Certificate Program for HR Generalists

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As an HR generalist you are expected to be an expert in every human resource function, including numerous employment laws. Not only do you need to have a strong knowledge base, but even more importantly, you need to be able to apply your knowledge to the daily situations that arise in your workplace. That is why Council designed an event that will provide you with practical solutions to the HR challenges you confront everyday.

When you attend this event, you will discover the practical employment law knowledge you need and critical strategies to perfect your HR skills along with relevant case studies that will enable you to practice solving actual workplace challenges, including:

  • Detecting red flags on an employment application and resume
  • Untangling overlapping leave law requirements without getting caught in the web
  • Ensuring your documents support your disciplinary decisions
  • Conducting an audit to ensure legal compliance of personnel files
  • Implementing a results-based incentive bonus program to increase productivity

The Certificate Program for HR Generalists is approved for 17.75 credit hours toward PHR and SPHR recertification through the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI). 

The use of this seal is not an endorsement by the HR Certification Institute of the quality of the program. It means that this program has met the HR Certification Institute’s criteria to be pre-approved for recertification credit.
 

Training Events Classes:

Location Brochure Venue Date Price Register
ANAHEIM, CA Doubletree Guest Suites Anaheim Resort & 03/17/2010 $1895.00
ROANOKE, VA Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center 03/17/2010 $1895.00
ATLANTA, GA Courtyard Atlanta Buckhead 03/24/2010 $1895.00
TACOMA, WA Hampton Inn & Suites Tacoma 04/12/2010 $1895.00
HARRISBURG, PA Hilton Garden Inn Harrisburg East 04/13/2010 $1895.00
NEW ORLEANS, LA Radisson Hotel 04/14/2010 $1895.00
Early Bird:
$1595.00
MINNEAPOLIS, MN Holiday Inn Metrodome 04/14/2010 $1895.00
Early Bird:
$1595.00
ARLINGTON, VA Hilton Garden Inn Arlington 04/20/2010 $1895.00
Early Bird:
$1595.00
PLEASANTON, CA Residence Inn 04/21/2010 $1895.00
Early Bird:
$1595.00
PEORIA, IL To Be Determined 04/21/2010 $1895.00
Early Bird:
$1595.00
DENVER, CO Doubletree Hotel Denver 04/28/2010 $1895.00
Early Bird:
$1595.00
LAS VEGAS, NV To Be Determined 04/28/2010 $1895.00
Early Bird:
$1595.00
SAN ANTONIO, TX Residence Inn San Antonio Airport 04/28/2010 $1895.00
Early Bird:
$1595.00
KANSAS CITY, MO To Be Determined 05/03/2010 $1895.00
Early Bird:
$1595.00
MIAMI, FL To Be Determined 05/05/2010 $1895.00
Early Bird:
$1595.00
HONOLULU, HI To Be Determined 05/10/2010 $1895.00
Early Bird:
$1595.00
HOUSTON, TX To Be Determined 05/11/2010 $1895.00
Early Bird:
$1595.00
TAMPA, FL To Be Determined 05/12/2010 $1895.00
Early Bird:
$1595.00
ANCHORAGE, AK To Be Determined 05/17/2010 $1895.00
Early Bird:
$1595.00
PRINCETON, NJ To Be Determined 05/19/2010 $1895.00
Early Bird:
$1595.00
DALLAS, TX Brochure Coming Soon To Be Determined 06/02/2010 $1895.00
Early Bird:
$1595.00
NEWPORT BEACH, CA Brochure Coming Soon To Be Determined 06/09/2010 $1895.00
Early Bird:
$1595.00
BIRMINGHAM, AL Brochure Coming Soon To Be Determined 06/09/2010 $1895.00
Early Bird:
$1595.00
DES MOINES, IA Brochure Coming Soon To Be Determined 06/15/2010 $1895.00
Early Bird:
$1595.00
ALBUQUERQUE, NM Brochure Coming Soon To Be Determined 06/16/2010 $1895.00
Early Bird:
$1595.00
LEXINGTON, KY Brochure Coming Soon To Be Determined 06/22/2010 $1895.00
Early Bird:
$1595.00
CHICAGO, IL Brochure Coming Soon To Be Determined 06/22/2010 $1895.00
Early Bird:
$1595.00
SACRAMENTO, CA Brochure Coming Soon To Be Determined 06/23/2010 $1895.00
Early Bird:
$1595.00

Agenda

Day 1

8:00 am: Registration

8:30 am: Moderator's welcome and delegate introductions

Part I: Employment Law Compliance

8:45 am
Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation: Protecting Your Workplace with Airtight Policies and Practices

9:45 am: Break

10:05 am
Recruitment, Screening, and Selection: Keeping Your Staffing Practices in Compliance with the Law

10:45 am
Absence, Leave, and Disability: Managing Employee Leave and Disability Challenges

11:45 am
Wage and Hour Issues: Clearing Up the Confusion Surrounding the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)

12:30 pm: Lunch

1:30 pm
Discipline, Discharge, and Documentation: Avoiding Wrongful Discharge Liability

2:20 pm: Break

2:40 pm
Workplace Violence: Maintaining a Safe and Secure Work Environment

3:30 pm
Labor and Management Relations: The Impact of Labor Laws on Union and Nonunion Workplaces

4:00 pm: Day 1 concludes

Day 2

8:00 am: Refreshments and networking

Part II: Excelling as a Human Resource Generalist

8:30 am
Thinking and Planning Strategically: Ensuring Accountability in HR

10:00 am: Break

10:20 am:
Staffing Strategies: Recruiting and Retaining the Best Employees

11:45 am: Lunch

12:45 pm
Records Administration and Compliance: Ensuring Your Files Meet Legal and Privacy Requirements

1:30 pm
Training and Development: Delivering Successful Training Programs that Will Enhance Employee Productivity and Retention/p>

2:30 pm: Break

2:45 pm
Performance Management: Developing Employee Accountability to Achieve Organizational Goals

4:00 pm: Day 2 concludes

Day 3

8:00 am: Refreshments and networking

8:30 am:
Compensation Programs: Motivating Employees to Achieve Departmental and Organizational Goals

9:45 am: Break

10:00 am:
Employee Benefits: Identifying Your Options and Overcoming the Challenges

11:00 am:
Employee Relations Strategies: Resolving Conflict, Increasing Productivity and Improving Morale

12:15 pm: Lunch

1:15 pm:
Alternative Dispute Resolution: Helping Employees to Resolve Their Differences

2:15 pm: Break

2:30 pm:
Strategic HR: Ensuring Accountability, Credibility, and Bottom-Line Results

4:00 pm: Program concludes


8:45 am
Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation: Protecting Your Workplace with Airtight Policies and Practices

  • Examining federal discrimination laws and key court decisions
  • Preventing discrimination liability: Race, national origin, religion, sex, age, and disability
  • Responding to Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charges
  • Minimizing the risks of workplace harassment: Tips for conducting prompt and thorough workplace investigations
  • How courts are defining "hostile work environment" and what conduct results in liability
  • Recognizing the red flags for retaliation claims before they occur
  • Case Study: How to Avoid a Costly Discrimination Claim: Discover Critical Preventive Tactics

Top

10:05 am
Recruitment, Screening, and Selection: Keeping Your Staffing Practices in Compliance with the Law

  • Implementing employee screening devices without falling into a liability trap: Background checks and employment testing
  • Understanding the legal issues related to internet recruiting and other hiring technologies
  • Keeping your employment interview in compliance with the law: Determining which questions you may and may not ask
  • Protecting your organization from liability for negligent hiring
  • Case Study: Detecting Red Flags on an Employment Application and Resume: Find Out How Lawful Screening Strategies Can Minimize Hiring Mistakes

Top

10:45 am
Absence, Leave, and Disability: Managing Employee Leave and Disability Challenges

  • Understanding the critical provisions of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to manage your most difficult FMLA dilemmas
  • Interpreting the law and court decisions to determine whether your employee is eligible for FMLA and if the problem constitutes a "serious health condition"
  • Handling perplexing ADA and accommodations issues
  • Determining whether an injury or illness falls under the FMLA, ADA, or workers' comp laws
  • Case Study: How to Untangle Overlapping Leave Law Requirements Without Getting Caught in the Web: Get a Fantastic Flow Chart to Help You Sort Out the Issues!

Top

11:45 am
Wage and Hour Issues: Clearing Up the Confusion Surrounding the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)

  • Ensuring you are in compliance with the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
  • Using a checklist to assist you in auditing your wage and hour practices
  • Clarifying employee classifications: Exempt or nonexempt-that is the question!
  • Avoiding costly errors in pay calculations: Overtime, comp time, on-call time, meal time, sleep time, travel time, and waiting time
  • Case Study: How to Avoid Common Classification Mistakes and Expensive Employer Liability: Get Solutions to Your Most Confusing Classification Quandaries!

Top

 

1:30 pm
Discipline, Discharge, and Documentation: Avoiding Wrongful Discharge Liability

  • Implementing airtight discipline policies that will protect your organization
  • Getting management buy-in on policies and ensuring consistent documentation
  • Using progressive discipline to take a proactive approach to solving performance problems
  • Following the essential steps of lawful terminations to minimize the risks of a wrongful discharge claim
  • Case Study: How Due Diligence in Documentation Can Prevent a Wrongful Discharge Dilemma: Tips for Ensuring Your Documents Support Your Disciplinary Decisions

Top

 

2:40 pm
Workplace Violence: Maintaining a Safe and Secure Work Environment

  • Detecting the red flags that indicate the potential for anger to result in workplace violence
  • Responding to threats of workplace violence: Implementing a policy that complies with the law and protects your organization
  • New issues your workplace should be considering in light of the recent terrorist attacks and other emerging threats of violence: Security concerns, emergency response, crisis management, and more
  • Case Study: HR's Worst Nightmare-Responding to an Incident of Violence in the Workplace: Important Precautions to Take to Reduce the Risks

Top

 

3:30 pm
Labor and Management Relations: The Impact of Labor Laws on Union and Nonunion Workplaces

  • Understanding the key provisions of the National Labor Relations Act and how they impact union and nonunion employers
  • Dispelling the myths about nonunion employees' rights: Engaging in concerted action, striking, etc.
  • What are the nonunion employer's rights when responding to union organizing?
  • What you need to know about the collective bargaining process
  • Rights of union and nonunion employees to representation at disciplinary meetings
  • What you should know about mediation and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)
  • Case Study: Accommodating Problematical Employee Request for Representation at an Investigative Interview: How Far Do You Have to Go?

Top

 

8:30 am
Thinking and Planning Strategically: Ensuring Accountability in HR

  • Defining the critical role of human resources and how it has evolved
  • How HR functions directly impact organization results: Recruiting, hiring, retention; records administration; compensation and benefits; training and development; performance
  • Establishing and maintaining HR credibility with senior management and employees: The dos and don'ts
  • Management; employee relations; coaching and counseling; health, safety and security
  • Using HR metrics to demonstrate results and accountability to the organization

Top

 

10:20 am
Staffing Strategies: Recruiting and Retaining the Best Employees

  • Examining traditional and high-tech recruitment strategies and determining which methods work best
  • Internet recruiting: Tips for effectively using the internet to find the best candidates
  • Checking for adverse impact and how it could influence recruiting strategies
  • Making a good first impression: How an applicant's first contact with the organization is critical to the hiring outcome
  • Making effective use of screening techniques: Employment testing, background checking and more
  • Implementing competency-based interviewing process and techniques to increase the likelihood of a good fit
  • Drafting effective employment offer letters: Ensuring that you include all necessary information
  • Creating winning orientation programs: Successfully integrating new employees into the organization to increase retention
  • Identifying the root causes of turnover, and pin-pointing what motivates employees to stay at an organization
  • Using metrics to evaluate your recruiting and hiring process
  • Case Study: Develop a Recruiting Strategy for a Mid-Management Position: Planning Your Search and Conducting a Mock Interview
  • Case Study: The Unhappy Hire: Implementing a Plan to Address a Discontent New Employee Hired for a Hard-to-Fill Position

Top

 

12:45 p.m.
Records Administration and Compliance: Ensuring Your Files Meet Legal and Privacy Requirements

  • Conducting an audit of your personnel files and documents to ensure they meet Department of Labor and EEOC compliance requirements
  • Ensuring confidentiality in your employee records
  • Making sure that your job descriptions meet legal requirements and are updated every year
  • Record retention guidelines: What should and should not be kept in personnel files
  • Processing I-9 forms and other documentation: Avoiding mistakes that can be costly
  • Case Study: Conducting an Audit to Ensure Legal Compliance of Personnel Files: Identifying Problems and Implementing Solutions
  • Case Study: Detecting Documentation Errors: Identifying Mistakes in 1-9 Forms and Making Necessary Corrections

Top

 

1:30 pm
Training and Development: Delivering Successful Training Programs that Will Enhance Employee Productivity and Retention

  • How successful training programs will have a significant impact on staff development
  • Linking organizational, departmental and individual training needs and their relationship to organizational goals
  • Conducting a training needs assessment: How to prioritize your needs when you have limited resources
  • Critical steps in developing and delivering effective training programs
  • Creating development opportunities to retain valuable employees
  • The advantages and disadvantages of using 360% feedback
  • Succession planning: Identifying future leaders and preparing them for leadership roles
  • Evaluating your training program: Using metrics to determine the impact of training and development on the organization
  • Case Study: Identifying Training Needs for a Dysfunctional Department: Working with the Department Head to Develop an Effective Assessment Process
  • Case Study: Succession Planning to Head Off a Rash of Retirements: Designing a Strategy for Identifying and Preparing Employees with Management Potential

Top

 

2:45 pm
Performance Management: Developing Employee Accountability to Achieve Organizational Goals

  • Identifying the links between organization, department and individual performance
  • Collaborating with managers and supervisors to design a performance management system that supports organizational goals and suits your culture
  • How to build commitment to performance management at all levels
  • Rewarding and recognizing employees to increase motivation, productivity and retention
  • Implementing successful coaching and counseling techniques to address performance problems
  • Using metrics to identify issues and problems in the performance management process
  • Case Study: The Case of the Poor Performing Employee-Design a Successful Performance Management Program to Improve Employee Performance
  • Case Study: Managers' Reluctance to Complete Performance Reviews-Tips for Incentivizing Managers to Conduct Successful Performance Evaluations

Top

 

8:30 am
Compensation Programs: Motivating Employees to Achieve Departmental and Organizational Goals

  • Identifying the components of a total compensation system - It's more than a paycheck
  • Developing a compensation strategy that meets your organization's needs
  • Understanding the mechanics of creating a traditional salary structure
  • Using job descriptions, salary surveys and other resources to establish and maintain internal and external pay equity
  • Addressing issues an entitlement vs. performance-based culture and how they help or hinder creative pay alternatives
  • Examining alternative pay programs: Variable pay programs and results-based pay incentives that increase productivity
  • Using metrics to identify and correct compensation equity problems and measure results of incentive pay programs
  • Case Study: Dissention in the Ranks and Low Morale Due to Pay Inequities and Pay Scales Falling Behind Market Rates: How to Address this Problem by Establishing Pay Equity
  • Case Study: Implementing a Results-Based Incentive Bonus Program To Increase Productivity: How to Sell This Concept to Employees as an Alternative to Annual Merit Increases

Top

 

10:00 am
Employee Benefits: Identifying Your Options and Overcoming the Challenges

  • Complying with mandatory benefits laws - COBRA, ERISA and HIPAA
  • Designing and implementing a Benefits Survey to find out what your employees really want
  • Understanding the standard benefit options: Health benefits, cafeteria plans, retirement plans and more
  • Balancing the need to minimize expenses with the desire to offer attractive benefits packages
  • Writing a benefits statement to promote the value of your perks and benefits
  • Employee wellness programs that promote health and welfare: EAPS, eldercare, childcare referrals, legal referrals, health fairs, work/life benefits
  • Current trends in employee benefits and rewards
  • Using metrics to evaluate the cost-benefits of various benefit programs
  • Case Study: Addressing Employee Dissatisfaction with Medical Benefit Reductions: Outlining a Benefits Statement that Reflects the Total Value of the Benefit Program
  • Case Study: Falling Profits Require Cuts in Benefits: Designing a Benefits Program that Cuts Costs and Developing a Plan to Communicate the Changes to Employees

Top

 

11:00 am
Employee Relations Strategies: Resolving Conflict, Increasing Productivity and Improving Morale

  • Keeping workplace disruptions to a minimum: Addressing personality conflicts, annoyances and hostility between staff members
  • Identifying other causes of conflict: Environment, systems, management style, personal problems
  • Understanding the link between unresolved conflict and complaints of harassment
  • Recognizing employees who use effective communication skills to resolve conflicts and providing coaching for those who don't
  • Understanding the different wants and needs of a diverse multi c and g workforce
  • Using Exit Interviews to understand the causes of turnover and what to do about them
  • Case Study: Generational Differences Contribute to Conflict: Implementing Strategies to Help Different Generations Work Together
  • Case Study: Turnover Trauma in Customer Service-Taking Action to Identify the Causes and Solve the Problem

Top

 

1:15 pm
Alternative Dispute Resolution: Helping Employees to Resolve Their Differences

  • Examining the primary methods of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)
  • Understanding the basics of mediating disputes and clarifying the mediator's role and responsibilities
  • Case Study: Mediating Disputes: Participate in a Mock Mediation to Assist Employees in Resolving Their Differences

Top

 

2:30 pm
Strategic HR: Ensuring Accountability, Credibility, and Bottom-Line Results

This module is the hands-on development of a strategic plan to address the critical HR challenges in your workplace. With the guidance of an expert HR trainer and input from your colleagues, you will identify key challenges in your workplace and draft an action plan with practical solutions to take back and implement. Implementing this action plan will demonstrate your accountability, increase your credibility, and measure your positive results.

  • Conducting an Environmental Scan and SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis
  • Identifying issues or problems and their impact on your organization, HR department, and you
  • Applying your knowledge and problem-solving skills to develop a plan of action
  • Establishing SMART goals that will enable you to focus on and track results
  • Drafting a monthly HR Progress Report to identify key successes and key issues that need to be and are being addressed
  • Wind-up Activity: Developing a Strategic Action Plan with Practical Solutions to "Real-life" HR Challenges

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