Learn best practices for implementing effective whistle-blower protection policies and avoiding pitfalls when handling whistle-blowing complaints. When an employee complaint is whistle-blowing it is not always clear, and mishandling the complaint, or failing to adequately protect the complainant from retaliation, may lead to poor employee morale and costly litigation. This topic will assist you in properly identifying and handling whistle-blow...

Storm water and flooding comprise major and growing risks to cities, transportation systems, people, and the environment. Flooding is the major cause of property damage in the U.S., and recent catastrophic hurricanes such as Harvey, Irma, Sandy and Katrina have raised losses to unprecedented levels. Storm water management requires the organization of public utilities and responses to rain tax politics, consent orders, and demands for green inf...

Know with confidence which items of information to share and which items to keep confidential regarding the Freedom of Information Act. Government officials and employees are well aware that the public has the right to access government information, but it is not always clear what information must be made available and what information should be kept confidential. Additionally, it is not always clear to members of government or the general pub...

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...

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 significant changes in recent years; (2) take a look at the employment law changes i...

Gain valuable insights on new EEO-1 law updates. There has been a tremendous amount of activity at the federal level regarding the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the EEO-1 Report. It has become abundantly clear that now is the time for employers to take steps to proactively assess their hiring, pay, and promotion practices to ensure that they are not vulnerable to equal pay claims. Similarly, it is important to stay up to date on...

As a utility professional you are a person of service. You serve the citizens of your area to provide them with what we consider a basic right. Unfortunately in this age of social media those same citizens you serve may have lost their gratitude for the privileges you provide, often only engaging at the roughest moments, without worry because of the shelter and anonymity provided by social media. You may have even asked yourself why you would...

During the past year, new federal regulatory and policy initiatives, together with ongoing litigation in both the state and federal court systems, have impacted wastewater treatment plants. If you represent, advise or are employed by agencies or local government entities responsible for the management or operation of wastewater treatment plants, then you should review this information, which will highlight and discuss both the most pertinent i...

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 significant changes in recent years; (2) discuss the current state of the law and anticipated changes in employment law (including EEO developments, leave laws, ADA updates, and examples and case stu...

As a result of the continuing global war on terrorism, employers are faced with an unprecedented level of impact of military service on the workplace. What must an employer do when an employee gets orders to be activated? Do you have to hold the job open? What if it’s an employee’s family member with the orders? What are an employer’s obligations then? Do you need to track veterans who apply for employment with your company?...