• Understanding the impact of harmful behaviors. Learn how negativity erodes team dynamics and undermines business outcomes.
• The ripple effect of chronic negativity. Culture is created by the worst behaviors tolerated. Discover the widespread impact of allowing and projecting negativity.
• Addressing the problem early. Master techniques to identify and address negative behaviors early and effectively.
• Strategies for managing negativity. Manage negativity in your team and in your own behavior on an ongoing basis.
• Harnessing the power of civility and respect. Build a foundation of trust through cooperation, and deploy strategies to recognize, praise and maintain civil behavior.
• Create a harmonious work environment. Foster a positive, collaborative culture that boosts morale and productivity.

• Manage marijuana use. Effectively handle employee use at home, on the job and off-duty.
• Develop compliant policies. Create and enforce clear, legally sound marijuana policies.
• Navigate federal and state laws. Address conflicts between medical and recreational-use regulations.
• Accommodate medical marijuana. Consider accommodating medical use to prevent legal risks.
• Rethink drug testing. Evaluate testing practices to balance safety with retention and hiring needs.
• Address zero-tolerance policies. Weigh strict policies against evolving legal and workplace norms.
• Ensure compliance. Tackle challenges related to ADA, FMLA, OSHA, DOT and workers’ comp.
• Respond to impairment. Identify and manage suspected on-the-job impairment effectively.

• The 5 benefits of a good job description, and the risks associated with outdated ones.
• The 4 federal laws that require accurate and up-to-date job descriptions, including the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act.
• 4 simple steps to create accurate and defensible job descriptions that match industry standards and local variations—with online resources.
• How to define “essential functions” for ADA, FMLA and PWFA purposes.
• Using job descriptions as a disciplinary tool to guide performance reviews and employee discipline, including designing PIPs.
• Choosing the right language that locks in an employee’s FLSA classification, avoids discrimination charges and more.
• Tips and tools for continually evaluating job descriptions to avoid misclassification errors and other legal issues throughout the year.

• Key rules of engagement. Proven strategies for successfully managing difficult employee conversations.
• Framing discussions with perception management. How to shape conversations to foster understanding and resolution.
• The power of guilt over anger. Encouraging employees to take responsibility for issues without creating hostility.
• Legally safe scripts. How to navigate “off the record” discussions with employees while protecting your company.
• Addressing new supervisor syndrome. Tailoring your approach for new managers versus experienced leaders.
• Stopping attitude problems. 3 practical steps to tackle entitlement and attitude issues effectively.
• Sample scripts for common issues. Guidance on addressing challenges like substandard performance, disputes and inappropriate behavior.
• Handling sensitive topics. Best practices for resolving issues like personal hygiene, layoffs, foul language and timecard discrepancies.

• Key elements of an effective investigation. Understand the core components of a thorough investigation and when it’s necessary to launch one.
• Triggering events. Learn which types of employee complaints and situations require immediate investigation, and which can be resolved through other means.
• Legal obligations. Discover which employment laws mandate investigations and how to stay compliant.
• 10-step investigation process. Get a step-by-step guide to keep your inquiry on track from start to finish.
• Flowchart and documentation tools. Learn how to use an investigation model flow chart, templates and sample forms to streamline your process.
• Interviewing techniques. Plan and strategize each interview, implement a checklist and document findings accurately to build a solid investigation report.

• DEI Programs: Dr. Dennis Davis, Ogletree Deakins
• Pay Transparency and Equity: Fred Plevin, Quarles
• HR Record-keeping: Jennifer Shaw, Shaw Law Group

• W-4 updates and compliance. Stay current on the latest W-4 process, including electronic forms, and quickly bring your company into compliance.
• Guidance for side gigs and worksheets. Learn how employees with multiple jobs should complete the W-4 form, and understand the critical role of W-4 worksheets in accurate withholding.
• Effective employee communication. Develop a plan to guide employees—especially new hires—through the W-4 form to prevent costly mistakes.
• Managing outdated W-4s. Discover strategies for handling employees who don’t update their W-4s, including IRS solutions for different forms and methods.
• Rejecting invalid W-4s. Identify when to reject a W-4 and how to manage IRS letters that void an employee’s form.
• Ensuring withholding accuracy. Follow best practices for verifying your withholding processes, with step-by-step IRS guidance.
• Supplemental pay withholding. Master the rules for withholding on various types of supplemental pay.

• I-9 modernization updates. Review recent changes to I-9 processes, including remote verification and the increased scrutiny of electronic I-9 systems provided by outside vendors.
• Correcting issues. Identify and address missing or incomplete Forms I-9 and other common issues.
• New administration, new priorities. Prepare for and track changes likely to come out of the new Trump administration when it takes office.
• Increased enforcement. Learn tactics to navigate the new ICE taskforces and Homeland Security’s I-9 audit quotas leading to dramatic increases in enforcement activity.
• Employer liability and joint employment. Explore government priorities around criminal prosecution of employers and a continued emphasis on joint employment with staffing agencies and contractors.

• Onboarding best practices. Learn critical onboarding practices for both in-person and virtual/hybrid environments.
• Avoiding common pitfalls. Identify and prevent the most frequent onboarding mistakes that hinder success.
• Understanding new hire priorities. Discover what new employees value most and how to address their concerns early.
• Structured onboarding benefits. Build the business case for a comprehensive onboarding program that drives retention.
• Integrating multi-generational teams. Explore strategies for welcoming and uniting employees from diverse generations.
• First 90-day roadmap. Master step-by-step actions for managers to ensure new hires feel supported and productive from day one.

• Retention periods. Discover exactly how long to retain various documents, including applications, résumés, FMLA forms, payroll records, leave requests, medical data, benefits information and more.
• Document storage. Understand the proper way to organize documents, which ones need to be maintained in separate files and how electronic storage rules differ from those for paper storage.
• Reasonable accommodation records. Correctly handle requests related to disabilities, pregnancy impairments, religious objections to vaccinations and genetic information.
• Indispensable records. Learn which records should never be deleted and why, as well as the requirements for storing and deleting communication records.
• Personnel file requests. Know what to do when lawyers or employees ask to review personnel files—this varies by state and timing of the request.
• I-9 updates. Stay updated on the new form and procedures, and learn about the new rules for remote examination if you use E-Verify.