Recorded Webinars
HR Services webinars are available at no charge. They offer HR Services members the opportunity to get needed training without leaving the office. A description of each webinar is listed below.
Accommodating Disabilities in the Workplace
HR administrators and supervisors need to know how to respond to employees who need or request an accommodation because of a disability, medical issue, and return to work limitations. The challenges in these situations include determining what qualifies as a disability, identifying reasonable accommodations, and insuring the process is interactive. Presenters will provide a common sense approach to implementing a process that is efficient and compliant with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Accommodations and Alternate Work Arrangements
Requests for alternate work arrangements including flexible schedule, remote work, and other arrangements are increasing in number due to the COVID-19 pandemic as staff prepare to return to the workplace. This webinar discusses the importance in distinguishing between a request for an Americans with Disabilities Act accommodation and an alternate work arrangement and responding appropriately. Topics covered include the supervisor’s role in recognizing an accommodation request and how to use an interactive process to determine accommodations. Resources to aid in the process are referenced and available to members in the HR Library. Also included are answers to questions submitted by webinar attendees.
Best Practices for Handling Assault Leave
State law entitles school district employees to paid leave when they are physically assaulted and injured in the scope of employment. Assault leave is one of the most challenging benefits to administer. This webinar will guide you through responding to employee requests for assault leave, investigating incidents, determining leave eligibility, coordinating workers’ compensation income benefits, and complying with your reporting requirements.
Best Practices for Recruiting Quality Staff
The most effective recruiting plan starts with preparation. This session will guide HR administrators through the process of developing a cost-effective recruiting plan to address district needs. Topics covered include assessing district and community assets, identifying marketing opportunities, developing a marketing strategy, and involving stakeholders.
Calculating Overtime for Nonexempt Employees
Whether you have a timekeeping system that calculates overtime or you have to do it by hand you still need to understand what employees are entitled to be paid. This session covers “regular rate of pay” calculations, blended rates, and calculating overtime in a variety of situations that are common to school districts. Recording and paying overtime in the form of compensatory time off will also be covered.
Child Labor Laws and Student Workers
Employers considering employing students during the school year or over the summer months should review what job functions minors are permitted and prohibited from performing. This is important not only because it is required by law but because it is the right thing to do. Federal regulations for the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) are very specific and require employers to ensure the safety of minors. This includes prohibiting employers from employing minors during periods which interfere with the minor’s schooling or under conditions which interfere with the minor’s health and well-being. Despite the exhaustive list of prohibited tasks, minors age 14 to 17 typically can do many common jobs found in schools. This session covers the specific requirements that employers must follow, allowable occupations, and prohibited tasks, all broken down by age group.
Coordinating and Reporting Workers' Compensation Absences
Administering the district’s workers’ compensation program effectively requires an understanding of the various leave programs that apply when an employee is unable to work. Failure to follow state and federal requirements could result in potential fines or expenses. This session explains the interaction between workers’ compensation and leave benefits and illustrate how these programs impact pay, health insurance premium contributions, and job restoration rights. Suggestions for overcoming the challenge of coordinating benefits and managing special situations will be provided.
Developing Better Job Descriptions
Job descriptions are used for a wide variety of HR decisions and actions including setting and communicating job performance requirements, supporting FMLA return to work decisions, making reasonable accommodations in compliance with the ADA, and supporting FLSA exemption designations. The quality of job descriptions will determine whether they help or hinder HR needs. Presenters will outline straightforward steps you can use to create a realistic plan for developing and updating district job descriptions. Suggestions for project planning, collecting data, writing and reviewing job descriptions, and avoiding common mistakes will be provided.
Effective Interview Questions for Teachers
The two keys to good interviews are using questions that identify the critical attributes of effective teachers and knowing how to assess candidate responses. This webinar will discuss resources for developing appropriate questions and provide suggestions for developing a guide that campus-based interview teams can use to identify qualified candidates.
FMLA for Public Schools
Administering the Family and Medical Leave Act can be challenging since each situation is unique. This webinar will identify common challenges districts encounter which include processing intermittent leave requests from instructional staff. Presenters will also discuss procedures for identifying qualifying events, applying eligibility criteria, and obtaining and evaluating medical certifications.
Improving Employee Retention
Maintaining staffing levels is one of the biggest challenges school districts face today. Replacing employees is costly, time consuming, and disruptive to student learning and to district operations, which is why it’s important to focus on retaining employees. This webinar, presented by HR Services consultants, will provide a variety of strategies your district can implement to improve employee retention.
Introduction to the Family and Medical Leave Tracker
This webinar provides an introduction to the new HR Services’ tool designed to help members track family and medical leave (FML). The customizable tool, available in the HR Library, eliminates the need to manually track and calculate FML using a spreadsheet and calendar. Topics covered include aligning the tool with district policy, inputting employee information, and accessing and using reports.
Leaves and Absences in Public Schools
State and federal laws require Texas school districts to provide employees with numerous leave benefits that are often supplemented by local programs. As a result, leave administration can be complicated and confusing. This webinar provides an overview of the various types of leave for public school employees and identifies resources for administering leave.
Managing Educator Contracts
TASB HR Services and Legal Services are teaming up to provide an overview of educator contract management. Chapter 21 contracts extend specific rights to employees and management of such contracts may present challenges for HR departments. Sound contract decision-making is possible by understanding Chapter 21 contract types, provisions associated with each contract, timing for issuing contracts, links between a contract and an employee’s pay, and contract best practices.
Managing Personnel Records
What steps can you take to determine if your personnel records are complete and if documents are stored properly? This session will help you develop a plan for assessing current records management practices and answer five key questions:
- What documents are required?
- Where should documents be filed?
- How do we organize files?
- How long must documents be kept?
- How do we protect files?
Minimizing the Impact of Leave-related Terminations
Termination due to exhaustion of leave can put an employer in “hot water.” The key to reducing your risk is implementing procedures to manage absences and ensure fair and consistent treatment of employees. This webinar will show you how to use HR policies and best practices to administer leave when these situations occur.
Navigating COVID-19 Workplace Challenges
Human resources professionals are working to adapt quickly to COVID-19-related issues, and they understandably have lots of questions. This webinar covers information related to the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) including EPSL and EFML, as well as leave administration tools. Participants will also receive valuable information regarding return to onsite work, COVID-19 exposure and diagnosis, and more.
Pricing it Right—Stipends and Extra Duty Pay
This webinar will help you evaluate your district’s practices of paying stipends to employees performing extra duties beyond their regular assignment. TASB HR Services consultants discuss when to pay a stipend and how to determine if the stipend is right for your district. This session examines current practices and common extra duty plans used by Texas districts. Summary stipend survey data and a framework for assessing your district’s approach will be presented.
Qualifying an Uncertified Teacher
Many school districts are challenged with finding certified teachers for hard-to-fill positions and areas with limited certified applicants. An experienced TASB HR Consultant will help viewers who know the basics of certification take a deeper dive into creative solutions for qualifying an uncertified teacher. Nontraditional routes to certification, types of certificates and permits, and criteria for meeting certification requirements will be discussed.
Review of HR-related Legislation
The HR Services team provides an overview of the various bills passed during the 87th Regular Session of the Texas Legislature impacting HR. Topics covered include Teacher Retirement System, certification and licensing, leave benefits, training and staff development, educator misconduct and employee protections, and general personnel issues.
Service Record Management
Maintaining service records and determining creditable service creates challenges for HR departments. The Commissioner’s Rules on Creditable Service dictates how to determine an individual’s years of experience. This webinar will provide guidance on evaluating an individual’s creditable service, identifying best practices for maintaining service records (FIN-115), and recording state sick and personal leave. Common scenarios are discussed to better understand application of the commissioner’s rules.
Six Steps to Better Pay Plans
Pay plans control the largest portion of the school budget as the mechanism for distributing payroll dollars. To be most effective, pay plans must be built properly, reflect district goals and values, and be updated as market values change. This requires setting the right parameters for the pay structure, keeping a tight alignment with the right market benchmarks, and placing jobs correctly in the pay plan. Controlling pay equity among employees requires active management by plan administrators. This webinar for pay plan designers and administrators will describe six steps to achieving a better pay plan for your district.
Spending Requirements in Texas Education Code § 48.051
Language added to TEC § 48.051 by House Bill 3 in 2019 requires districts to increase pay for teachers, counselors, and librarians when the basic allotment is increased. While the legislature could change that requirement during the 88th session, which convenes January 10, 2023, districts should be prepared to adopt pay changes that comply with current law. Join the HR Services Director and an HR and Compensation Consultant to learn more about how to prepare for pay increases that could be required as you develop your budgets and compensation plans for the 2023-2024 school year.
Top 10 FLSA Mistakes to Avoid
Every employer wants to avoid an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor into Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) violations. In this webinar, TASB HR Services consultants review real-life examples highlighting the top 10 wage and hour mistakes districts make. This presentation will identify common issues and provide tips for avoiding compliance issues.
Understanding Leave and Absence Policy Changes in Update 117
TASB HR Services and Policy Service are teaming up to provide an overview of the changes to Policy DEC (LOCAL)—Compensation and Benefits: Leaves and Absence in Update 117. Districts will receive the update at the beginning of June 2020. In this policy update administrative provisions are being removed, requiring districts to develop written regulations or procedures. Join us to learn more about the policy revisions, the new HR Library framework for developing procedures, and key employee handbook items for communicating leave benefit information to employees.
Understanding Staffing
Personnel costs make up the majority of a school district’s annual operating budget. Efficient use of staff starts with planning and preparation. What steps can you take to determine if your staffing levels are appropriate and if staffing allocations are aligned with district goals? This webinar will discuss how districts can review current staffing patterns objectively and create a plan for strategically staffing in the future.
Using Metrics to Impact Recruitment
Schools in Texas hire around 40,000 teachers who did not teach in any public school in the previous year. Until now, little systemic data has been available for Local Education Agencies (LEAs) to use to describe where their new hires come from. As a result, it has been difficult for any LEAs to systematically understand who their natural Education Preparation Program (EPP) partners are or where new hires are coming from historically. The Educator Data, Research, and Strategy division at the Texas Education Agency (TEA) has recently developed and released the Newly Certified and New Teacher Hires Dashboards to support LEAs and the public to better understand this information. Join us for a demonstration of these dashboards and a shared discussion of potential ways to use them. An HR Services assistant director will conclude with helpful hints for LEAs to use the data to develop and implement their own recruitment plans.