TMHRA Handouts

CEU Form

8:45–10:00 a.m.
Strategy, Execution, and The Art of Saying No
Many business leaders create annual, 3-year, 5-year and even 10-year plans for their organizations only to make excuses later for why they didn’t achieve what they hoped. In this presentation, entrepreneur Mike Coffey, SPHR will discuss the reasons many businesses’ strategies fail and demonstrate simple tools to keep your business focused and on track.
Mike Coffey, Principal/Owner| Imperative Information Group

Concurrent Sessions

10:30–11:45 a.m.
Track 1
Belonging: The Inclusive Workplace
Human Resources professionals are responsible for helping your jurisdictions create a workplace that is welcoming of the diversity that is part of our jurisdictional communities. What does the workplace look like where employees feel like they really belong? What are the characteristics of the workplace where employees bring their authentic selves to work, feel like they are being listened to and microaggressions are a thing of the past. We will use this time to describe that workplace. Participants will understand how to build the workplace, where their employees feel like they Belong.
Cheryl Orr, Principal/Owner | Insight HR Partners

Concurrent Sessions

1:15–2:15 p.m.

Track 1
Review of Changing Landscape of Protections for LGBTQ+ Employees in the Workplace    Handout
This session will discuss the changes in laws protecting LGBQT+ employees from employment discrimination. The session will begin with a discussion of the rulings of the United States Supreme Court in Bostock v. Clayton County and Altitude Express v. Zarda and continue to a discussion of the rulings issued in cases decided following Bostock and Zara. The session will conclude with recommendations for best practices for preventing LGBQT+ discrimination claims.
Cara White, Partner | Taylor, Olson, Adkins, Sralla and Elam, L.L.P.

Track 2
Retaining Talent in the New World of Work
The world of work has changed forever, including in government. COVID-19 has caused employees across the nation to reconsider their job and career choices. One result is the “great resignation”—job quits are at an all-time high, and 50 percent of employees say they are planning to change jobs or retire. This has created intense competition for talent.
While the public sector devotes considerable time and resources to attracting talent, we often do not focus enough on retaining talent. This is a mistake because replacing a departed employee can cost up to 150 percent of the employee’s salary.
As a result, it is critically important for government leaders to focus on employee retention. This session will help attendees respond to this challenge by examining:
• The characteristics of the new world of work, including demographic trends and the impacts of remote work
• The business case for why retention is critically important
• The golden rule of retention
• Results from our nation survey on how employees, including in government, are feeling after two years of the pandemic
• Retention challenges—and opportunities
Robert J. Lavigna, Director of Institute for Public Sector Employee Engagement, and Melissa Asher, Director | CPS HR Consulting

Track 3
Succession Planning – A Key to Future Staffing Needs
Many public organizations are currently experiencing a significant increase in job vacancies in key leadership positions. This is due to many factors including a retirement exodus and employees wanting to leave the public sector due to the lack of civility that they are experiencing from the public. At the same time, these organizations are facing major challenges in the recruitment of quality employees to fill these leadership positions. Recruitments are attracting a reduced number of applicants and oftentimes the overall quality of applicants is lacking. Instead of continuing to focus on attracting leaders from outside of the organization, HR managers must refocus their efforts to grow their own talent with succession planning. This session will outline the major steps in an effective succession planning program. It will also present the results of a survey of Texas cities which concluded that succession planning can help in creating more organizational commitment from existing employees.
Kent Myers, City Manager | City of Fredericksburg

Concurrent Sessions

2:45–3:45 p.m.
Track 1
Setting the Stage for Success when the Complaint Comes In – Employee Investigations in the Public Sector
Employee investigations in the public sector (would also address when the complaint is coming from within HR)
Catherine Clifton, Partner | Ross | Gannaway | Clifton, PLLC

Track 2
Performance Management
Jason Cooley, PhD, Chief Innovation Officer | City of Frisco

Track 3
Organizational Culture and Mission Accomplishment
What makes a successful organization? This is especially important when one looks at great organizations and evaluates the variables that seem to be present in them as opposed to the organizations that seem to be in turmoil all the time. In fact, they are like dungeon where effort and outcomes are secondary to mediocre products and services and career killing drama. These kinds of variables are destructive and cause a great deal of stress and kills motivation and increases turnover. Organizations have the resources to be great if they focus on the right variables, pay attention to what people want from the organizations they work in. And, finally, organizations can be great with proper attention to reducing drama, hiring the right people in the first place and getting rid of the wrong people.
GM Cox, Ph.D., Pool Lecturer, Sam Houston State University, Retired Police Chief

Concurrent Sessions

4:00–5:00 p.m.
Track 1
Beyond Values: Building an Ethical Business Environment
Every employee brings to the workplace a unique view of right and wrong shaped by their background and experience. Beyond simple legal compliance or respect for an organization’s values, individuals’ adherence to their own moral belief system is the at the core of ethical behavior. In this one-hour presentation, Mike Coffey will explore the differences between compliance, values, and ethics; how organizations can encourage ethical behavior; and ways to accommodate ethical differences in the workplace.
Mike Coffey, Principal/Owner | Imperative Information Group

Track 2
Mental and Emotional Health…AND YOU!  Handout
This informative seminar is for participants both personally and professionally. We will talk about mental and emotional health on a personal level, including caring for our loved ones. We’ll also talk about health best practices in a municipality setting. Participants will learn about becoming aware of triggers and how to combat those with helpful ideas. They will also learn when to reach out for help and encourage others to do so. This seminar is part personal motivation and learning more about this important topic in order to help others.
Stephen Gray, Principal | Circle Health Partners, Inc

Track 3
Effective New Hire Orientations
Addressing problem of info retention by new hires while getting essential policies covered
Catherine Clifton, Partner | Ross Gannaway Clifton, PLLC

General Session

8:30–9:45 a.m.
Holistic Wellness and …
Michelle Gifford, Sr. Wellness Coordinator | City of Plano

Concurrent Sessions

10:15–11:15 a.m.
Track 1
Building Blocks – Fundamentals of Municipal HR     Handout
In this session, Julia will focus on topics most important and relevant to new municipal HR professionals and those looking for refreshers.
Julia Gannaway, Partner | Ross Gannaway Clifton, PLLC

Track 2
Kindness Counts     Handout
Most people today report higher levels of anger and division in our world and wonder what we can do about it. One step forward is thinking more about and practicing kindness. This session takes a look at how we gather and process information to form conclusions about each other and how that impacts our mental and emotional wellbeing. What role does the internet and social media play? How good are we with relationships and communication? And, what can human resource managers and supervisors do to encourage more kindness in the workplace? We’ll cover all this and more in this timely and needed topic.
Stephen Gray, Owner, Principal | Circle Health Partners

Track 3
Small But Mighty
HR Departments of 1 (or 2 or one person handling HR Duties amongst other things
Haley Archer, HR Manager, Town of Trophy Club

Concurrent Sessions

1:15–2:15 p.m.
Track 1
How Employee Engagement is Strengthened Through Title VII Discrimination and Harassment Prevention
Through the work of David Sirota and Douglas A Klein in their book “The Enthusiastic Employee: How Companies Profit by Giving Workers What they Want,” this session will reflect on how their “three factor theory” may be considered to create a more engaged workforce through Title VII Discrimination and Harassment Prevention.

This session will review the Title VII protected classes and cases involving Title VII discrimination within the framework of the research offered with Sirota and Klein’s book regarding what engaged employees want: Equity, Achievement and Camaraderie.

When employee’s have an understanding of Title VII’s protected classes and what discrimination may look like through real case examples, employers may strengthen their messaging that discrimination will not be tolerated and every employee will have a safe place to work where their value is reflected through equity, achievement and camaraderie.

This session discusses how awareness of the protected classes is a foundation to prevent harassment and discrimination. In turn, this prevention is a key to demonstrating how each employee is valued. By striving to offer a safe work environment determined to diminish Title VII discrimination and harassment, each employee may have the opportunity to be more engaged in the workplace through the lens of the “three factor theory” offered in Sirota and Kleins’ research.
Mark Stephens, Esq.

Track 2
Power Up Your Risk Management. Skills Related to the Current Employee Mental Health Crises
A major impact of the Pandemic is that it has highlighted the employee mental health crisis. The negative impact for employers is alarming when employees are impaired with mental health and/or substance use disorders, especially if they are too scared to get the help they need. Many HR professionals know this is a problem but don’t know how to address such a sensitive topic. You will learn from a seasoned licensed therapist how you can approach the topic of mental health in the most direct and sensitive way to elicit change and a seasoned HR Consultant how to stay within the bounds of employment law.

Dr. Little and Krystal Yates will team up to share their expertise in a clear and simple way that will keep you engaged and that will provoke thought and discussion. This workshop will provide you with a clear understanding of how to manage your risk, what your responsibilities to your employees are and will help you identify several actions you can take that can quickly improve your outcomes in your organization.

Learning Objectives

• Participants will be able to identify 3 examples of Mental Health Crisis and their impact on employee safety, morale, and work product
• Participants will be able to differentiate between ADA and FMLA and explain how each applies to employee mental health and/or substance abuse
• Participants will be able to give 3 examples of proactive actions they can do to improve the negative consequences of mental health challenges on your business.

Krystal Yates, SPHR-SHRM-SCP, President | EBR HR Experts, and Dr. Irene Little, PsyD, MS, MA, CEO |Access Consulting Group

Track 3
Microaggressions in the Workplace   Handout
One day someone interrupts Jane in a meeting, and she responds harshly, in a way that seems disproportionate to the slight. Why? Is there something more going on here than first meets the eye. Microaggressions are small verbal and non-verbal slights, snubs and insults. They happen more than we may think, and over time they carry a weight that ultimately corrodes and ruins the relationships organizations need to thrive. In the session, you will learn about microaggressions, what they are and how they impact employees. You will also hear practical tips for addressing them and reducing their impact on you and your employees.
Rodney Klein, Owner/Principal | Rodney Klein EEO Training

Concurrent Sessions

2:15–3:30 p.m.
Track 1
Confidentiality in the time of COVID-19
What is/is not covered by HIPAA and the Texas Privacy Act as those acts apply to a City as an employer, First and Fourth Amendment issues related to managing the communication of a diagnosis of COVID-19 (or any communicable disease), ongoing ADA considerations related to communicating accommodations or the need for an accommodation and other associated topics.
Melissa Cranford, Partner | Messer, Fort & McDonald, PLLC

Track 2
What You Should Be Telling Your Managers About the ADA, But May Not Be   Handout
Most organizations train its HR staff on the ADA, but they offer surprising little training to their managers and supervisors. On one level this makes sense. Organizations don’t want their managers thinking they’re experts in the ADA and making decisions on their own about reasonable accommodations. This is the kind of thing that keeps HR managers up at night. On another level, though, this creates problems. Managers sometimes make mistakes in hiring, establishing qualification standards and managing employees with disabilities because they don’t understand the ADA and are not comfortable working with candidates or employees with disabilities. This session provides a happy medium, discussing areas of the ADA managers need to know while leaving reasonable accommodations and the interactive process to the experts in HR.
Rodney Klein, Owner/Principal | Rodney Klein EEO Training

Track 3
Building an Employee Pipeline with Digital Strategy
Organizations are struggling with employment problems. Finding the right talent, keeping the right talent, building a talent pipeline in a changing world of work, all of these things need to be done by design, not by chance. A strategic mindset that focuses on selling your organization to prospective employees is more important than ever to deliver on our public sector missions.

Jason Litchney will discuss and provide tips on how your organization can approach recruitment and retention through a data-based lens. This approach will not only produce measurable results but also create a comprehensive talent brand to convey your organization’s employee value proposition, mission, vision and values as well as build connection with both prospective candidates and current employees.
Jason Litchney, Marketing and Employment Branding Manager | CPS HR Consulting

General Session

3:45-5:00 p.m.
Creating a Roadmap to a Sustainable Culture
Workplace culture is a living organism that will create itself and grow without much effort. However, creating and sustaining a culture that is just not alive, but breathes life into others takes intentional effort and is a journey for the whole organization.

This Culture Road Trip will have a few stops along the way helping answer questions like:
• Where and why are we going?
• Are the rest stops along the way?
• Do we have any snacks?
• Can I bring a friend?
• What happens if we have a break down?
• Where are we going next?
Get ready to pile in the car for a trip where you won’t be asking “Are we there yet?” or “How much longer?”
Craig Barnes, Business Development/Principal HR Consultant | CPS-HR

General Session

9:00–10:15 a.m.
HR Best Practices on the Cutting Edge
Attendees will learn the latest successes that cutting edge HR professionals are using to increase retention and engagement while reducing expenses and stress.
John Hagan, Managing Attorney | Hagan Law Group LLC