Certification In Human Resource Management Seminar Training Class

Day 1

8:00 am: Registration and networking

• Getting clarification on federal employment discrimination laws
• The latest Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) developments: How EEOC's aggressive enforcement initiatives resulted in a significant increase in favorable resolutions and settlement amount
• Tips on managing a more diverse workforce: Affirmative Action and the EEOC
• New EEOC Compliance Manual section on compensation discrimination
• How you can avoid a discrimination complaint under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
• Preventing liability for age discrimination under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA)
• National origin discrimination and "English only" policies: Why EEOC complaints have tripled
• Analyzing the reasons why courts have ruled in favor of plaintiffs in retaliation claims brought under Title VII, ADEA and ADA
• Developing strong anti-retaliation policies and practices

• Analyzing recent court cases defining unlawful harassment
• Drafting and implementing policies to prevent harassment in the workplace: Extending sexual harassment prevention measures to cover all forms of unlawful harassment
• How to respond effectively to a harassment complaint or suspected improper behavior
• Taking the critical steps necessary to ensure liability-free results from your workplace investigations
• Tips for effectively interviewing witnesses
• Asserting an affirmative defense to a claim of sexual harassment

• Establishing hiring and recruiting policies to avoid employer liability
• Ensuring that all of your recruitment strategies are non-discriminatory
• Examining the legal issues impacting immigrants in your workforce
• Understanding the emerging legal issues related to Internet recruiting and other hiring technologies
• Avoiding the legal dangers when recruiting from your competitors
• Identifying which questions you may and may not ask when conducting an employment interview
• Negligent hiring and how to prevent its disastrous consequences
• Conducting reference, credit and background checks while complying with the Fair Credit Reporting Act
• Avoiding hidden liability traps when implementing the latest employee screening devices
• What you need to know about pre-employment testing, drug and alcohol testing and medical evaluations

• How to write clear handbook provisions to ensure full adherence to rules and regulations
• Prevent your employment documentation including handbooks, letters, and other written communications from unintentionally becoming legally binding employment contracts
• Understanding the limitations of disclaimers: Policy language that can do more harm than good
• Vigilant record keeping practices that will stand up to scrutiny: Which government agencies can audit your files and what information are they permitted to obtain?
• Deciphering what should and should not be kept in personnel files

• Understanding employee privacy and confidentiality rights in the workplace
• Examining new HIPAA regulations regarding confidentiality of medical records
• Monitoring computers, phone calls and e-mails and searching lockers and offices without violating the law
• Drafting policies for managing Internet access to deter inappropriate usage by employees at work
• Handling third party access to personnel files, requests for information and subpoenas of documents
• Drafting and implementing drug and alcohol policies and practices that comply with the law

Day 2 - Part I continues

8:30 am: Refreshments and networking

• Understanding the requirements of the FMLA: Which employees are eligible and what conditions require leave to be granted?
• Examining recent court cases that continue to expand the definition of "serious health condition" under the FMLA
• Managing the headaches of intermittent leave: Tips on keeping track
• Untangling the confusing overlap of Workers' Compensation, FMLA, ADA and other leave laws
• Protecting yourself from individual liability for violations of the FMLA
• What are your employees' mandatory leave rights? Voting, jury duty and military service explained
• Interactive Exercise: Applying your knowledge to the most confusing and complicated leave and absence cases you are likely to face

• Ensuring that your workforce can pass the exempt vs. non-exempt test
• Paying and calculating overtime, comp time, on-call time, meal time, sleep time, travel time, and waiting time
• Implementing policies and practices to avoid costly pay calculation errors
• Avoiding legal perils when handling garnishments, levies and child support
• Successfully navigating the IRS minefield when administering voluntary deductions
• Handling COBRA, unemployment insurance claims and other obligations to departing employees
• Examining significant issues concerning HIPAA, ERISA, OWBPA and other mandatory benefits laws

• Avoiding violations of the National Labor Relations Act, the Labor Management Relations Act and other relevant legislation
• Understanding what the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) says about your employees' rights to engage in "concerted action" and organizing activities
• Clarification on the rights of union and non-union employees to have a representative present during investigatory interviews
• Implementing policies and practices that are in compliance with all federal labor laws
• How to avoid union organizing efforts without violating the law

• Understanding how recent developments impact your discipline and termination policies
• Protecting your organization with airtight policies and practices
• Training your managers to comply with policies and the law
• A roadmap of essential steps for lawful terminations
• Disciplining and terminating employees with injuries and illnesses without violating the ADA, FMLA and workers' compensation laws
• Lawfully terminating during periods of downsizing, RIF's and mergers

• What every HR manager needs to know about the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
• Defining the rights and responsibilities of employers to employees pursuant to OSHA
• Understanding your responsibility when an employee files a workers' comp claim
• Identifying and eradicating potential safety hazards and conducting accident investigations
• How simple precautions can reduce Workers' Compensation costs: What you need to know about workplace ergonomics and the status of the proposed ergonomics rule
• Preparing for worst case scenarios: Workplace violence, natural disasters and terrorism

Day 3

8:30 am: Refreshments and networking

Part II: Human Resource Management Best Practices

• How to design a recruitment strategy that takes into account current employment trends
• Applying marketing principles to the recruitment process: Selling your company as an employer of choice
• Implementing traditional and alternative recruitment strategies to gain a competitive edge
• Discovering the benefits and potential downsides of alternative staffing sources
• Employing competency-based interviewing techniques to determine which candidate is best suited for the position
• Tips to help you develop a retention culture that will promote employee loyalty
• Designing a succession planning program which will retain and develop your top talent
• Using flexible work policies, perks and rewards as effective retention tools

• Understanding the advantages of internet recruiting and how strategic online recruiting compliments traditional methods
• Developing a knowledge of state-of-the-art online tools
• Identifying the best web sites and using niche sites to target specific skills
• Designing your company web site and creating job postings that will sell your company and attract the best employees
• Strategies for finding and recruiting "passive" job seekers via the web
• Using computerized resume scanning to manage large numbers of resumes: Pre-screening candidates and reducing the number of unqualified resumes

• Developing and implementing employee orientation programs that ensure a successful start for new employees
• Designing and rolling out effective training programs that are linked to your organization's goals
• Empowering your employees through teaming, mentoring, counseling and coaching strategies
• Mastering the key elements of the instructional process and classroom management
• Emerging trends in training and development: E-training, cross-training and leadership development

• What are today's employees looking for in pay and benefits?
• Designing compensation and benefits programs that satisfy employee wants as well as your organization's business needs
• Utilizing systematic pay scales as tools for recruitment and retention: Minimum, midpoint and maximum rates
• Examining the advantages and disadvantages of variable pay programs, team pay, gain sharing, and performance-based pay
• Emerging trends in employee benefits and rewards programs
• Interactive Exercise: How to choose the appropriate variable pay program for your organization

Day 4 - Part II continues

8:00 am: Coffee and networking

Performance Management: Creating a Work Environment to Maximize Employee and Organizational Performance

• Why organizations are rethinking the traditional performance appraisal system
• Designing and implementing a performance management system that suits your corporate culture and helps achieve your business objectives
• How to design programs that are both consistent and flexible
• Training managers to effectively manage employee performance
• Using job descriptions as the building blocks for performance management: Why training managers to draft and update job descriptions is better than doing it yourself
• Conducting performance appraisals: The art of giving feedback and constructive criticism
• The pros and cons of using 360 degree or multi-rater feedback
• Understanding the advantages of ongoing assessment and feedback

• Preventing conflict from arising in the first place by implementing proactive strategies
• Techniques for handling individual grievances: Designing and following disciplinary procedures
• What you should know about mediation and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)
• What you can do to minimize workplace disruptions resulting from personality conflicts: Dealing with employees' annoyances, anger and hostility
• Techniques for communicating with difficult employees
• Utilizing your Employee Assistance Program (EAP) or other resources to address employee problems
• Handling employee grievances in union environments
• Interactive Exercise: Role-play techniques for handling your most difficult employees

• What is the difference between a manager and a leader? How do you become an effective leader?
• How to develop your abilities as a problem solver, creative thinker, project manager, mentor, change manager, and team player
• Defining your responsibilities as a leader and determining whether you are up to the challenge
• How does personal integrity impact on your ability to lead? An examination of your character and personal image
• How to meet your responsibilities to the company while maintaining your own ethical standards
• Interactive Exercise: Analysis and discussion of case studies using real-life ethical dilemmas confronting HR managers and directors

Day 5

Part III: The Latest Trends in Human Resource Management - Ensuring that Your HR Department is Cutting-Edge

• Understanding the changing role of the HR department in today's workplace
• How to align your HR objectives with the overall goals of your organization
• Determining how every HR function adds value: Examining staffing, recruitment, compensation, benefits, performance management, employee relations, training and development, health and safety
• Understanding how best practices in HR management make good dollar sense
• Using various metrics to measure both financial and non-financial performance: Cost per hire, hire rate, churn rate, training cost per hire, etc.
• How to illustrate HR's bottom line impact to your management team
• Interactive Exercise: Applying metrics and interpreting data for measuring the return on your recruitment and retention efforts

• Examining emerging technology trends for human resources and identifying their benefit to your organization
• How HR is using the internet: E-learning, online mediation and benefits administration examined
• Selecting, modifying and managing Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS)
• Factors to consider in selecting the best HRIS to meet your organization's needs

• Recruiting and retaining employees from around the world
• Structuring human resource operations in companies that operate in multiple countries
• Implementing policies and practices for delivering global HR services
• Developing a corporate culture in a global organization