KEYS: HR Boot Camp (Virtual)

Progressive Discipline Considerations for Counties: Does the Punishment Match the Regularity, Severity, and/or Prior History of Misconduct?
We all know that counties should clearly communicate conduct standards and performance expectations to employees and provide them with the opportunity to improve their performance before discipline or discharge occurs. But what if you have a difficult employee who routinely violates established policies and procedures? How do you engage in disciplinary action and “make it stick” knowing that it will likely be subject to challenge through either the grievance process or civil service/merit board appeal process? The answer: progressive discipline. We will examine what the goal of progressive discipline is, when progressive discipline is expected and warranted, and what a typical pattern of progressive discipline looks like. Learn the process you must go through to credibly say to an arbitrator, “What else could I have done?”

“But I Kept Notes in my Desk that I Shared with No One – Isn’t that Enough?” - Walking Through the Proper Documentation Process
Adequate and appropriate documentation is essential to an efficient and accountable human resources effort. Its importance cannot be overstated. Without it, no one will know what you did or why you did it. It may help prevent a successful retaliation claim against the employer, justify the discharge of an employee, or support the employer’s position in response to an employee’s reasonable accommodation request. We will discuss why documentation is important, when you are required to document your actions, and what constitutes good and bad documentation. How do you make sure you can use your documentation effectively in an employment investigation? Join us to learn the answer.

Performance Evaluations: Do them Correctly or Not at All
Performance evaluations: to be or not to be? Like most decisions we make in the world, there are pros and cons to all considerations. What are the goals and impacts of instituting performance evaluations? We will answer your questions on whether or not to conduct performance evaluations, how to create an evaluation system, and how to construct an evaluation form. Our discussion includes the need to hold the evaluators responsible for accurate performance evaluations. Make sure you’re well versed on the common pitfalls of documenting the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Presenters: Allison Genard, Esquire, Joshua Hausman, Esquire, David Mitchell, Esquire,
Jonathan Whalen, Esquire, Paul Lalley, Esquire and Peter Halesey, Esquire from
Campbell Durrant, P.C.