Client Legal Training
CALENDAR 2011
Free Alternative Dispute Resolution Workshops:
- Workplace Facilitation Brownbag (Free), May 9, 2012
Employment Related Workshops:
- Effective Supervision, May 23, 2012
- The Foundational Role of "Just Cause" for Personnel Matters, June 20, 2011
- Performance Evaluations, July 11, 2012
- Drafting Discipline Documents, July 18, 2012
- Employment Discrimination, July 25, 2012
- FMLA/OFLA: Advanced Leave Law Issues, August 8, 2012
Administrative Law:
- Core Public Law for Board and Commission Members, June 12, 2012
- Core Public Law for State Agencies, June 20, 2012
- Contested Case Notices, Orders, & Settlement Agreement, June 26, 2012
- Oregon Public Records Training, September 19, 2012
Workplace Facilitation Brownbag (Free), May 9, 2012
This free, informal brown bag workshop is an opportunity to connect with other state agency HR staff, DOJ attorney's and professional workplace facilitators and mediators, hear about how they approach workplace conflict and pick up practical advice. Moderator: Mike Niemeyer. The panelists will include mediators on the State ADR Provider Roster who have significant experience with workplace conflicts in public agencies. This free workshop will be May 9th from noon to 1:30 pm in the Redwood room of the DOJ Robertson Building, 1215 State Street, Salem. Please RSVP to Shevaun Gutridge.
Effective Supervision – May 23, 2012 (2.5 hours)
The hardest task for a supervisor is to supervise the difficult employee. It's easy to give praise when someone does a good job. It's difficult to manage employees who are unable or unwilling to perform at an acceptable level, interact appropriately with their co-workers or get to work on time and stay focused. Come to class ready to share some of your more difficult situations (or include a description in the pre-training survey that accompanies registration for this course) and we'll use the scenarios as discussion points. We will also explore communication styles and how to effectively get an employee to listen to criticism and turn around behavior or understand the consequences for not doing so. Click here for Additional Information and to Register.
Core Public Law for Board and Commission Members – June 12, 2012 (3 hours)
This workshop is an introduction to the essential policy and laws that apply to every state agency, board and commission and will include: Agency's authority to act, tort claims, contested cases, rulemaking, public contracting and finance issues, public official ethics, and public meetings and records. This information will help you avoid potential conflict of interests or problems with gifts or political and lobbying activities. You'll also learn about Oregon's open government policies and how they impact your meetings and communications. We will offer practical advice on ways you can be most effective in your role as a board or commission member. This training is particularly geared for new Board and Commission members. A reference manual will be provided as part of the training. Click here for additional information and to register.
The Foundational Role of "Just Cause" for Personnel Matters – June 20, 2011 (1.5 hours)
There is an increasingly complex web of laws (e.g. discrimination, harassment, whistleblower, retaliation, disability and accommodation) potentially affecting personnel work in the areas of employee behavior or performance. Although knowledge in the legal areas defining the limitations on employer actions is important, this training approaches the subject from the perspective of what is permissible employer action in the context of pertinent legal challenges that can be made. The course is designed to give line managers and HR staff a basis for understanding how to proceed in a manner that is defensible with helpful tips and strategies. Please click here for additional information and to register
Core Public Law for State Agencies– June 20, 2012 (3 hours)
This workshop is an introduction to the essential policy and laws that apply to every state agency, board and commission and will include: Agency's authority to act, tort claims, contested cases, rulemaking, public contracting and finance issues, public official ethics, and public meetings and records. This information will help you avoid potential conflict of interests or problems with gifts or political and lobbying activities. You'll also learn about Oregon's open government policies and how they impact your meetings and communications. We will offer practical advice on ways you can be most effective in your role as an agency manager. This training is particularly geared for new agency staff and program managers. A reference manual will be provided as part of the training. Click here for additional information and to register
Contested Case Notices, Orders, And Settlement Agreement – June 26, 2012 (3 Hours)
Contested Case Notices, Orders, and Settlement Agreements. Contested cases begin with a "Notice" of proposed agency action and typically end with a Final Order. In many cases, the matter is resolved without a formal hearing. This workshop focuses on the general legal and practical considerations that need to be considered in connection with the drafting of notices, orders, and settlement agreements in contested cases. We will also review some good negotiation skills and discuss factors that are unique to negotiating settlements of contested cases on behalf of the state. Presented by Assistant Attorneys General Katharine Lozano and Kyle Martin. Click here for additional information and to register
Performance Evaluations: Why They Are So Important & How to Do Them Well – July 11, 2012
Every supervisor knows the challenge of facing a blank performance evaluation form. Using realistic scenarios this workshop will cover techniques for drafting performance evaluations including: 1) what to say (and what NOT to say), 2) how to provide candid feedback that is constructive and motivating without sugar-coating, and 3) how performance evaluations are used in arbitration and litigation to help and hurt the employer. This training will be helpful for both line managers and Human Resources staff. Click here for more information and to register
Drafting Discipline Documents – July 18, 2012 (1.5 hours)
All the hard work involved in a personnel review comes down to this written record. The discipline letter is a document the employer must "live with" by defending the contents in a grievance or internal process and ultimately a hearing or arbitration. Once delivered, it cannot be changed unless the action is rescinded and the letter reissued. This training integrates the legal requirements with practical aspects for producing an effective document. The immediate and long term consequences flowing from its substantive content or omissions from the document will be explained. Everything from formatting and organization to word choice will be covered with examples and handouts for future reference provided. This course is geared towards Human Resources personnel and managers who work independently or in conjunction with HR on drafting or approving disciplinary letters. Click here for more information and to register
Employment Discrimination Based on Protected Class Status – July 25, 2012 (1.5 hours)
We will start with a discussion of the basic components of a discrimination and retaliation claim and then shift to scenarios to help you explore the practical aspects of managing employees that have identified that they are a member of a protected class, including: • How is corrective or disciplinary action impacted by a complaint of discrimination? • How do I manage when the employee asserts legitimate supervisory actions are retaliation? • What is appropriate to document in my interactions with the employee? • Can I issue a critical performance evaluation following a complaint of discrimination? • How do I address the impact on unit morale if the employee complains to others in the workgroup? Both line managers and Human Resources staff will benefit from understanding how to analyze (and mitigate) risk associated with their legitimate supervisory decisions once a claim of discrimination or retaliation is asserted. Click here for more information and to register
FMLA/OFLA: Advanced Leave Law Issues for the Public Employer – August 8, 2012 (2 hours)
You already know the basics of FMLA/OFLA, the reasons why people are entitled to leave, and how much leave they get. This training covers the tricky stuff, such as: managing the absent employee (and the morale of the coworkers left in the office), the employee with more sick leave amassed than their FMLA/OFLA entitlement, intermittent leave and how to get the work done, dealing with an employee you suspect of malingering, and when an absence from work should also trigger a disabilities law analysis. Using a variety of scenarios this workshop will provide clarity and practical advice to help ensure that the employer and employee are both able to exercise their rights and responsibilities. This training will be helpful for both Human Resources staff and experienced line managers. Note that this training will not cover FMLA/OFLA basics. Accordingly, a working knowledge of FMLA/OFLA is recommended. Click here for additional information and to register
Oregon Public Records Training – September 19, 2012 (2 hours)
Learn how Oregon's Public Records Law balances the public's strong interest in effectively overseeing its government with countervailing confidentiality issues. Understand public record management and retention requirements and your agencies obligations - and its protections –when a public records request is received. Know what kinds of exemptions the legislature has enacted - and how the courts interpret and apply those exemptions. Get practical advice for managing public records requests and requesters. We will also discuss effects of HB 2244 (2011). Presented by Government Transparency Counsel Michael C. Kron and Oregon State Archivist Mary Beth Herkert. Click here for Additional Information and to Register
Other Client Legal Training
In addition to these workshops, the Department of Justice provides training on a variety of topics in response to requests from our client agencies. If your agency is interested in receiving legal training you are encouraged to contact your agency's assigned counsel or use the form at Training Suggestions & Comments Form.
