Employee Relations Consultant

Summary:

The Employee Relations Consultant is responsible for working with employees and leaders to provide effective solutions related to performance management, compliance, investigations, policy management, and employee relations or support. This role carries out the vision of the Employee Relations team to develop, implement, and manage Human Resources policies, programs, and processes intended to foster a positive, compliant work environment and promote employee engagement.

Essential Job Duties & Responsibilities:

• Employee Relations & Performance Management:

  • Provide consultation to employees and managers on policy matters; handle escalated queries from employee-initiated HR tickets, department inboxes (ex: Tier 1 & 2)

  • Provide expertise & guidance while providing case management for escalated queries requiring direct ER/Legal intervention (Ex: Tier 3)

  • Provide feedback and coaching to managers and business leaders on employee issues related to performance, policy violations, & workplace accommodations; address escalated issues as needed

  • Review manager-initiated performance related actions for compliance with company standards & ensure consistent application of designated performance standards. Provide HR approval for employee delivery and ensure proper tracking, reporting, and follow-up as necessary. Appropriately escalate as needed

  • Conduct effective, consistent, & compliant investigations in accordance with company policy for any employment related claims made by current or former employees, as raised by external agencies, or received through litigation. Review investigative facts with ER and HR Leadership and/or internal legal counsel. Ensure adequate investigation summaries are completed to appropriately document the case, and effectively adjudicate the claim. Guide leaders and HR Business Partners on appropriate actions following conclusion of an investigation

  • Provide support to legal team on relevant employment related matters, including document preservation, internal investigations, and litigation preparation. Respond to all legal depositions and inquiries in a timely and compliant manner

  • Provide support to Business leaders, HR Business Partners, and other stakeholders in the review and approval of reductions in force. Partner with ER Leaders and Legal to conduct necessary impact analyses, ensure compliance with any federal or state WARN requirements, and provide tracking and approval for all severance and separation related documents

  • Provide centralized review and approval for involuntary terminations; ensure consistent application of rehire eligibility standards. Appropriately escalate as needed

  • Review & provide feedback to ensure onboarding and offboarding documents & processes are compliant

  • Support Recruitment with any related applicant/candidate matters through the application, interview, or onboarding process (pre-hire), and partner with HR Compliance team for any background investigation related issues

  • Provide rehire eligibility review as requested by the recruitment team for former employees who apply to a posted position Appropriately escalate as needed

  • Support company diversity, equality, and inclusion programs

• HR & Employee Leave Management & Accommodation Support:

  • Serve as centralized HR contact for all employee leave and accommodation requests (FMLA, ADA, PWFA, State Sick Leave)

  • Facilitate business discussions in the interactive process with employees and the Leave Management team to ensure employee accommodation requests are processed and reviewed in a compliant manner. Escalate to internal legal counsel as needed

  • Support business continuity efforts in times of crisis or natural disaster. Partner with internal Risk, Business Continuity, Legal, HR Business Partners, HR COE’s, HR Leadership, and Company Communications teams to ensure company response is consistent and supports the company’s policies, procedures, and mission

• Training & Administrative Duties:

  • In partnership with Learning & Development and HR Business Partner teams, support the development and facilitation of workplace training to educate managers and HR team members on related topics

  • Participate in regular meetings with Legal, HR Leadership, and HR Business Partners and prepare updates on employee-related matters

  • Provide feedback to Employee Relations Leaders and HR Operations team to streamline & centralize administrative processes

  • Maintain Case Management system and ensure secure and compliant storage of employee relations documentation; manage document retention policies with internal technology teams

  • Review employee requests for systems access during international travel, appropriately escalate as needed

  • Submit/approve requested employee or position-related updates, such as location changes, supervisory org updates/changes, cost center, manager changes as needed. Partner with Business leaders, HR Business Partners, and appropriate HR COE’s to ensure accuracy. Appropriately escalate as needed

  • Provide support, review, and approval for cost center creation in partnership with HRIS, HR Data & Analytics, HR Technology and Finance teams

  • Respond to unemployment claims, attend unemployment hearings, and appropriately escalate as needed

  • Ensure Employee files are maintained in a confidential and compliant manner in accordance with company document retention policy as well as federal and state law

• Employment Law & Compliance

  • Provide expertise and guidance to employees and managers on a range of HR and employment law issues including reductions in force, restructuring, employee claims, investigations, disciplinary action, performance management terminations, leaves of absences, accommodations, and unemployment claims

  • Partner with Employee Relations, HR Leadership, and internal and external counsel on matters related to employment agreements, severance, and retention

  • Support review and assessment of employee practices and processes to ensure consistency, effectiveness and compliance

  • Guide business leaders to deliver effective, controllable, and compliant HR processes that meet regulatory requirements

  • Partner with HR Compliance & Internal Audit teams to ensure related compliance matters are tracked and updated in accordance with company standards

  • Participate as needed in all System & Organization Controls (SOC) audits

• HR Policy & Reporting:

  • Support maintenance of Employee Handbook and related state supplements and participate in regular reviews as needed. Ensure documented revisions are completed and submitted for review and approval. Assist with posting updates in the appropriate locations 

  • Support the review of HR Policies as needed, ensure documented revisions are completed and submitted for review and approval. Assist with posting updates in the appropriate locations

  • Stay current on changes in Employment Law, regulations, and guidelines; make & document any necessary changes to company policy to ensure compliance

  • Ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations (Ex: EEO, FLSA, PWFA)

  • Provide guidance to business leaders, HR Business Partners, and HR team as needed in areas of HR policy and compliance

  • Support completion of regular HR Reporting requirements, (Ex: EEO-1, AAP, Vets 4212, etc.)

Other Related Duties:

• Performs other related duties as assigned

• Comply with all company policies and procedures

• Maintain regular and punctual attendance

Supervisory Responsibilities:

This position is an individual contributor role with no direct reports, but may provide guidance, leadership, or training to others and must demonstrate leadership abilities without having formal direct reports.

Qualifications:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

Education & Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field. Master’s degree preferred

• Minimum of 3 (three) years’ experience in an Employee Relations or equivalent role

• Experience in financial services business preferred

• Strong proficiency with Microsoft Office programs and with web-based reporting tools preferred.  Experience working with Human Capital Management (HCM) systems required, prior experience with Workday preferred

Key Competencies:

• Demonstrated experience in human resources with a background in employment law, employee relations, leave management, diversity, performance management, and federal and state employment law. Knowledge of compensation, benefit, and payroll practices preferred

• Core skills include business acumen and curiosity, consulting, negotiating & conflict resolution skills all with the ability to influence without authority

• Exceptional problem solving and analytical skills

• Highly organized, self-motivated, customer oriented with the ability to work independently as well as within a team and with internal stakeholders

• Demonstrates good judgement and the ability to make sound decisive decisions and work effectively in a fast-paced, every changing environment with little director or oversight across multiple geographic locations in a virtual setting

• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a complex organization with multiple changing priorities and vague or incomplete directives. Must be adaptable with the ability to pivot quickly and perform in a dynamic environment

• Excellent/engaging verbal and written communication and interpersonal abilities to effectively collaborate with executives, managers, employees, and stakeholders at all levels. Must have an unparalleled focus on customer service and responsiveness

• Act as a change agent and deliberately and continuously focus on improvement and challenge the status quo

• Ability to maintain confidentiality & professionalism while building appropriate business relationships with employees at all levels of the organization. Work positively to impact customers and colleagues in a manner that embodies the company’s culture and brand

• Behaves as a leadership role model building trust, driving and delivering strong results with a customer focus

• Limited overnight travel may be required

Certificates, Licenses, Registrations:

• HRCI Professional in Human Resources (PHR) or SHRM Certified Processional (CP) preferred

Work Complexity:

Problems and issues faced are general, and may require understanding of broader set of issues but typically are not complex. May require familiarity with the financial/mortgage (or job-specific) industry. Problems require understanding of other job areas.  Problems are typically solved through drawing from prior experiences, with analysis of the issue.

Work Environment:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Work is normally performed in a typical interior office work environment which does not subject the employee to any hazardous or unpleasant elements. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit and talk or hear.  The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; and reach with hands and arms.  The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.

Equal Employment Opportunity:

The company is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, ethnicity, color, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, religion, national origin, age (40 and over), disability, military status, genetic information, or any other basis protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws.

Americans with Disabilities Act:

Applicants as well as employees who are or become disabled must be able to satisfactorily perform the essential job functions of the position either with or without reasonable accommodation. Applicants as well as employees are encouraged to meet with Human Resources as the organization shall review reasonable accommodations on a case-by-case basis in accordance with applicable law.

Job Responsibilities:

The statements reflect the general duties and responsibilities considered necessary to perform the essential functions of the job and should not be considered as an all-inclusive list of all the work requirements of the position. The company may change the specific job duties with or without prior notice based on the needs of the organization.