WORKSHOPS

Pre-Conference Workshops:
San Francisco: October 9, 2013
Anaheim: October 23, 2013

Hiring: Everything You Always Wanted to Know But Were Afraid to Ask: 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

What are you doing to dynamically transform the way your organization gets the maximum value from every employee? Where is your next great employee hiding, and what are you doing to develop that person’s confidence, morale, and commitment? Why do so many on-boarding programs fail—and what are you doing to ensure yours doesn’t? How much money are you losing on employee turnover and failed recruitment efforts? As organizations begin to hire again, HR managers find themselves struggling to answer these questions and more. Don’t miss our in-depth workshop, when we’ll cover:

How to set up an effective application flow process for managing the flood of applications and unsolicited resumes you receive every day
Secrets to effective, legal interviews
How to build a social recruiting strategy that’s manageable and sustainable
Tips for analyzing — and improving — the ROI of your recruiting efforts
How to create the success profiles for your critical jobs — and get the right people to fill them
The key elements a successful onboarding program must include
The nuts-and-bolts of hiring-related recordkeeping: What you must keep, and for how long
Answers to the most common — yet confusing — I-9 questions that keep turning up like bad pennies

Advanced FMLA/CFRA: Challenges and Solutions: 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Warning: This is not Leaves 101. We’re going to assume that attendees of this intensive workshop have significant experience working with both FMLA and CFRA, and administering their provisions, on a regular basis. In this session, we’ll go beyond the basics and get to the heart of advanced FMLA/CFRA administration, including:

How to curtail abuses — and potential abuses — without opening yourself up to legal liability
What to do when you have a legitimate reason to discipline or terminate an employee who’s out on family leave, or recently back from it
The best way to handle a seemingly endless illness that requires regular absences but never fully exhausts the leave bank
Advanced leave tracking techniques
Challenges unique to intermittent leaves — and how to handle them with a minimum of workplace disruption
Whether there are ever situations in which you should consider being more generous with time off than is required by FMLA/CFRA — and the potential consequences to keep in mind
Common medical certification pitfalls that regularly trip up even the savviest HR professionals
Nit-picky yet crucial differences between California and federal law in this area

Performance Appraisals That Actually Improve Performance: 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

You hate them. Your managers hate them. Your employees hate them. We’re talking, of course, about performance appraisals—that annual exercise in procrastination, awkward conversations, and unclear expectations. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Imagine a review process that helps both managers and employees do their jobs better. One that has a direct, logical connection to compensation increases. One that isn’t overly time-consuming or complicated. Join us for this intensive workshop and find out how to make it a reality at your workplace. You’ll learn:

The key components of a successful performance appraisal, and how to conduct one from start to finish
How to turn “performance appraisals” into a routine, stress-free process rather than a dreaded annual event
Keys to making your appraisals benefit not only your employees, but also your organization
How to resolve the problem of managers who drag their feet on conducting performance appraisals
Common rating errors to avoid
Strategies for avoiding the “meets expectations” trap that can turn around to bite you in a future lawsuit
Various scenarios that can threaten to derail your appraisal — and how to get the process back on track

Supervisor Training: Practical Tools for Turning New Managers Into Effective Leaders: 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

For many reasons, great employees don’t automatically translate into great managers: They must learn how to give – rather than follow – directions. They must make the transition from team member to team leader, learning how to coach and discipline workers who were once their peers (and may still be their friends). They must learn the legal do’s and don’ts of supervising to avoid legal mistakes that could cost you big bucks and lots of embarrassment. In this practical workshop, you’ll get the tools you need to point them in the right direction:

What steps newly minted supervisors should take—on their first day, in the first week, and during the first month — to position themselves for success
How they can make the most painless transition from peer to boss, without alienating their subordinates
The most common legal errors that new supervisors make (from unknowingly discriminating against employees to giving out the wrong information about FMLA leave)
How they should document issues with individual employees and administer discipline effectively
The most effective techniques to deliver constructive feedback without demoralizing employees in the process
Best practices for new managers to build strong, healthy relationships with their teams

Job Descriptions: How to Tackle Tricky Drafting Hurdles to Maximize Compliance and Effectiveness: 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Given the putting-out-fires nature of an average day in the life of an HR professional, job descriptions probably don’t make it to the top of your list very often. But any poorly worded and/or out-of-date job descriptions lurking in your files can expose your organization to significant liability. Technological advances and workforce adjustments have altered the mix of essential and non-essential job functions. Plus, since the passage of the ADA Amendments Act (ADAAA) and the new regulations interpreting it, the definition of “impairment” has expanded greatly — so there’s now a much greater chance that more of your employees could be considered “disabled” (and thus protected) under federal law. Don’t miss this hands-on workshop, when you’ll learn:

The key elements every good job description shares
How to use job descriptions to set the bar for performance high without creating intangible goals or expectations that workers can’t achieve
The critical factors that clarify whether the position is exempt or nonexempt under applicable wage and hour laws
The behavioral language you should use to describe essential job functions so that you’re in check with the newest changes to the ADA
How well-written and thorough job descriptions can be used to effectively defend lawsuits alleging that you singled out employees because of their protected traits
Key catchphrases and tasks that tend to flag a job as exempt or nonexempt
Real-life examples that highlight common pitfalls—and how to avoid them

Electronic Recordkeeping: Creation, Storage, and Destruction Procedures for the Digital Age: 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

These days, you’re probably online more than you’re off during the course of an average day at the office. But what about your HR files? Whether you’re surrounded by bulging file cabinets, or nearly paper-free—or somewhere in between—your recordkeeping obligations remain a considerable (and legally critical) part of your job. And with technological advances come questions: How do you ensure the security of your electronic files? Can you toss the original of a document once you’ve scanned it into your system? Are there any hard-copy originals you must keep and file? What sort of system should you have in place for gathering all of these new e-records? Don’t miss our intensive workshop all about the ins and outs of electronic recordkeeping. You’ll learn:

The records you may scan and store electronically, and the ones you must continue to maintain in paper form
Rules on electronic signatures
How long you need to maintain key employment-related records
The essential controls you should have in place to ensure the integrity, accuracy, authenticity, and reliability of electronically stored records
Where to store your electronic records, and how to effectively control access to them
The steps you should take as soon as you learn about potential litigation related to electronically stored records
Effective methods for securely reviewing and culling your HR files, including retention of documents and data