This week focuses on conducting administrative investigations in the federal workplace with an emphasis on employee misconduct including workplace harassment. 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, fact finding, 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.
The program runs 8:30 – 4:00 each day and is pre-approved for 29 CLE credits in Virginia and California. It is also approved for 29 HRCI general recertification credits.
This program fulfills the requirements for 32-hour EEO Investigator training and 8-hour annual EEO investigator refresher training. It also meets the requirements for training under the Department of Interior’s Anti-Harassment Policy.
Instructors
Daily Agenda
Administrative Investigations: The Substantive Basis: Why investigate; discipline law and elements; understanding charges of misconduct; collecting penalty evidence; law behind other types of administrative investigations; witness rights; union representation.
Tuesday
Harassment Investigations: Investigating allegations of harassment; differentiating between EEO and non-EEO harassment; the intersection with criminal investigations; special considerations in light of #MeToo and #TimesUp.
Wednesday
Conducting the Investigation, Part I: Evidentiary principles; purpose of investigation; preparing for the investigation; role of the investigator; planning the investigation. beginning the interview.
Thursday
Conducting the Investigation, Part II: Conducting the interview; handling difficult witnesses; assessing credibility/lies/hearing what isn’t said; body language; gathering other evidence; technology and investigations; high profile case considerations; testifying at an administrative hearing; rules for being an effective witness.
Friday
Writing the Investigative Report: Organizing for the report; establishing the chronology; writing for your audience; report writing style; report writing conventions; report organization; sample report.
Pricing
Most people attend the full training week, but you may opt out of any days you don’t plan to attend.
Early Bird Tuition (register by July 22):
- 5 days = $2170
- 4 days = $1780
- 3 days = $1370
- 2 days = $970
- 1 day = $530
Standard Tuition (register July 23-August 9):
- 5 days = $2270
- 4 days = $1880
- 3 days = $1470
- 2 days = $1070
- 1 day = $630
Lodging
The host hotel, the Sheraton Denver West, has a limited block of rooms set aside at the per diem rate. Call the hotel directly at 303-987-2000 and mention this training event to receive the special rate.
Cancellation and No-show Policy for Registered Participants: Cancellations made after the cancel date on the registration form will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses. Pre-paid training using the “Pay Now” option will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses. No-shows will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses.
Instructor
Course Description
1.5
The law regarding sexual orientation and gender identity in the workplace continues to evolve, but not in a way that makes the law clear. For example: The EEOC says sexual orientation and gender identity are protected under Title VII. The Department of Justice says just the opposite. There is the federal circuit split on the issue. And in October 2019, the Supreme Court will finally consider the issue.
It may be confusing, but you don’t have to be confused. In this 90-minute webinar, FELTG instructor Meghan Droste, attorney at law and experienced LGBTQ and Gender Issues Practice Group team lead, will explain where the law stands now. She will provide the latest information on protections under the law, define the terminology, and explain gender stereotyping as sex discrimination.
Attendees will also learn about:
- Transgender status and legal protections
- Identify the actions that have gotten agencies into legal trouble
- Cases involving LGBTQ status and religion
- The best practices for agencies to follow
Price
Early Bird Tuition: $275 per site (payment required by August 26)
Standard Tuition: $305 per site (for payments made August 27 or later)
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $35 each, if space is available.
Instructor
Course Description
We are often get asked: “Why should I use the Douglas factors?” Our answer is always: “Why in the world wouldn’t you?”
The Douglas factor analysis is incredibly useful in helping any manager figure out an appropriate penalty for an employee who engaged in misconduct. If you don’t use Douglas, you are just penalizing based upon what seems or feels right, and that isn’t going to be easy to defend.
FELTG instructor Ann Boehm will explain the importance of the Douglas Factors even in the seemingly most relatively minor misconduct cases. After this 90-minute webinar, attendees will be able to :
- Explain the importance of the Douglas Factors in penalty determination.
- Address all 12 Douglas Factors in an analysis.
- Identify cases that illustrate the perils of not considering the Douglas Factors.
Price
Early Bird Tuition: $275 per site (payment required by September 2)
Standard Tuition: $305 per site (for payments made September 3 or later)
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $35 each, if space is available.
This training is SOLD OUT. Register now for EEOC Law Week April 27 – May 1 to guarantee your spot for 2020!
If you’re looking for training that covers the gamut of EEO issues, and provides usable guidance for all practitioners, regardless of experience level, this is it: FELTG’s EEOC Law Week. FELTG’s expert speakers, drawing on years of experience from all sides of the litigation table, deliver a fast-paced week of strategies, principles, and authorities relative to the major aspects of the field of discrimination law in the federal government. This course is updated for 2019, and has a whole day focused on harassment. Register early because EEOC Law Week regularly sells out.
The program runs 8:30 – 4:00 each day and is pre-approved for 29 CLE credits in Virginia and California. It is also approved for 29 HRCI general recertification credits.
6 per day Monday – Thursday; 5 on Friday.
Instructors
Ernest Hadley, Meghan Droste, Katherine Atkinson
Daily Agenda
Monday
Basic EEOC, Nuts & Bolts: The Basics – Statutory authority and jurisdiction of EEOC, an overview of the 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
Contractor Complaints; Intentional Discrimination and Reprisal Cases: Contractor complaints; intentional discrimination analysis and cases; selection & promotion cases; a focus on national origin and religious discrimination cases; reprisal analysis and cases.
Wednesday
Accommodating Individuals with Disabilities: The Rehabilitation Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act, defining individuals with a disability, major life activities and substantial limitation; essential job functions, the interactive process, types of reasonable accommodation; the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) regulations.
Thursday
Current Trends in EEO Law: a Focus on Harassment: The latest on what’s happening in EEO, hostile environment harassment, gender stereotyping, same-sex harassment sexual orientation and transgender discrimination, non-EEO harassment; settlement.
Friday
Mixed Cases; Damages & Remedies: Mixed cases; 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.
Pricing
Most people attend the full training week, but you may opt out of any days you don’t plan to attend.
Early Bird Tuition (register by September 3):
- 5 days = $2170
- 4 days = $1780
- 3 days = $1370
- 2 days = $970
- 1 day = $530
Standard Tuition (register September 4 – September 20):
- 5 days = $2270
- 4 days = $1880
- 3 days = $1470
- 2 days = $1070
- 1 day = $630
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 using the “Pay Now” option will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses. No-shows will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses.
Federal employees enjoy a wide variety of leave-related benefits. However, many of us would never use the words “enjoy” and “leave” so closely together. Whether you’re an HR professional, employee relations practitioner, EEO specialist, supervisor, or agency counsel, you have undoubtedly faced a leave-related challenge. FELTG’s Absence, Leave Abuse & Medical Issues Week will give you the critical foundation you need to address the most complex areas of federal employment law.
Our expert speakers will discuss sick leave, annual leave, leave without pay, absence without leave, and FMLA. Then they will tackle the most current, relevant topics, such as medical issues and unacceptable performance, leave and reasonable accommodation, medical documentation, medical exams, and, of course, leave abuse.
You’re going to learn an awful lot about “leave” and you’re going to “enjoy” the training.
The program runs 8:30 – 4:00 each day and is pre-approved for 29 CLE credits in Virginia and California. It is also approved for 29 HRCI general recertification credits.
Instructors
Deborah Hopkins, Barbara Haga, Katherine Atkinson
Daily Agenda:
Monday – Leave Use Overview
Types of leave and leave entitlements; proper leave administration; discretionary leave scenarios; leave stacking; understanding when you can say no to a leave request; Administrative Leave Act of 2016 changes.
Tuesday – 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.
Wednesday – Handling the Leave Abuser; Medical Removals
Handling the leave abuser; documentation necessary to discipline an employee for leave abuse; steps to disciplining leave abusers; AWOL charges; leave restriction; excessive absence removals; medical inability to perform removals.
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.
Early Bird Tuition (register by September 9):
- 5 days = $2170
- 4 days = $1780
- 3 days = $1370
- 2 days = $970
- 1 day = $530
Standard Tuition (register September 10 – September 27):
- 5 days = $2270
- 4 days = $1880
- 3 days = $1470
- 2 days = $1070
- 1 day = $630
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 using the “Pay Now” option will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses. No-shows will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses.
Instructor
Course Description
In 2016, suicide was the 10th leading cause of death overall in the United States, killing more than 44,000 people. And 291 of those suicides took place in the workplace.
As suicide rates continue to rise, the impact is becoming more severe on the workplace. Join Shana Palmieri, LCSW for this 90-minute webinar as she discusses the behavior health disorders that lead to suicide risk, provides an overview of suicide and suicidal ideation in the United States and in the workplace, and shares real answers on what you can do and when to save an employee’s life.
Attendees will learn how to:
- Identify the signs and symptoms of suicide that indicate the need for professional intervention
- Effectively communicate to employees about suicide
- Handle 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
Early Bird Tuition: $275 per site (payment required by September 16)
Standard Tuition: $305 per site (for payments made September 17 or later)
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $35 each, if space is available.
Instructor
Course Description
Agencies have a problem addressing unacceptable performance. How else do you explain that nearly 75 percent of non-supervisory federal employees believe supervisors fail to take the necessary steps to address poor performance?
In this 90-minute webinar, FELTG President, attorney and author Deborah Hopkins will answer the question: How does an agency take appropriate, defensible action against poor performers?
Ms. Hopkins will explain the appropriate procedures to take when initiating an Opportunity to Demonstrate Acceptable Performance and will highlight mistakes that your agency can’t afford to make, and show you how to remove a poor performer from the federal service in just 31 days.
In addition, Ms Hopkins 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
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
Early Bird Tuition: $275 per site (payment required by September 23)
Standard Tuition: $305 per site (for payments made September 24 or later)
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $35 each, if space is available.
Sessions are held daily from 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 8:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Friday.
Instructor
Daily Agenda
Monday
Legal Writing I — The Basics: Legal writing and citation formats, argumentative approaches, writing from the reader’s perspective, organizational logic, word choice and structure, legal terms and court structure. Workshops: Spin Words, Speed Ball Exercise & Spin an Issue, Putting it All Together
Tuesday
Legal Writing II — Writing for Your Audience: Defining and distinguishing claims, defenses and issues, the factual narrative, identification of material facts, and persuasion. Workshops: Defining Claims, Writing the Agency Factual Statement, Writing the Employee Factual Statement
Wednesday
Legal Writing III — Writing for Your Audience (con’t.): Educating the reader, analyzing the evidence, organizing the arguments, distinguishing cases. Workshops: State the Rule, Writing the Analysis.
Thursday
Legal Writing IV — Writing for the MSPB and EEOC: MSPB prehearing submissions, drafting final agency decisions. Workshops: Drafting a Prehearing Submission, Writing a FAD.
Friday
Legal Writing V — Writing for the MSPB and EEOC (con’t.): Motion practice and summary judgment, MSPB petitions for review and EEOC appeals, MSPB petitions for review and EEOC appeals, editing your work. Workshop: Deconstruction of a Final Decision.
Pricing
Most people attend the full training week, but you may opt out of any days you don’t plan to attend.
Early Bird Tuition (register by Sept. 23):
- 5 days = $2180
- 4 days = $1790
- 3 days = $1380
- 2 days = $980
- 1 day = $540
Standard Tuition (register Sept. 23-Oct. 11):
- 5 days = $2280
- 4 days = $1890
- 3 days = $1480
- 2 days = $1080
- 1 day = $640
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 using the “Pay Now” option will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses. No-shows will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses.
Instructor
Course Description
If you’re a federal EEO practitioner, attorney, or HR professional, you can’t afford to sleep on recent EEOC decisions. You also can’t afford to sit through a boring case law update that will put you to sleep.
That’s why you need to join FELTG for this fast-paced review of the most surprising, significant, and groundbreaking recent decisions from the EEOC. Attorney Meghan Droste will break down recent Commission cases involving harassment, reasonable accommodations, remedies, sanctions, and more. Find out where the EEOC is headed on these critical topics, and how these decisions impact your agency.
This 60-minute webinar will also cover recent developments at the EEOC, including the Commission’s case closure statistics. Plus, ask your questions and get answers in real time.
Price
Early Bird Tuition: $225 per site (payment required by September 30)
Standard Tuition: $255 per site (for payments made October 1 or later)
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $35 each, if space is available.
Instructor
Course Description
Absence due to illness has changed the landscape in dealing with federal workplace issues. Problems arise when employees are absent – let alone the huge amounts of leave entitlements tied to family member medical conditions.
Administering sick leave can be complicated, and proper documentation is critical. The Family & Medical Leave Act adds an additional layer of complexity to these illness-related absences. When can you require medical examinations? When can you take action on excessive absences?
If you need more information on absence related to illness so you are able to answer those tough questions on sick leave and FMLA – or if you want to ensure that the adverse action case you assemble will withstand the scrutiny of the MSPB – then this webinar series is custom-made for you.
While the near future of the Merit Systems Protection Board remains uncertain, FELTG is staying on top of the situation and will provide attendees with the most up-to-date information they need to know.
Instructors Deborah Hopkins, William Wiley, and Barbara Haga will guide you through these thorny issues. Register for any or all of the sessions.
- Session 1 – Sick Leave, Part I (October 16)
- Earning and accumulation
- Authorized uses of sick leave
- Family care sick leave – documentation and limits
- Advance sick leave
- Session 2 – Sick Leave, Part II (October 30)
- Notice requirements
- Definition of “serious health condition”
- Substitution of paid leave for FMLA LWOP
- Medical certification – what is required and what needs to be in it
- Sick leave abuse
- Medical examinations
- Taking action on sick leave-related absences
- Session 3 – Understanding FMLA (November 13)
- Basic entitlement
- Notice requirements
- FMLA Medical certification requirements
- Discipline and FMLA – excessive absence, falsified information, failure to comply with notice requirements, last chance agreements
You’ll have the chance to ask your questions, and get them answered in real time, during each of these 90-minute sessions. Register your site today.
Price
Early Bird Tuition: $275 per webinar per site (registration submitted by October 7)
Standard Tuition: $305 per webinar per site (registration submitted October 8 or later)
Register for all three webinars by October 7 and pay only $795.
Add a teleworker for $35 per webinar, in addition to a main site registration, if space permits.
Instructor
Course Description
The Douglas factors require agencies to consider alternative sanctions, but what exactly are alternatives to discipline? How do they work? Does anyone even know where to start an alternative to discipline?
FELTG instructor Ann Boehm does. In this 90-minute webinar, she will show you how how to think outside the box in certain disciplinary situations. For example, the last thing you want to do to someone who is AWOL is suspend them — they already are not coming to work. Instead, we can show you how to give a reprimand in lieu of suspension. The goal of discipline is to rehabilitate, and in certain circumstances, alternative sanctions are very effective in that regard.
Attendees will:
- Learn the legal requirements that form the foundation of disciplinary actions.
- Identify several alternatives to adverse actions.
- Understand the benefits of a reprimand in lieu of a suspension.
Price
Early Bird Tuition: $275 per site (payment required by October 14)
Standard Tuition: $305 per site (for payments made October 15 or later)
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $35 each, if space is available.
Instructor
Course Description
Absence due to illness has changed the landscape in dealing with federal workplace issues. Problems arise when employees are absent – let alone the huge amounts of leave entitlements tied to family member medical conditions.
Administering sick leave can be complicated, and proper documentation is critical. The Family & Medical Leave Act adds an additional layer of complexity to these illness-related absences. When can you require medical examinations? When can you take action on excessive absences?
If you need more information on absence related to illness so you are able to answer those tough questions on sick leave and FMLA – or if you want to ensure that the adverse action case you assemble will withstand the scrutiny of the MSPB – then this webinar series is custom-made for you.
While the near future of the Merit Systems Protection Board remains uncertain, FELTG is staying on top of the situation and will provide attendees with the most up-to-date information they need to know.
Instructors Deborah Hopkins, William Wiley, and Barbara Haga will guide you through these thorny issues. Register for any or all of the sessions.
- Session 1 – Sick Leave, Part I (October 16)
- Earning and accumulation
- Authorized uses of sick leave
- Family care sick leave – documentation and limits
- Advance sick leave
- Session 2 – Sick Leave, Part II (October 30)
- Notice requirements
- Definition of “serious health condition”
- Substitution of paid leave for FMLA LWOP
- Medical certification – what is required and what needs to be in it
- Sick leave abuse
- Medical examinations
- Taking action on sick leave-related absences
- Session 3 – Understanding FMLA (November 13)
- Basic entitlement
- Notice requirements
- FMLA Medical certification requirements
- Discipline and FMLA – excessive absence, falsified information, failure to comply with notice requirements, last chance agreements
You’ll have the chance to ask your questions, and get them answered in real time, during each of these 90-minute sessions. Register your site today.
Price
Early Bird Tuition: $275 per webinar per site (registration submitted by October 7)
Standard Tuition: $305 per webinar per site (registration submitted October 8 or later)
Register for all three webinars by October 7 and pay only $795.
Add a teleworker for $35 per webinar, in addition to a main site registration, if space permits.
Instructor
Course Description
Workplace violence statistics tell a harrowing story. About 17 percent of all workplace fatalities in 2016 were the result of workplace violence, according to the National Safety Council. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration estimates that nearly 2 million workers are victims of workplace violence. And an estimated 25 percent of workplace violence goes unreported.
This topic is too important to ignore. Join FELTG for the webinar Threats of Violence in the Federal 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
Early Bird Tuition: $275 per site (payment required by October 21)
Standard Tuition: $305 per site (for payments made October 22 or later)
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $35 each, if space is available.
Instructors
Deborah Hopkins, Anthony Marchese
Did you ever have an employee that you knew was a problem? You know the steps to take if it’s a performance issue or a conduct issue. But what if it’s neither? What are your options?
Seventy-five percent of the population is different from ourselves. Some of the people that we work with may not only be different but difficult. If you fail to address the issue, you are likely to see decreased production, lowered morale, and increased absenteeism from the rest of the your team.
This 90-minute webinar, hosted by FELTG President Deborah Hopkins and instructor and author/leadership expert Dr. Anthony Marchese, will explain how get the best from all of your employees. They will also provide guidance on:
- Handling issues of performance and conduct
- Communication fundamentals
- Employee types
- Managing difficult employees
- Creating a positive work environment
Join FELTG for an informative, entertaining, and useful session.
Price
Early Bird Tuition: $275 per site (payment required by October 28)
Standard Tuition: $305 per site (for payments made October 29 or later)
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $35 each, if space is available.
Instructor
Course Description
Absence due to illness has changed the landscape in dealing with federal workplace issues. Problems arise when employees are absent – let alone the huge amounts of leave entitlements tied to family member medical conditions.
Administering sick leave can be complicated, and proper documentation is critical. The Family & Medical Leave Act adds an additional layer of complexity to these illness-related absences. When can you require medical examinations? When can you take action on excessive absences?
If you need more information on absence related to illness so you are able to answer those tough questions on sick leave and FMLA – or if you want to ensure that the adverse action case you assemble will withstand the scrutiny of the MSPB – then this webinar series is custom-made for you.
While the near future of the Merit Systems Protection Board remains uncertain, FELTG is staying on top of the situation and will provide attendees with the most up-to-date information they need to know.
Instructors Deborah Hopkins, William Wiley, and Barbara Haga will guide you through these thorny issues. Register for any or all of the sessions.
- Session 1 – Sick Leave, Part I (October 16)
- Earning and accumulation
- Authorized uses of sick leave
- Family care sick leave – documentation and limits
- Advance sick leave
- Session 2 – Sick Leave, Part II (October 30)
- Notice requirements
- Definition of “serious health condition”
- Substitution of paid leave for FMLA LWOP
- Medical certification – what is required and what needs to be in it
- Sick leave abuse
- Medical examinations
- Taking action on sick leave-related absences
- Session 3 – Understanding FMLA (November 13)
- Basic entitlement
- Notice requirements
- FMLA Medical certification requirements
- Discipline and FMLA – excessive absence, falsified information, failure to comply with notice requirements, last chance agreements
You’ll have the chance to ask your questions, and get them answered in real time, during each of these 90-minute sessions. Register your site today.
Price
Early Bird Tuition: $275 per webinar per site (registration submitted by October 7)
Standard Tuition: $305 per webinar per site (registration submitted October 8 or later)
Register for all three webinars by October 7 and pay only $795.
Add a teleworker for $35 per webinar, in addition to a main site registration, if space permits.
Instructor
When must you accommodate an employee who is pregnant? Can you request medical documentation if a pregnant employee asks for an accommodation? What if an employee can’t do the critical elements of her job because she is pregnant? What are the options for an employee who hasn’t worked long enough to be eligible for FMLA?
Federal law protects employees from pregnancy-based discrimination and harassment at work, and it allows that employees have a legal right to work adjustments to allow them to do their job without jeopardizing their health. However, these protections come at the intersection of three different laws — the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Family and Medical Leave Act.
This 90-minute webinar, hosted by FELTG instructor and attorney at law Meghan Droste, will explain the protections afforded pregnant employees under all three laws, as well as explain:
- When you have an obligation to accommodate pregnant employees.
- What medical documentation you are permitted to ask for when evaluating a request for accommodations.
- How to avoid discriminating against pregnant job applicants.
- What to do when supervisors try to “protect” pregnant employees from difficult work.
Get up to speed on this challenging area of law. Register today.
Price
Early Bird Tuition: $275 per site (payment required by November 11)
Standard Tuition: $305 per site (for payments made November 12 or later)
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $35 each, if space is available.
Instructor
From chronic pain and chronic fatigue to depression and diabetes, disabilities are not always visible or obvious in the workplace. As the federal workforce ages, the number of employees with hidden disabilities continues to grow. This can make providing reasonable accommodation a challenge for HR professionals, supervisors, and the people who advise them.
During this 90-minute webinar, attorney Katherine Atkinson will explain to how properly navigate Rehabilitation Act regulations and EEOC guidance while taking a common sense approach to reasonably accommodating hidden disabilities. Ms. Atkinson will provide examples of accommodations that have proven successful for hidden disabilities.
Attendees will learn how to:
- Recognize myths and misconceptions about specific disabilities.
- Determine whether the employee is a qualified individual.
- Use the interactive process to find an effective reasonable accommodation.
Price
Early Bird Tuition: $275 per site (payment required by November 25)
Standard Tuition: $305 per site (for payments made November 26 or later)
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $35 each, if space is available.
Instructor
Course Description
A few weeks ago, a 25-year-old lawmaker in New Zealand took the internet by storm when she shut down a heckler with two words that went viral: “OK, Boomer.” There were all kinds of connotations in those two words, and while it may be meme-worthy, it’s not a phrase that we’d recommend you start using in the workplace.
Join FELTG President Deborah Hopkins for a 60-minute discussion on age discrimination in the federal workplace, to learn what you can and can’t do – and say – when it relates to an employee’s age. From hiring to promotion, hostile work environment to regarded as disabilities, to performance appraisals, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.
Attendees will learn how to:
- Understand the various theories of age discrimination in the federal workplace.
- Identify the types of conduct that give rise to age discrimination claims.
- Know the dos and don’ts when discussing age-related topics in the workplace including retirement, OWBPA, and more.
Register today.
Price
Early Bird Tuition: $225 per site (payment required by December 2)
Standard Tuition: $255 per site (for payments made December 3 or later)
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $35 each, if space is available.
Instructors
Katherine Atkinson, Ann Boehm, Deborah Hopkins, Meghan Droste
Course Description
Legal writing in federal sector employment law is a specialized craft. Cases have been lost because of poorly or ambiguously written documents. This webinar series will help you sharpen the skills you need to produce effective, defensible, legally sound documents in the federal sector. This includes disciplinary letters, summary judgment motions, reports of investigation, and more. With the sample language, templates and documents provided during the webinars, you’ll have tools use can continue to use long after the series ends.
Sessions will be held on Thursdays from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. ET.
It doesn’t matter if you haven’t been to law school recently, or ever at all. Spend an hour a week with FELTG and you’ll find the way to make the documents you write be more clear, effective, and persuasive.
- January 16 – Legal Writing for the MSPB, EEOC and FLRA: Nuts and Bolts
- January 23 – Writing Performance Demonstration Period Plans that Work
- January 30 – Framing Charges and Drafting Proposed Discipline
- February 6 – The Douglas Factor Analysis and Writing the Decision
- February 13 – Writing Effective Motions for Summary Judgment
- February 20 – Drafting a Legally Sufficient Report of Investigation
Price
- Early Bird Tuition: $240 per site (payment made by January 13).
- Standard Tuition: $270 per site (payment made January 14 or later).
- Register for all six webinars by January 13 and pay only $1350!
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $40 per teleworker, on a space-available basis.
Instructors
Katherine Atkinson, Ann Boehm, Deborah Hopkins, Meghan Droste
Course Description
Legal writing in federal sector employment law is a specialized craft. Cases have been lost because of poorly or ambiguously written documents. This webinar series will help you sharpen the skills you need to produce effective, defensible, legally sound documents in the federal sector. This includes disciplinary letters, summary judgment motions, reports of investigation, and more. With the sample language, templates and documents provided during the webinars, you’ll have tools use can continue to use long after the series ends.
Sessions will be held on Thursdays from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. ET.
It doesn’t matter if you haven’t been to law school recently, or ever at all. Spend an hour a week with FELTG and you’ll find the way to make the documents you write be more clear, effective, and persuasive.
- January 16 – Legal Writing for the MSPB, EEOC and FLRA: Nuts and Bolts
- January 23 – Writing Performance Demonstration Period Plans that Work
- January 30 – Framing Charges and Drafting Proposed Discipline
- February 6 – The Douglas Factor Analysis and Writing the Decision
- February 13 – Writing Effective Motions for Summary Judgment
- February 20 – Drafting a Legally Sufficient Report of Investigation
Price
- Early Bird Tuition: $240 per site (payment made by January 13).
- Standard Tuition: $270 per site (payment made January 14 or later).
- Register for all six webinars by January 13 and pay only $1350!
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $40 per teleworker, on a space-available basis.
Instructors
Katherine Atkinson, Ann Boehm, Deborah Hopkins, Meghan Droste
Course Description
Legal writing in federal sector employment law is a specialized craft. Cases have been lost because of poorly or ambiguously written documents. This webinar series will help you sharpen the skills you need to produce effective, defensible, legally sound documents in the federal sector. This includes disciplinary letters, summary judgment motions, reports of investigation, and more. With the sample language, templates and documents provided during the webinars, you’ll have tools use can continue to use long after the series ends.
Sessions will be held on Thursdays from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. ET.
It doesn’t matter if you haven’t been to law school recently, or ever at all. Spend an hour a week with FELTG and you’ll find the way to make the documents you write be more clear, effective, and persuasive.
- January 16 – Legal Writing for the MSPB, EEOC and FLRA: Nuts and Bolts
- January 23 – Writing Performance Demonstration Period Plans that Work
- January 30 – Framing Charges and Drafting Proposed Discipline
- February 6 – The Douglas Factor Analysis and Writing the Decision
- February 13 – Writing Effective Motions for Summary Judgment
- February 20 – Drafting a Legally Sufficient Report of Investigation
Price
- Early Bird Tuition: $240 per site (payment made by January 13).
- Standard Tuition: $270 per site (payment made January 14 or later).
- Register for all six webinars by January 13 and pay only $1350!
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $40 per teleworker, on a space-available basis.
Instructor
Course Description
Ensuring that employees remain capable of performing their duties, whether those requirements involve physical or mental demands of other requirements such as licenses and certifications, is a challenging issue for many HR practitioners. FELTG instructor Barbara Haga will share specific guidance on how to effectively enforce medical requirements without running afoul of the Merit Systems Protection Board or the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
During this 90-minute webinar, Ms. Haga will review a number of MSPB cases about employees who either met a qualification requirement or certification requirement and then lost it – or never were able to obtain it all. This program will also cover the gamut from IT to EMT certifications, pilot certifications, ability to qualify with a weapon, and much more.
Attendees will learn how to:
Price
- Early Bird Tuition: $275 per site (payment made by January 27).
- Standard Tuition: $305 per site (payment made January 28 or later).
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $40 per teleworker, on a space-available basis.
Instructors
Katherine Atkinson, Ann Boehm, Deborah Hopkins, Meghan Droste
Course Description
Legal writing in federal sector employment law is a specialized craft. Cases have been lost because of poorly or ambiguously written documents. This webinar series will help you sharpen the skills you need to produce effective, defensible, legally sound documents in the federal sector. This includes disciplinary letters, summary judgment motions, reports of investigation, and more. With the sample language, templates and documents provided during the webinars, you’ll have tools use can continue to use long after the series ends.
Sessions will be held on Thursdays from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. ET.
It doesn’t matter if you haven’t been to law school recently, or ever at all. Spend an hour a week with FELTG and you’ll find the way to make the documents you write be more clear, effective, and persuasive.
- January 16 – Legal Writing for the MSPB, EEOC and FLRA: Nuts and Bolts
- January 23 – Writing Performance Demonstration Period Plans that Work
- January 30 – Framing Charges and Drafting Proposed Discipline
- February 6 – The Douglas Factor Analysis and Writing the Decision
- February 13 – Writing Effective Motions for Summary Judgment
- February 20 – Drafting a Legally Sufficient Report of Investigation
Price
- Early Bird Tuition: $240 per site (payment made by January 13).
- Standard Tuition: $270 per site (payment made January 14 or later).
- Register for all six webinars by January 13 and pay only $1350!
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $40 per teleworker, on a space-available basis.
Instructors
Katherine Atkinson, Ann Boehm, Deborah Hopkins, Meghan Droste
Course Description
Legal writing in federal sector employment law is a specialized craft. Cases have been lost because of poorly or ambiguously written documents. This webinar series will help you sharpen the skills you need to produce effective, defensible, legally sound documents in the federal sector. This includes disciplinary letters, summary judgment motions, reports of investigation, and more. With the sample language, templates and documents provided during the webinars, you’ll have tools use can continue to use long after the series ends.
Sessions will be held on Thursdays from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. ET.
It doesn’t matter if you haven’t been to law school recently, or ever at all. Spend an hour a week with FELTG and you’ll find the way to make the documents you write be more clear, effective, and persuasive.
- January 16 – Legal Writing for the MSPB, EEOC and FLRA: Nuts and Bolts
- January 23 – Writing Performance Demonstration Period Plans that Work
- January 30 – Framing Charges and Drafting Proposed Discipline
- February 6 – The Douglas Factor Analysis and Writing the Decision
- February 13 – Writing Effective Motions for Summary Judgment
- February 20 – Drafting a Legally Sufficient Report of Investigation
Price
- Early Bird Tuition: $240 per site (payment made by January 13).
- Standard Tuition: $270 per site (payment made January 14 or later).
- Register for all six webinars by January 13 and pay only $1350!
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $40 per teleworker, on a space-available basis.
Instructors
Katherine Atkinson, Ann Boehm, Deborah Hopkins, Meghan Droste
Course Description
Legal writing in federal sector employment law is a specialized craft. Cases have been lost because of poorly or ambiguously written documents. This webinar series will help you sharpen the skills you need to produce effective, defensible, legally sound documents in the federal sector. This includes disciplinary letters, summary judgment motions, reports of investigation, and more. With the sample language, templates and documents provided during the webinars, you’ll have tools use can continue to use long after the series ends.
Sessions will be held on Thursdays from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. ET.
It doesn’t matter if you haven’t been to law school recently, or ever at all. Spend an hour a week with FELTG and you’ll find the way to make the documents you write be more clear, effective, and persuasive.
- January 16 – Legal Writing for the MSPB, EEOC and FLRA: Nuts and Bolts
- January 23 – Writing Performance Demonstration Period Plans that Work
- January 30 – Framing Charges and Drafting Proposed Discipline
- February 6 – The Douglas Factor Analysis and Writing the Decision
- February 13 – Writing Effective Motions for Summary Judgment
- February 20 – Drafting a Legally Sufficient Report of Investigation
Price
- Early Bird Tuition: $240 per site (payment made by January 13).
- Standard Tuition: $270 per site (payment made January 14 or later).
- Register for all six webinars by January 13 and pay only $1350!
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $40 per teleworker, on a space-available basis.
Instructor
Course Description
There are several reasons why an EEO claim might be dismissed, but it’s not a decision that should be made quickly or without much thought. A surprising number of agency dismissals are overturned by the EEOC each year. Join FELTG as we dive into the very core of the EEO complaint process, and understand when to accept EEO claims, and when to deny them. This 60-minute webinar will review the reasons for dismissing a claim — failure to state a claim, timeliness, collateral attack, and framing claims.
This is the first of a four-part series on Navigating Challenges in the EEO Process.
1
Price
- Early Bird Tuition: $240 per site, per session (payment made by February 24).
- Standard Tuition: $270 per site, per session (payment made February 25 or later).
- Register for all four webinars by February 24 and pay only $910!
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $40 per teleworker, on a space-available basis.
FELTG is making its webinars easier to access during the COVID-19 closures and emergency telework scheduling, to ensure that proper training is still available when the majority of employees are working at home. Contact us at 844.283.3584 or [email protected] to find out how this applies to our webinars, or how you can bring FELTG’s off-the-shelf or custom webinars directly to your agency.
Instructor
Course Description
The Trump Executive Orders made it clear that progressive discipline is not mandatory. However, that doesn’t mean it can’t be an important tool, particularly when considering whether an employee should be fired on the heels of new misconduct. Join FELTG as we dive into when and how to effectively use progressive discipline. The 60-minute webinar will also cover the foundations of discipline, the differences between performance and misconduct; the options to discipline; and the tricky concept of comparator employees. This webinar is part of the Navigating Challenges in the Discipline Process series.
Price
- Early Bird Tuition: $240 per site, per session (payment made by March 9).
- Standard Tuition: $270 per site, per session (payment made March 10 or later).
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $40 per teleworker, on a space-available basis.
Course Description
In a matter of weeks, the COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed the federal workplace, the country, and the world. In this free 30-minute webinar, FELTG President and attorney at law Deborah Hopkins discusses two areas where the response to this virus has impacted the federal workplace:
- ADA and EEOC guidance on the medical impact of COVID-19 in the federal workplace
- Including medical inquiries, fitness for duty exams, and clearance to return to work
- OPM and White House guidance on agency operations during the COVID-19 pandemic
- Including telework, evacuation orders, and weather and safety leave
Instructor
Price and Registration
FREE. Registration is currently full. However, if you use the registration link below FELTG will add you to the wait list, and after the webinar’s conclusion we will email you a link so you can view the recorded presentation.
Register here. Enrollment is limited to the first 200 individuals and space is not guaranteed.
If you are one of the first 200 participants to register, you will receive a confirmation email from Zoom webinars confirming your registration and containing important access information.
FELTG is making its webinars easier to access during the COVID-19 closures and emergency telework scheduling, to ensure that proper training is still available when the majority of employees are working at home. Contact us at 844.283.3584 or [email protected] to find out how this applies to our webinars, or how you can bring FELTG’s off-the-shelf or custom webinars directly to your agency.
Instructor
Course Description
Navigating the FMLA is one of the most complex challenges a federal agency can face unless, of course, it is navigating the ADA at the same time. What’s the difference between a serious health condition and an ADA disability? Does the FMLA limit on leave apply to a reasonable accommodation of leave? This 60-minute webinar will compare and contrast coverage under the FMLA and coverage under the ADA, discuss the tricky role of medical documentation, and review leave under the FMLA and as a reasonable accommodation.
This is the second of four webinars on Navigating Challenges in the EEO Process.
EEO Refresher Hours: 1
Price
- Early Bird Tuition: $240 per site, per session (payment made by February 24).
- Standard Tuition: $270 per site, per session (payment made February 25 or later).
- Register for all four webinars by February 24 and pay only $910!
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $40 per teleworker, on a space-available basis.
FELTG is making its webinars easier to access during the COVID-19 closures and emergency telework scheduling, to ensure that proper training is still available when the majority of employees are working at home. Contact us at 844.283.3584 or [email protected] to find out how this applies to our webinars, or how you can bring FELTG’s off-the-shelf or custom webinars directly to your agency.
Instructor
Course Description
Navigating the FMLA is one of the most complex challenges a federal agency can face unless, of course, it is navigating the ADA at the same time. What’s the difference between a serious health condition and an ADA disability? Does the FMLA limit on leave apply to a reasonable accommodation of leave? This 60-minute webinar will compare and contrast coverage under the FMLA and coverage under the ADA, discuss the tricky role of medical documentation, and review leave under the FMLA and as a reasonable accommodation.
This is the second of four webinars on Navigating Challenges in the EEO Process.
EEO Refresher Hours: 1
Price
- Early Bird Tuition: $240 per site, per session (payment made by February 24).
- Standard Tuition: $270 per site, per session (payment made February 25 or later).
- Register for all four webinars by February 24 and pay only $910!
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $40 per teleworker, on a space-available basis.