Employment Practices Liability Resources Update

The Authority published an article earlier this year in this newsletter (New Employment Practices Liability Resources, June 2021 issue) regarding additional resources that will soon be available to assist members in better managing employment practices liability (EPL) exposures.

Since that time, the Authority has published an EPL white paper. This resource, targeted toward member leadership, summarizes why local government agencies should proactively manage EPL exposures. The white paper also addresses the EPL legal and regulatory landscape, recommends techniques for recognition and intervention to handle problematic situations, and discusses resources available through the California JPIA. Members are encouraged to review and discuss the white paper internally and follow the included guidance regarding the management of EPL exposures. The white paper can be found in the Library section or on the White Papers page of the Authority website, cjpia.org.

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In the coming months, the Authority also intends to roll out an anonymous harassment reporting system for use by members. This resource will allow individuals to report allegations of wrongful employment practices in the workplace anonymously.

The Authority staff also plans to make the following resources available to member agencies in 2022:

• Training to address the behavior of employee and elected officials and organizational culture. Topics include abusive conduct, ethics, cultural diversity, implicit bias, nepotism, cronyism, etc.
• Training to improve manager and supervisor soft skills. Topics include effective communication, teamwork, and conflict resolution.
• HR practitioner training. Topics include absence management, disability management, discipline, compensation, labor relations, etc.
• Additional HR policy templates and other HR reference materials.

These additional resources are designed to help members address the root causes of EPL claims and reduce the frequency and severity of such claims.

If you have questions about these upcoming resources, please contact your Risk Manager.

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