The explosion of information held by government agencies presents unique and growing challenges to those that must administer the public's access to government records. Questions persist about the scope of the government's duties in maintaining and producing electronically stored information. Particularly thorny questions arise in the area of personal email accounts. May government officials use their private accounts to communicate about gove...

Gain a better understanding of the rules and requirements of Federal contractors paid sick leave.Federal contractors and subcontractors performing federal service or construction contracts will be required to provide paid sick leave under federal rules that went into effect in January 2017. Although seemingly straightforward on their face, these federal sick leave obligations present a variety of implementation and administrative challenges -...

Good customer service is difficult to find in private business and is almost non-existent in government. Many government employees are beaten down and defensive and hate their jobs but are often trapped and simply marking time until they can get their pension. Most people don't enjoy being difficult, but they have become calloused and just want customers to go away. This topic will help you learn to enjoy your job, maybe for the first time. Th...

Understand government contractors' OFCCP requirements and the impact of new administration.Predicting what policy changes an administration will make is difficult after a typical first year in office . . . but this past year has been anything but typical. The current administration has already followed through on a number of its promises, which included relieving businesses of burdensome regulations proposed, enacted and enforced during the...

Know the impact contaminated soil has on you and your company and how to clean it up. Many property owners, lessees, architects, engineers, developers and contractors encounter contaminated soils on commercial, retail and industrial properties. However, these persons are usually not trained how to evaluate the risks posed by contaminated soils. In addition, most persons are not aware about how the presence of contaminated soils can impair thei...

Gain new insights with a comprehensive overview of government financial reporting from beginning to end. Recent financial difficulties of state and local government finances, highlighted by some noteworthy bankruptcy filings, have prompted increased attention on governmental financial statements. The financial statements of these governments and governmental entities can be very confusing, even for the experienced accountant. This topic will e...

Continuity of government planning can be complex - walk away better equipped to improve your plan with actionable recommendations. Is your government entity or agency fully prepared for the next disaster? How does your Continuity of Government Plan measure up to current best practices? This topic will answer both of these questions by taking you through a scorecard assessment of your current plan, followed by a detailed review of current best...

Know how to use your stormwater permit to direct a comprehensive stormwater management. Think back fifteen years ago. Storm water management at municipalities, factories, and warehouses focused on keeping water off the streets and occasionally repairing a failing catch basin. Storm water issues were typically "out of sight, out of mind;" unless a drenching rain event drew attention to a clogged pipe or eroding channel. Now, as we begin 2018, m...

Make sure your policies and procedures are in compliance with all of the recent changes to Federal employment law. A number of significant changes to Federal employment law have taken place in recent years. These changes affected employers' obligations in areas such as hiring, wages, discrimination, and termination. During this topic, we will: (1) review the significant changes to employment law, legal and administrative changes from 2017; (2)...

Understand how to utilize social media to connect with your community and increase responsiveness and community involvement. It's more important than ever for government agencies to have a robust social media presence that can create and strengthen real connections with their communities. However, these connections - and the benefits that result from them - don't just happen without careful planning and execution. Does your government agency h...