Human Resources

From the early days of employee assistance programs to the current opioid epidemic, substance abuse remains a significant workplace challenge. You’ll learn how to recognize on-the-job indicators of alcohol and drug abuse and what constitutes reasonable suspicion. Examine your role in maintaining a substance-free workplace, recognizing on-the job indicators of alcohol and drug abuse, and making a “reasonable suspicion” referral for testing. You’ll also examine your role in maintaining a substance-free workplace as well as the do’s and don’ts for supervisors regarding employee substance use and abuse.

Presented by Michael McCafferty, FEI Workforce Resilience, and co-facilitated by Tameaka Bryant, City of Madison Human Resources, who will speak specifically about the City’s policy on handling cases of suspected substance use at work or impacting the employee during their work time.

Learning Objectives:

1. Ensure the safety of the working environment, employees and public
2. Provide Alcohol & other drug education/awareness
3. Establish and maintain a work environment free from the effects of alcohol and/or drug use

Many people struggle in the area of de-escalating conflicts with difficult people who become loud, rude, and obnoxious. Are you confident handling stress and conflict in a way that will not escalate the situation? 

If basic de-escalation techniques can be applied to stressful situations, the better the outcome can be.  Once you can connect and identify with something that is creating stress and frustration in a person, you are on your way to de-escalating the situation.

In this training, you’ll learn the basics of verbal de-escalation to give you confidence when dealing with difficult people. This includes risk factors/red flags, de-escalation tips, physical warning signs of violent behavior, and scenarios. You’ll leave with strategies to make you a more confident and assertive communicator, especially when dealing with difficult people!

Learning objectives:

• Recognize physical warning signs of escalating behavior

• Listen actively

• Remember to show empathy

• Use positive body language

• Exercise situational awareness
   

Location:

This course will be held in-person at the Madison Municipal Building (MMB), room 215. (215 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd)
When adding to your calendar, please be sure to note the location in your event. Please also plan ahead to arrive on time or early for minimal course disruption.

Build awareness on how bias, both explicit and implicit, can impact hiring decisions. Learn how to create an interview process by incorporating job-related behavioral questions with measurable benchmarks to effectively address bias in the interview process and for more objective candidate evaluations.

This course is mandatory for all supervisors and recommended for all interview panelists.
 

Course Resources:

• Position Description Example:  Payroll Clerk
• Handout: Interview Tips
• Handout:  Types of Bias
• Handout: Job Interview Bias Exercise
• Handout: Traditional to Behavioral Interview Questions Exercise
• Handout: Red Flag Process for Hiring Managers

Family Medical Leave can be a topic that even the most adept supervisor struggles with. This course will provide a background on FMLA, eligibility information, how FMLA is used, and Supervisor responsibilities.

Course Handouts:

• APM 2-21 - City of Madison Family and Medical Leaves of Absence 

• APM 2-45 - City of Madison Disability Leave and Layoff

How can you be inclusive and respectful with people of all genders? With verbal and written examples, you will leave this training with specific strategies in using language that shows your coworkers and community members of all genders that you value them.
 

This course is part of the series of offerings related to the implementation of APM 2-52 as we work towards realizing our vision of being an inclusive organization.
 

Learning Objectives:

1. Describe how gender neutral and transgender inclusive language differ

2. Name at least 2 strategies for creating gender inclusion with language other than using they pronouns

3. Explain the importance of using correct name and pronouns

4. Demonstrate how to introduce a coworker’s pronouns

5. Identify two ways to correct a pronoun or name mistake

Course Materials 

• Gender Inclusive Language Pilot Slide Deck

Resources:

• Gender-Inclusive Language Style Guide
• Resource Guide for Transgender, Gender Non-Conforming, and Non-Binary Employees

“Feedback is the breakfast of champions” according to management expert Ken Blanchard. For leaders at all levels, it is how we learn and grow through our experiences. For managers, it’s a critical skill for improving team performance. Feedback also helps us maintain healthy boundaries and work environments. Yet it is one of the hardest “gifts” to give and receive.
This two-part series can help you move from fear to finesse.

• Part 1, Foundational Feedback will focus on the value of a positive feedback mindset, avoiding common pitfalls, and strategies to give effective feedback.
• Part 2, Intermediate Feedback will focus on ways to give feedback up, down, and sideways. We’ll also explore practices to receive feedback with gratitude and composure. Here's the link to register for part 2. 

You should complete the two courses in order, but you don’t need to sign up for both parts at once.

Learning Objectives:

Part 1:

• Understand a positive feedback mindset
• Avoid the three most common pitfalls that create defensiveness and resistance
• Learn to give effective feedback

Course Materials

Course Handout: Feedback Foundations

“Feedback is the breakfast of champions” according to management expert Ken Blanchard. For leaders at all levels, it is how we learn and grow through our experiences. For managers, it’s a critical skill for improving team performance. Feedback also helps us maintain healthy boundaries and work environments. Yet it is one of the hardest “gifts” to give and receive.
This two-part series can help you move from fear to finesse.

• Part 1, Foundational Feedback will focus on the value of a positive feedback mindset, avoiding common pitfalls, and strategies to give effective feedback. Here's the link to register for part 1. 
• Part 2, Intermediate Feedback will focus on ways to give feedback up, down, and sideways. We’ll also explore practices to receive feedback with gratitude and composure.

You should complete the two courses in order, but you don’t need to sign up for both parts at once. 

Learning Objectives:

Part 2:

• Understand how assertive communication strengthens feedback
• Learn to give feedback up, down and sideways
• Explore practices to receive feedback with gratitude and composure

Course Materials

Course Handout: Feedback Intermediate

Handling Confidential Information is an essential training for any City employee that works with verbal or written forms of confidential information. Patty Lauten, from the City Attorney's Office, and Tory Larson, from Human Resources, will define what confidential information is, discuss the legalities of confidentiality, explain the right to privacy, and outline confidentiality best practices.

Learning Objectives:

• Gain an understanding of what is considered confidential
• Improve understanding of the legal obligations related to confidentiality
• Increase awareness of confidentiality best practices

Public sector investigations can present unique challenges. This course provides managers & supervisors with the knowledge base needed to conduct investigations with a focus on the investigative interview. The course will use scenario-based discussions, polls, and lectures to provide a strong foundation for making this sometimes intimidating process more manageable.

You'll leave knowing how to structure and conduct a misconduct investigation, create meaningful and helpful interview questions, and identify and address complicating factors in public sector investigations.

This training is a three-part series.  By signing up for this series, you are committing to all three classes.

October 2023 Series: Wednesday Mornings from 10:00 - 11:30 AM

• October 4
• October 11
• October 18

Course Resources

• Prework

1. Read through the “Investigation Process Pre-work” document that is attached to the course webpage
2. Watch a short video on bias linked in the pre-work section of the Handout
3. Develop a couple of questions about the misconduct investigation process that will help you be a better investigator

• Session 1 
• Session 2
• Session 3
   

Swamped with way too many meetings? We know that poorly organized and run meetings lead to frustration and disengagement. In this webinar, you’ll learn practical tools to plan and run effective and inclusive meetings so that you can lead people towards clear and actionable outcomes with greater confidence.

This course is part of our Management Skills Webinars series.

Making decisions can be one of the most difficult and stressful things leaders do. Involving others can relieve some of that stress as you gain new perspectives. Inclusive leaders make decisions with, not for, those who are impacted. This improves the quality of our work and relationships with each other. This session will cover basics of stakeholder mapping and group decision-making. 

Course Materials

• Course Handout
• Fillable Empathy Map
• Course Slides

View a recording of this course on our Online Courses webpage. For a more in-depth learning experience, register for future sessions using the register button. 

The Zoom language interpretation feature is complex and requires a lot of steps before and during a meeting to operate successfully. During this training, we’ll go over how to:

• Add simultaneous and sign language interpretation to specific meetings
• Assign interpreters
• Start language interpretation and manage it for the duration of a meeting

This training is required for staff before permitting their use of Zoom’s interpretation feature. 

Learning Objectives

1. The difference between simultaneous and consecutive language interpretation
2. Understand the Zoom interpretation feature and its limitations
3. Know the setup and steps to successfully facilitate simultaneous interpretation for meetings and webinars in Zoom

Course Materials

• Language Interpretation in Zoom Slide Deck
• Public Meeting Interpretation Instruction Video

Do you want to learn how you can create a welcoming environment for LGBTQ+ colleagues, friends, city residents, and visitors? You’ll get an overview of LGBTQ issues with a focus on issues that affect transgender people. With this foundation, you’ll be ready to discuss LGBTQ+ inclusion and how to create a welcoming environment in your workplace and in other spaces you participate in. You are also encouraged to register for LGBTQ+ Part 2: Contributing to Systemic Change

Learning Objectives:

• Define basic LGBTQ+ terms and differentiate the concepts of gender and expression, sex assigned at birth, and sexual orientation.
• Understand and apply key LGBTQ+ concepts to yourself and others
• Name two disparities experienced by LGBTQ+ communities

A follow-up to the foundational welcoming skills discussed in LGBTQ+ Inclusion Part 1, this course dives deeper into institutional inequity for LGBTQ+ people and discusses how to create systemic change. You will engage in reflection and discussion of how to involve the voices of transgender, gender non-conforming, and non-binary people in decision-making in City operations. Prerequisite: LGBTQ+ Part 1: Creating Inclusive Spaces

Learning Objectives:

• Name two examples of institutional biases experienced by transgender, non-binary, and gender non-conforming people
• Identify ways to involve the voices of transgender, gender non-conforming, and non-binary people indecision-making
• Name ways the City upholds institutional biases, and how City employees can work to deconstruct these systems

Managing performance can be one of the most difficult aspects of supervision. It relies on us to tap into interpersonal skills, our knowledge about learning styles, and to balance that with our own technical competency. We want our employees to feel comfortable in their jobs and to be able to grow and develop along the way, but sometimes an employee might have something that is impeding their ability to meet expectations. Come learn about an approach to performance management that incorporates Trauma Informed Supervision, and ongoing coaching and feedback to keep performance high. We will also explore what to do when an employee is not meeting expectations.

This course is a two-part series. By registering for this series, you are committing to all dates below:
Thursday afternoons at 1 - 2:30 PM

• May 11
• May 18

This course provides an overview of the policy and process for drug and alcohol testing at the City of Madison, with a special focus on the Supervisor's role in that process. As a result of the course, you will understand the impacts of drugs and alcohol on the workplace and specific responsibilities of a Supervisor. You will also learn about the Federal Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse, and our organizational responsibilities related to that program. This program covers the specifics of APM 2-23: Drugs, Controlled Substance, Alcohol and Drug Testing Policy which is intended to bring the City into compliance with mandated federal regulations.

All supervisors of CDL holders are required to take this course, but it is beneficial to all supervisors at the City of Madison.
 

Course Resources

Please read through the following materials before the course:
APM 2-23 - City of Madison Alcohol and Drug Testing Policy
Pricce List for Drug Testing
Handout: Impacts of Alcohol and Other Drugs on Behavior
Handout: Supervisor Instructions for Reasonable Suspicion
Handout:  Reasonable Suspicion Checklist

Harassment in the workplace can be a form of illegal employment discrimination. This workshop is designed to provide Mandatory Reporters with a greater understanding of the City's APM 3-5, Prohibited Harassment and Discrimination, and the legal and social implications of discrimination in the form of sexual, gender, racial or disability-based harassment in the workplace. Emphasis will be placed on increasing sensitivity to what constitutes a problem and why an immediate, constructive response is important. The discussion will also focus on exploring good management practices and policies requiring the maintenance of an environment that is free of discriminatory harassment.

Mandatory Reporters are defined as Supervisors, Managers, Lead Workers, and Department/Division Heads or are employees in the Mayor's Office, Department of Civil Rights, or Human Resources. They are required to take this training 45 days after hire or promotion, and then once every three years.

If you are not a Mandatory Reporter, please register for Prohibited Harassment and Discrimination Policy.
 

Contact Kym Woodly at KWoodly@cityofmadison.com with questions or concerns.
 

This is a two-part training for City of Madison committee staff, provided by Information Technology. If you have already attended one of these trainings, or if you do not host Type 2 virtual meetings, you may choose to register for only one of the sessions. 

Please note that all staff must be trained on the legislative process before attending either of these trainings. If you need legislative training, please contact the Clerk's Office.

For complete information on Committee Meetings and resources, visit Virtual Committee Meetings. 

Meeting Schedule

1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

During this training, we will discuss the City of Madison Meeting Schedule application. We'll go over how to:

• Schedule and manage meetings
• Add agendas, minutes, Zoom information, and other meeting details
• Manage online registration for public comments
• Manage information about your committees

This training is required for all committee staff.

Type 2 Virtual Meeting Hosts

2:00 pm – 3:00 pm

Type 2 virtual meetings are facilitated by City committee staff. During this training, we'll go over how to:

• Reserve Zoom licenses and schedule meetings in Zoom
• Use host and co-host controls in Zoom
• Manage committee members and public registrants during a virtual meeting

This training is required for all Type 2 committee staff. All staff must receive Virtual Meeting Host Training before facilitating a meeting. Two staff members must be trained for each committee that will be meeting virtually, including subcommittees and workgroups.

If you have any questions, please reach out to meetingsupport@cityofmadison.com. 

The City of Madison provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities or long-term medical conditions when the accommodations are directly related to performing the essential functions of a job, competing for a job, or for enjoyment of equal opportunities. These accommodations help our employees, our agencies, and our organization to be more inclusive, innovative, and thriving. Supervisors have a critical role in the accommodations process. This course will provide the fundamentals of accommodations, explore the role of the Supervisor in this process, and inspire us to creatively look at our positions and job functions in a way that supports employees toward individual and organization excellence.

This course is mandatory for all supervisors.

Known as APM 3-5, the City's Prohibited Harassment & Discrimination Policy covers expectations for creating a discrimination-free workplace.

Harassment in the workplace can be a form of illegal employment discrimination. This workshop is designed to provide employees with a greater understanding of the City's APM 3-5 and the legal and social implications of discrimination in the form of sexual, gender, racial or disability-based harassment in the workplace. Emphasis will be placed on increasing sensitivity to what constitutes a problem and why an immediate, constructive response is important. The discussion will also focus on exploring good management practices and policies requiring the maintenance of an environment that is free of discriminatory harassment. 
 

Permanent City employees are required to take this training within 45 days of hire and every three years following.
If you are a Mandatory Reporter (Lead Worker, Supervisor, Manager, Department/Division Heads) or are an employee in the Mayor's Office, Department of Civil Rights, or Human Resources, please register for the Mandatory Reporter Training course instead. 
 

Presented by: Department of Civil Rights (DCR)

Contact Kym Woodly at KWoodly@cityofmadison.com with questions or concerns.

 

Whether we call it Public Participation or Community Engagement, we’re often wondering about how to do it in an authentic manner. Join us to learn more about the 5 R’s to Getting Authentic and resources and tools to create an inclusive public participation strategy. You will review the RESJI Public Participation Guide, learn about the City’s efforts to cultivate a shared approach and set of values for community engagement, and discuss best practices and lessons learned.

Learning Objectives

1. Learn the importance of embedding racial equity in public participation
2. Familiarize yourself with the RESJI Public Participation Resource Guide
3. Gain insight and tools to build an inclusive public participation strategy

Course Materials

• RESJI Public Participation Resource Guide

About the Facilitators

This training will be facilitated by the RESJI Community Connections Team. The RESJI Community Connections team is composed of staff of multiple departments. All team members are dedicated to embedding racial equity into our work with community members. The team authored the RESJI Public Participation Resource Guide and are proponents of elevating the role of public participation at the City of Madison, developing a shared approach and set of values for community engagement, and centering racial equity and inclusion when planning for public participation and when developing projects, programs, and policies. 

Have you experienced a stressful, perhaps traumatic event in the workplace? As a supervisor or manager do you feel prepared to handle and support your staff through these abnormal events? Join us to learn more about critical incidents, how they present in the workplace, normal reactions your employees may experience, and your role as a supervisor. We will share resources, skills, and information to better prepare you for handling these events in a trauma-informed way that will leave your staff feeling supported and will provide a smoother transition back to normal operations.

Learning Objectives:

• Discussing what a critical incident looks like and how it impacts employees
• Increasing awareness about supervisor’s/manager’s role in addressing the critical incident and supporting employees who were impacted
• Learning about resources to assist when a critical incident occurs and how EAP will be involved in the response

Because this course is interactive, we request that you join from a computer or smart device. This course incorporates break-out sessions and we encourage your full participation in the virtual space.

This course is a 3 part series that covers all of the major benefits, issues and concerns City employees have about retirement. The first session highlights City processes and benefits, and applying for your annuity through Employee Trust Funds. The second session goes through financial planning for retirement, deferred compensation, and health reimbursement accounts. The final session is about the psychological process of retirement, and provides recommendations that will help employees transition into retirement in a smooth way.

This course is a 3-part series. By registering for this series, you are committing to all dates below:

June 7th, 14th, and 21st on Wednesday Mornings | 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM

• June 7, 2023

  • 9:00 - 10:00 - Wisconsin Retirement (Employee Trust Funds)
  • 10:15 - 11:00 - Your Benefits at Retirement (Human Resources)
• June 14, 203
  • 9:00 - 9:45 - Sick Leave at Retirement (Precision Retirement Group, Inc)
  • 9:45 - 10:30 - Lincoln Financial Advisors
  • 10:30 - 11:15 - Mission Square
• June 21, 2023
  • 9:00 - 11:00 - Employee Assistance Program with a Panel of Retirees

Required Pre-Work  

Prior to the session, please take at least 30 min. to explore the Retirement Resources webpage. 

Retirement Handout: 

• Planning for Retirement Handout

Employee Assistance Program Materials:

• Embracing Life's Changes Slides
• Celebrate What's Right in the World Video

Sparking Growth is a training focused on exploring topics like grief, the window of tolerance, and strategies to foster balance and mental health. Join us for this interactive session where we will explore components of mental health and will practice skills to assist with emotional regulation and balance. Leave the space with practical tools and knowledge to foster your wellbeing at home and workplace.

Learning Objectives:

• Gather understanding about topics like grief, stress curve, and window of tolerance.

• Practice emotional regulation and grounding skills.

• Build community by connecting with other colleagues at the City of Madison who are practicing similar skills.

Because this course is interactive, we request that you join from a computer or smart device. This course incorporates break-out sessions and we encourage your full participation in the virtual space.

Module 1: “Let’s Talk About It” – Things that are NOT better left unsaid.
Everyday acts of exclusion are hidden in plain sight at work. They can make us and our colleagues feel invisible, unwelcome, and unvalued. This workshop opens up a conversation about subtle acts of exclusion and how they create barriers to genuine inclusion. Participants will learn about different types of bias, and how bias can show up as a subtle act of exclusion in the workplace. We will explore ways to counteract bias and the importance of cultural humility.

Module 1 Learning Objectives:

1. Orient participants to the Multicultural Affairs Committee (MAC) and Women’s Initiatives Committee (WIC) Climate survey.
2. Learn what subtle acts of exclusions are and how they relate to the City’s Prohibited Harassment and Discrimination Policy.
3. Understand how subtle acts of exclusions impact the City of Madison’s employees and its workplace culture.

This training is intended for folks who would like to learn ways of supporting individuals struggling with thoughts of ending their life. We hope to offer foundational information on suicide risk identification and effective ways of offering support while working toward safety. In this training you will learn about suicide warning signs, protective and risk factors, how to have a conversation about this topic in ways that minimize potential for harm, and how to apply the learning within a workplace setting. This training may cause unintended reactions in participants due to the sensitivity of the content. Please take care of yourself as you navigate this topic. 

Learning Objectives:

• Increasing awareness about suicide risk signs and factors impacting it

• Establishing language and ways of communicating with a person experiencing risk that would lead to safety and support

• Learning approaches to safely supporting individuals experiencing risk in the workplace

Because this course is interactive, we request that you join from a computer or smart device. This course incorporates break-out sessions and we encourage your full participation in the virtual space.

Are you a supervisor that wants more tips and insights in how you can support your LGBTQ+ staff and foster an inclusive work environment for existing and new employees? In this course, you will learn more about your responsibilities as a supervisor and come away with actionable ways to promote inclusion within your team.

Prerequisites:

This course is for supervisors who have attended LGBTQ+ Part 1: Creating Inclusive Spaces and/or LGBTQ+ Part 2: Contributing to Systemic Change.

Learning Objectives: 

1. State supervisor roles in supporting transitioning employees and all transgender, non-binary, and gender non-conforming employees regardless of transition status
2. Name ways to protect legal name and sex assigned at birth information
3. Demonstrate prevention and recognition of and response to harassment in the workplace

Course Materials:

• Slide Deck
• In Course Examples Handout

Join us for a deep dive into what it means to live trauma-informed. We will explore the impact of trauma on a personal level and how it shows up in the workplace. We will provide you with skills to navigate this in the workplace by learning more about how to have difficult conversations, how to regulate, and how to set appropriate boundaries.

Learning Objectives:

• Discussion about types of trauma and how it shows up for different individuals
• What trauma looks like in the workplace
• Learn skills to help have difficult conversations, regulate, and set appropriate boundaries

Because this course is interactive, we request that you join from a computer or smart device. This course incorporates break-out sessions and we encourage your full participation in the virtual space.

As a result of employee survey responses, the City began a new employee/supervisor check-in process in 2021. The goals of these discussions are to provide more support to employees, further our growth, and help us align individual performance with our organizational vision, mission, and values. This session provides an overview of the City process and highlights new tools developed to make these discussions richer and more productive. 

Course Resources

Prior to the session, please check out our resources and come to the training session prepared with any pressing questions you might have about the Employee Check-in Process.

1. Preview the Resources on the Employee Check-in Process and Resources page
2. Identify 1-2 of your most pressing concerns about the Employee Check-in Process and bring those with you to the session. 

Before we lead others, we need to know how to lead ourselves. For most of us, our personal values guide how we feel and act day-to-day. The four principles of Values-Based Leadership help us lean into our values while remaining curious and open to the values and experiences of others.

Through self-reflection, humility and empathy, a balanced perspective, and lifelong learning, we can grow our leadership from any position.

This is an excellent course for people at all levels in their leadership journey.
 

NOTE: A significant part of this course is spent in self-guided, small group discussion in a Zoom breakout room. You will also need access to the group activity handout during the course. Using a computer, tablet, or at minimum a smartphone is recommended. Phone-only participation is discouraged because it will be difficult to access course materials and interact with others in your small group.

If you are planning to broadcast the course in a conference room for a group, contact the instructor ahead of time for special instructions and activity modifications.

Course Resources

• Values-Based Leadership Group Activity
• Values-Based Leadership Summary Handout
• Values List (from Brené Brown's Dare to Lead)

View a recording of this course on our Online Courses webpage. For a more in-depth learning experience, register for future sessions using the register button.