EEO Training

Any effective misconduct investigation starts with a solid foundation of the law and an understanding of the full scope of your investigation. This class explains the principles that underpin a successful investigation of Federal employee misconduct, including harassment.  You’ll leave with guidance on developing the investigation, from creating a plan …

FELTG’s 32-hour EEO counselor training provides the mandatory initial training for new counselors that’s required by EEOC, and much more. The course is taught over four 8-hour days. Our experienced instructors will explain the latest in EEO law in easy-to-understand terms and help you develop the skills necessary to be …

Subtle and overt language, joking, off-handed comments, and offensive comments and gestures can lead to a hostile work environment. And that includes ill-advised, even if not ill-intentioned, phrases such as “hold down the fort” and “low man on the totem pole.” Being a respectful communicator means more than just not …

A joke. A threat. A slap. A social media post. These could all possibly lead to viable claims of a hostile work environment harassment. But then again, they may not. Claims of harassment and more specifically, hostile work environment, continue to soar in the Federal workplace, along with confusion about …

This week of FELTG training focuses on conducting administrative investigations in the Federal workplace with an emphasis on employee misconduct, including workplace harassment. Workplace Investigations Week always includes the most up-to-date information on the skills, trends, and cases, including OPM’s regulations on investigative leave. February 24: Administrative Investigations: The Substantive …

“Who wrote this statute? Somebody who takes pleasure in pulling wings off flies?” The process for handling mixed cases has confused and frustrated many EEO practitioners, HR professionals, agency attorneys, and aggrieved employees – not to mention Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, author of the aforementioned quote. In this 60-minute …

Let’s face it: EEO is complex. Not only do you have several different laws and the growing caselaw to keep up with, but many areas, such as contractor complaints and mixed cases, are flat out confusing as heck. The increasing reasonable accommodation requests based on religion, disability, and pregnancy and …

Investigating harassment in your agency can be an intimidating assignment, one that is rife with innuendo, conflicting accounts, and raw emotions. This course provides a successful and effective approach to conducting legally sufficient harassment investigations that gives the agency the information it needs, while withstanding third-party scrutiny. Tuesday, April 29: …

Whether you’re an HR professional, Employee Relations practitioner, EEO specialist, supervisor, or agency counsel, you have undoubtedly faced a leave-related challenge or two. And chances are, you may have struggled with some of the more complicated scenarios. Leave and medical issues create a complex and seemingly burdensome issue, one often …

Most Federal agencies settle employment disputes — whether they initiate as grievances, EEO complaints, or as appeals of agency disciplinary actions. While it’s common to assume that settlement means the agency has a flaw in its case, it has no direct tie to liability or admissions of wrongdoing. Often, it’s …

When EEO challenges arise, they rarely show up as run-of-the-mill simple scenarios you’ve worked through in a training class. Are you an EEO professional, attorney or advisor eager to learn how to more effectively manage the unexpected EEO issues?  This in-depth, highly interactive training will give you the necessary tools …

This year, it is more important than ever for agency supervisors, reasonable accommodation coordinators, EEO specialists, LR/ER specialists, attorneys, and union reps to understand the process for determining when an employee is entitled to an accommodation, whether the request is related to an individual’s disability, religious beliefs, or pregnancy status. …

A request to telework due to disability? An appeal to skip mandatory training due to religious beliefs? A request for leave due to prenatal appointments and medical incapacitation? With back-to-the-office plans in effect, new and changing laws, and a growing push for religious expression, it’s expected that requests for reasonable …

Potential reasonable accommodations should be discussed by the employee and the agency, through what the EEOC refers to as “the interactive process.” So, what exactly does the interactive process involve? And when is it required? This course explains what agencies need to know when they work with employees on reasonable …

Most of us know something about service animals, but what about emotional support animals, comfort animals, and the like? Are they permitted in the workplace? The EEOC’s stance that an emotional support animal may be a required reasonable accommodation for a qualified individual with a disability, even if it is not a …

With agencies mandating employees to return to the physical office space, you can expect more reasonable accommodation requests for telework. If someone has successfully teleworked already and is a qualified individual with a disability, must you grant the requested accommodation? This course will detail the required three-step process for agencies …

This week of FELTG training focuses on conducting administrative investigations in the Federal workplace with an emphasis on employee misconduct, including workplace harassment. Workplace Investigations Week always includes the most up-to-date information on the skills, trends, and cases, including OPM’s regulations on investigative leave. Monday, August 11: Administrative Investigations: The …

When faced with a particularly challenging request for a reasonable accommodation, you may want to claim it’s an undue hardship. Don’t. Undue hardship is an important concept in terms of reasonable accommodation, but one that differs depending on whether accommodation is for disability, religious, or pregnancy-related reasons. This class will …

Whether you’re representing your agency before the Merit Systems Protection Board or the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, there is one ultimate goal: Win the case. This interactive course will prepare you for these kinds of hearings. Wednesday, August 27: Developing a Theory In this session, you’ll learn strategies for developing …

Let’s face it: EEO is complex. Not only do you have several different laws and the growing caselaw to keep up with, but many areas, such as contractor complaints and mixed cases, are flat out confusing as heck. The increasing reasonable accommodation requests based on religion, disability, and pregnancy and …

Whether you’re an HR professional, Employee Relations practitioner, EEO specialist, supervisor, or agency counsel, you have undoubtedly faced a leave-related challenge or two. And chances are, you may have struggled with some of the more complicated scenarios. Leave and medical issues create a complex and seemingly burdensome issue, one often …

A reference to dinosaurs, a joke about retirement, or a snide “OK Boomer” – nothing wrong with that if it’s just in fun, right?  Wrong! And if you think those are the only actions that’ll lead to an age discrimination claim, you’re wrong again. Join Attorney and FELTG Instructor Meghan …

For many, it’s the most difficult and unpredictable part of the workplace investigation — conducting the interview. This is especially the case when the witness has suffered trauma. And it’s likely to happen, considering these sobering statistics: Seven to eight percent will have PTSD at some point in their lifetimes. …

A principal rule in findings of discrimination is to, as nearly as possible, place the victim in the position that person would have occupied but for the discrimination. This is easier said than done, because there’s no way to undo the harm caused by illegal employment discrimination. Even still, damages and remedies …

The EEOC allows parties to file motions for summary judgment, potentially eliminating the need for a time-consuming, expensive, and risky hearing. Yet, many agencies fail to take advantage of this opportunity. During this 60-minute webinar, FELTG Instructor Katherine Atkinson explains the importance of the Report of Investigation and thorough discovery, …

Could use of pronouns or names that are inconsistent with an individual’s gender identity be considered discrimination or harassment? Yes. In certain circumstances. Gender identity and related topics are so important that in June 2022 the EEOC introduced a nonbinary gender marker for people to use during the intake process, …

The selection and promotion process is an emotional one, especially for those who aren’t selected. If you’re a federal EEO practitioner or supervisor, chances are you’ve had a case where an employee alleges that she was not selected or promoted because of something other than job qualifications – race, sex, …

Antisemitism is never acceptable. However, recent remarks by celebrities, athletes, and news networks have made antisemitism seem more commonplace, in all facets of life, including the workplace. Title VII makes it illegal to discriminate against someone based on, among other things, religion. However, this is one of the protected categories …

Be prepared. Be on time. Be civil. These are fairly basic expectations. Yet, they’re often forgotten once parties enter the EEO process. And once in the process, the potential pitfalls only increase. EEOC Administrative Judge Meghan Droste discusses the common mistakes agencies make, from missing important deadlines to missing the …

When a complaint is filed with your agency’s EEO office, it’s possible that something very wrong has happened. Yet, how agency officials respond to that complaint could go a long way toward not only resolving the complaint, but ensuring that you don’t make matters even worse than they are. Too …

Whether it’s a disgruntled employee or customer, or a domestic issue that follows an employee to work, workplaces are at a distinct risk of violent incidents. And that risk may be heightened when it’s a Federal workplace. How do you prepare yourself to protect the lives of those around you? …

Sexual harassment is a term of art that while easy to allege, isn’t always easy to prove. However, just because something may not rise to the level of Title VII sexual harassment, doesn’t mean it’s not inappropriate or that it should be tolerated in the workplace. FELTG President Deborah Hopkins, …

We get it. You don’t want to look like you did something wrong. But here’s the thing: Settling a case does not mean there were flaws in your case, nor is it an admittance of liability or wrongdoing. This training will explain why so many disputes are settled and why …

There used to be a time when work was a respite from whatever else was going on in the world. Not anymore — and especially not in the Federal workplace. For starters, a good portion of employees are working from their homes, where many are inundated all day with news …

A surprisingly large number of agency dismissals are overturned by the EEOC each year – and a remand years after the events in question can equal big problems when it comes to the investigation. This class covers all you need to know on when to accept, dismiss, and how to …

A surprisingly large number of agency dismissals are overturned by the EEOC each year – and a remand years after the events in question can equal big problems when it comes to the investigation. This class covers all you need to know on when to accept, dismiss, and how to …

A Final Agency Decision is appealable, by the complainant, to the EEOC. And EEOC case law is filled with reversals of agency FADs that found no discrimination. This class will teach you how to write an effective and defensible FAD, which requires thorough knowledge and understanding of discrimination law, as …

A Final Agency Decision is appealable, by the complainant, to the EEOC. And EEOC case law is filled with reversals of agency FADs that found no discrimination. This class will teach you how to write an effective and defensible FAD, which requires thorough knowledge and understanding of discrimination law, as …

Wouldn’t it be great if your first reaction to a reasonable accommodation request didn’t involve increased heartbeat, immediate beads of sweat, or fear? It doesn’t have to be that way. You can be the supervisor (or advisor) who sees the benefit of the interactive process and confidently navigates it to find a …

Has your agency received any Pregnant Workers Fairness Act claims? Are you even aware of your responsibilities under the PWFA? Does the act create a new EEO category? How do pregnancy protections under the PWFA differ from those under Title VII or the Americans with Disabilities Act? This training will …

The most difficult and unpredictable part of the workplace investigation – conducting the interview – can be especially challenging when the witness has a behavioral or mental health condition, or violent tendencies. This course will explain temperament traits and personality disorders and provide a road map to help you understand how to …

Any effective misconduct investigation starts with a solid foundation of the law and an understanding of the full scope of your investigation. This class explains the principles that underpin a successful investigation of Federal employee misconduct, including harassment.  You’ll leave with guidance on developing the investigation, from creating a plan …

There are numerous examples of investigations that have gone awry. It could be an investigator’s failure to interview certain witnesses, a failure to take a complainant’s statement into account, or, perhaps, an action, such as a widely shared email, that shows a lack of objectivity. This course will provide guidance …

This course will provide employees with answers to their most perplexing questions about reasonable accommodation. They’ll leave with a firm grasp on the how and why of agency reasonable accommodation decisions. The law under the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act and its Amendments Act will be explained …

A fundamental rule in findings of discrimination is to, as nearly as possible, place the victim in the position that person would have occupied but for the discrimination. But how? There’s no way to undo the harm caused by illegal employment discrimination. That’s why every EEO practitioner needs to understand the concepts …

Unlike the MSPB, the EEOC allows parties to file motions for summary judgment, potentially eliminating the need for a time-consuming, expensive, and risky hearing. Yet, many agencies fail to take advantage of this opportunity. This training will explain the importance of the Report of Investigation and thorough discovery, the benefits …

Few things create as much confusion among even experienced Federal attorneys, EEO specialists, or HR professionals as mixed cases. FELTG is here to help. This training untangles this often-complicated area when MSPB and EEOC both have potential jurisdiction over a case. What do you do when a mixed case lands …

We get it. You don’t want to look like you did something wrong. But here’s the thing: Settling a case does not mean there were flaws in your case, nor is it an admittance of liability or wrongdoing. This training will explain why so many disputes are settled and why …

When faced with a particularly challenging request for a reasonable accommodation, you may want to claim it’s an undue hardship. Don’t. Undue hardship is an important concept in terms of reasonable accommodation, but one that differs depending on whether accommodation is for disability, religious, or pregnancy-related reasons. This class will …

Discovery is a critical and effective part of any litigation – when conducted properly. Annoying and abusive discovery techniques could have negative consequences, and possibly even lead to sanctions. From disrespect and profanity in depositions to the other party refusing to produce requested documents, it’s important to be prepared for …