Announcing the Gibbons Workplace Training Academy

Gibbons P.C. has launched the Gibbons Workplace Training Academy, a comprehensive curriculum of training programs to support compliance with wide-ranging federal and state laws governing the employer/employee relationship—including new laws, like the one recently passed in New York City requiring employers to conduct annual anti-sexual harassment training—and to address emerging workplace issues, such as those arising in the context of the #MeToo and Time’s Up movements.

“Many of our clients have limited in-house human resources functions and lack the internal capacity to present comprehensive training that complies with applicable laws,” says Kelly Ann Bird, a Director in the Employment & Labor Law Department at Gibbons and leader of the Gibbons Workplace Training Academy. “These clients, who are already adept at utilizing external sources for workforce management solutions, are well-positioned to take advantage of the Workplace Training Academy’s offerings.”

Ms. Bird and her colleagues in the firm’s Employment & Labor Law Department have, for many years, prepared and presented a variety of custom training programs in a variety of formats. By formalizing and expanding these value-added service offerings under the umbrella of the Workplace Training Academy, Gibbons is utilizing available resources more efficiently, streamlining the administrative function and bringing one consistent approach to workplace training. The Academy’s programs are available via live presentation to employees of all levels, “train the trainer” sessions, and webinars, with additional media for video-based, online, and other remote learning tools soon to be adapted. Pricing for each session is typically a flat fee based on a combination of discounted attorney and paralegal hourly rates and the other costs associated with the resources used to design the program.

In addition to workplace harassment and discrimination, Gibbons Workplace Academy training courses address, among other topics:

• Hiring practices, performance management, and terminations
• Pay equity
• Employment and severance agreements
• The “gig economy”
• Family, medical, and disability related leave laws
• Workplace bullying
• Union issues
• Social media best practices
• Applicant and employee privacy
• Diversity and inclusion
• Transgender issues in the workplace
• Title IX (for higher education clients)

“Workplace training programs educate employers and employees on standards, expectations, and legal obligations, while minimizing workplace problems and helping defend against liability,” notes Patrick C. Dunican Jr., Chairman and Managing Director of Gibbons. “The strongest training programs, like those available through the Gibbons Workplace Training Academy, also open the door to constructive workplace discourse and foster a positive, productive work environment.”

For more information about the Gibbons Workplace Training Academy, please see gibbonslaw.com/workplacetrainingacademy or contact Kelly Ann Bird, leader of the Gibbons Workplace Training Academy, at kbird@gibbonslaw.com or (973) 596-4881.