Management Development Courses:
BGC's management development courses are designed to take job performance to the next level. Workplace rules, expectations and business needs change. An effective manager needs to stay current on best management practices, to understand the practical impact of workplace laws, and be able to communicate well. Small to medium size interactive workshops are used to engage the participants in real life problem solving. Information and skills are reinforced by using case examples and having managers apply their work experience to new situations. If you don't see a title that you need, BGC can create new course work for you to add to your existing management development programs.
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Preventing and Eliminating Harassment in the Workplace:
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Course Description: Reviews the major workplace laws that prohibit harassment in the workplace and focuses on identifying inappropriate conduct and preventing it from occurring in the future. Participants learn about the types of behavior that could be considered harassment and how to model professional conduct in the workplace. We review the different types of harassment claims and the practical management lessons to be learned from them. This course also covers how to identify different kinds of inappropriate conduct, retaliation, reporting harassment, responding to harassment complaints, working with human resources and creating a healthy workplace environment. We also build in information about your company's harassment policies, how to find and follow them, and how to set expectations in others about acceptable behavior.
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Time: 2 - 4 hours, depending on the extent of customization.
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Who Should Attend: Managers, supervisors, and human resources professionals
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Special Notes: This course is designed to cover workplace harassment that is prohibited on any basis (e.g., sex, race, religion, etc.) At your option, BGC can customize the course to focus on sexual harassment (with appropriate references to the broader prohibitions). Introductory information on general principles regarding discrimination can also be included as context setting for the participants. At your request, the course can be customized to comply with legal training requirements in specific states, such as California, Maine and Connecticut. (Please see course AB 1825 - above - for a harassment course that is based on California's training requirements.)
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Effective Communications to Enhance Performance:
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Course Description: Reviews the attributes and goals of "effective communications" and "leadership" and challenges the participants to create new visions of themselves as leaders. Distinguishing between "managers" and "leaders," the course focuses on what it means to be a leader, how to communicate as a leader, and how to use those communication skills to enhance individual and team performance. Through the use of case scenarios, hypotheticals, and facilitated classroom conversation, participants are led to understand leadership in a personal way that allows them to reset expectations of themselves and how they communicate with each other and their teams. The course uses practical application of the concepts to demonstrate that effective leadership communications result in improved performance. Participants interact with each and are taught to seek input and feedback from others as part of their leadership role.
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Time: 3 -5 hours, depending on extent of customization.
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Who Should Attend: Managers, supervisors, and human resources professionals
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Special Notes: This course uses dozens of employment relations scenarios in which the participants must use their best communication skills to address the issues and ask other participants for feedback, advice and ideas for alternative resolutions. The scenarios are easily customized to your specific company, policies, corporate culture and industry.
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Managing Within the Law - A Workshop for Managers and Supervisors:
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Course Description: This is designed as a half or full-day interactive workshop that includes modules on: 1) at-will employment and the basic foundation of employment relationships; 2) how at-will employment can be changed; 3) wrongful termination, hiring and promotion practices; 4) "hot topic" wage and hour issues (exempt v. non-exempt employees, minimum wage and overtime, employee classifications, agency temps, independent contractors); 5) major employment discrimination laws, leave laws, harassment, best practices; and 6) information security (confidentiality and employee privacy, appropriate use of email). Each module focuses on how these issues are implicated every day at work and how to use the information learned to improve employment relationships and communications. Your company's policies, values and employment philosophies are incorporated to personalize the training experience. Information is presented through practical application and attention is concentrated on issue spotting and sound management practices. Large and small group discussions are used for problem solving, based on real life case examples and scenarios.
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Time: 4 - 7 hours, depending on modules selected.
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Who Should Attend: Managers, supervisors and human resources professionals.
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Special Notes: This course is divided into modules, which enables you to select some or all of them, based on your needs. The harassment portion of the course is designed to cover harassment on any prohibited basis but it is easily customized to meet training requirements on sexual harassment (with appropriate reference to other kinds of prohibited harassment). (Please see other courses above that also encompass required sexual harassment training under state law.)
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Discrimination and Harassment In the Workplace:
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Course Description: Educates managers and supervisors about the major workplace discrimination and harassment laws and how those laws are implicated every day at work. Title VII, Age Discrimination in Employment Act, Americans with Disabilities Act, and Family and Medical Leave Act are discussed, as is equivalent state law, and the underlying principles are used to show how a practical understanding of the laws can help participants communicate and manage better on an ongoing basis. The course focuses on: 1) how to identify possible issues before they escalate; 2) application of sound management principles to avoid and prevent discrimination and harassment; 3) practical management lessons from real cases; 4) documentation issues; 5) best practices; and 6) case scenarios that apply the information learned. Small break out groups engage in problem solving together. Using your policies and an understanding of your employment philosophies, BGC customizes the course to your workplace and work environment.
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Time: 2 to 5 hours, depending on scope of content selected and the extent of customization. We can also include an introduction to the basic foundation of the employment relationship, specific comparable state laws, and more in depth harassment materials. Also, this class can be customized to comply with harassment training requirements in particular states.
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Who Should Attend: Managers, supervisors and human resources professionals.
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Special Notes: BGC offers separate courses specifically on harassment and on harassment under California law. See the other course offerings links above.
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AB 1825 - California Harassment Training:
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Course Description: California law (AB 1825) requires most California employers to provide sexual harassment training to their supervisors. Training must be conducted at least once every two years and within six months of hire or promotion into a supervisory position. This interactive course is written consistent with California's training regulations. Through use of case scenarios, hypotheticals and group discussion, it covers: 1) definitions of harassment under federal and state law; 2) the types of conduct that constitute harassment; 3) remedies for harassment; 4) strategies to detect and prevent harassment; 5) practical examples illustrating harassment, discrimination and retaliation; 6) resources for reporting sexual harassment and the (limited) confidentiality of the complaint and investigation process; 7) the employer's obligation to investigate harassment allegations; 8) what a supervisor should do if he/she is accused of harassment; 9) essential elements of a harassment policy and how to use it; 10) discussion of statutory provisions and case law principles; and 11) how to use your company's harassment policy. Also covered are why some employees may hesitate to report inappropriate conduct, how to model professional behavior for others, the do's and don'ts of intaking harassment complaints, retaliation principles and prevention, and best practices. Your EEO and anti-harassment policies are incorporated into the materials so that participants know and understand the content and can help educate others.
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Time: 2 - 4 hours, depending on the extent of customization and desired additional content. California requires a minimum of of two hours of training. But the scope of content is broad and it is worthwhile to consider providing some training time in addition to the minimum amount.
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Who Should Attend: Managers, supervisors and human resources professionals.
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Special Notes: In late 2007, California published its final regulations under AB 1825. This course covers the issues referenced in the regulations. California's training requirements are similar to training requirements in some other states (e.g., Maine and Connecticut) and the course is easily customized to be applicable on a multi-state basis. It also can also be customized to address the broader issues of harassment on any protected basis and can be supplemented with introductory material about the major discrimination laws as a way to set an appropriate context for participants.
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Americans with Disabilities Act:
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Course Description: This course tackles the complex subject of disabilities in the workplace. The federal Americans with Disabilities Act not only prohibits disability discrimination, it also imposes affirmative obligations on employers to work with qualified disabled applicants and employees to find ways for them to perform their jobs. In this course, we discuss: 1) the spirit and intent of the ADA; 2) who is protected; 3) who is a "qualified individual with a disability"; 3) the definition of "disability"; 4) essential versus marginal job functions; 5) reasonable accommodations and the interactive discussion process; and 6) undue hardship. We focus on issue spotting, how using common sense can get managers in trouble, and best practices. Working through case studies and hypotheticals, participants are shown how disability issues can arise, how to handle them in the moment, and the importance of working with Human Resources professionals in complicated fact patterns. Large and small group discussions are used for problem solving. Participants are encouraged to think creatively and to view the ADA as an opportunity rather than a burden, which also improves your overall risk management of disability issues. Information about your policies and procedures and how to act consistently with the work environment reflected in those policies also is incorporated.
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Time: 2 - 4 hours, depending on the extent of customization.
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Who Should Attend: Managers, supervisors and human resources professionals.
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Special Notes: The ADA overlaps with several other laws, including the federal Family and Medical Leave Act. This course is easily customized to include information about the FMLA so that participants are also exposed to those additional complexities and are prepared to handle the issues as they arise.
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Non-Management Courses:
Providing ongoing training to your non-management workforce is an important part of your continued business success. Employees who feel valued tend to stay with an organization for longer. By offering training courses in addition to specific job training, you demonstrate to employees that you are committed to their success. BGC will team with you to identify areas that will benefit employees in the longer term and encourage them to engage in ongoing learning.
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Preventing Harassment in the Workplace:
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Course Description: This course is focused on helping employees understand appropriate and inappropriate workplace behavior. It incorporates your EEO and harassment policies and we discuss your commitment to providing a healthy work environment for everyone. The participants are guided through conversations about the types of conduct that could be considered harassment, how to address behavior that is unwelcome, how to report inappropriate conduct, confidentiality and the complaint process, workplace investigations, responding to investigations, retaliation and modeling professional conduct. The materials are presented from the perspective of what an employee wants to know and what they should know about harassment in the workplace. The course covers harassment on any prohibited basis (e.g., race, sex, religion, etc.). We also discuss discrimination so that employees understand your EEO policies and know how to report discrimination issues.
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Time: 1.5 - 2.5 hours, depending on desired content.
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Who Should Attend: Non-management employees and human resources professionals.
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Special Notes: The course can be customized to focus on sexual harassment, with appropriate reference to the broader bases of prohibited conduct. Either way, it is a good tool for an overall risk management program because it helps you to educate employees about your company's harassment and discrimination policies. and how to report inappropriate conduct at work. (Also please see other course selections for non-management harassment training to meet state training requirements.)
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Preventing and Eliminating Sexual Harassment :
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Course Description: Designed to address private employers' sexual harassment training requirements for non-managers in states that mandate such training. Focused on understanding appropriate and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. Using your EEO and harassment policies as a road map, participants are led through the laws prohibiting sexual harassment, the illegality of sexual harassment, the definition of sexual harassment including examples of sexual harassment, the types of conduct that could be considered harassment, remedies available, internal and external complaint processes, retaliation, and strategies for avoiding sexual harassment in the workplace.
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Time: 1.5 - 2.5 hours, depending on customization.
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Who Should Attend: Non-management employees and human resources professionals.
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Special Notes: This course is designed to provide anti-harassment training to non-supervisory employees in states that mandate the training. It is focused on sexual harassment but also can be supplemented to include information about harassment on the basis of any prohibited category. Regardless of whether your company is subject to training requirements, this course can be used in any state and is a good tool for an overall risk management program
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HR Professionals:
Your human resources professionals are a vital part of your business operations. And along with your managers, they are the front line with your employees. BGC can create and deliver continuing education courses for your HR staff to help keep them practiced in the complexities of workforce management and current on legal developments and workplace trends. Some of the topics you may want to consider are:
- Updates on major workplace laws
- Managing disabilities in the workplace
- Contractor Issues
- How to conduct internal investigations
- Writing employee discipline
- Leave policies
- Searching for causes of substandard performance
- Performance Management
- Acting consistent with at-will employment
- Best practices in documentation and record keeping
HR specific courses can be submitted to professional organizations to seek approval for continuing education credits for licensed HR professionals.
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Consulting:
BGC offers a variety of human resources consulting services. And Barrie's approach to consulting is similar to her approach to training - providing assistance aimed at enhancing communications while addressing your business needs. Based on years of experience working inside corporations, Barrie knows that the starting place is to ask you about your goals and then to customize the services accordingly. BGC works creatively to find effective solutions that are consistent with your corporate culture and supportive of the work of others.
Some of the available consulting services are:
- Writing/reviewing human resources policies and procedures
- Identifying new opportunities for creating efficient employment related processes
- New Hire package review and updating
- Conducting internal investigations
- Reviewing and updating performance management policies
- Conducting HR audits
- Employee relations consulting and management
- Designing recruitment and termination processes
- Updating employment applications and procedures
- Assessing consistency between HR guidelines, Codes of Conduct, and ethics and compliance policies
- Participating on cross-functional project teams to help identify and address potential HR issues
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Expert Witness Services:
Barrie has an extensive background in employment law and human resources, spanning more than 20 years. She has conducted more than one hundred discrimination and harassment investigations and designed effective responses to the findings. Barrie also has litigated and managed scores of employment related litigation and agency charges, is a recognized expert in human resources and employment law, develops on-line training courses for a premier elearning company, and engages in public speaking. BGC would be pleased to discuss with you whether Barrie's background is appropriate to your needs for an expert witness.
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