTG Certified Practitioner Program.
Instructors
William Wiley, Ernest Hadley, Deborah Hopkins.
Daily Agenda:
Monday
Developing Your Case: Case theory development (MSPB & EEOC), introduction to administrative hearings and arbitrations, and hearing organization. Workshop: Case Theory Development, What to Prove
Tuesday
Preparing Your Case: Preparing witnesses for direct and cross-examination, dealing with the record and objects, opening and closing arguments, conducting an effective direct examination. Workshop: Admitting Evidence and Making Objections, Direct Examination
Wednesday
Preparing for Hearing: Conducting an effective cross-examination and setting the table at the prehearing conference. Workshop: Cross-Examination
Thursday
Trying Your Case: Your case goes before an MSPB Administrative Judge. Direct and cross examination of witnesses, closing arguments, and critiques from the Judge as well as FELTG’s resident experts
Friday
Rounding Out Your Advocacy Skills: Deposition practice and filing a petition for review. Workshop: Deconstructing and Learning from the Process, Taking and Defending Depositions.
Pricing
Full Week Registrations Only = $2970
Lodging
A limited block of rooms is reserved at the Kimpton Carlyle Hotel Dupont Circle, through August September 15. Book here directly or call 1-800-KIMPTON to make a reservation through the reservation desk with the special code 1017FELT.
This week focuses on two types of administrative investigations in the federal workplace: misconduct investigations and EEO investigations. 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
Deborah Hopkins, Rock Rockenbach
Daily Agenda
Monday
Administrative Investigations: The Substantive Basis: Why investigate; discipline law and elements; understanding charges of misconduct; agency defenses civil rights discrimination bases; disability and religious accommodation issues; medical evidence issues.
Tuesday
Conducting the Investigation, Part I: Evidentiary principles; purpose of investigation; collecting penalty evidence; witness rights; union representation; preparing for the investigation; role of the investigator; planning the investigation; Investigation Plan exercise.
Wednesday
Conducting the Investigation, Part II: Setting up the room; question types; funnel technique; 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; testifying at an administrative hearing; rules for being an effective witness; Jeopardy exercise.
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 = $2070
- 4 days = $1700
- 3 days = $1310
- 2 days = $930
- 1 day = $510
Lodging
A limited block of rooms is reserved at the Kimpton Carlyle Hotel Dupont Circle, through September 23. Book here directly or call 1-800-KIMPTON to make a reservation through the reservation desk with the special code 1022FELT.
Instructors
William Wiley, Deborah Hopkins
Course Description
Reprisal is a term that gets used a lot, but did you know that it has different definitions in different cases? If you join FELTG President William Wiley and FELTG Executive Director Deborah Hopkins during this 90-minute webinar to find out exactly where the differences lie, you just might save your agency from losing a reprisal case.
During this interactive discussion, the instructors will explain the legal background on the various forms of reprisal and why it’s such an important area of focus in federal employee statutory protection. From there, they’ll talk about:
- Whistleblower reprisal: the standards, burden of proof, and actions that constitute reprisal
- The many forms of EEO reprisal and why it’s the most common category in discrimination findings
- Reprisal for union activity, including what type of activity falls outside the bounds of coverage
- What is legal and not legal when considering someone’s veteran status in making employment-related decisions
- The distinction between reprisal and retaliation
This is an event you won’t want to miss, whether you’re an attorney, LER specialist, EEO specialist, union official or supervisor. We hope you’ll join us.
Price
$270 per site
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $25 each, on a space-available basis.
Settlement makes up a major part of federal employment law practice. Most disputes in our field settle – whether they initiate as grievances, EEO complaints or as appeals of agency disciplinary actions – before they ever get to hearing. You might be thinking, “Settlement just doesn’t feel right. It’s like saying the employee did nothing wrong and the agency is at fault.” That’s a common misconception, but it’s not actually grounded in truth; settlement has no direct tie to liability or admissions of wrongdoing.
Settlement happens – a lot. Yet somehow, this is a topic that doesn’t get a lot of love in the training world. Few people actually ever trained in the skills required to negotiate settlement agreements. That all changes now. Join FELTG for this brand-new seminar and learn the skills you need to save your agency time and money, and successfully resolve federal employment law disputes without litigation.
Instructors
William Wiley, Rock Rockenbach, Deborah Hopkins
Daily Agenda
Monday
Why Settle in Federal Sector Employment Disputes?: Why settlement is important; select options to discipline; rescinding the removal; statistics and writing; protective agreement provisions; unlawful agreements and duress.
Tuesday
Knowing the Players: The Office of Special Counsel, the Federal Labor Relations Authority, and Unfair Labor Practices; Interest-based negotiation in practice; positive framing; impasse; void agreements.
Wednesday
Determining Objectives and Methods: Why complainants and managers don’t want to resolve disputes without litigation (and how to combat that); statements v. objectives; separating the people from the problem; creating and evaluating options for mutual gain; settlement options; OPM restrictions.
Thursday
Alternative Dispute Resolution: Calculating the costs of litigation; preparing for settlement; mediations; arbitrations; settlement conference; using settlement memoranda; offers of resolution; compensatory damages; tax consequences; red flags: union impact.
Friday
Drafting Enforceable Settlement Agreements: Organizing for the agreement; settlement agreement writing style and conventions; parts of an agreement; sentence and paragraph structure; best practices for word selection; deconstruction of a sample settlement agreement.
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
Lodging
A limited block of rooms is reserved at the Kimpton Carlyle Hotel Dupont Circle, through September 28. Book here directly or call 1-800-KIMPTON to make a reservation through the reservation desk with the special code 1029FELT.
Instructors
William Wiley, Deborah Hopkins
Course Description
It’s that time again!
Twice a year we update you with what’s new from the MSPB, EEOC and FLRA. Join FELTG attorneys William Wiley and Deborah Hopkins as they combine forces for a fast-paced discussion on the most surprising, significant and groundbreaking recent decisions and trends from the MSPB, EEOC and FLRA. If you’ve attended a past edition, you know this is not your standard [“boring”] case law update, but an editorial discussion that not only informs you about current cases, but explains how they impact your daily work whether you’re a lawyer, or an HR, ER, LR or EEO practitioner.
Bill and Deb will share where we’ve been and where we’re headed with the trends and regulations that influence your workplace and the way issues are litigated in your agency or union. Plus, ask your questions and get answers in real time.
We’d love to tell you now about the cases and regulations that will be discussed, but that’s entirely up to the MSPB, EEOC and FLRA. Stay tuned!
Price
$270 per site
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $25 each, on a space-available basis.
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
Instructors
Deborah Hopkins, Katherine Atkinson
Course Description
Over the past few weeks, countless people have come forward to share that they have been the victims of sexual harassment in the workplace. In fact, in just three weeks the #MeToo hashtag has been used over six million times to signify support for to survivors of sexual assault, exploitation, and harassment – and to take a stand that this is not acceptable behavior.
As part of the #MeToo movement, we’ve also seen a number of stories about sexual harassment, assault, and abuse of federal employees. It’s topic a we can’t, and shouldn’t, ignore, so FELTG presents a special discussion on November 16 to explain – in clear terms – the law on sexual harassment in federal agencies. In addition, we’ll cover the following topics:
- Why many victims don’t come forward, until one person does
- Hostile Work Environment and Tangible Employment Action claims
- Time limits for filing sexual harassment claims
- Discipline for coworkers and supervisors who engage in sexual harassment
- Agency defenses and liability in sexual harassment claims
- Corrective action – what will stop harassment from continuing?
This is an event you won’t want to miss, whether you’re an attorney, LER specialist, EEO specialist, union official, supervisor, or federal employee. We hope you’ll join us.
Price
$225 per site
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $25 each, on a space-available basis.
Instructors
Course Description
Under the Theory of Agency, when a federal employee suffers some type of harm at work, the agency is generally liable for the harm because the employee was at work when the tort occurred (you may be more familiar with the term “respondeat superior”).
What happens when the harm is not some type of workplace accident or third-party incident, but is committed by a supervisor or employee of the agency? In our world, under the Theory of Agency, a federal supervisor or employee who commits a harm during the course of conducting the government’s business is sheltered from personal lawsuit by the victim of the harm. But can the employee who commits the harm ever be sued personally? Is this different in MSPB and EEO cases?
Join FELTG for a 90-minute discussion on personal liability to get that answer and more. During this session we will discuss:
- The three areas of liability: torts, crimes, and administrative sanctions
- Actions committed inside vs. outside the scope of employment
- Whether federal supervisors need liability insurance
- Considerations and strategies for when the Office of Special Counsel gets involved
- Damages and remedies available to prevailing parties in EEOC cases
You’ll also get to ask questions – and get immediate answers – during this live event, so register your site today.
Price
$270 per site
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $25 each, on a space-available basis.
Instructor
Course Description
The law is clear about what must be done with employees who have performance or conduct issues, but it gives zero guidance about how to handle employees whose personalities make then difficult to work with. Whether you’re a supervisor, an HR or EEO professional, or an attorney, you know how challenging it can be to handle unique personality types and still get your job done.
Good news: FELTG is here to help. Join instructor Anthony Marchese, PhD, on December 14 for a 90-minute webinar on how best to communicate with – and tolerate – difficult employees in the federal workplace. During this session he will discuss:
- How to give clear and actionable feedback that helps employees become aware of their problems – and even get better
- The Triple-D method for holding conversations with difficult employees
- A breakdown of difficult personality types (such as The Martyr, The Comedian, and The Tester), and the best approaches to effectively deal with each
- How to increase your impact through structured communication, word selection and social styles
- How to manage multiple generations in the workplace, with a special emphasis on understanding millennials
You’ll also get to ask questions – and get answers in real-time – during this live event, so register your site today.
Price
$270 per site
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $25 each, on a space-available basis.
Instructor
Course Description
Every federal advisor and supervisor has to deal with discipline on some level – but have you ever considered using discipline alternatives in cases of employee misconduct?
Discipline alternatives are options that carry the weight of progressive discipline but look a little different than the reprimands, suspensions, demotions and removals you’re accustomed to seeing in the federal government. Join FELTG president Bill Wiley as he shares his experiences using these lesser-known tools in misconduct cases.
After explaining the the legal requirements that form the foundation of disciplinary actions, he will cover alternatives to adverse actions, including:
- Reprimands in lieu of suspensions
- Last chance agreements
- Leave bank donations, community service and other alternatives
- Legally talking an employee into quitting
- Avoiding a grievance, EEO complaint or MSPB appeal
You won’t want to miss this session, so register your site today.
Price
$270 per site
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $25 each, on a space-available basis.
Instructor
Course Description
1.5
If you’re a federal EEO practitioner, chances are you’ve had a case where an employee alleges that she was not selected or promoted because of something other than job qualifications – race, sex, age, disability, or another protected class. These cases may be common, but that doesn’t mean they’re routine and they can present agency reps with major challenges: from properly defining the claim, to collecting the right information during the investigation, to presenting evidence at the hearing or in a motion for summary judgment.
On February 1, join FELTG instructor and attorney at law Meghan Droste, who has years of experience litigating selection and promotion cases, as she guides you through the important considerations necessary to defend your selections and promotions. Ms Droste will begin by covering the basic principles of selection cases, and will take you through all the important categories of selection criteria.
She’ll also discuss:
- Selection panels
- Selection records
- How to defend selection cases before the EEOC or an arbitrator
Don’t miss out on this special event. Register your site today.
Price
$270 per site
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $25 each, pending space availability.
Instructors
Deborah Hopkins, Shana Palmieri
Course Description
FELTG proudly presents this four-part series on dealing with behavioral health issues in the federal workplace. Join us for one session, or register for them all.
Session 1: Handling Behavioral Health: Legal Considerations and Clinical Overview (February 8)
- Legal considerations for managing employees with a behavioral health disability
- Disability Accommodation
- The Rehabilitation Act of 1973
- Americans with Disabilities Act
- Overview of Behavioral Health Conditions & Symptoms
- Effective Accommodations for Behavioral Health Conditions
- Effective Communication and Supervision/Management Strategies for Employees with Behavioral Health Conditions
Session 2: Successful Management and Supervision of Employees with PTSD (February 22)
- An in-depth understanding of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Symptoms, Causes, and Prevalence
- Overview of how symptoms of how PTSD symptoms impact performance in the workplace
- Learn Effective Management and Supervision strategies to support employees in the workplace
- Learn how to effectively assist an employee in the workplace having a crisis due to PTSD symptoms
Session 3: Managing Employees with Substance Use Disorders (March 8)
- Overview of substance use disorders, causes and prevalence
- Legal considers in the workplace for employees with substance abuse disorders
- What is protected and what is reason for termination
- How to handle intoxication in the workplace
- How to handle employees positive for cannabis (marijuana) on their drug test
- Learn how to effectively manage and support employees recovering from substance use disorders in the workplace
Session 4: Handling a Psychiatric Crisis in the Workplace (March 22)
- Overview of behavioral health symptoms that may present as a crisis in the workplace
- Suicidal Ideation and how to handle in the workplace
- Steps to take in the workplace with an employee experiencing a psychiatric crisis
Price
- $220 per site, per session.
- Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $25 each teleworker, each webinar, on a space-available basis.
- Special series discounts available through Feb. 3. See registration form for details.
Instructors
Deborah Hopkins, Shana Palmieri
Course Description
FELTG proudly presents this four-part series on dealing with behavioral health issues in the federal workplace. Join us for one session, or register for them all.
Session 1: Handling Behavioral Health: Legal Considerations and Clinical Overview (February 8)
- Legal considerations for managing employees with a behavioral health disability
- Disability Accommodation
- The Rehabilitation Act of 1973
- Americans with Disabilities Act
- Overview of Behavioral Health Conditions & Symptoms
- Effective Accommodations for Behavioral Health Conditions
- Effective Communication and Supervision/Management Strategies for Employees with Behavioral Health Conditions
Session 2: Successful Management and Supervision of Employees with PTSD (February 22)
- An in-depth understanding of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Symptoms, Causes, and Prevalence
- Overview of how symptoms of how PTSD symptoms impact performance in the workplace
- Learn Effective Management and Supervision strategies to support employees in the workplace
- Learn how to effectively assist an employee in the workplace having a crisis due to PTSD symptoms
Session 3: Managing Employees with Substance Use Disorders (March 8)
- Overview of substance use disorders, causes and prevalence
- Legal considers in the workplace for employees with substance abuse disorders
- What is protected and what is reason for termination
- How to handle intoxication in the workplace
- How to handle employees positive for cannabis (marijuana) on their drug test
- Learn how to effectively manage and support employees recovering from substance use disorders in the workplace
Session 4: Handling a Psychiatric Crisis in the Workplace (March 22)
- Overview of behavioral health symptoms that may present as a crisis in the workplace
- Suicidal Ideation and how to handle in the workplace
- Steps to take in the workplace with an employee experiencing a psychiatric crisis
Price
- $220 per site, per session.
- Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $25 each teleworker, each webinar, on a space-available basis.
- Special series discounts available through Feb. 3. See registration form for details.
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 Wiley, Deborah 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
FELTG has reserved a block of rooms at the host hotel, Tropicana Las Vegas. Call the hotel directly at 702-739-2222 and reserve your room before space runs out!
Course Description
Attention federal supervisors, HR professionals, medical professionals, attorneys, and other agency employees:
- What should you do when an employee with a behavioral health issue has an episode in the workplace?
- Do you know how to accommodate and work with employees who have PTSD or substance abuse issues?
- What steps should you take if the employee threatens violence or suicide?
According to the National Institute of Mental Health 43.4 million adults – nearly 1 in 5 – had a mental illness diagnosis during the past year. Crisis management in the federal workplace is a critical area to understand – it is truly life and death.
This class is unique in that it covers the legal issues (for example, avoiding discrimination when it comes to behavioral health disabilities; providing reasonable accommodation for “unseen” disabilities; discipline under Title 5 for things such as threats, outbursts, and off-duty violent conduct) as well as the practical/clinical issues (what to do/say when someone has a dissociative episode, or threatens suicide, or has PTSD, or makes violent comments toward a supervisor).
It’s a combination of learning the law, understanding how to deal with employees who have mental issues, and managing risk in your agency.
Join FELTG Executive Director Deborah Hopkins and Shana Palmieri, Managing Partner of Clinical Education & Consulting at the Healthcare Legal Education & Consulting Network, for the two-day workshop Handling Behavioral Health Issues and Threats of Violence in the Federal Workplace. See below for a daily agenda.
Instructors
Deborah Hopkins, Shana Palmieri
Daily Agenda:
Tuesday
Handling Behavioral Health Issues: An overview of the ADA requirements on accommodating individuals with mental impairments and other behavioral health issues; your agency’s legal obligation to provide its employees with a safe workplace; types of mental disabilities and how they may exhibit in the workplace; the “direct threat” analysis; PTSD, substance abuse disorders;dos and don’ts when working employees who have behavioral health issues.
Wednesday
Dealing with Threats of Violence: Legal considerations for federal agencies; dangerous scenarios during the notice period; myths and facts about targeted violence in the workplace; dealing with suicidal employees; individual characteristics that put an employee at higher risk of committing an act of violence;how to develop and implement an in-house threat management team to deal with threat assessments, risk management, and the best ways to keep employees safe during a crisis; steps to take if someone becomes violent in the workplace
Pricing
- 2 days = $950
- 1 day = $530
Instructors
William Wiley, Deborah Hopkins, Barbara Haga, Anthony Marchese.
Course Description
Back by popular demand, and expanded to include new topics in 2018! Join FELTG for the most comprehensive supervisory training event available anywhere. Supervising Federal Employees: Important Tools for Managers and Advisers, a 13-part webinar training series (with a bonus session for those who supervise unionized employees), is targeted specifically to the issues and challenges faced by supervisors in agencies across the country, and around the world.
These 60-minute sessions, held every other Tuesday from 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. eastern time, will expand upon legal principles to provide federal supervisors with the necessary tools and best practices they need to manage the agency workplace effectively and efficiently. Plus, they’ll have a chance to ask questions and get answers – in real time.
As a special bonus, the first six modules fulfill OPM’s mandatory training requirements for new supervisors found at 5 CFR 412.202(b).
2018 dates:
March 6: Holding Employees Accountable for Performance and Conduct: The Foundation: The distinction between performance and conduct; an overview on holding employees accountable; setting the stage for discipline.
March 20: Disciplining Employees for Misconduct, Part I: The five elements of discipline in the federal government; documentation supervisors need to succeed in a disciplinary action.
April 3: Disciplining Employees for Misconduct, Part II: Disciplinary procedures: reprimand, suspension, termination; appeals process; agency liability.
April 17: Preparing an Unacceptable Performance Case: Performance in a nutshell; preparing a performance case; proof and evidence standards.
May 1: Dealing with Poor Performing Employees: Managing the PIP; proposed removal letters; unacceptable performance documents.
May 15: Mentoring a Multigenerational Workforce: What OPM says about mentorship; mentorship styles; formal and informal mentorship; pilot mentorship programs; best practices for leadership; handling difficult employee types.
May 29: Tackling Leave Issues I: Handling the leave issues most common in the federal government: annual leave, sick leave, leave transfer.
June 12: Tackling Leave Issues II: Handling more complicated leave scenarios: FMLA, LWOP, administrative leave, AWOL.
June 26: Writing Effective Performance Plans: Performance management; understanding the system; defining elements and standards; creating the performance plan.
July 10: Disability Accommodation in 60 Minutes: Defining a disability; requests for accommodation; the interactive process; accommodations of choice; undue hardship.
July 24: Intentional EEO Discrimination: What supervisors should know about EEO discrimination; discrete acts of discrimination; selection and promotion cases; defending against claims of intentional discrimination.
August 7: Combating Against Hostile Work Environment Harassment Claims: The elements of a hostile work environment; liability in hostile work environment claims; tangible employment actions; harassment v. bullying; supervisor responsibilities in harassment claims; agency defenses.
August 21: EEO Reprisal: Handle It, Don’t Fear It: How reprisal is different than other EEO claims; what the complainant must show to establish reprisal; how a supervisor can defend against reprisal claims; what to do and what not to do when an employee engages in protected EEO activity.
September 4: Supervising in a Unionized Environment: The right to be bargained with; forming a union; employee and union rights; ULPs.
Price
- $220 per site, per session.
- Teleworkers may be added to a primary site registration for $25 each, per session, on a space-available basis.
- Special series discounts available through March 1. See registration form for details.
Instructors
Deborah Hopkins, Shana Palmieri
Course Description
FELTG proudly presents this four-part series on dealing with behavioral health issues in the federal workplace. Join us for one session, or register for them all.
Session 1: Handling Behavioral Health: Legal Considerations and Clinical Overview (February 8)
- Legal considerations for managing employees with a behavioral health disability
- Disability Accommodation
- The Rehabilitation Act of 1973
- Americans with Disabilities Act
- Overview of Behavioral Health Conditions & Symptoms
- Effective Accommodations for Behavioral Health Conditions
- Effective Communication and Supervision/Management Strategies for Employees with Behavioral Health Conditions
Session 2: Successful Management and Supervision of Employees with PTSD (February 22)
- An in-depth understanding of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Symptoms, Causes, and Prevalence
- Overview of how symptoms of how PTSD symptoms impact performance in the workplace
- Learn Effective Management and Supervision strategies to support employees in the workplace
- Learn how to effectively assist an employee in the workplace having a crisis due to PTSD symptoms
Session 3: Managing Employees with Substance Use Disorders (March 8)
- Overview of substance use disorders, causes and prevalence
- Legal considers in the workplace for employees with substance abuse disorders
- What is protected and what is reason for termination
- How to handle intoxication in the workplace
- How to handle employees positive for cannabis (marijuana) on their drug test
- Learn how to effectively manage and support employees recovering from substance use disorders in the workplace
Session 4: Handling a Psychiatric Crisis in the Workplace (March 22)
- Overview of behavioral health symptoms that may present as a crisis in the workplace
- Suicidal Ideation and how to handle in the workplace
- Steps to take in the workplace with an employee experiencing a psychiatric crisis
Price
- $220 per site, per session.
- Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $25 each teleworker, each webinar, on a space-available basis.
- Special series discounts available through Feb. 3. See registration form for details.
Full-week seats for March 2018 are SOLD OUT. Consider registering for MSPB Law Week in Denver June 4-8.
MSPB Law Week covers the basics of disciplinary charges and penalties, plus understanding the law and strategy in handling performance cases. 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.
The program runs 8:30 – 4:00 each day.
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: 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: 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 = $2130
- 4 days = $1750
- 3 days = $1350
- 2 days = $960
- 1 day = $530
Instructors
William Wiley, Deborah Hopkins, Barbara Haga, Anthony Marchese.
Course Description
Back by popular demand, and expanded to include new topics in 2018! Join FELTG for the most comprehensive supervisory training event available anywhere. Supervising Federal Employees: Important Tools for Managers and Advisers, a 13-part webinar training series (with a bonus session for those who supervise unionized employees), is targeted specifically to the issues and challenges faced by supervisors in agencies across the country, and around the world.
These 60-minute sessions, held every other Tuesday from 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. eastern time, will expand upon legal principles to provide federal supervisors with the necessary tools and best practices they need to manage the agency workplace effectively and efficiently. Plus, they’ll have a chance to ask questions and get answers – in real time.
As a special bonus, the first six modules fulfill OPM’s mandatory training requirements for new supervisors found at 5 CFR 412.202(b).
2018 dates:
March 6: Holding Employees Accountable for Performance and Conduct: The Foundation: The distinction between performance and conduct; an overview on holding employees accountable; setting the stage for discipline.
March 20: Disciplining Employees for Misconduct, Part I: The five elements of discipline in the federal government; documentation supervisors need to succeed in a disciplinary action.
April 3: Disciplining Employees for Misconduct, Part II: Disciplinary procedures: reprimand, suspension, termination; appeals process; agency liability.
April 17: Preparing an Unacceptable Performance Case: Performance in a nutshell; preparing a performance case; proof and evidence standards.
May 1: Dealing with Poor Performing Employees: Managing the PIP; proposed removal letters; unacceptable performance documents.
May 15: Mentoring a Multigenerational Workforce: What OPM says about mentorship; mentorship styles; formal and informal mentorship; pilot mentorship programs; best practices for leadership; handling difficult employee types.
May 29: Tackling Leave Issues I: Handling the leave issues most common in the federal government: annual leave, sick leave, leave transfer.
June 12: Tackling Leave Issues II: Handling more complicated leave scenarios: FMLA, LWOP, administrative leave, AWOL.
June 26: Writing Effective Performance Plans: Performance management; understanding the system; defining elements and standards; creating the performance plan.
July 10: Disability Accommodation in 60 Minutes: Defining a disability; requests for accommodation; the interactive process; accommodations of choice; undue hardship.
July 24: Intentional EEO Discrimination: What supervisors should know about EEO discrimination; discrete acts of discrimination; selection and promotion cases; defending against claims of intentional discrimination.
August 7: Combating Against Hostile Work Environment Harassment Claims: The elements of a hostile work environment; liability in hostile work environment claims; tangible employment actions; harassment v. bullying; supervisor responsibilities in harassment claims; agency defenses.
August 21: EEO Reprisal: Handle It, Don’t Fear It: How reprisal is different than other EEO claims; what the complainant must show to establish reprisal; how a supervisor can defend against reprisal claims; what to do and what not to do when an employee engages in protected EEO activity.
September 4: Supervising in a Unionized Environment: The right to be bargained with; forming a union; employee and union rights; ULPs.
Price
- $220 per site, per session.
- Teleworkers may be added to a primary site registration for $25 each, per session, on a space-available basis.
- Special series discounts available through March 1. See registration form for details.
Instructors
Deborah Hopkins, Shana Palmieri
Course Description
FELTG proudly presents this four-part series on dealing with behavioral health issues in the federal workplace. Join us for one session, or register for them all.
Session 1: Handling Behavioral Health: Legal Considerations and Clinical Overview (February 8)
- Legal considerations for managing employees with a behavioral health disability
- Disability Accommodation
- The Rehabilitation Act of 1973
- Americans with Disabilities Act
- Overview of Behavioral Health Conditions & Symptoms
- Effective Accommodations for Behavioral Health Conditions
- Effective Communication and Supervision/Management Strategies for Employees with Behavioral Health Conditions
Session 2: Successful Management and Supervision of Employees with PTSD (February 22)
- An in-depth understanding of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Symptoms, Causes, and Prevalence
- Overview of how symptoms of how PTSD symptoms impact performance in the workplace
- Learn Effective Management and Supervision strategies to support employees in the workplace
- Learn how to effectively assist an employee in the workplace having a crisis due to PTSD symptoms
Session 3: Managing Employees with Substance Use Disorders (March 8)
- Overview of substance use disorders, causes and prevalence
- Legal considers in the workplace for employees with substance abuse disorders
- What is protected and what is reason for termination
- How to handle intoxication in the workplace
- How to handle employees positive for cannabis (marijuana) on their drug test
- Learn how to effectively manage and support employees recovering from substance use disorders in the workplace
Session 4: Handling a Psychiatric Crisis in the Workplace (March 22)
- Overview of behavioral health symptoms that may present as a crisis in the workplace
- Suicidal Ideation and how to handle in the workplace
- Steps to take in the workplace with an employee experiencing a psychiatric crisis
Price
- $220 per site, per session.
- Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $25 each teleworker, each webinar, on a space-available basis.
- Special series discounts available through Feb. 3. See registration form for details.
You’ve probably noticed that the #MeToo movement is as strong as ever. There are all kinds of comments, from all kinds of people, about the need for training on this important topic, but there hasn’t been much action.
As we like to do at FELTG, we’re doing something about it by addressing the issue of sexual harassment in the federal government head-on. Join us in Washington, DC, March 26 for a half-day seminar Sexual Harassment as Misconduct: Defending Your Agency while Protecting Your Employees. In this program, we’ll discuss the foundational law and how sexual harassment cases come to be, but our emphasis will be on STOPPING it from happening by addressing the misconduct before it becomes a problem. Case examples will show you the best ways to handle inappropriate sexual conduct from employees and supervisors – and things to avoid. We hope you’ll be able to attend this important discussion.
The program runs from 9:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. and is targeted to supervisors, managers, and advisers.
3
Instructor
Agenda:
- 9:30 – 10:30 – Statutory basis; differentiating tangible employment actions
- 10:40 – 11:50 – Hostile work environment cases; unwelcome conduct; severe or pervasive; agency liability; defenses
- 12:00 – 1:00 – Addressing the misconduct; proper and improper rules of behavior in the workplace; penalty determinations;disciplining for inappropriate sexual conduct; zero tolerance policies
Pricing
- $295 per participant. Group discounts for 5 or more attendees available.
Note the updated four-day agenda for the March 2018 program.
Updated to reflect the most current, relevant topics related to employees who aren’t at work, this week brings together everything involving one of the most complex areas of federal sector employment law: absences from the workplace. Topics include employee leave, leave abuse, and medical issues as they relate to unacceptable performance and conduct, sick leave, annual leave, leave without pay, absence without leave, FMLA, ADA, OWCP, and telework.
The program runs 8:30 – 4:00 each day.
Instructors
William Wiley, Deborah Hopkins, Ricky Rowe, Meghan Droste
Daily Agenda:
Tuesday – Leave Use & Abuse Overview
Types of leave and leave entitlements, overviews of Family Medical Leave Act leave, Office of Workers Compensation Program absences and leave as a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act, medical determinations, leave abuse, related offenses and controlling principles from case law.
Wednesday – Labor Relations; FMLA
The impact of collective bargaining on leave-related issues, including negotiability of leave proposals, and relevant rulings of the Federal Labor Relations Authority and the Federal Service Impasses Panel; federal sector FMLA basics; intermittent FMLA use; FMLA and the under-performer.
Thursday – Reasonable Accommodation: Entitlements and Processes
The ADA Amendments Act; the reasonable accommodation process; the “regarded as” provision of the ADA; telework and leave as reasonable accommodation; religious accommodation.
Friday – Medical Documentation, Medical Requests and Record Confidentiality
How the ADAAA and GINA impact the collection of medical information; pre- and post-employment medical exams and inquiries; conditional employment offers; medical documentation requests; direct threat; conflicting regulations and contra court decisions.
Pricing
Most people attend the full four days, but you may opt out of any days you don’t plan to attend.
- 4 days = $1740
- 3 days = $1340
- 2 days = $950
- 1 day = $520
Instructors
William Wiley, Deborah Hopkins, Barbara Haga, Anthony Marchese.
Course Description
Back by popular demand, and expanded to include new topics in 2018! Join FELTG for the most comprehensive supervisory training event available anywhere. Supervising Federal Employees: Important Tools for Managers and Advisers, a 13-part webinar training series (with a bonus session for those who supervise unionized employees), is targeted specifically to the issues and challenges faced by supervisors in agencies across the country, and around the world.
These 60-minute sessions, held every other Tuesday from 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. eastern time, will expand upon legal principles to provide federal supervisors with the necessary tools and best practices they need to manage the agency workplace effectively and efficiently. Plus, they’ll have a chance to ask questions and get answers – in real time.
As a special bonus, the first six modules fulfill OPM’s mandatory training requirements for new supervisors found at 5 CFR 412.202(b).
2018 dates:
March 6: Holding Employees Accountable for Performance and Conduct: The Foundation: The distinction between performance and conduct; an overview on holding employees accountable; setting the stage for discipline.
March 20: Disciplining Employees for Misconduct, Part I: The five elements of discipline in the federal government; documentation supervisors need to succeed in a disciplinary action.
April 3: Disciplining Employees for Misconduct, Part II: Disciplinary procedures: reprimand, suspension, termination; appeals process; agency liability.
April 17: Preparing an Unacceptable Performance Case: Performance in a nutshell; preparing a performance case; proof and evidence standards.
May 1: Dealing with Poor Performing Employees: Managing the PIP; proposed removal letters; unacceptable performance documents.
May 15: Mentoring a Multigenerational Workforce: What OPM says about mentorship; mentorship styles; formal and informal mentorship; pilot mentorship programs; best practices for leadership; handling difficult employee types.
May 29: Tackling Leave Issues I: Handling the leave issues most common in the federal government: annual leave, sick leave, leave transfer.
June 12: Tackling Leave Issues II: Handling more complicated leave scenarios: FMLA, LWOP, administrative leave, AWOL.
June 26: Writing Effective Performance Plans: Performance management; understanding the system; defining elements and standards; creating the performance plan.
July 10: Disability Accommodation in 60 Minutes: Defining a disability; requests for accommodation; the interactive process; accommodations of choice; undue hardship.
July 24: Intentional EEO Discrimination: What supervisors should know about EEO discrimination; discrete acts of discrimination; selection and promotion cases; defending against claims of intentional discrimination.
August 7: Combating Against Hostile Work Environment Harassment Claims: The elements of a hostile work environment; liability in hostile work environment claims; tangible employment actions; harassment v. bullying; supervisor responsibilities in harassment claims; agency defenses.
August 21: EEO Reprisal: Handle It, Don’t Fear It: How reprisal is different than other EEO claims; what the complainant must show to establish reprisal; how a supervisor can defend against reprisal claims; what to do and what not to do when an employee engages in protected EEO activity.
September 4: Supervising in a Unionized Environment: The right to be bargained with; forming a union; employee and union rights; ULPs.
Price
- $220 per site, per session.
- Teleworkers may be added to a primary site registration for $25 each, per session, on a space-available basis.
- Special series discounts available through March 1. See registration form for details.
Instructors
William Wiley, Deborah Hopkins
Course Description
1
It’s that time again!
Twice a year we update you with what’s new from the MSPB, EEOC and FLRA. Join FELTG attorneys William Wiley and Deborah Hopkins as they combine forces for a fast-paced discussion on the most surprising, significant and groundbreaking recent decisions and trends from the MSPB, EEOC and FLRA. If you’ve attended a past edition, you know this is not your standard [“boring”] case law update, but an editorial discussion that not only informs you about current cases, but explains how they impact your daily work whether you’re a lawyer, or an HR, ER, LR or EEO practitioner.
Bill and Deb will share where we’ve been and where we’re headed with the trends and regulations that influence your workplace and the way issues are litigated in your agency or union. Plus, ask your questions and get answers in real time.
We’d love to tell you now about the cases and regulations that will be discussed, but that’s entirely up to the MSPB, EEOC and FLRA. Stay tuned!
Price
$270 per site
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $25 each, on a space-available basis.