Communicating with Peers and Direct Reports (05 Nov 2026)

Thu, 05 Nov 2026 13:00:00 GMT

Thursday, November 5, 2026

Remote Meeting

8:00 AM - 8:15 AM Networking Opportunity

8:15 AM - 8:30 AM Welcome from Amy Sabato

8:30 AM - 8:55 Legal Update and Q&A with our Legislative Director Debra Dyleski-Najjar, Esquire

9:00 - 10:30 Program

1.5 SHRM & HRCI credits pending

TOPIC: "Communicating with Peers and Direct Reports"

Some of the most important conversations we have are not with clients or leadership. They are with the peer whose priorities may look like they are competing with ours, or the direct report who needs honest feedback delivered well.

At first glance, those differences can feel like friction. But with effective communication, we strengthen connection, work toward alignment, and turn what looked like competing priorities into real collaboration.

What the session covers:

• Understanding what makes communication land differently with peers versus direct reports

• Practicing language that builds trust and alignment, even when priorities seem to compete

• Strengthening the ability to collaborate across roles and reporting lines

• Building confidence for the conversations people tend to put off

• Apply to

What participants leave with:

Sharper language, stronger tools, and the confidence to lead from where they stand, starting with the very next conversation on their calendar.

Our Speaker: Deb Kaplan

Deb Kaplan is an organizational performance guide and a full-suite Dale Carnegie Trainer with over 35 years of experience helping people, teams, and organizations thrive through change. While her work reaches global audiences, her primary focus is on organizations based in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire. She is a credentialed leader of Human by Design: Future Proofing Yourself in an AI-Driven World, a Dale Carnegie program designed in partnership with Matt Britton, author of Generation AI. Deb is known for her insight, empathy, and practical wisdom, energy, and grit—with a passion for seeing her clients soar. She has served on HR teams for three global businesses headquartered in New England. In 2022, she returned to where she got her start—working with leaders and organizations to realize strategic and people-centric transformations. Her mission is to elevate human capabilities in ways that align with the positive changes people and organizations want and need to make in the world.

Our Sponsor: Interesting in Sponsoring? Contact Julie Moore at jmoore@employmentpg.com

Location: Webinar

For more information:

Contact: Caitlin Clary

Email: cclary@borislow.com

Drop here!

Uncover the Facts: The Art of Workplace Investigations (03 Dec 2026)

Thu, 03 Dec 2026 13:00:00 GMT

Thursday, December 3, 2026

Remote Meeting

8:00 AM - 8:15 AM Networking Opportunity

8:15 AM - 8:30 AM Welcome from Amy Sabato

8:30 AM - 8:55 Legal Update and Q&A with our Legislative Director Debra Dyleski-Najjar, Esquire

9:00 - 10:30 Program

1.5 SHRM & HRCI credits pending

TOPIC: "Uncover the Facts: The Art of Workplace Investigations"

When done right, workplace investigations protect an employer’s culture, demonstrate that its policies are enforced, and give it a sound basis for taking corrective action when it’s warranted. They also reduce risk and limit legal exposure. Getting it wrong can lead to festering employee relations, loss of trust in HR and leadership, and costly legal consequences.

A legally defensible investigation follows a deliberate process. It starts with a plan that identifies the witnesses to interview and the documents to collect, usually includes a credibility analysis, and it ends with a clear, well-reasoned report. This session offers a practical overview of the standard HR practices behind a prompt, thorough, and impartial investigation led by two experienced workplace investigators and employment attorneys.

Our Speakers: Julie A. Moore & Michelle De Oliveira

Julie A. Moore is president and founder of Employment Practices Group in Wellesley, MA. She founded EPG in 1998 to work with employers on employment law issues and preventative strategies and best practices of human resource management. Julie consults and advises on workplace issues; investigates complaints of harassment, discrimination, retaliation, and other forms of misconduct; conducts training on harassment prevention and other workplace topics; drafts policies and procedures; provides advice and counsel to employees and employers in non-litigation workplace matters; and acts as an expert witness on employment practices. She is an appointed member and chair of the Town of Wellesley’s Human Resources Board, overseeing a staff of five employees. She frequently conducts in-house seminars for employers and trade organizations and speaks at CLE programs for many organizations across the country. Julie has authored many publications in legal and trade journals. She earned her B.A. from Boston College in 1988 and her J.D. from Suffolk University Law School in 1992. She is admitted to practice law in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, and Connecticut. She is a past chair and current member of the NHBA’s Labor & Employment Law Section. She is also a former board member and conference chair for the Association of Workplace Investigators, a board member and program chair for the Greater Merrimack Valley Human Resources Association, and a member of the Society for Human Resources Management. Julie has SPHR and SHRM-SCP certifications in human resources. She was inducted into the College of Labor and Employment Attorneys in 2013.

Michelle is a shareholder of Ruberto, Israel & Weiner. She advises businesses and human resources professionals on the full range of day-to-day employment issues, including wage and hour compliance, hiring, employee discipline and terminations, leaves of absence, reasonable accommodations, and discrimination and harassment claims. She drafts and reviews employee handbooks and workplace policies, conducts internal investigations involving allegations of discrimination, harassment and other misconduct, and conducts trainings on harassment prevention and best management practices. Michelle also counsels employers and individuals on employment agreements, restrictive covenants and separation agreements. While she prioritizes practical, cost-effective resolutions outside of litigation whenever possible, she regularly represents clients before state and federal courts, administrative agencies—including the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination—and in alternative dispute resolution proceedings. A frequent seminar presenter, Michelle writes regularly on employment topics. She co-authored a Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education chapter on the state’s independent contractor statute and has been quoted in Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly. Michelle has received numerous professional honors, including recognition as a Top Labor & Employment Attorney by Boston magazine, selection for The Best Lawyers in America in Employment Law – Management, and recognition by Massachusetts Super Lawyers.

Our Sponsor: Interesting in Sponsoring? Contact Julie Moore at jmoore@employmentpg.com

Location: Webinar

For more information:

Contact: Caitlin Clary

Email: cclary@borislow.com

Drop here!

GMVHRA upcoming events

Communicating with Peers and Direct Reports (05 Nov 2026)

Uncover the Facts: The Art of Workplace Investigations (03 Dec 2026)