Applied HR · On-demand courses

Employee relations training, taught by a practitioner.

Applied HR: Employee Relations in Practice is a five-course online series that takes HR professionals and managers from ER basics to running a defensible workplace investigation. Every course earns SHRM PDCs and HRCI recertification credit.

5courses
5PDCs + HRCI hrs
5 hrson demand

The series

Applied HR: Employee Relations in Practice

Most employee relations training stops at definitions. This series is built around how ER actually works on the job: the communication habits that prevent problems, the documentation that holds up, the leave and accommodation decisions that carry the most legal risk, and the investigation process for when something goes wrong.

Each course walks through the employment law cases that shaped the practice, so you learn what courts expect along with what to do. Every course includes a course companion that summarizes everything covered, and you keep access for good.

Applied HR employee relations course materials: course companions, a Trust But Verify guide, a leave checklist, and the Workplace Investigations in the Digital Age video lesson
SHRM Recertification Provider, SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCPHRCI 2026 Recertification Provider

Recertification credit

Earn SHRM PDCs and HRCI credit hours.

Applied Potential Solutions is recognized by SHRM to offer professional development credits (PDCs) for SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP recertification. Each course is also approved for HR (General) recertification credit hours through HRCI toward aPHR, aPHRi, PHR, PHRca, SPHR, GPHR, PHRi, and SPHRi recertification.

CourseLengthSHRM PDCsHRCI hoursPrice
Foundations of Employee Relations45 min0.750.75$75
Building a Positive Employee Relations Framework50 min0.750.75$75
Managing Conduct and Performance60 min11$99
Navigating Leaves of Absence60 min11$99
Workplace Investigations in the Digital Age90 min1.51.5$149
Full series bundle305 min55$449

The courses

Five employee relations courses, in order.

Course 1 of 5

Foundations of Employee Relations

A practitioner’s field guide to modern employee relations.

Start here. This course defines employee relations and why it drives four business outcomes: retention, engagement, employer brand, and legal risk. You will learn the proactive and reactive sides of ER, the four roles an HR professional plays in any ER matter, and the three legal concepts behind day-to-day decisions: at-will employment, protected classes, and protected concerted activity.

It closes with the documentation habits and modern considerations that keep you and your organization protected, including remote and hybrid work, AI in employment decisions, and social media.

Case law covered

  • Faragher v. City of Boca Raton
  • Staub v. Proctor Hospital
  • Hispanics United of Buffalo

Course 2 of 5

Building a Positive Employee Relations Framework

Proactive employee relations that improves culture and communication.

Proactive ER in three parts. First, communication: the four pillars of business communication (transparent, consistent, two-way, timely), communicating through change and crisis, how culture is defined by what leaders tolerate, and coaching leaders through their blind spots, including Gemba walks as a listening tool.

Second, gathering feedback through engagement surveys, focus groups, new-hire check-ins, stay interviews, exit interviews, and third-party channels like Glassdoor. Third, acting on it: narrowing to two or three themes, building an action plan, closing the loop with employees, and measuring what works.

Case law covered

  • Pennsylvania State Police v. Suders
  • Karl Knauz Motors
  • Whole Foods Market

Course 3 of 5

Managing Conduct and Performance

Address conduct and performance issues confidently and defensibly.

The reactive side of employee relations. Learn the difference between conduct problems (“won’t”) and performance problems (“can’t”), how to build and consistently enforce a code of conduct, administer progressive discipline, write legally defensible corrective action documentation, and create performance improvement plans that give employees a real chance to succeed.

The course also covers AI use, social media, remote-work standards, and reasonable suspicion drug testing, so you can coach managers through difficult situations consistently and ethically.

Case law covered

  • McDonald v. Santa Fe Trail Transportation Co.
  • Reeves v. Sanderson Plumbing Products
  • Harris v. FedEx Corporate Services
  • Cotran v. Rollins Hudig Hall International

Course 4 of 5

Navigating Leaves of Absence

FMLA, ADA, state leave laws, and accommodations, working together.

A practical framework for one of the most legally complex areas of employee relations. Administer FMLA from eligibility through return to work, run the ADA interactive process, coordinate federal and state leave requirements, and handle high-risk situations like extensions, intermittent leave, return-to-work evaluations, and terminations involving employees on protected leave.

You will also work through mental health accommodations, remote work, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, and multi-state compliance.

Case law covered

  • Ragsdale v. Wolverine World Wide
  • Wysong v. Dow Chemical
  • Seeger v. Cincinnati Bell Telephone

Course 5 of 5

Workplace Investigations in the Digital Age

Fair, defensible investigations, including AI-generated evidence.

A complete workplace investigation process: when to investigate, how to gather and preserve evidence, conduct interviews, assess credibility, and reach findings using the preponderance-of-evidence standard. Covers complaints involving harassment, discrimination, retaliation, misconduct, safety, and workplace violence while keeping the process neutral, confidential, and fair.

It also teaches you to verify digital evidence, including text messages, emails, social media, images, audio, video, and AI-generated content, so your reports and decisions hold up.

Case law covered

  • Crawford v. Metropolitan Government of Nashville
  • Swenson v. Potter
  • Lorraine v. Markel American Insurance Co.

Best value

Get all five courses in one bundle.

The full Applied HR: Employee Relations in Practice series, with every course companion and resource included. You earn recertification credit as you finish each course, 5 PDCs and 5 HRCI credit hours in all.

$449$497
Get the bundle

Who it’s for

Built for the people handling ER every day.

HR professionals

Formalizing an ER program

Turn the employee relations work you already do into a consistent, documented process your leadership can stand behind, and earn recertification credit while you do it.

People leaders

Handling the hard conversations

Know how to address conduct and performance, support an employee through leave, and recognize when a complaint needs an investigation.

Small business owners

Running HR without a department

Learn the employment law basics and processes that keep a small team fair and your business protected.

Pair it with the toolkits

Put the training to work with ready-made forms.

Editable investigation, documentation, leave, and accommodation toolkits that match what you learn in the courses.

Browse the toolkits

Questions

Employee relations training FAQ

What is employee relations?

Employee relations (ER) is the part of HR that manages the relationship between an organization and its people. It has a proactive side, like communication, feedback, and engagement, and a reactive side, like complaints, discipline, leave, accommodations, and investigations. Good ER protects retention, engagement, employer brand, and legal risk at the same time.

Do these courses count toward SHRM recertification?

Yes. Applied Potential Solutions is recognized by SHRM to offer professional development credits (PDCs) for SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP recertification. Each course lists its PDC value, and the full series is valid for 5 PDCs.

Do they count toward HRCI recertification?

Yes. Each course is approved for HR (General) recertification credit hours through HRCI toward aPHR, aPHRi, PHR, PHRca, SPHR, GPHR, PHRi, and SPHRi recertification. The full series is approved for 5 credit hours.

How do the courses work?

Each course is on demand and self-paced, with video instruction and a course companion that summarizes everything covered. You can download a certificate when you finish. Buy once and you keep access for good.

Who are these courses for?

HR practitioners building or formalizing an employee relations program, people leaders who handle conduct and performance issues, and small business owners running HR without a department behind them.

Can I buy for my whole HR team?

Yes. Contact Laura about team access, or about live, customized training for your organization.

Who teaches the courses?

Laura Azzarella, PHR, MS HRM, co-founder of Applied Potential Solutions and President of the Buffalo Niagara HR Association. She has more than 17 years of HR experience and speaks on employee relations, workplace investigations, and digital evidence.

Training a whole team?

Bring the series to your organization.

Ask about team access or live, customized employee relations training for your HR group and managers.

Get the full series Contact Laura