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.
Instructors
Deborah Hopkins, Barbara Haga, Meghan Droste, Ann Boehm, Joe Schimansky, Katherine Atkinson, Anthony Marchese
Course Description
Those of you who supervise federal employees know it can be a frustrating calling, especially when you face so many new and challenging issues amid complex and changing laws.
Help is on the way. Register now for one, several, or all of the courses in FELTG’s comprehensive webinar training series Supervising Federal Employees: Managing Accountability and Defending Your Actions. No other training provides the depth and breadth of guidance federal supervisors need to manage the agency workplace effectively and efficiently.
Over the course of 14 webinars, FELTG’s experienced and knowledgeable instructors provide support on everything from managing poor performance and disciplining for employee misconduct to providing reasonable accommodation and rooting out leave abuse, and much much more.
This unique series has been updated to address the most timely and important topics supervisors are facing right now. The 60-minute webinars, held every other Tuesday from 1 – 2 p.m. eastern time, will expand upon legal principles to provide attendees with the necessary tools and best practices. Plus, you’ll have a chance to ask questions and get answers from FELTG instructors – in real time.
As an added bonus, this series fulfills OPM’s mandatory training requirements for new supervisors found at 5 CFR 412.202(b).
2020 dates:
March 3: The Foundations of Accountability: Performance vs. Misconduct: The distinction between performance and conduct; an overview on holding employees accountable; setting the stage for discipline and performance actions.
March 17: Writing Effective Performance Plans: Performance management; understanding the performance appraisal system; defining elements and standards; drafting standards according to legal requirements; creating the performance plan.
March 31: Preparing an Unacceptable Performance Case: Performance accountability in a nutshell; preparing and executing a performance demonstration period; proof and evidence standards.
April 14: Addressing Special Challenges with Performance: Permutations on performance accountability and the performance warning period; performance standards with multiple sub-components; managing teleworker performance; what do when a poor-performing employee requests reasonable accommodation.
April 28: Providing Performance Feedback That Makes a Difference: Communicating performance expectations; providing ongoing feedback; positive vs. negative framing; why you shouldn’t wait until the mid-year to discuss performance issues; what OPM says about mentorship; leader as mentor.
May 12: Disciplining Employees for Misconduct, Part I: The five elements of discipline in the federal government; documentation supervisors need to succeed in a disciplinary action.
May 26: Disciplining Employees for Misconduct, Part II: Disciplinary procedures: reprimand, suspension, termination; appeals process; agency liability.
June 9: Tackling Leave Issues I: Handling the leave issues most common in the federal government: annual leave, sick leave, leave transfer.
June 23: Tackling Leave Issues II: Handling more complicated leave scenarios: FMLA, LWOP, administrative leave, AWOL.
July 7: Combating Against Hostile Work Environment Harassment Claims: The elements of a hostile work environment; liability in hostile work environment claims; tangible employment actions; harassment v. bullying; supervisor responsibilities in harassment claims; agency defenses.
July 21: Intentional EEO Discrimination: What supervisors should know about EEO discrimination; discrete acts of discrimination; selection and promotion cases; defending against claims of intentional discrimination.
August 4: Disability Accommodation in 60 Minutes: Defining a disability; requests for accommodation; the interactive process; accommodations of choice; undue hardship.
August 18: EEO Reprisal: Handle It, Don’t Fear It: How reprisal is different than other EEO claims; what the complainant must show to establish reprisal; how a supervisor can defend against reprisal claims; what to do and what not to do when an employee engages in protected EEO activity.
September 1: Supervising in a Unionized Environment: The right to be bargained with; forming a union; employee and union rights; ULPs.
Pricing
Early Bird Tuition:
- $240 per site, per session (payment required by Feb 24).
- Special series discounts available through February 24: $2,925 for the first 13 webinars or $3,150 for all 14. See registration form for details.
Standard Tuition:
- $270 per site, per session (payments made Feb. 25 or later).
Teleworkers may be added to a primary site registration for $40 each, per session, on a space-available basis.
Instructors
Deborah Hopkins, Katherine Atkinson, Meghan Droste
Course Description
Meet your mandatory EEO Counselor and Investigator refresher training with FELTG this summer. Each 95-minute session counts toward the annual refresher requirement mandated by EEOC. Register for the entire series and receive a certificate of completion, to show you have met EEOC’s mandatory 8-hour annual refresher requirement.
Sessions
May 28 – EEO Complaints in 2020: What Counselors and Investigators Need to Know: EEOC jurisdiction; pre-complaint counseling; tolling; estoppel; formal complaint — acceptance/dismissal.
June 11 – Understanding Current Issues: Reasonable Accommodation Trends in 2020: The Americans With Disabilities Act Amendments Acts; defining individuals with disabilities; the interactive process; who chooses accommodation; fact-specificity of reasonable accommodation; interactive process requirements; telework as accommodation; the agency’s obligation to accommodate the commute; requests for a new supervisor as accommodation.
June 25 – Practical Skills for Counselors and Investigators: Interviewing Complainants and Witnesses: Preparing for interviews; methods of communication; interview v. interrogation; types of questions; top 10 interviewing tips; the funnel technique.
July 9 – The Latest on Sexual Orientation and Gender Discrimination in the Federal Workplace: Review and discuss latest Supreme Court decisions on gay/transgender rights; the law; gender stereotyping as sex discrimination; sexual orientation discrimination; transgender status; same-sex discrimination.
July 23 – Updates on Discrimination: Recent Cases About Race, Color, Religion, and National Origin: The law and key terms; forms of discrimination; race and color discrimination; national original discrimination; English-only rules; religious discrimination; failure to accommodation for religious reasons.
Price
- Early Bird Tuition: $275 per site, per session (payment made by May 18).
- Standard Tuition: $305 per site, per session (payment made May 19 or later).
- Register for all five webinars by May 18 and pay only $1295!
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $40 per teleworker, on a space-available basis.
Cancellation and No-show Policy for Registered Participants: Cancellations made after the cancel date on the registration form will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses. Pre-paid training using the “Pay Now” option will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses. No-shows will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses.
Event Description
Though the world looks different than it did a few months ago, one thing hasn’t changed: the need for agencies to take disciplinary actions against employees who violate workplace rules. It’s more important than ever for agency advisers to be aware of new regulations, and the current status of the executive orders, that apply to executive branch employees. FELTG’s Virtual Training Institute presents Taking Defensible Disciplinary Actions, a three-day virtual program covering the legal requirements and best practices for taking defensible disciplinary actions in the federal government – actions that will withstand appeal by a third party.
Join top MSPB practitioners and topic authors, and learn the law, strategies, and techniques from their many years of combined experience. You can register for any of the sessions individually, or you can register for all three.
This program runs from 12:30 – 4:00 eastern each day, with a 30-minute break from 2:00 – 2:30 eastern.
Download Individual Registration Form
Monday, June 1, 2020
Session 1: The Foundations of Accountability: Discipline and Adverse Actions
12:30 pm – 4:00 pm EDT (break from 2:00 – 2:30)
Presented by Deborah J. Hopkins, Attorney at Law, FELTG President
Session Description: This session begins with a discussion of the foundations of accountability based on the Civil Service Reform Act and the Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act, and the importance of understanding the differences between employee poor performance and misconduct. The program will cover the five elements that must be present in every disciplinary case, plus discipline and adverse action procedures, and how an agency can defend itself in an appeal to an MSPB administrative judge or in front of an arbitrator. Plus, we’ll spotlight discipline alternatives such as last chance agreements and last rites discussions.
Learning Objectives
Attendees will learn how to:
- Understand the differences between misconduct and poor performance.
- Develop a disciplinary record containing the five elements of a legally-defensible disciplinary case.
- Identify alternatives to traditional discipline.
Tuesday, June 2, 2020
Session 2: Charges and Penalties
12:30 pm – 4:00 pm EDT (break from 2:00 – 2:30)
Presented by Ann Boehm, Attorney at Law, FELTG Instructor
Session Description: If you’ve been in the business for more that a few days, you know the importance of drafting legally-sufficient disciplinary charges, and the importance of making a reasonable penalty determination. Yet many agencies still lose cases because of poorly-drafted charges. This session will cover the art and science behind drafting disciplinary charges, including the types of charges, parts of a charge, how charges are interpreted, and alternative charges. From there the discussion will turn to MSPB and Federal Circuit lead cases in penalty determination, and defending the penalty using the Douglas factors, including getting “intent” penalties off of “non-intent” charges, and proving harsh penalties off of vanilla charges. Plus, we’ll cover the important aspects of drafting proposal and decision letters.
Learning Objectives
Attendees will learn how to:
- Identify sound, legally-defensible charges that correspond to an employee’s misconduct.
- Understand how the Douglas factors impact the reasonableness of an agency’s penalty.
- Draft proposal and decision letters according to legal standards.
Wednesday, June 3, 2020
Session 3: Affirmative Defenses and Mixed Cases
12:30 pm – 4:00 pm EDT (break from 2:00 – 2:30)
Presented by Deborah Hopkins, Attorney at Law, FELTG President and Robert Woods, Attorney at Law, FELTG Instructor
Session Description: When it comes to discipline, employees often want to challenge management in an attempt to get the discipline overturned. On some occasion, those challenges can be a bit complicated. This session will cover two areas you’ll need to be prepared for: affirmative defenses and mixed cases. We’ll take a look at the multiple types of reprisal an employee might allege as an affirmative defense, plus cover what to do if an employee alleges an agency action was motivated by EEO discrimination, or accused the agency of committing a harmful error. From there the discussion will focus the anatomy of a mixed case appeal or a mixed case complaint, and what you should do when one of these lands on your desk.
Learning Objectives
Attendees will learn how to:
- Understand affirmative defenses and learn how to defend against them.
- Successfully defend your agency against whistleblower reprisal complaints.
- Identify and successfully navigate scenarios involving mixed cases.
Price
- Early Bird Tuition (register by May 22): One Day = $275 | Two Days = $525 | Full Event = $750
- Standard Tuition (register May 23-June 3): One Day = $325 | Two Days = $575 | Full Event = $795
- Rates per registrant. No split registrations permitted.
- Want to register a group? Group discounts are available through May 22. Contact FELTG.
- REGISTER NOW.
Event FAQs
- Can I attend Virtual Training from my government computer?
- FELTG uses Webex to broadcast its Virtual Training Institute events. Many government computers and systems allow Webex access. If for some reason your firewall will not allow access, you’re welcome to use your personal email address to register, and to attend the sessions from your personal device.
- Can I earn CLE credits for this class?
- CLE applications are the responsibility of each attendee; FELTG does not apply for the credits on behalf of attendees. If you are seeking CLE credit, attendees may use the materials provided by FELTG in submission to your state bar. Attendees may also request a certificate of completion which will contain the number of training hours attended.
- Can I share my access link with co-workers?
- No. Registration for this event is per individual, and access links may not be shared. Each link may only be used by one person.
- Can I register a teleworker?
- This event is individual registration, so the cost is the same whether the person is teleworking or in an agency facility.
- How do I receive a group rate discount?
- Group rates are available for agencies registering 10 or more individuals for the full event. Group discounts are available through May 22.
Cancellation and No-show Policy for Registered Participants: Cancellations made after the cancel date on the registration form will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses. Pre-paid training using the “Pay Now” option will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses. No-shows will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses.
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 you can bring FELTG’s off-the-shelf or custom webinars directly to your agency.
Instructor
Course Description
Failure to interview any of the witnesses identified by the complainant? Yes, it’s happened. Failure to investigate the complainant’s overriding claim? Yes, that too has happened. The EEOC has seen its fair share of bad investigations in recent years. Join FELTG for this final installment of our Navigating Challenges in the EEO Process series. This 60-minute webinar will explain how to keep integrity in the EEO process and review the following topics: Characteristics of a legally sufficient investigation; investigatory standards – impartiality, appropriateness, evidence-based investigation; relevant documents and witnesses; reviewing the investigation.
1
Price
- Early Bird Tuition (payment required by May 26, 2020):
- 1 line: $100
- 2-5 lines: $185
- 6-9 lines: $260
- 10-15 lines: $340
- 16-20 lines: $425
- Standard Tuition (payments made May 27, 2020 or later):
- 1 line: $115
- 2-5 lines: $215
- 6-9 lines: $290
- 10-15 lines: $370
- 16-20 lines: $455
Additional teleworkers may be added for $40 each, if space is available.
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.
Instructors
Deborah Hopkins, Barbara Haga, Meghan Droste, Ann Boehm, Joe Schimansky, Katherine Atkinson, Anthony Marchese
Course Description
Those of you who supervise federal employees know it can be a frustrating calling, especially when you face so many new and challenging issues amid complex and changing laws.
Help is on the way. Register now for one, several, or all of the courses in FELTG’s comprehensive webinar training series Supervising Federal Employees: Managing Accountability and Defending Your Actions. No other training provides the depth and breadth of guidance federal supervisors need to manage the agency workplace effectively and efficiently.
Over the course of 14 webinars, FELTG’s experienced and knowledgeable instructors provide support on everything from managing poor performance and disciplining for employee misconduct to providing reasonable accommodation and rooting out leave abuse, and much much more.
This unique series has been updated to address the most timely and important topics supervisors are facing right now. The 60-minute webinars, held every other Tuesday from 1 – 2 p.m. eastern time, will expand upon legal principles to provide attendees with the necessary tools and best practices. Plus, you’ll have a chance to ask questions and get answers from FELTG instructors – in real time.
As an added bonus, this series fulfills OPM’s mandatory training requirements for new supervisors found at 5 CFR 412.202(b).
2020 dates:
March 3: The Foundations of Accountability: Performance vs. Misconduct: The distinction between performance and conduct; an overview on holding employees accountable; setting the stage for discipline and performance actions.
March 17: Writing Effective Performance Plans: Performance management; understanding the performance appraisal system; defining elements and standards; drafting standards according to legal requirements; creating the performance plan.
March 31: Preparing an Unacceptable Performance Case: Performance accountability in a nutshell; preparing and executing a performance demonstration period; proof and evidence standards.
April 14: Addressing Special Challenges with Performance: Permutations on performance accountability and the performance warning period; performance standards with multiple sub-components; managing teleworker performance; what do when a poor-performing employee requests reasonable accommodation.
April 28: Providing Performance Feedback That Makes a Difference: Communicating performance expectations; providing ongoing feedback; positive vs. negative framing; why you shouldn’t wait until the mid-year to discuss performance issues; what OPM says about mentorship; leader as mentor.
May 12: Disciplining Employees for Misconduct, Part I: The five elements of discipline in the federal government; documentation supervisors need to succeed in a disciplinary action.
May 26: Disciplining Employees for Misconduct, Part II: Disciplinary procedures: reprimand, suspension, termination; appeals process; agency liability.
June 9: Tackling Leave Issues I: Handling the leave issues most common in the federal government: annual leave, sick leave, leave transfer.
June 23: Tackling Leave Issues II: Handling more complicated leave scenarios: FMLA, LWOP, administrative leave, AWOL.
July 7: Combating Against Hostile Work Environment Harassment Claims: The elements of a hostile work environment; liability in hostile work environment claims; tangible employment actions; harassment v. bullying; supervisor responsibilities in harassment claims; agency defenses.
July 21: Intentional EEO Discrimination: What supervisors should know about EEO discrimination; discrete acts of discrimination; selection and promotion cases; defending against claims of intentional discrimination.
August 4: Disability Accommodation in 60 Minutes: Defining a disability; requests for accommodation; the interactive process; accommodations of choice; undue hardship.
August 18: EEO Reprisal: Handle It, Don’t Fear It: How reprisal is different than other EEO claims; what the complainant must show to establish reprisal; how a supervisor can defend against reprisal claims; what to do and what not to do when an employee engages in protected EEO activity.
September 1: Supervising in a Unionized Environment: The right to be bargained with; forming a union; employee and union rights; ULPs.
Pricing
Early Bird Tuition:
- $240 per site, per session (payment required by Feb 24).
- Special series discounts available through February 24: $2,925 for the first 13 webinars or $3,150 for all 14. See registration form for details.
Standard Tuition:
- $270 per site, per session (payments made Feb. 25 or later).
Teleworkers may be added to a primary site registration for $40 each, per session, on a space-available basis.
Download Individual Registration Form
Federal Workplace Challenges in a COVID-19 World: Returning to Work During a Pandemic
While the nation’s slow re-opening is being welcomed by struggling small businesses and Americans eager for a return to normalcy, it is being met with hesitation and fear by many employees who will soon be making their way back to the workplaces they last occupied several weeks ago.
They are not the only ones who are hesitant. You probably are too. And you should be. Bringing teleworkers back to the physical workplace amid a pandemic will not be easy. Agency HR/EEO professionals, attorneys, supervisors, and managers play important roles in ensuring that their agencies follow the appropriate guidelines, comply with laws involving leave and reasonable accommodation, and meet their burden for providing a safe workspace.
Are you prepared? Join FELTG for a one-of-a-kind, multi-faceted virtual training event that readies you for this unique and demanding challenge. In one afternoon, attendees will receive a detailed discussion of numerous considerations as they prepare for the physical return of employees to the workplace – leave and flexible work schedules, medical testing, employees who blow the whistle about COVID-19 related issues, reasonable accommodation, mental health crises, and much more.
Learning Objectives
After completing this training, attendees will know how to:
- Apply available flexibilities on scheduling, leave, and telework.
- Provide appropriate support to employees with mental health struggles exacerbated by the pandemic.
- Ensure a safe work environment without violating EEO laws.
This is an event that you cannot afford to miss. This program runs from 12:30 pm – 4:00 pm eastern
Download Individual Registration Form
Session Description
Part 1: Federal Employee Leave: Rights, Requirements and Strategies
Presented by Ann Boehm, FELTG Instructor, Attorney at Law
Administering leave can be complicated enough in normal times, let alone during a pandemic. Ms. Boehm will explain the basic leave entitlements of federal employees, and address the additional leave options and strategies that are specific to COVID-19, such as emergency paid sick leave and administrative leave.
Part 2: Complying with the Law While Ensuring a Safe Return to Work
Presented by Deborah J. Hopkins, FELTG President, Attorney at Law
What is the latest guidance from OPM, OMB, CDC, and other authorities as agencies prepare to call employees back to work? Can you – and should you – require medical certification for employees returning to duty? What are your options if an employee refuses to return to work? Are you prepared for reasonable accommodation requests or hostile work environment claims from vulnerable populations? What should an agency do if an employee has blown the whistle about COVID-19 related matters? Ms. Hopkins will address these issues, and more.
Part 3: Managing the Mental Health Crisis During the Pandemic
Presented by Shana Palmieri, LCSW, FELTG Instructor
A new national report detailing the psychological impacts of COVID-19 projects an additional 75,000 Americans could die due to “diseases of despair.” This vulnerable population will soon be returning to the workplace. Ms. Palmieri will provide up-to-date information on risk factors for mental health crises and how to provide appropriate support, intervention and access to treatment for federal government employees to prevent deaths from diseases of despair including suicide, depression, and acute trauma.
Price
- Early Bird Tuition (register by June 1): $295
- Standard Tuition (register June 2-10): $345
- Rates per registrant.
- Want to register a group? Group discounts are available through June 1. Contact FELTG.
Event FAQs
- Can I attend Virtual Training from my government computer?
- FELTG uses Zoom Webinars (not Zoom Meetings) for this event. Many government computers and systems allow Zoom access. If for some reason your firewall will not allow access, you’re welcome to use your personal email address to register, and to attend the sessions from your personal device.
- Can I earn CLE credits for this class?
- CLE applications are the responsibility of each attendee; FELTG does not apply for the credits on behalf of attendees. If you are seeking CLE credit, attendees may use the materials provided by FELTG in submission to your state bar. Attendees may also request a certificate of completion which will contain the number of training hours attended.
- Can I share my access link with co-workers?
- No. Registration for this event is per individual, and access links may not be shared. Each link may only be used by one person.
- Can I register a teleworker?
- This event is individual registration, so the cost is the same whether the person is teleworking or in an agency facility.
- How do I receive a group rate discount?
- Group rates are available for agencies registering 10 or more individuals. Group discounts are available through June 1.
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.
Instructors
Deborah Hopkins, Katherine Atkinson, Meghan Droste
Course Description
Meet your mandatory EEO Counselor and Investigator refresher training with FELTG this summer. Each 95-minute session counts toward the annual refresher requirement mandated by EEOC. Register for the entire series and receive a certificate of completion, to show you have met EEOC’s mandatory 8-hour annual refresher requirement.
Sessions
May 28 – EEO Complaints in 2020: What Counselors and Investigators Need to Know: EEOC jurisdiction; pre-complaint counseling; tolling; estoppel; formal complaint — acceptance/dismissal.
June 11 – Understanding Current Issues: Reasonable Accommodation Trends in 2020: The Americans With Disabilities Act Amendments Acts; defining individuals with disabilities; the interactive process; who chooses accommodation; fact-specificity of reasonable accommodation; interactive process requirements; telework as accommodation; the agency’s obligation to accommodate the commute; requests for a new supervisor as accommodation.
June 25 – Practical Skills for Counselors and Investigators: Interviewing Complainants and Witnesses: Preparing for interviews; methods of communication; interview v. interrogation; types of questions; top 10 interviewing tips; the funnel technique.
July 9 – The Latest on Sexual Orientation and Gender Discrimination in the Federal Workplace: Review and discuss latest Supreme Court decisions on gay/transgender rights; the law; gender stereotyping as sex discrimination; sexual orientation discrimination; transgender status; same-sex discrimination.
July 23 – Updates on Discrimination: Recent Cases About Race, Color, Religion, and National Origin: The law and key terms; forms of discrimination; race and color discrimination; national original discrimination; English-only rules; religious discrimination; failure to accommodation for religious reasons.
Price
- Early Bird Tuition: $275 per site, per session (payment made by May 18).
- Standard Tuition: $305 per site, per session (payment made May 19 or later).
- Register for all five webinars by May 18 and pay only $1295!
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $40 per teleworker, on a space-available basis.
Cancellation and No-show Policy for Registered Participants: Cancellations made after the cancel date on the registration form will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses. Pre-paid training using the “Pay Now” option will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses. No-shows will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses.
Download Individual Registration Form
Course Description
If there’s one issue that comes up in every training class regardless of the audience or topic, it’s Reasonable Accommodation in the federal workplace. Now’s your chance to attend a two-day event focused entirely on appropriately and legally handling reasonable accommodation requests, including the more complicated scenarios where there’s not an easy answer. FELTG’s Virtual Training Institute proudly presents Reasonable Accommodation Spotlight: Challenges and Trends in Federal Agencies.
Let FELTG’s experienced instructors guide you through the complexities in the reasonable accommodation process, and show you the best ways to avoid pitfalls, so that your agency provides appropriate, useful, and legally-defensible accommodations for individuals who are entitled to receive them. Covering everything from the foundations of the law to challenges such as providing accommodations to teleworkers, allowing emotional support animals in the workplace, accommodating stress, properly handling requests for medical documentation, and including the very latest EEOC guidance on COVID-19 and more, this is a class you can’t afford to miss. Plus, you’ll have multiple opportunities to ask your Reasonable Accommodation questions – and get answers in real time.
This program runs from 12:30 pm – 4:00 pm eastern each day, with a 30-minute break from 2:00 – 2:30 pm.
6
Who Should Attend
Reasonable Accommodation Coordinators; EEO managers and directors; EEO specialists; EEO counselors and investigators; federal supervisors and managers who have employees with reasonable accommodation requests; attorneys; Labor and Employee Relations Specialists; union representatives.
Agenda
Tuesday, June 16 – Reasonable Accommodation: The Foundations and Challenges
12:30 – 4:00 pm eastern (break from 2:00 – 2:30), with Instructor Meghan Droste
Course topics: Overview of Reasonable Accommodation law and the Reasonable Accommodation process; the “regarded as” provision of the Americans with Disabilities Act; a closer look at complicated cases involving determining essential functions, the definition of qualified individual, agency obligations during the interactive process, and undue hardship claims.
Wednesday, June 17 – Reasonable Accommodation Trends
12:30 – 4:00 pm eastern (break from 2:00 – 2:30), with Instructor Katherine Atkinson
Course topics: Requests for telework, flexible work schedules, and leave as Reasonable Accommodation; accommodating the commute; accommodating stress; handling requests for a new supervisor as accommodation; accommodating service animals vs. emotional support animals in the workplace; medical documentation; medical exams and inquiries; updated COVID-19 guidance from EEOC.
Price
- Early Bird Tuition: $295 per session, $560 for both sessions (register by June 5).
- Standard Tuition: $330 per session, $595 for both sessions (register June 6-17).
- Rates per registrant. No split registrations.
Event FAQs
- Can I attend Virtual Training from my government computer?
- FELTG uses Webex to broadcast its Virtual Training Institute events. Many government computers and systems allow Webex access. If for some reason your firewall will not allow access, you’re welcome to use your personal email address to register, and to attend the sessions from your personal device.
- Can I share my access link with co-workers?
- No. Registration for this event is per individual, and access links may not be shared. Each link may only be used by one person.
- Can I register a teleworker?
- This event is individual registration, so the cost is the same whether the person is teleworking or in an agency facility.
- Can I earn CLE credits or EEO refresher training for this class?
- CLE applications are the responsibility of each attendee; FELTG does not apply for the credits on behalf of attendees. If you are seeking CLE credit, attendees may use the materials provided by FELTG in submission to your state bar. Attendees may also request a certificate of completion which will contain the number of training hours attended. Attendees may also request a certificate for EEO refresher hours upon completion of this program.
- How do I receive a group rate discount?
- Group rates are available for agencies registering 10 or more individuals for the full event. Group discounts are available through June 5.
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.
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.
Instructors
Deborah Hopkins, Barbara Haga, Meghan Droste, Ann Boehm, Joe Schimansky, Katherine Atkinson, Anthony Marchese
Course Description
Those of you who supervise federal employees know it can be a frustrating calling, especially when you face so many new and challenging issues amid complex and changing laws.
Help is on the way. Register now for one, several, or all of the courses in FELTG’s comprehensive webinar training series Supervising Federal Employees: Managing Accountability and Defending Your Actions. No other training provides the depth and breadth of guidance federal supervisors need to manage the agency workplace effectively and efficiently.
Over the course of 14 webinars, FELTG’s experienced and knowledgeable instructors provide support on everything from managing poor performance and disciplining for employee misconduct to providing reasonable accommodation and rooting out leave abuse, and much much more.
This unique series has been updated to address the most timely and important topics supervisors are facing right now. The 60-minute webinars, held every other Tuesday from 1 – 2 p.m. eastern time, will expand upon legal principles to provide attendees with the necessary tools and best practices. Plus, you’ll have a chance to ask questions and get answers from FELTG instructors – in real time.
As an added bonus, this series fulfills OPM’s mandatory training requirements for new supervisors found at 5 CFR 412.202(b).
2020 dates:
March 3: The Foundations of Accountability: Performance vs. Misconduct: The distinction between performance and conduct; an overview on holding employees accountable; setting the stage for discipline and performance actions.
March 17: Writing Effective Performance Plans: Performance management; understanding the performance appraisal system; defining elements and standards; drafting standards according to legal requirements; creating the performance plan.
March 31: Preparing an Unacceptable Performance Case: Performance accountability in a nutshell; preparing and executing a performance demonstration period; proof and evidence standards.
April 14: Addressing Special Challenges with Performance: Permutations on performance accountability and the performance warning period; performance standards with multiple sub-components; managing teleworker performance; what do when a poor-performing employee requests reasonable accommodation.
April 28: Providing Performance Feedback That Makes a Difference: Communicating performance expectations; providing ongoing feedback; positive vs. negative framing; why you shouldn’t wait until the mid-year to discuss performance issues; what OPM says about mentorship; leader as mentor.
May 12: Disciplining Employees for Misconduct, Part I: The five elements of discipline in the federal government; documentation supervisors need to succeed in a disciplinary action.
May 26: Disciplining Employees for Misconduct, Part II: Disciplinary procedures: reprimand, suspension, termination; appeals process; agency liability.
June 9: Tackling Leave Issues I: Handling the leave issues most common in the federal government: annual leave, sick leave, leave transfer.
June 23: Tackling Leave Issues II: Handling more complicated leave scenarios: FMLA, LWOP, administrative leave, AWOL.
July 7: Combating Against Hostile Work Environment Harassment Claims: The elements of a hostile work environment; liability in hostile work environment claims; tangible employment actions; harassment v. bullying; supervisor responsibilities in harassment claims; agency defenses.
July 21: Intentional EEO Discrimination: What supervisors should know about EEO discrimination; discrete acts of discrimination; selection and promotion cases; defending against claims of intentional discrimination.
August 4: Disability Accommodation in 60 Minutes: Defining a disability; requests for accommodation; the interactive process; accommodations of choice; undue hardship.
August 18: EEO Reprisal: Handle It, Don’t Fear It: How reprisal is different than other EEO claims; what the complainant must show to establish reprisal; how a supervisor can defend against reprisal claims; what to do and what not to do when an employee engages in protected EEO activity.
September 1: Supervising in a Unionized Environment: The right to be bargained with; forming a union; employee and union rights; ULPs.
Pricing
Early Bird Tuition:
- $240 per site, per session (payment required by Feb 24).
- Special series discounts available through February 24: $2,925 for the first 13 webinars or $3,150 for all 14. See registration form for details.
Standard Tuition:
- $270 per site, per session (payments made Feb. 25 or later).
Teleworkers may be added to a primary site registration for $40 each, per session, on a space-available basis.
Instructors
Deborah Hopkins, Katherine Atkinson, Meghan Droste
Course Description
Meet your mandatory EEO Counselor and Investigator refresher training with FELTG this summer. Each 95-minute session counts toward the annual refresher requirement mandated by EEOC. Register for the entire series and receive a certificate of completion, to show you have met EEOC’s mandatory 8-hour annual refresher requirement.
Sessions
May 28 – EEO Complaints in 2020: What Counselors and Investigators Need to Know: EEOC jurisdiction; pre-complaint counseling; tolling; estoppel; formal complaint — acceptance/dismissal.
June 11 – Understanding Current Issues: Reasonable Accommodation Trends in 2020: The Americans With Disabilities Act Amendments Acts; defining individuals with disabilities; the interactive process; who chooses accommodation; fact-specificity of reasonable accommodation; interactive process requirements; telework as accommodation; the agency’s obligation to accommodate the commute; requests for a new supervisor as accommodation.
June 25 – Practical Skills for Counselors and Investigators: Interviewing Complainants and Witnesses: Preparing for interviews; methods of communication; interview v. interrogation; types of questions; top 10 interviewing tips; the funnel technique.
July 9 – The Latest on Sexual Orientation and Gender Discrimination in the Federal Workplace: Review and discuss latest Supreme Court decisions on gay/transgender rights; the law; gender stereotyping as sex discrimination; sexual orientation discrimination; transgender status; same-sex discrimination.
July 23 – Updates on Discrimination: Recent Cases About Race, Color, Religion, and National Origin: The law and key terms; forms of discrimination; race and color discrimination; national original discrimination; English-only rules; religious discrimination; failure to accommodation for religious reasons.
Price
- Early Bird Tuition: $275 per site, per session (payment made by May 18).
- Standard Tuition: $305 per site, per session (payment made May 19 or later).
- Register for all five webinars by May 18 and pay only $1295!
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $40 per teleworker, on a space-available basis.
Cancellation and No-show Policy for Registered Participants: Cancellations made after the cancel date on the registration form will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses. Pre-paid training using the “Pay Now” option will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses. No-shows will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses.
Download Individual Registration Form
Federal Workplace Challenges in a COVID-19 World: Returning to Work During a Pandemic
While the nation’s slow re-opening is being welcomed by struggling small businesses and Americans eager for a return to normalcy, it is being met with hesitation and fear by many employees who will soon be making their way back to the workplaces they last occupied several weeks ago.
They are not the only ones who are hesitant. You probably are too. And you should be. Bringing teleworkers back to the physical workplace amid a pandemic will not be easy. Agency HR/EEO professionals, attorneys, supervisors, and managers play important roles in ensuring that their agencies follow the appropriate guidelines, comply with laws involving leave and reasonable accommodation, and meet their burden for providing a safe workspace.
Are you prepared? Join FELTG for a one-of-a-kind, multi-faceted virtual training event that readies you for this unique and demanding challenge. In one afternoon, attendees will receive a detailed discussion of numerous considerations as they prepare for the physical return of employees to the workplace – leave and flexible work schedules, medical testing, employees who blow the whistle about COVID-19 related issues, reasonable accommodation, mental health crises, and much more.
Learning Objectives
After completing this training, attendees will know how to:
- Apply available flexibilities on scheduling, leave, and telework.
- Provide appropriate support to employees with mental health struggles exacerbated by the pandemic.
- Ensure a safe work environment without violating EEO laws.
This is an event that you cannot afford to miss. This program runs from 12:30 pm – 4:00 pm eastern
Download Individual Registration Form
Session Description
Part 1: Federal Employee Leave: Rights, Requirements and Strategies
Presented by Ann Boehm, FELTG Instructor, Attorney at Law
Administering leave can be complicated enough in normal times, let alone during a pandemic. Ms. Boehm will explain the basic leave entitlements of federal employees, and address the additional leave options and strategies that are specific to COVID-19, such as emergency paid sick leave and administrative leave.
Part 2: Complying with the Law While Ensuring a Safe Return to Work
Presented by Ann Boehm, FELTG President, Attorney at Law
What is the latest guidance from OPM, OMB, CDC, and other authorities as agencies prepare to call employees back to work? Can you – and should you – require medical certification for employees returning to duty? What are your options if an employee refuses to return to work? Are you prepared for reasonable accommodation requests or hostile work environment claims from vulnerable populations? What should an agency do if an employee has blown the whistle about COVID-19 related matters? Ms. Boehm will address these issues, and more.
Part 3: Managing the Mental Health Crisis During the Pandemic
Presented by Shana Palmieri, LCSW, FELTG Instructor
A new national report detailing the psychological impacts of COVID-19 projects an additional 75,000 Americans could die due to “diseases of despair.” This vulnerable population will soon be returning to the workplace. Ms. Palmieri will provide up-to-date information on risk factors for mental health crises and how to provide appropriate support, intervention and access to treatment for federal government employees to prevent deaths from diseases of despair including suicide, depression, and acute trauma.
Price
- Early Bird Tuition (register by June 19): $295
- Standard Tuition (register June 20-29): $345
- Rates per registrant.
- Want to register a group? Group discounts are available through June 19. Contact FELTG.
Event FAQs
- Can I attend Virtual Training from my government computer?
- FELTG will use Webex for this event. Many government computers and systems allow Webex access, and you do not need a Webex account in order to participate. If for some reason your firewall will not allow access, you’re welcome to use your personal email address to register, and to attend the sessions from your personal device.
- Can I earn CLE credits for this class?
- CLE applications are the responsibility of each attendee; FELTG does not apply for the credits on behalf of attendees. If you are seeking CLE credit, attendees may use the materials provided by FELTG in submission to your state bar. Attendees may also request a certificate of completion which will contain the number of training hours attended.
- Can I share my access link with co-workers?
- No. Registration for this event is per individual, and access links may not be shared. Each link may only be used by one person.
- Can I register a teleworker?
- This event is individual registration, so the cost is the same whether the person is teleworking or in an agency facility.
- How do I receive a group rate discount?
- Group rates are available for agencies registering 10 or more individuals. Group discounts are available through June 19.
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.
Download Individual Registration Form
Instructor
Course Description
FELTG’s flagship courses, such as UnCivil Servant, have empowered supervisors and their advisors to confidently handle the challenges that come with supervising federal employees.
But what if those employees are not in the physical workspace, and instead are working remotely, as most federal employees currently are (and most will likely be for the foreseeable future)? FELTG President and attorney at law Deborah Hopkins will address and provide guidance on handling employee conduct and performance issues during a pandemic.
Over the course of 75 minutes, Ms. Hopkins will address challenges such as remote employees, who:
- Refuse to report to duty after the agency re-opens.
- Misuse technology or violate time and attendance protocols.
- Fail to perform their critical element(s) at an acceptable level.
Many employees are thriving under remote work, but others continue to struggle with performance. It’s imperative to agency mission that you use the right tools to swiftly and effectively address poor performance and misconduct, regardless of where the employee is doing – or NOT doing – the actual work.
Learning Objectives
Attendees will learn how to:
- Take disciplinary action against a teleworking employee.
- Determine whether a non-performer should be put on a demonstration period during emergency telework.
- Manage a demonstration period remotely.
Price
- Early Bird Tuition (payment required by June 22, 2020):
- 1 line: $140
- 2-5 lines: $225
- 6-9 lines: $300
- 10-15 lines: $385
- 16-20 lines: $465
- Standard Tuition (payments made June 23, 2020 or later):
- 1 line: $165
- 2-5 lines: $260
- 6-9 lines: $340
- 10-15 lines: $420
- 16-20 lines: $495
Additional teleworkers may be added for $40 each, if space is available.
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.
Instructors
Deborah Hopkins, Barbara Haga, Meghan Droste, Ann Boehm, Joe Schimansky, Katherine Atkinson, Anthony Marchese
Course Description
Those of you who supervise federal employees know it can be a frustrating calling, especially when you face so many new and challenging issues amid complex and changing laws.
Help is on the way. Register now for one, several, or all of the courses in FELTG’s comprehensive webinar training series Supervising Federal Employees: Managing Accountability and Defending Your Actions. No other training provides the depth and breadth of guidance federal supervisors need to manage the agency workplace effectively and efficiently.
Over the course of 14 webinars, FELTG’s experienced and knowledgeable instructors provide support on everything from managing poor performance and disciplining for employee misconduct to providing reasonable accommodation and rooting out leave abuse, and much much more.
This unique series has been updated to address the most timely and important topics supervisors are facing right now. The 60-minute webinars, held every other Tuesday from 1 – 2 p.m. eastern time, will expand upon legal principles to provide attendees with the necessary tools and best practices. Plus, you’ll have a chance to ask questions and get answers from FELTG instructors – in real time.
As an added bonus, this series fulfills OPM’s mandatory training requirements for new supervisors found at 5 CFR 412.202(b).
2020 dates:
March 3: The Foundations of Accountability: Performance vs. Misconduct: The distinction between performance and conduct; an overview on holding employees accountable; setting the stage for discipline and performance actions.
March 17: Writing Effective Performance Plans: Performance management; understanding the performance appraisal system; defining elements and standards; drafting standards according to legal requirements; creating the performance plan.
March 31: Preparing an Unacceptable Performance Case: Performance accountability in a nutshell; preparing and executing a performance demonstration period; proof and evidence standards.
April 14: Addressing Special Challenges with Performance: Permutations on performance accountability and the performance warning period; performance standards with multiple sub-components; managing teleworker performance; what do when a poor-performing employee requests reasonable accommodation.
April 28: Providing Performance Feedback That Makes a Difference: Communicating performance expectations; providing ongoing feedback; positive vs. negative framing; why you shouldn’t wait until the mid-year to discuss performance issues; what OPM says about mentorship; leader as mentor.
May 12: Disciplining Employees for Misconduct, Part I: The five elements of discipline in the federal government; documentation supervisors need to succeed in a disciplinary action.
May 26: Disciplining Employees for Misconduct, Part II: Disciplinary procedures: reprimand, suspension, termination; appeals process; agency liability.
June 9: Tackling Leave Issues I: Handling the leave issues most common in the federal government: annual leave, sick leave, leave transfer.
June 23: Tackling Leave Issues II: Handling more complicated leave scenarios: FMLA, LWOP, administrative leave, AWOL.
July 7: Combating Against Hostile Work Environment Harassment Claims: The elements of a hostile work environment; liability in hostile work environment claims; tangible employment actions; harassment v. bullying; supervisor responsibilities in harassment claims; agency defenses.
July 21: Intentional EEO Discrimination: What supervisors should know about EEO discrimination; discrete acts of discrimination; selection and promotion cases; defending against claims of intentional discrimination.
August 4: Disability Accommodation in 60 Minutes: Defining a disability; requests for accommodation; the interactive process; accommodations of choice; undue hardship.
August 18: EEO Reprisal: Handle It, Don’t Fear It: How reprisal is different than other EEO claims; what the complainant must show to establish reprisal; how a supervisor can defend against reprisal claims; what to do and what not to do when an employee engages in protected EEO activity.
September 1: Supervising in a Unionized Environment: The right to be bargained with; forming a union; employee and union rights; ULPs.
Pricing
Early Bird Tuition:
- $240 per site, per session (payment required by Feb 24).
- Special series discounts available through February 24: $2,925 for the first 13 webinars or $3,150 for all 14. See registration form for details.
Standard Tuition:
- $270 per site, per session (payments made Feb. 25 or later).
Teleworkers may be added to a primary site registration for $40 each, per session, on a space-available basis.
Instructors
Deborah Hopkins, Katherine Atkinson, Meghan Droste
Course Description
Meet your mandatory EEO Counselor and Investigator refresher training with FELTG this summer. Each 95-minute session counts toward the annual refresher requirement mandated by EEOC. Register for the entire series and receive a certificate of completion, to show you have met EEOC’s mandatory 8-hour annual refresher requirement.
Sessions
May 28 – EEO Complaints in 2020: What Counselors and Investigators Need to Know: EEOC jurisdiction; pre-complaint counseling; tolling; estoppel; formal complaint — acceptance/dismissal.
June 11 – Understanding Current Issues: Reasonable Accommodation Trends in 2020: The Americans With Disabilities Act Amendments Acts; defining individuals with disabilities; the interactive process; who chooses accommodation; fact-specificity of reasonable accommodation; interactive process requirements; telework as accommodation; the agency’s obligation to accommodate the commute; requests for a new supervisor as accommodation.
June 25 – Practical Skills for Counselors and Investigators: Interviewing Complainants and Witnesses: Preparing for interviews; methods of communication; interview v. interrogation; types of questions; top 10 interviewing tips; the funnel technique.
July 9 – The Latest on Sexual Orientation and Gender Discrimination in the Federal Workplace: Review and discuss latest Supreme Court decisions on gay/transgender rights; the law; gender stereotyping as sex discrimination; sexual orientation discrimination; transgender status; same-sex discrimination.
July 23 – Updates on Discrimination: Recent Cases About Race, Color, Religion, and National Origin: The law and key terms; forms of discrimination; race and color discrimination; national original discrimination; English-only rules; religious discrimination; failure to accommodation for religious reasons.
Price
- Early Bird Tuition: $275 per site, per session (payment made by May 18).
- Standard Tuition: $305 per site, per session (payment made May 19 or later).
- Register for all five webinars by May 18 and pay only $1295!
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $40 per teleworker, on a space-available basis.
Cancellation and No-show Policy for Registered Participants: Cancellations made after the cancel date on the registration form will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses. Pre-paid training using the “Pay Now” option will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses. No-shows will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses.
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.
Instructors
Deborah Hopkins, Barbara Haga, Meghan Droste, Ann Boehm, Joe Schimansky, Katherine Atkinson, Anthony Marchese
Course Description
Those of you who supervise federal employees know it can be a frustrating calling, especially when you face so many new and challenging issues amid complex and changing laws.
Help is on the way. Register now for one, several, or all of the courses in FELTG’s comprehensive webinar training series Supervising Federal Employees: Managing Accountability and Defending Your Actions. No other training provides the depth and breadth of guidance federal supervisors need to manage the agency workplace effectively and efficiently.
Over the course of 14 webinars, FELTG’s experienced and knowledgeable instructors provide support on everything from managing poor performance and disciplining for employee misconduct to providing reasonable accommodation and rooting out leave abuse, and much much more.
This unique series has been updated to address the most timely and important topics supervisors are facing right now. The 60-minute webinars, held every other Tuesday from 1 – 2 p.m. eastern time, will expand upon legal principles to provide attendees with the necessary tools and best practices. Plus, you’ll have a chance to ask questions and get answers from FELTG instructors – in real time.
As an added bonus, this series fulfills OPM’s mandatory training requirements for new supervisors found at 5 CFR 412.202(b).
2020 dates:
March 3: The Foundations of Accountability: Performance vs. Misconduct: The distinction between performance and conduct; an overview on holding employees accountable; setting the stage for discipline and performance actions.
March 17: Writing Effective Performance Plans: Performance management; understanding the performance appraisal system; defining elements and standards; drafting standards according to legal requirements; creating the performance plan.
March 31: Preparing an Unacceptable Performance Case: Performance accountability in a nutshell; preparing and executing a performance demonstration period; proof and evidence standards.
April 14: Addressing Special Challenges with Performance: Permutations on performance accountability and the performance warning period; performance standards with multiple sub-components; managing teleworker performance; what do when a poor-performing employee requests reasonable accommodation.
April 28: Providing Performance Feedback That Makes a Difference: Communicating performance expectations; providing ongoing feedback; positive vs. negative framing; why you shouldn’t wait until the mid-year to discuss performance issues; what OPM says about mentorship; leader as mentor.
May 12: Disciplining Employees for Misconduct, Part I: The five elements of discipline in the federal government; documentation supervisors need to succeed in a disciplinary action.
May 26: Disciplining Employees for Misconduct, Part II: Disciplinary procedures: reprimand, suspension, termination; appeals process; agency liability.
June 9: Tackling Leave Issues I: Handling the leave issues most common in the federal government: annual leave, sick leave, leave transfer.
June 23: Tackling Leave Issues II: Handling more complicated leave scenarios: FMLA, LWOP, administrative leave, AWOL.
July 7: Combating Against Hostile Work Environment Harassment Claims: The elements of a hostile work environment; liability in hostile work environment claims; tangible employment actions; harassment v. bullying; supervisor responsibilities in harassment claims; agency defenses.
July 21: Intentional EEO Discrimination: What supervisors should know about EEO discrimination; discrete acts of discrimination; selection and promotion cases; defending against claims of intentional discrimination.
August 4: Disability Accommodation in 60 Minutes: Defining a disability; requests for accommodation; the interactive process; accommodations of choice; undue hardship.
August 18: EEO Reprisal: Handle It, Don’t Fear It: How reprisal is different than other EEO claims; what the complainant must show to establish reprisal; how a supervisor can defend against reprisal claims; what to do and what not to do when an employee engages in protected EEO activity.
September 1: Supervising in a Unionized Environment: The right to be bargained with; forming a union; employee and union rights; ULPs.
Pricing
Early Bird Tuition:
- $240 per site, per session (payment required by Feb 24).
- Special series discounts available through February 24: $2,925 for the first 13 webinars or $3,150 for all 14. See registration form for details.
Standard Tuition:
- $270 per site, per session (payments made Feb. 25 or later).
Teleworkers may be added to a primary site registration for $40 each, per session, on a space-available basis.
Instructors
Deborah Hopkins, Katherine Atkinson, Meghan Droste
Course Description
Meet your mandatory EEO Counselor and Investigator refresher training with FELTG this summer. Each 95-minute session counts toward the annual refresher requirement mandated by EEOC. Register for the entire series and receive a certificate of completion, to show you have met EEOC’s mandatory 8-hour annual refresher requirement.
Sessions
May 28 – EEO Complaints in 2020: What Counselors and Investigators Need to Know: EEOC jurisdiction; pre-complaint counseling; tolling; estoppel; formal complaint — acceptance/dismissal.
June 11 – Understanding Current Issues: Reasonable Accommodation Trends in 2020: The Americans With Disabilities Act Amendments Acts; defining individuals with disabilities; the interactive process; who chooses accommodation; fact-specificity of reasonable accommodation; interactive process requirements; telework as accommodation; the agency’s obligation to accommodate the commute; requests for a new supervisor as accommodation.
June 25 – Practical Skills for Counselors and Investigators: Interviewing Complainants and Witnesses: Preparing for interviews; methods of communication; interview v. interrogation; types of questions; top 10 interviewing tips; the funnel technique.
July 9 – The Latest on Sexual Orientation and Gender Discrimination in the Federal Workplace: Review and discuss latest Supreme Court decisions on gay/transgender rights; the law; gender stereotyping as sex discrimination; sexual orientation discrimination; transgender status; same-sex discrimination.
July 23 – Updates on Discrimination: Recent Cases About Race, Color, Religion, and National Origin: The law and key terms; forms of discrimination; race and color discrimination; national original discrimination; English-only rules; religious discrimination; failure to accommodation for religious reasons.
Price
- Early Bird Tuition: $275 per site, per session (payment made by May 18).
- Standard Tuition: $305 per site, per session (payment made May 19 or later).
- Register for all five webinars by May 18 and pay only $1295!
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $40 per teleworker, on a space-available basis.
Cancellation and No-show Policy for Registered Participants: Cancellations made after the cancel date on the registration form will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses. Pre-paid training using the “Pay Now” option will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses. No-shows will not be refunded or given credit toward future courses.
Instructor
Course Description
1
FELTG kicks off its five-part webinar series Reasonable Accommodation in the Federal Workplace with an overview of the the current state of disability law and how the ADA, ADAAA, and Rehabilitation Act apply to federal employees with disabilities. Attendees will learn about:
- Making disability determinations
- What “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
- Early Bird Tuition: $240 per site, per session (payment made by July 20).
- Standard Tuition: $270 per site, per session (payment made July 21 or later).
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $40 per teleworker, on a space-available basis.
Instructors
Deborah Hopkins, Katherine Atkinson, Ann Boehm, Dwight Lewis
Course Description
One of the most important – and challenging – areas in federal employment law is the obligation to provide reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities. The Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act changed the law more than ten years ago. Yet, too many 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 to avoid pitfalls and to be sure you provide accommodations for people who are entitled is to follow the appropriate steps, in the proper order.
Updated for 2020, FELTG proudly presents a five-part series on reasonable accommodation in the federal workplace, covering everything from the basics of the law to challenges such as providing accommodations to teleworkers. Attend one session, or attend them all.
Click on any event for a full description.
5 (1 per webinar)
Session 1: Reasonable Accommodation: The Law, the Challenges & Solutions (July 30)
Session 2: Reasonable Accommodation: A Focus on Qualified Individuals, Essential Functions, Undue Hardship (August 6)
Session 3: Telework as Reasonable Accommodation: When to Say “Yes” and When to Say “No” (August 13)
Session 4: Hear it from a Judge: The Reasonable Accommodation Mistakes Agencies Make (August 20)
Session 5: Understanding Religious Accommodations: How They’re Different from Disability Accommodation (August 27)
Price
- Early Bird Tuition: $240 per site, per session (payment made by July 20).
- Standard Tuition: $270 per site, per session (payment made July 21 or later).
- Register for all five webinars by July 20 and pay only $1125!
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.
Instructors
Deborah Hopkins, Barbara Haga, Meghan Droste, Ann Boehm, Joe Schimansky, Katherine Atkinson, Anthony Marchese
Course Description
Those of you who supervise federal employees know it can be a frustrating calling, especially when you face so many new and challenging issues amid complex and changing laws.
Help is on the way. Register now for one, several, or all of the courses in FELTG’s comprehensive webinar training series Supervising Federal Employees: Managing Accountability and Defending Your Actions. No other training provides the depth and breadth of guidance federal supervisors need to manage the agency workplace effectively and efficiently.
Over the course of 14 webinars, FELTG’s experienced and knowledgeable instructors provide support on everything from managing poor performance and disciplining for employee misconduct to providing reasonable accommodation and rooting out leave abuse, and much much more.
This unique series has been updated to address the most timely and important topics supervisors are facing right now. The 60-minute webinars, held every other Tuesday from 1 – 2 p.m. eastern time, will expand upon legal principles to provide attendees with the necessary tools and best practices. Plus, you’ll have a chance to ask questions and get answers from FELTG instructors – in real time.
As an added bonus, this series fulfills OPM’s mandatory training requirements for new supervisors found at 5 CFR 412.202(b).
2020 dates:
March 3: The Foundations of Accountability: Performance vs. Misconduct: The distinction between performance and conduct; an overview on holding employees accountable; setting the stage for discipline and performance actions.
March 17: Writing Effective Performance Plans: Performance management; understanding the performance appraisal system; defining elements and standards; drafting standards according to legal requirements; creating the performance plan.
March 31: Preparing an Unacceptable Performance Case: Performance accountability in a nutshell; preparing and executing a performance demonstration period; proof and evidence standards.
April 14: Addressing Special Challenges with Performance: Permutations on performance accountability and the performance warning period; performance standards with multiple sub-components; managing teleworker performance; what do when a poor-performing employee requests reasonable accommodation.
April 28: Providing Performance Feedback That Makes a Difference: Communicating performance expectations; providing ongoing feedback; positive vs. negative framing; why you shouldn’t wait until the mid-year to discuss performance issues; what OPM says about mentorship; leader as mentor.
May 12: Disciplining Employees for Misconduct, Part I: The five elements of discipline in the federal government; documentation supervisors need to succeed in a disciplinary action.
May 26: Disciplining Employees for Misconduct, Part II: Disciplinary procedures: reprimand, suspension, termination; appeals process; agency liability.
June 9: Tackling Leave Issues I: Handling the leave issues most common in the federal government: annual leave, sick leave, leave transfer.
June 23: Tackling Leave Issues II: Handling more complicated leave scenarios: FMLA, LWOP, administrative leave, AWOL.
July 7: Combating Against Hostile Work Environment Harassment Claims: The elements of a hostile work environment; liability in hostile work environment claims; tangible employment actions; harassment v. bullying; supervisor responsibilities in harassment claims; agency defenses.
July 21: Intentional EEO Discrimination: What supervisors should know about EEO discrimination; discrete acts of discrimination; selection and promotion cases; defending against claims of intentional discrimination.
August 4: Disability Accommodation in 60 Minutes: Defining a disability; requests for accommodation; the interactive process; accommodations of choice; undue hardship.
August 18: EEO Reprisal: Handle It, Don’t Fear It: How reprisal is different than other EEO claims; what the complainant must show to establish reprisal; how a supervisor can defend against reprisal claims; what to do and what not to do when an employee engages in protected EEO activity.
September 1: Supervising in a Unionized Environment: The right to be bargained with; forming a union; employee and union rights; ULPs.
Pricing
Early Bird Tuition:
- $240 per site, per session (payment required by Feb 24).
- Special series discounts available through February 24: $2,925 for the first 13 webinars or $3,150 for all 14. See registration form for details.
Standard Tuition:
- $270 per site, per session (payments made Feb. 25 or later).
Teleworkers may be added to a primary site registration for $40 each, per session, on a space-available basis.
Instructor
Course Description
1
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
- Early Bird Tuition: $240 per site, per session (payment made by July 20).
- Standard Tuition: $270 per site, per session (payment made July 21 or later).
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $40 per teleworker, on a space-available basis.
Instructors
Deborah Hopkins, Katherine Atkinson, Ann Boehm, Dwight Lewis
Course Description
One of the most important – and challenging – areas in federal employment law is the obligation to provide reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities. The Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act changed the law more than ten years ago. Yet, too many 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 to avoid pitfalls and to be sure you provide accommodations for people who are entitled is to follow the appropriate steps, in the proper order.
Updated for 2020, FELTG proudly presents a five-part series on reasonable accommodation in the federal workplace, covering everything from the basics of the law to challenges such as providing accommodations to teleworkers. Attend one session, or attend them all.
Click on any event for a full description.
5 (1 per webinar)
Session 1: Reasonable Accommodation: The Law, the Challenges & Solutions (July 30)
Session 2: Reasonable Accommodation: A Focus on Qualified Individuals, Essential Functions, Undue Hardship (August 6)
Session 3: Telework as Reasonable Accommodation: When to Say “Yes” and When to Say “No” (August 13)
Session 4: Hear it from a Judge: The Reasonable Accommodation Mistakes Agencies Make (August 20)
Session 5: Understanding Religious Accommodations: How They’re Different from Disability Accommodation (August 27)
Price
- Early Bird Tuition: $240 per site, per session (payment made by July 20).
- Standard Tuition: $270 per site, per session (payment made July 21 or later).
- Register for all five webinars by July 20 and pay only $1125!
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $40 per teleworker, on a space-available basis.
Instructor
Course Description
1
The law requires federal agencies to engage in the interactive process when assessing reasonable accommodations for employees who have disabilities. Telework is one of the 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 into question. What should you do in those situations?
Join FELTG President 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
- Who gets to choose the accommodation
- What the EEOC says about accommodating an employee’s commute
- When an agency can legally deny telework as an accommodation
Often times 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 requests as 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
- Early Bird Tuition: $240 per site, per session (payment made by July 20).
- Standard Tuition: $270 per site, per session (payment made July 21 or later).
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $40 per teleworker, on a space-available basis.
Instructors
Deborah Hopkins, Katherine Atkinson, Ann Boehm, Dwight Lewis
Course Description
One of the most important – and challenging – areas in federal employment law is the obligation to provide reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities. The Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act changed the law more than ten years ago. Yet, too many 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 to avoid pitfalls and to be sure you provide accommodations for people who are entitled is to follow the appropriate steps, in the proper order.
Updated for 2020, FELTG proudly presents a five-part series on reasonable accommodation in the federal workplace, covering everything from the basics of the law to challenges such as providing accommodations to teleworkers. Attend one session, or attend them all.
Click on any event for a full description.
5 (1 per webinar)
Session 1: Reasonable Accommodation: The Law, the Challenges & Solutions (July 30)
Session 2: Reasonable Accommodation: A Focus on Qualified Individuals, Essential Functions, Undue Hardship (August 6)
Session 3: Telework as Reasonable Accommodation: When to Say “Yes” and When to Say “No” (August 13)
Session 4: Hear it from a Judge: The Reasonable Accommodation Mistakes Agencies Make (August 20)
Session 5: Understanding Religious Accommodations: How They’re Different from Disability Accommodation (August 27)
Price
- Early Bird Tuition: $240 per site, per session (payment made by July 20).
- Standard Tuition: $270 per site, per session (payment made July 21 or later).
- Register for all five webinars by July 20 and pay only $1125!
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.
Instructors
Deborah Hopkins, Barbara Haga, Meghan Droste, Ann Boehm, Joe Schimansky, Katherine Atkinson, Anthony Marchese
Course Description
Those of you who supervise federal employees know it can be a frustrating calling, especially when you face so many new and challenging issues amid complex and changing laws.
Help is on the way. Register now for one, several, or all of the courses in FELTG’s comprehensive webinar training series Supervising Federal Employees: Managing Accountability and Defending Your Actions. No other training provides the depth and breadth of guidance federal supervisors need to manage the agency workplace effectively and efficiently.
Over the course of 14 webinars, FELTG’s experienced and knowledgeable instructors provide support on everything from managing poor performance and disciplining for employee misconduct to providing reasonable accommodation and rooting out leave abuse, and much much more.
This unique series has been updated to address the most timely and important topics supervisors are facing right now. The 60-minute webinars, held every other Tuesday from 1 – 2 p.m. eastern time, will expand upon legal principles to provide attendees with the necessary tools and best practices. Plus, you’ll have a chance to ask questions and get answers from FELTG instructors – in real time.
As an added bonus, this series fulfills OPM’s mandatory training requirements for new supervisors found at 5 CFR 412.202(b).
2020 dates:
March 3: The Foundations of Accountability: Performance vs. Misconduct: The distinction between performance and conduct; an overview on holding employees accountable; setting the stage for discipline and performance actions.
March 17: Writing Effective Performance Plans: Performance management; understanding the performance appraisal system; defining elements and standards; drafting standards according to legal requirements; creating the performance plan.
March 31: Preparing an Unacceptable Performance Case: Performance accountability in a nutshell; preparing and executing a performance demonstration period; proof and evidence standards.
April 14: Addressing Special Challenges with Performance: Permutations on performance accountability and the performance warning period; performance standards with multiple sub-components; managing teleworker performance; what do when a poor-performing employee requests reasonable accommodation.
April 28: Providing Performance Feedback That Makes a Difference: Communicating performance expectations; providing ongoing feedback; positive vs. negative framing; why you shouldn’t wait until the mid-year to discuss performance issues; what OPM says about mentorship; leader as mentor.
May 12: Disciplining Employees for Misconduct, Part I: The five elements of discipline in the federal government; documentation supervisors need to succeed in a disciplinary action.
May 26: Disciplining Employees for Misconduct, Part II: Disciplinary procedures: reprimand, suspension, termination; appeals process; agency liability.
June 9: Tackling Leave Issues I: Handling the leave issues most common in the federal government: annual leave, sick leave, leave transfer.
June 23: Tackling Leave Issues II: Handling more complicated leave scenarios: FMLA, LWOP, administrative leave, AWOL.
July 7: Combating Against Hostile Work Environment Harassment Claims: The elements of a hostile work environment; liability in hostile work environment claims; tangible employment actions; harassment v. bullying; supervisor responsibilities in harassment claims; agency defenses.
July 21: Intentional EEO Discrimination: What supervisors should know about EEO discrimination; discrete acts of discrimination; selection and promotion cases; defending against claims of intentional discrimination.
August 4: Disability Accommodation in 60 Minutes: Defining a disability; requests for accommodation; the interactive process; accommodations of choice; undue hardship.
August 18: EEO Reprisal: Handle It, Don’t Fear It: How reprisal is different than other EEO claims; what the complainant must show to establish reprisal; how a supervisor can defend against reprisal claims; what to do and what not to do when an employee engages in protected EEO activity.
September 1: Supervising in a Unionized Environment: The right to be bargained with; forming a union; employee and union rights; ULPs.
Pricing
Early Bird Tuition:
- $240 per site, per session (payment required by Feb 24).
- Special series discounts available through February 24: $2,925 for the first 13 webinars or $3,150 for all 14. See registration form for details.
Standard Tuition:
- $270 per site, per session (payments made Feb. 25 or later).
Teleworkers may be added to a primary site registration for $40 each, per session, on a space-available basis.
Download Individual Registration Form
Course Description
The one-size-fits-all approach to managing others is ineffective, and that becomes particularly apparent when the majority of your staff is teleworking. Drawing upon the latest research and best practices in behavioral science, communication, team effectiveness, and generational studies, while making special consideration of the increased use of telework during the COVID-19 pandemic, FELTG Instructor Dr. Anthony Marchese will share his insight and practical strategies to ensure you are managing for success.
Sessions will be held from 12:30 pm – 4:00 pm eastern, with a break from 2:00-2:30 pm.
Instructor
Who Should Attend
Federal supervisors and managers; attorneys; Labor and Employee Relations Specialists; EEO specialists; union representatives.
Agenda
Wednesday, August 19 – Managing Effectively
12:30-4:00 pm eastern (break from 2:00-2:30)
Course description: Dr. Marchese will explain the difference between managing and leading, and help you to identify your strength and hone your supervisory skills. Using realistic agency scenarios, participants will learn how to understand and leverage individual differences to develop a meaningful management methodology that is targeted to the needs of their employees and those of the agency.
Learning Objectives
Attendees will learn how to:
- Identify strategies for managing difficult employees.
- Successfully manage a mobile workforce.
- Employ a specific set of skills to resolve workplace conflicts – including virtual conflicts.
Thursday, August 20 – Communicating Effectively
12:30-4:00 pm eastern (break from 2:00-2:30)
Course description: What is stopping you and your team from developing innovative solutions to your most challenging problems? Oftentimes, the problem lies in a unit’s lack of communication. In Day 2 of this interactive virtual training, Dr. Marchese will share several strategies for improving communication with your staff – and it starts with you providing ongoing feedback on employee performance.
Learning Objectives
Attendees will learn how to:
- (And how often to) communicate performance expectations.
- Recognize the differences between positive and negative framing.
- Hold difficult conversations with employees.
Price
- Early Bird Tuition: $275 per session, $525 for both sessions (register by August 10).
- Standard Tuition: $330 per session, $595 for both sessions (register August 11-20).
- Rates per registrant. No split registrations.
Event FAQs
- Can I attend Virtual Training from my government computer?
- FELTG uses Webex to broadcast its Virtual Training Institute events. Many government computers and systems allow Webex access. If for some reason your firewall will not allow access, you’re welcome to use your personal email address to register, and to attend the sessions from your personal device.
- Can I share my access link with co-workers?
- No. Registration for this event is per individual, and access links may not be shared. Each link may only be used by one person.
- Can I register a teleworker?
- This event is individual registration, so the cost is the same whether the person is teleworking or in an agency facility.
- How do I receive a group rate discount?
- Group rates are available for agencies registering 10 or more individuals for the full event. Group discounts are available through August 10.
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
Are you likely to outright deny a reasonable accommodation request for leave or a flexible work schedule? Do you think undue hardship is a viable reason to deny most reasonable accommodations? Do you think it’s your responsibility as a supervisor or HR professional to determine if the individual is really disabled? Have you reached out to an employee’s doctor to find out more about his disability?
Oftentimes the best way to learn is by making mistakes. But not when it comes to reasonable accommodation law. Instead, learn from the blunders that other agencies have already made. Join Dwight Lewis, former Chief Administrative Judge of the EEOC – Dallas Region, for Part 4 of FELTG’s Reasonable Accommodation in the Federal Workplace webinar series.
Attendees will learn:
- What steps to take when an employee informs you of his or her disability
- What judges really think when an agency chooses an accommodation that is different than what the employee requested
- How to determine if telework would be an effective accommodation
- When leave would be considered an accommodation
- Why undue hardship is rarely a successful defense for denying an accommodation request
Believe us: You don’t want to make these costly and embarrassing gaffes. Find out from a respected EEOC Chief AJ, how to handle reasonable accommodation requests the right way.
Price
- Early Bird Tuition: $240 per site, per session (payment made by July 20).
- Standard Tuition: $270 per site, per session (payment made July 21 or later).
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $40 per teleworker, on a space-available basis.
Instructors
Deborah Hopkins, Katherine Atkinson, Ann Boehm, Dwight Lewis
Course Description
One of the most important – and challenging – areas in federal employment law is the obligation to provide reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities. The Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act changed the law more than ten years ago. Yet, too many 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 to avoid pitfalls and to be sure you provide accommodations for people who are entitled is to follow the appropriate steps, in the proper order.
Updated for 2020, FELTG proudly presents a five-part series on reasonable accommodation in the federal workplace, covering everything from the basics of the law to challenges such as providing accommodations to teleworkers. Attend one session, or attend them all.
Click on any event for a full description.
5 (1 per webinar)
Session 1: Reasonable Accommodation: The Law, the Challenges & Solutions (July 30)
Session 2: Reasonable Accommodation: A Focus on Qualified Individuals, Essential Functions, Undue Hardship (August 6)
Session 3: Telework as Reasonable Accommodation: When to Say “Yes” and When to Say “No” (August 13)
Session 4: Hear it from a Judge: The Reasonable Accommodation Mistakes Agencies Make (August 20)
Session 5: Understanding Religious Accommodations: How They’re Different from Disability Accommodation (August 27)
Price
- Early Bird Tuition: $240 per site, per session (payment made by July 20).
- Standard Tuition: $270 per site, per session (payment made July 21 or later).
- Register for all five webinars by July 20 and pay only $1125!
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $40 per teleworker, on a space-available basis.
Instructor
Course Description
1
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? There are important distinctions between religious accommodations and those made for individuals with disabilities, and it’s important that you understand those differences. It’ll help you with accommodation requests involving religious clothing and headwear, grooming, proselytizing, religious displays, and work schedules.
Join FELTG for the final session in our five-part Reasonable Accommodation in the Federal Workplace webinar series. We will help you to meet these challenging requests in Understanding Religious Accommodations: How They’re Different from Disability Accommodations.
After a review of the relevant law and regulations law that pertain to religious accommodation, the instructor 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
- Early Bird Tuition: $240 per site, per session (payment made by July 20).
- Standard Tuition: $270 per site, per session (payment made July 21 or later).
Teleworkers may be added to a main site registration for $40 per teleworker, on a space-available basis.
Instructors
Deborah Hopkins, Katherine Atkinson, Ann Boehm, Dwight Lewis
Course Description
One of the most important – and challenging – areas in federal employment law is the obligation to provide reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities. The Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act changed the law more than ten years ago. Yet, too many 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 to avoid pitfalls and to be sure you provide accommodations for people who are entitled is to follow the appropriate steps, in the proper order.
Updated for 2020, FELTG proudly presents a five-part series on reasonable accommodation in the federal workplace, covering everything from the basics of the law to challenges such as providing accommodations to teleworkers. Attend one session, or attend them all.
Click on any event for a full description.
5 (1 per webinar)
Session 1: Reasonable Accommodation: The Law, the Challenges & Solutions (July 30)
Session 2: Reasonable Accommodation: A Focus on Qualified Individuals, Essential Functions, Undue Hardship (August 6)
Session 3: Telework as Reasonable Accommodation: When to Say “Yes” and When to Say “No” (August 13)
Session 4: Hear it from a Judge: The Reasonable Accommodation Mistakes Agencies Make (August 20)
Session 5: Understanding Religious Accommodations: How They’re Different from Disability Accommodation (August 27)
Price
- Early Bird Tuition: $240 per site, per session (payment made by July 20).
- Standard Tuition: $270 per site, per session (payment made July 21 or later).
- Register for all five webinars by July 20 and pay only $1125!
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.
Instructors
Deborah Hopkins, Barbara Haga, Meghan Droste, Ann Boehm, Joe Schimansky, Katherine Atkinson, Anthony Marchese
Course Description
Those of you who supervise federal employees know it can be a frustrating calling, especially when you face so many new and challenging issues amid complex and changing laws.
Help is on the way. Register now for one, several, or all of the courses in FELTG’s comprehensive webinar training series Supervising Federal Employees: Managing Accountability and Defending Your Actions. No other training provides the depth and breadth of guidance federal supervisors need to manage the agency workplace effectively and efficiently.
Over the course of 14 webinars, FELTG’s experienced and knowledgeable instructors provide support on everything from managing poor performance and disciplining for employee misconduct to providing reasonable accommodation and rooting out leave abuse, and much much more.
This unique series has been updated to address the most timely and important topics supervisors are facing right now. The 60-minute webinars, held every other Tuesday from 1 – 2 p.m. eastern time, will expand upon legal principles to provide attendees with the necessary tools and best practices. Plus, you’ll have a chance to ask questions and get answers from FELTG instructors – in real time.
As an added bonus, this series fulfills OPM’s mandatory training requirements for new supervisors found at 5 CFR 412.202(b).
2020 dates:
March 3: The Foundations of Accountability: Performance vs. Misconduct: The distinction between performance and conduct; an overview on holding employees accountable; setting the stage for discipline and performance actions.
March 17: Writing Effective Performance Plans: Performance management; understanding the performance appraisal system; defining elements and standards; drafting standards according to legal requirements; creating the performance plan.
March 31: Preparing an Unacceptable Performance Case: Performance accountability in a nutshell; preparing and executing a performance demonstration period; proof and evidence standards.
April 14: Addressing Special Challenges with Performance: Permutations on performance accountability and the performance warning period; performance standards with multiple sub-components; managing teleworker performance; what do when a poor-performing employee requests reasonable accommodation.
April 28: Providing Performance Feedback That Makes a Difference: Communicating performance expectations; providing ongoing feedback; positive vs. negative framing; why you shouldn’t wait until the mid-year to discuss performance issues; what OPM says about mentorship; leader as mentor.
May 12: Disciplining Employees for Misconduct, Part I: The five elements of discipline in the federal government; documentation supervisors need to succeed in a disciplinary action.
May 26: Disciplining Employees for Misconduct, Part II: Disciplinary procedures: reprimand, suspension, termination; appeals process; agency liability.
June 9: Tackling Leave Issues I: Handling the leave issues most common in the federal government: annual leave, sick leave, leave transfer.
June 23: Tackling Leave Issues II: Handling more complicated leave scenarios: FMLA, LWOP, administrative leave, AWOL.
July 7: Combating Against Hostile Work Environment Harassment Claims: The elements of a hostile work environment; liability in hostile work environment claims; tangible employment actions; harassment v. bullying; supervisor responsibilities in harassment claims; agency defenses.
July 21: Intentional EEO Discrimination: What supervisors should know about EEO discrimination; discrete acts of discrimination; selection and promotion cases; defending against claims of intentional discrimination.
August 4: Disability Accommodation in 60 Minutes: Defining a disability; requests for accommodation; the interactive process; accommodations of choice; undue hardship.
August 18: EEO Reprisal: Handle It, Don’t Fear It: How reprisal is different than other EEO claims; what the complainant must show to establish reprisal; how a supervisor can defend against reprisal claims; what to do and what not to do when an employee engages in protected EEO activity.
September 1: Supervising in a Unionized Environment: The right to be bargained with; forming a union; employee and union rights; ULPs.
Pricing
Early Bird Tuition:
- $240 per site, per session (payment required by Feb 24).
- Special series discounts available through February 24: $2,925 for the first 13 webinars or $3,150 for all 14. See registration form for details.
Standard Tuition:
- $270 per site, per session (payments made Feb. 25 or later).
Teleworkers may be added to a primary site registration for $40 each, per session, on a space-available basis.