Renne Sloan Holtzman Sakai LLP (Public Law Group™) offers a variety of training programs for public sector agencies, managers, and employees. We can tailor any of these programs to fit your agency’s specific needs and can work with your agency beforehand to develop a uniquely effective and informative session. Our training sessions will help your agency become better equipped to navigate and comply with the legal complexities of public sector employment regulations and statutes so you can avoid costly legal proceedings later on down the road. We can also help improve the effectiveness and efficiency of your bargaining team during contract negotiations. We are an MCLE provider.
Our knowledgeable attorneys and consultants provide training on a broad range of topics including the following:
- Employee Classification & Compensation Studies
- Sexual harassment training for supervisors (AB 1825 compliant)
- Public Safety Officer Bill of Rights (PSOBR) and Firefighters Bill of Rights (FBOR)
- Ethics training for officials (AB 1234)
- Conducting workplace investigations
- Accommodating employee disabilities and religious beliefs
- Essentials of Labor Relations
- Concessions Bargaining
- Labor Relations for Policy Makers
- AB 646 (Fact-Finding)
- Public sector discipline
Learning How to Conduct Classification & Compensation Studies
Our expert consultants can provide classification and compensation program overviews as well as identify major classification strategies. The training program will cover both classification systems theory and structure as well as what you need to know when writing classification descriptions. The program also dives into the issue of audits reports, compensation plans, and comparability surveys.
AB 1825 Harassment Prevention Training
California Law mandates that certain employees undergo comprehensive harassment training every two years. We offer an informative and worthwhile program that complies with AB 1825 requirements and provides employees with strategy tools to identify and prevent harassment in the workplace. The program will identify what is involved in processing a harassment complaint and conducting an effective workplace investigation. We help employers understand their specific harassment policies and develop an understanding what retaliation and why it is prohibited.
How to Avoid Procedural Missteps on Public Safety Officer Bill of Rights (PSOBR) and Firefighters Bill of Rights (FBOR)
The Public Safety Officers Bill of Rights and the Firefighters Bill of Rights provide special rights for safety officers under California law in connection with investigations, interrogations, disciplinary actions, and disciplinary appeals. Our attorneys provide training for management practitioners through case studies, personal experiences and supplemental materials. Our trainers will lay out the requirements of PSOBR and FBOR; describe exactly how PSOBR and FBOR confer greater rights; highlight troublesome requirements inherent in police and fire investigations.
AB 1234 Ethics Training
Our government law and elections experts provide in-depth ethics training mandated for elected officials by AB 1234. The program covers general ethics principals, conflicts of interest under the California Political Reform Act, and contractual conflicts under Gov. Code section 1090. Other issues covered are the Brown Act Open Meeting Law, The Public Records Act, and Fair process laws. These training sessions are generally two-hours long and can be tailored for your specific needs.
How to Conduct Effective Workplace Investigations
Conducting personnel investigations in response to claims of discrimination or evidence of employee misconduct is one of the most daunting tasks confronting public agencies. Doing it right requires skill, experience, and training. Doing it wrong can have numerous negative impacts throughout the organization, and can give rise to lengthy and expensive litigation that can distract whole organizations from their main task of providing public service in the public interest. Whether an agency uses an inside investigator or one from outside the organization, errors can often lead to agency liability and adverse organizational and personnel consequences. Interspersed throughout the workshop is a scenario including live actors involved in an investigation into serious allegations of harassment and bullying. In addition to adding interest and humor, the scenario will also provide an opportunity for audience interaction and a heightened learning experience.
Accommodating employees with disabilities (ADA Compliance Training)
This training program will cover the thorny issues surrounding workplace accommodation for people with disabilities. The program will teach managers how to navigate the process of determining the essential functions of a position as well as deal with extended leaves of absences. It will provide strategies for handling employee misconduct and performance issues that may be caused by a disability. It will educate managers about the legal requirements of workplace accommodation and provide an update of recent case law and legislation in the field of workplace accommodation
Religious accommodation
This session will cover what accommodations are required for an employee’s religious beliefs and practices under state and federal law. The most commonly arising religious accommodation issues will be discusses, such as: time off for religious observances; religious speech in the workplace; dress and grooming standards; and when an employer may successfully raise the “undue hardship” defense. Finally, we will discuss when an employee’s rights under the free exercise of religion and freedom of speech conflict with a public entity’s constitutional duty to avoid the appearance of religious endorsement, or with its anti-discrimination / harassment policies.
Essentials of Labor Relations (Negotiations Boot Camp)
With employee retirements and turnover, agencies are bringing in new members of the Labor Relations field. Our expert negotiations provide a comprehensive training program for new members of negotiating teams that will cover the following: the basics of Bargaining, how AB 646 Fact-Finding affects bargaining, the roles of policy makers, unions and departments, the importance of costing and financial information to bargaining, and total compensation analysis. Our negotiators have many hours of experience and will relay important strategies regarding table dynamics as well as laying Ground Rules at the beginning of negotiations.
Bargaining in a concession environment
Our expert negotiations can provide those involved with the bargaining process tips and techniques for reaching agreements on concessions. The session will explain how to determine what kinds of concessions are needed as well as what are appropriate concessions to target. Our negotiators will walk you through the negotiations prep process including how to make a definitive assessment of your agency’s financial needs. We will also provide tactics for what to do when concessions are needed but contracts are closed. Finally, we will look at the effect of AB 646 on concession bargaining and discuss responding to employee morale after multiple rounds of concessions
Labor Relations Training for Policy Makers (for elected and appointed officials)
Public Law Group™ trainers are negotiators that are uniquely qualified to provide labor relations training for local government policy makers. This program will identify the significant laws, ordinances, and local rules apply to your agency during negotiations. We will provide updates regarding AB 646 and how these fact-finding rules will affect the negotiations process. This session will outline the potential roles of policy makers, city managers/CAOs, department heads, human resource negotiators, and outside negotiators. This session will also layout the tools necessarily for properly preparing for negotiations (financial info, total compensation analyses, CPIs). Policy makers often have to report on the status of negotiations during closed session meetings, so our negotiators will provide some important tips for successful communications to board members and city council members. Here are six steps to successful bargaining: 1) know your agency and your employee organizations/union; 2) proper preparation; 3) setting parameters; 4) internal communication in closed session; 5) communication with employee organizations during negotiations; 6) bringing negotiations to successful conclusion.
AB 646 Fact-Finding
AB 646 and the new emergency regulations may have a significant impact on public employers by requiring additional time, expense, and preparation for negotiations. Nevertheless, with careful preparation and thoughtful execution, local agencies can integrate fact-finding into their existing meet and confer process with limited impact. We have developed a three-hour training session on the new procedures and requirements mandated by AB 646 and the emergency regulations. This training will provide practical advice for navigating each step of the fact-finding process. The session will include: background information about AB 646, discussion of the effect of emergency regulations, strategic advice about preparing for fact-finding, recommendations from a comparability expert, preparation procedures from a finance director, and discussion of who should be on the fact-finding panel. Our trainers are lawyers and consultants working on the front lines with public agencies and are uniquely versed in the intricacies of the fact-finding process and impasse procedures.
