Employee Relations Specialist II

Job Summary: The Employee Relations Specialist II is tasked with cultivating and maintaining positive relationships between employees and the organization. This role involves addressing employee relations issues, ensuring adherence to labor laws, and providing expert guidance on policy interpretation and application.

Essential Job Duties and Responsibilities:

•  Provide guidance and support to employees on work-related issues and conflicts
•  Communicate HR policies and procedures to employees and ensure understanding and compliance
•  Ensure the organization complies with labor laws and regulations
•  Assist with audits and investigations
•  Keep current with employment laws to minimize legal risks and ensure compliance
•  Must quickly assess the severity of claims and determine if escalation to management or legal is necessary
•  Must be capable of conducting thorough and effective investigations
•  Must consistently exercise and maintain confidentiality
•  Must maintain objectivity and impartiality in all situations
•  Analyze complaint trends and propose solutions to enhance employee retention and morale
•  Must be capable of handling difficult conversations
•  Process terminations, which may include handling the termination conversation
•  Understand and apply ADAAA laws including the interactive accommodation process
•  Ensure the ES Team is answering and maintaining unemployment claims
•  Regularly updates management on ineffective processes
•  Proactively seeks opportunities to enhance the employee relations process
•  Proactively identify areas in the workplace that experience consistent employee relations issues and partner with HR Business Partner on resolutions
•  Contribute to the policy writing process by offering observations related to employee relations. May serve on committees and taskforces related to policy revisions.
•  Research labor law updates and decisions that could impact policies
•  Review and audit policies to ensure they are current with new legislation.
•  May work with audit partners on policy audit outcomes and resolutions needed.
•  Work with HR Business Partners and Learning and Development team to help develop and deliver training to leaders and employees on workplace issues (e.g., sexual harassment presentations in orientation).
•  Recognize when to involve inside or outside legal team during an investigation.
•  Assist in Compliance Line investigations, ensuring that documentation is collected and maintained. May lead investigation, interviews and work with legal.

Education and Experience Requirements:

•  High school diploma or GED
•  2+ years of HR experience
•  Must have obtained SHRM workplace investigations specialty credential
•  Must be committed to ongoing education to support the role

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

•  Ability to understand and meet the expectations of a professional office environment, including maintaining appropriate appearance and attendance
•  Demonstrate strong multitasking and organizational skills.
•  Communicate effectively both in writing and verbally.
•  Maintain composure under pressure.
•  Handle difficult conversations with professionalism.
•  Exhibit strong decision-making and problem-solving abilities.
•  Thrive in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment.
•  Collaborate effectively within a team.
•  Understand and uphold the importance of confidentiality.
•  Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite.
•  Open to ongoing training and development.

Work Environment:

•  Work is performed in a climate-controlled office setting.
•  Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
•  Must be able to lift up to 15lbs.

Disclaimer:

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice. This job description is not an exhaustive list of all functions that the employee may be required to perform, and the employee may be required to perform additional functions. The company reserves the right to revise this job description at any time. The employee must be able to perform the essential functions of the position satisfactorily. If requested, reasonable accommodations may be made to enable employees with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job, absent undue hardship.