Pre-Session: Introduction to Workers' Compensation - Your Tools for Success This full day course is designed to provide critical basics necessary for agency personnel to handle their Workers’ Compensation claims. Time will be spent discussing policies and laws that impact how an agency administers their program. Topics include Wage Charts and other Workers’ Compensation forms, Workers’ Compensation leave policies, the Workers’ Compensation Act, and coordination of benefits and leave with the VSDP program including significant changes in the past year. Participants will also learn more about improving return-to-work opportunities and using Visual Report Studio to promote positive trends. Time will be available to meet staff responsible for your agency’s claims administration. Advanced Workers Compensation: Beyond the Basics This session for the seasoned workers compensation coordinator features complex case studies from the files of Workers Compensation Services and will be geared to the more advanced experience level. Join us as we explore some of our most complex cases and share guidance to assist you as you handle challenges of your own. Topics include a discussion of significant case law, the litigation process, program settlement process and philosophy, statute of limitations issues and self-audits. Building Resilience in Stressful Times Resilience is the result of numerous factors and life experiences. This training will explain the components of resilience, how it affects our daily lives and why it’s so important in today’s world. Workshop participants will explore the relationship between positive thinking and stress management and learn practical strategies for developing a more optimistic response to negative experiences and events. Participants will learn to recognize, assess and promote resilience in themselves and others. Bullying in the Workplace: What It Is and How to Deal With It Through open discussion and examination of case studies bullying behavior will be defined and effective strategies for addressing it will be identified. Commonwealth of Virginia Long Term Care Plan Updates This presentation will cover the upcoming January 1, 2010 changes to the Commonwealth of Virginia Voluntary Long Term Care Insurance Plan Defined Contribution Plans: Employer Roles and Resources This presentation will cover services available to employers, including an in-depth look at the ING Employer Resources Website. Other topics covered: Providing 457 information to employees; Standard Catch-Up guidelines and Mistakes of Fact corrections and processing Employment Law Legal Update Update of significant cases decided over the past year by state and federal courts. The presentation also will include significant cases involving the Grievance Procedure for state employees. HR and Budgeting Overview of the state’s budget process, general fiscal guidelines, basics of creating a proposed budget, estimating the cost for training safety programs, and other activities, effective ways to present your proposed budget to executive and/or senior management team, tips on proposing a new HR program in your budget, and pointers on tracking your budget throughout the fiscal year. HR Directors Forum Opportunity for HR Managers to discuss relevant and pressing issues HR Policy Update Annual update of policy changes; includes information related to ARRA (position establishment/tracking/COBRA, etc.). Introduction to FLSA Exemption Tests The session provides an overview of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) white-collar exemption tests that became effective August 23, 2004. The intended audience includes human resource professionals who have had limited exposure to FLSA issues. Job Analysis Tools and Techniques Beginners: Job analysis is the collection of facts about a job in a systematic, comprehensive and objective manner. This session will describe the process and techniques used for job analysis. Participants will learn how to develop job analysis questionnaires, how to conduct job analysis interviews and will receive a job analysis model to use as a guide. This session will be geared towards human resource professionals who are new to state government and/or new to the human resources field. Loss Control is Cost Control State agency budgets are tight with the potential for additional cuts. Staffing levels for some agencies are below authorized levels. Managers and supervisors are trying to balance agency operations and worker safety while making some tough decisions about expenses. This session will reinforce the benefits of maintaining active employee safety programs and training and explain how loss control efforts can actually help contain overall operating costs Managing Conflict Addressing conflict in the workplace This presentation will focus on the role of HR in managing workplace conflicts. Conflict resolution tools, processes, and resources to address conflict effectively will be discussed Open Forum: Equal Employment Opportunity (OEES Staff) This is an opportunity for participants to discuss and to raise questions regarding any equal employment opportunity related issue. Also, we will provide updates regarding the Ledbetter Equal Pay Act, the ADA Amendments Act, and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) which becomes effective November 21, 2009. Participants may e-mail questions in advance to OEES staff at www.dhrm.virginia.gov Partnering for Success: Designing an Effective Internship/Co-op Program An Internship/Co-op program is an excellent ways to attract new talent. A quality program is mutually beneficial to the organization and the student by meeting employment needs and preparing the workforce for the future. In this session, participants will learn strategies for designing an effective internship/co-op program; the pitfalls to avoid; and how state agencies are successfully managing programs. Talent Management Strategies that agencies are using to identify the right mix of classifieds, hourlies, contractors, etc. Understanding Todays VSDP The VSDP workshops will address the control and prevention of claim abuse by encouraging employers to enforce Employee Compliance, applying the SOC (Standards of Conduct), and interpreting the new legislative changes. Unum will provide realistic and practical strategies employers can adopt to become more efficient with their day-to-day operations. The presentation will be informative. Questions and discussion will be received and encouraged. Unum/VSDP VSDP - Best Practices Review of the new legislation changes, review VSDP updates, review/inform of any new processes and open up for a Q&A period. Presentation to be coordinated by VRS and DHRM Visual Liquid Web Streamline Your Paperless Reporting of Workers Compensation Claims This helpful and informative session is jam-packed with quick tips and expert advice to help make you a more efficient user of Visual Liquid Web, Workers Compensation Services on-line claim reporting tool. Join Kitty Hughes as she leads this session and shares short-cuts and other tips to streamline your claim reporting. This session will conclude with an opportunity for participants to provide Wishlist ideas for enhancement of the online reporting system. Bring your great ideas with you. VRS’ Financial Status in Today’s Market Environment Assessment of VRS's financial viability; experience since changing to ING; impact of 90 day automatic enrollment; overview of upcoming changes Workers Compensation Law Whether you are new to workers' compensation or an old hand at it, knowledge of recent case law changes and modifications to the Workers' Compensation Act are crucial to positive outcomes for both employers and injured workers. This session, led by a seasoned attorney, skilled in the practice of workers' compensation law, will cover new legislation and trends in the Virginia workers' compensation legal environment. Bring your coverage questions with you!