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
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.
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.
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.
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.
Instructor
Course Description
1.5
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.
At FELTG, we’re doing something about it by addressing the issue of sexual harassment in the federal government as MISCONDUCT, not just as an EEO issue.
Join us for the webinar 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.
Price
$270 per site
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $25 each, if space is available.
The June 13 webinar is sold out. Register for the encore presentation JUNE 27.
Instructors
William Wiley, Deborah Hopkins
Course Description
Unless you’ve just returned from a remote island with no connection to the rest of the world, you’ve probably heard about the new Executive Orders, issued May 25, that are purported to significantly change the civil service protections that have been in place for nearly four decades.
Some changes are small, but others radically alter the status quo. Now is the time for federal attorneys, HR and LER specialists, union reps, and federal supervisors, to tune in and see exactly what these changes will mean in your day-to-day life. Join FELTG President William Wiley and Executive Director Deborah Hopkins, attorneys at law, on June 13 for a 60-minute discussion about the most important takeaways from the new Executive Orders.
Topics include:
- Changes in the performance opportunity period timeline
- Modifications to Douglas, including comparator penalties
- The undoing of progressive discipline
- Restrictions on official time for union activity
- What rights – if any – unions have any more
You won’t want to miss this important session. Register your site today.
Price
$225 per site
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $25 each, on a space-available basis.
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.
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 Carlyle Hotel: After exiting the Carlyle 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.
Instructor
Course Description
The word “bipolar” carries with it a stigma: that individuals with bipolar are dangerous, unstable, or unable to work. In reality, an estimated 2.8% of the U.S. population suffers from this diagnosis – so it’s not as uncommon as you might think.
There are a number of myths and misconceptions surrounding bipolar disorder, including the causes, the symptoms, the treatment, and the capabilities of individuals with bipolar disorder. In order to help employees be successful in the federal workplace, it’s important for agencies to develop a clear understanding about the symptoms of bipolar disorder, what to do (and what not to do) if someone is having an acute episode, and the day-to-day needs of individuals suffering from this diagnosis.
Join FELTG for this 60-minute webinar, where instructor Shana Palmieri, LCSW, will discuss:
- An overview of Bipolar Disorder in the United States and in the workplace
- A clinical overview of the signs and symptoms of Bipolar Disorder that indicate the need for professional intervention
- Effective communication strategies with an employee in an acute manic or depressive episode
- Practical & effective reasonable accommodations for an employee with bipolar disorder
- Practical recommendations for handing a crisis in the workplace due to symptoms of bipolar disorder
The webinar will also include time for Q & A on these topics. This is a session you truly can’t afford to miss, so register your site today.
Price
$225 per site
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $25 each, on a space-available basis.
Instructor
William Wiley, Deborah Hopkins
Course Description
Unless you’ve just returned from a remote island with no connection to the rest of the world, you’ve probably heard about the new Executive Orders, issued May 25, that are purported to significantly change the civil service protections that have been in place for nearly four decades.
Some changes are small, but others radically alter the status quo. Now is the time for federal attorneys, HR and LER specialists, union reps, and federal supervisors, to tune in and see exactly what these changes will mean in your day-to-day life. Join FELTG President William Wiley, attorney at law, on June 27 for a 60-minute discussion about the most important takeaways from the new Executive Orders.
Topics include:
- Changes in the performance opportunity period timeline
- Modifications to Douglas, including comparator penalties
- The undoing of progressive discipline
- Restrictions on official time for union activity
- What rights – if any – unions have any more
You won’t want to miss this important session. Register your site today.
Price
$225 per site
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $25 each, on a space-available basis.
Instructors
Deborah Hopkins, Shana Palmieri, Anthony Marchese
Course Description
Pop Quiz:
- What should you do when an employee with bipolar disorder has a manic episode in the workplace?
- Do you know how to accommodate and work with employees who have PTSD or substance abuse issues?
- Are you allowed to drug test an employee who comes to work smelling like marijuana?
- What steps should you take if an employee in your agency threatens violence or suicide?
- What’s the best way to handle workplace conflicts that don’t rise to the level of performance or conduct but involve difficult personality types?
We have answers to all those questions – and many more – in the the three-day workshop Federal Workplace Challenges: Behavioral Health Issues, Threats of Violence, and Coworker Conflicts.
This class is unique in that it covers the legal issues AND the practical/clinical issues that arise in these challenging workplace scenarios. Through this combination you’ll gain the tools to better understand how to deal with employees who have mental and behavioral health issues, how to manage risk in your agency, and how to handle the conflicts that take your employees off task.
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; PTSD, substance abuse disorders; dos and don’ts when working employees who have behavioral health issues.
Wednesday
Dealing with Threats of Violence: Handling the psychiatric emergency; 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.
Thursday
Conflict Management: Managing vs. leading; difficult employee personality types; potential generational conflicts; using structured communication with your employees; learning how to “Flex” in difficult conversations with others; conflict resolution skills; utilizing a team-based approach in the federal government.
Pricing
- 3 days = $1340
- 2 days = $950
- 1 day = $530
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 Carlyle Hotel: After exiting the Carlyle 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.
Instructor
Course Description
1.5
One of the most important – and challenging – areas in federal employment law is the obligation to provide reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities. While the law changed nearly ten years ago with the implementation of the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act, a number of agencies are still following outdated procedures that are not compliant with the law. Because there are so many complexities in the reasonable accommodation process, the best way for your agency to avoid pitfalls and to be sure you provide accommodations to people who are entitled is to follow the appropriate steps, in the proper order.
Join FELTG Executive Director and Attorney at Law Deborah Hopkins for Part 1 of the four-part Reasonable Accommodation in the Federal Workplace Series. Ms Hopkins will begin by explaining the current state of disability law and how the ADA, ADAAA, and Rehabilitation Act apply to federal employees with disabilities. From there, she’ll discuss:
- Making disability determinations
- What a “qualified individual” actually means
- Reasonable accommodation requests
- The interactive process
- Denials of reasonable accommodation
- Reassignment and Medical Inability to Perform removals
Whether you’re an attorney, disability program manager, EEO or HR Specialist or a supervisor, you’ll want to be sure to attend this session.
Price
$270 per site
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $25 each, if space is available.
Instructors
Deborah Hopkins, Katherine Atkinson, Meghan Droste
Course Description
FELTG proudly presents this four-part series on reasonable accommodation in the federal workplace.
Click on any event for a full description.
6 (1.5 per webinar)
Session 1: Reasonable Accommodation: The Law, the Challenges, & Solutions for Agencies (July 19)
Session 2: Reasonable Accommodation: A Focus on Qualified Individuals, Essential Functions, & Undue Hardship (July 26)
Session 3: Telework and Flexible Work Schedules as Reasonable Accommodation (August 2)
Session 4: Understanding Religious Accommodation: How it’s Different from Disability Accommodation (August 9)
Price
- $270 per site, per session.
-
Series discount: Register for all four webinars by July 13 and pay only $990!
- Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $25 each teleworker, each webinar, on a space-available basis.
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 accountability performance and conduct, managing leave abuse, handling EEO complaints, reasonable accommodation, 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
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
Managing Employee Leave Abuse: Types of leave and leave entitlements; overviews of Family and Medical Leave Act; Office of Workers Compensation Program absences; LWOP; AWOL; leave restriction; handling leave abuse; the magic of Medical Inability to Perform removals.
Wednesday
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.
Thursday
The Supervisor’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; theories of discrimination; defending against EEO complaints; Reasonable Accommodation; what to do if you’re a Responding Management Official in a complaint; EEO witness tips.
Friday
Management and Communication Skills for Federal Supervisors: Communicating effectively with employees; managing a multigenerational workforce; handling difficult employees; managing a mobile workforce; mentorship; identifying your leadership skills; bullying v. harassment.
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
Registered participants will receive a copy of the textbook UnCivil Servant, fourth edition, by Wiley and Hopkins.
Instructor
Course Description
1.5
When the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act became effective nearly a decade ago, the law expanded ADA coverage to include more individuals in disability determinations. In Part 2 of the Reasonable Accommodation in the Federal Workplace webinar series, FELTG Instructor Katherine Atkinson, attorney at law, will take a focused look at three challenging areas in the disability process that have changed in recent years: qualified individuals, essential functions, and undue hardship.
After an overview of the disability accommodation law and analysis, Ms Atkinson will dive into the details, including:
- How to determine whether an individual is qualified for a particular job
- How to decide what job functions are essential, and what job functions are marginal or ancillary
- What factors control an undue hardship determination
You’ll have time to ask your questions, and get answers in real time, so make plans now to attend this important event.
Price
$270 per site
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $25 each, if space is available.
Instructors
Deborah Hopkins, Katherine Atkinson, Meghan Droste
Course Description
FELTG proudly presents this four-part series on reasonable accommodation in the federal workplace.
Click on any event for a full description.
6 (1.5 per webinar)
Session 1: Reasonable Accommodation: The Law, the Challenges, & Solutions for Agencies (July 19)
Session 2: Reasonable Accommodation: A Focus on Qualified Individuals, Essential Functions, & Undue Hardship (July 26)
Session 3: Telework and Flexible Work Schedules as Reasonable Accommodation (August 2)
Session 4: Understanding Religious Accommodation: How it’s Different from Disability Accommodation (August 9)
Price
- $270 per site, per session.
-
Series discount: Register for all four webinars by July 13 and pay only $990!
- Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $25 each teleworker, each webinar, on a space-available basis.
Instructor
Course Description
1.5
The law requires federal agencies to engage in the interactive process when assessing reasonable accommodations for employees who have disabilities. In 2018, telework and modified work schedules are among the most commonly requested – and most effective – accommodations for individuals who have physical and mental disabilities. But telework is often requested in cases where the “convenience” of working from home is called in to question. What should you do in those situations?
Join FELTG Executive Director and Attorney at Law Deborah Hopkins for a discussion on this timely topic during Part 3 of the Reasonable Accommodation in the Federal Workplace webinar series. Ms Hopkins will start with a quick review of the law, and will detail the required three-step process for agencies to be compliant when dealing with reasonable accommodation requests.
From there, she’ll discuss:
- What to do if telework would be an effective accommodation – but something else would work too
- Why accommodations are always the agency’s choice
- Alternative approaches to providing telework, leave and modified work schedules as accommodation
- The undue hardship analysis
- What the EEOC says about accommodating an employee’s commute
Oftentimes the best way to learn is by looking at real-life case studies, so the session will include a discussion on recent federal cases – won and lost – involving telework and reasonable accommodation. Because of the cost incurred when handling a reasonable accommodation complaint, your agency EEO staff, reasonable accommodation coordinators, disability coordinators, HR staff and supervisors truly cannot afford to miss this event.
Price
$270 per site
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $25 each, if space is available.
Instructors
Deborah Hopkins, Katherine Atkinson, Meghan Droste
Course Description
FELTG proudly presents this four-part series on reasonable accommodation in the federal workplace.
Click on any event for a full description.
6 (1.5 per webinar)
Session 1: Reasonable Accommodation: The Law, the Challenges, & Solutions for Agencies (July 19)
Session 2: Reasonable Accommodation: A Focus on Qualified Individuals, Essential Functions, & Undue Hardship (July 26)
Session 3: Telework and Flexible Work Schedules as Reasonable Accommodation (August 2)
Session 4: Understanding Religious Accommodation: How it’s Different from Disability Accommodation (August 9)
Price
- $270 per site, per session.
-
Series discount: Register for all four webinars by July 13 and pay only $990!
- Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $25 each teleworker, each webinar, on a space-available basis.
Instructor
Course Description
1.5
Almost everyone knows that individuals with disabilities are entitled to reasonable accommodation – but did you know that federal employees are also entitled to reasonable accommodation for religious beliefs and practices? Not everyone realizes this; in 2017 a company in West Virginia was ordered to pay out damages of nearly $600,000 for not taking an employee’s religious accommodation request seriously.
The law requiring religious accommodation is different than the law for disability accommodation, and it’s important you know the distinctions. Join FELTG for the final session in the Four-Part Reasonable Accommodation in the Federal Workplace webinar series, where Attorney at Law Meghan Droste helps in your goal of Understanding Religious Accommodation: How it’s Different from Disability Accommodation.
After a review of the relevant law and regulations law that pertain to religious accommodation, Ms Droste will discuss:
- What religions qualify for accommodation
- The definition of “undue hardship” and case examples
- The most common accommodations for religion
- Issues related to dress code and grooming
- What to do when employees request to be excused from performing certain job tasks because of religious reasons
Whether you’re an attorney, EEO program specialist, HR specialist or manager, you’ll want to be sure to join us for this important session.
Price
$270 per site
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $25 each, if space is available.
Instructors
Deborah Hopkins, Katherine Atkinson, Meghan Droste
Course Description
FELTG proudly presents this four-part series on reasonable accommodation in the federal workplace.
Click on any event for a full description.
6 (1.5 per webinar)
Session 1: Reasonable Accommodation: The Law, the Challenges, & Solutions for Agencies (July 19)
Session 2: Reasonable Accommodation: A Focus on Qualified Individuals, Essential Functions, & Undue Hardship (July 26)
Session 3: Telework and Flexible Work Schedules as Reasonable Accommodation (August 2)
Session 4: Understanding Religious Accommodation: How it’s Different from Disability Accommodation (August 9)
Price
- $270 per site, per session.
-
Series discount: Register for all four webinars by July 13 and pay only $990!
- Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $25 each teleworker, each webinar, on a space-available basis.
Instructor
Course Description
We see it every single week – a disgruntled employee, customer, or someone who is upset with an employee goes in to a workplace with a weapon, and kills innocent people. What should you do if someone threatens violence in your federal agency? How can you best prepare yourself to protect the lives of those around you? Are there risk factors that might give you an indication of when someone will become violent?
This topic is too important to ignore, so join FELTG for the webinar Threats of Violence in the Workplace: Assessing Risk and Taking Action. This program will be instructed by Shana Palmieri, FELTG instructor and LCSW who specializes in mental health and handled the psychiatric aftermath of the Navy Yard shooting in 2013.
The session is focused on the practical issues that agencies encounter when dealing with an employee whose behavior poses a risk to workplace safety. Discussion points include:
- Warning signs that violence may be imminent, and dynamic risk and protective factors for workplace targeted violence
- Equipping Threat Management Teams to respond to threats or violent acts
- Understanding the behavioral health issues that contribute to violent behavior – and those that don’t
- Preparing for domestic or intimate partner violence and its interplay with the federal workplace
The webinar will also include time for Q & A on these topics. This is a session you truly can’t afford to miss, so register your site today.
Price
$225 per site
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $25 each, on a space-available basis.
Instructor
Course Description
You’ve probably heard about the new Executive Orders, issued May 25, that significantly changed the civil service protections that have been in place for nearly four decades. You’ve probably also heard about the federal court decision on August 24, issued by D.C. District Court Judge Ketanji Jackson, that declared several provisions of those Executive Orders to be invalid.
So, as of today, what exactly are agencies and unions required to do under these Executive Orders, and what are they no longer allowed to do? The times are changing so fast, it can be a real challenge to keep up with the world of federal employment and labor law. But don’t worry, FELTG is here to help. Join William Wiley, attorney at law, on September 17 for a 60-minute discussion about the most important takeaways from this 120+ page legal decision.
Topics include:
- What the court said about agencies imposing a 25 percent cap on the use of official time, and the status of taxpayer-funded union time
- Whether agencies are allowed to charge union to rent space and equipment
- Whether union employees are allowed to take performance ratings or removals before an arbitrator
- Whether the court agreed that 30-day PIPs can be imposed on all agency employees
- The brand-new, never-seen-before requirement for “flexibility” in bargaining
- And much more!
You won’t want to miss this session. Register your site today.
Price
$225 per site
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $25 each, on a space-available basis.
Instructors
Course Description
- Did you know there were 291 suicides in the workplace in 2016?
- Did you know that suicide is the tenth leading cause of death overall in the United States, and killed over 45,000 people in 2016?
- Did you know that over the past 10 years there has been a 35% increase in the suicide rate in the U.S.?
As the suicide rates rise, the impact is becoming more severe on the workplace; learning how to correctly manage an employee’s suicidal crisis and ideations is increasingly important. Knowing what to do, and when, might save an employee’s life.
It is pertinent for federal agencies to have an understanding of the signs and symptoms an employee may demonstrate that indicates the need for professional help if that employee is suffering with suicidal thoughts.
Join FELTG for this webinar, where instructor Shana Palmieri, LCSW, will discuss:
- An overview of suicide and suicidal ideation in the United States and in the workplace
- A clinical overview of the signs and symptoms of suicide that indicate the need for professional intervention
- Effective communication strategies for talking about suicide with employees
- Practical recommendations for handing a suicidal crisis in the workplace
The webinar will also include time for Q & A on these topics. This is a session you truly can’t afford to miss, 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.
On May 25, the President issued three new executive orders that had a significant impact on federal labor relations. With orders regarding official time, negotiation timeframes, and union responsibilities to pay for things they never had to pay for before, this was the biggest change to rock the world of federal labor relations in years. And then in late August, a federal judge enjoined several parts of the EOs, stating they were illegal.
Where do things stand today?
While some major areas of federal labor law haven’t changed in almost 40 years, many changed a few weeks ago. 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, Joseph Schimansky
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; 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 bargained, 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 = $2120
- 4 days = $1740
- 3 days = $1340
- 2 days = $950
- 1 day = $520
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 Carlyle Hotel: After exiting the Carlyle 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 will not be refunded, and will not be given credit toward another course after the cancellation date on the registration form. No-shows will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses.
Instructors
William Wiley, Deborah Hopkins
Course Description
1
It’s that time of year again! And boy, do we have some new material, with the new executive orders on accountability and labor relations, plus several much-anticipated FLRA decisions bringing clarity to questions we’ve had for years.
Twice a year we update you with what’s new from the MSPB, EEOC and FLRA, and this one looks to be better than ever.
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.