VM Attorneys Presenting at the 2024 CALPELRA Annual Training Conference – Nov. 12-15
CALPELRA's 2024 Annual Training Conference, the 49th annual CALPELRA conference will be held in beautiful Monterey, California, the week of November 12 - 15.
Join CALPELRA’s team of public sector labor relations and human resources superstars this fall in Monterey. Together we’ll develop skills and strategies to lead our teams to successful seasons. We’ll learn and share new plays, coach and be coached, and develop supportive networks. The 2024 Annual Conference will help you build your own bench of superstars and empower you and your team to take on the coming year with confidence.
Over 80 relevant, valuable sessions presented by experts from around the state, with live, real-time learning and exciting opportunities for networking and direct interaction with other Conference attendees, sponsors, and speakers.
Don’t Miss Our Sessions!
Understanding the Playing Field: How Public Safety Employees’ Workplace Culture and Dynamics Affect Investigations
Wednesday, November 13th, 2:30 p.m. | Marriott Hotel - San Carlos 3
Sarah Tobias, Van Dermyden Makus Law Corporation
Matt Rose, Van Dermyden Makus Law Corporation
Investigations involving public safety officers differ from investigations of other types of public employees in some very impactful ways. Investigators must understand the different rules that apply, such as the Public Safety Officers Procedural Bill of Right Act and the Firefighters Procedural Bill of Rights Act, as well as the unique playing field of public safety employees: the culture and dynamics of their workplaces. In this session you’ll learn how these unique workplaces affect investigations: the paramilitary command structure, the family-like culture and resulting need to protect fellow employees, and the union or employee association dynamics.
Swearing In: Confidently Navigating Deposition, Trial, and Arbitration
Thursday, November 14th, 1:15 p.m. | Marriott Hotel - Ferrantes BV
Cheryl Johnson-Hartwell, Burke, Williams & Sorensen
Karen Kramer, Kramer Workplace Investigations
Eli Makus, Van Dermyden Makus Law Corporation
It is bound to happen at some point. If you make employment or labor decisions for your agency or conduct the investigations on which those decisions are made, eventually you will be called to testify in a employment or labor dispute. Your summons to testify may be for a deposition, trial, administrative hearing, or arbitration, and while each requires slightly different preparation, the fundamental skills and strategies are the same. In this session you’ll learn about the different forums in which HR professionals may be called to testify along with strategies for preparing and testifying with confidence. And this session’s engaging demonstrations and discussions will help take the fear out of testifying.
Now We’ve Got Bad Blood: Managing Investigations Involving Divisive and Sensitive Topics
Thursday, November 14th, 2:30 p.m. | Monterey Conference Center - Serra 2
Mark Gabel, Van Dermyden Makus Law Corporation
Eli Makus, Van Dermyden Makus Law Corporation
In recent years public employers have dealt with disputes among employees about highly controversial public topics: vaccine mandates, racial inequity, sexual assault/harassment, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and debates about “wokeness” and national elections. Disputes about these issues often result in employee complaints or press scrutiny, and are often the subject of workplace investigations. In this session you’ll learn how to manage internal and external investigations into sensitive issues. How are they different from investigations involving less controversial topics? How do those conducting the investigation maintain impartiality and deal with stakeholders’ mistrust in the investigative process or the investigator? How should an employer deal with fallout from parties unhappy with the outcome of these investigations? Through a review of real-life scenarios you’ll learn how to address various challenging situations during and after these investigations.
