Employee Relations Specialist

JOB SUMMARY: The Employee Relations (ER) Specialist assists the Director, of HR Operations and Compliance with employee relations, compliance, and engagement processes across the Agency affiliates. Specifically, the ER Specialist is responsible for all employee-related discipline, performance management, policy, case management, and coaching. Further, the ER Specialist balances time between reactive and crisis-response matters as well as proactive initiatives that improve the employee experience.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES:

1. Serve as a primary point of contact for ER matters, including performance management, disciplinary actions, and policy interpretation. Assess legal risk associated with such actions.
2. Provide coaching and guidance to managers on effective employee management practices, including performance improvement plans and corrective actions. Partner with Agency departments, such as Risk Management, as necessary.
3. Carry out comprehensive and impartial workplace investigations into employee concerns, draft investigative reports, and offer well-founded recommendations. Conduct disciplinary actions as needed.
4. Provide counseling and direction to employees, facilitate communication, and help recommend appropriate courses of action to resolve conflicts and issues effectively.
5. Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws and regulations, including EEO, ADA, FMLA, and other relevant legislation.
6. Ensure adherence to all relevant labor laws and regulations.
7. Assist in the development and updating of HR policies and procedures.
8. Create and share metrics related to employee relations to monitor trends and identify areas for improvement.

QUALIFICATIONS:

1. Education: Minimum Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resources, Business Management, or related discipline.
2. Licensure/ Certification: Professional HR certification such as PHR or SPHR preferred.
3. Experience: Minimum 5 years of work experience in Human Resources. 2-3 years’ work experience in employee relations, including conducting workplace investigations and detailed performance management required.
4. Skills/Competencies:       
   1. Demonstrates professionalism and ability to maintain confidentiality when handling sensitive employee matters.
   2. Must be able to manage competing demands, accept constructive feedback, while being extremely adaptable and flexible.
   3. Must have extensive knowledge of state and federal labor and employment laws, including EEO, ADA, and FMLA.
   4. Ability to travel as required.
   5. Core Expertise: Possesses skill, knowledge and abilities to perform the essential duties of their role; keeps knowledge up to date.
   6. Cultural Competency: Demonstrates awareness, sensitivity and skills in working professionally with diverse individuals, groups and communities who represent various cultural and personal background and characteristics.
   7. Interpersonal Communication: Communicates clearly using verbal, nonverbal, and written skills in a professional context; demonstrates clear understanding and use of professional language.
   8. Professional & Ethical Conduct: Adheres to professional values such as honesty, personal responsibility, and accountability; applies ethical concepts within scope of work and adheres to Agency policies and procedures.
   9. Collaboration & Teamwork: Functions effectively as a member of a professional team that includes employees, clients and family members.
   10. Problem-Solving & Decision-Making: Recognizes problems and responds appropriately; gathers information and sorts through it to identify and address root cause issues; makes timely decisions.

About us: Wingspan Care Group is a nonprofit administrative and management organization that provides a united, community-based network of services so member agencies can focus on mission-related goals. Our innovative model is designed to promote sustainability and advancement among its partner agencies by streamlining operations and eliminating redundancies – resulting in improvements to the delivery of direct service operations.

Why Work for Us: We value our employees and their commitment to our mission and offer competitive total rewards (benefits and compensation) options to our valued employees and their families, including domestic partners. Our rich options include:

• Four weeks of paid vacation, twelve paid sick days, ten paid legal holidays, and four religious holidays
• Full benefits-eligible, including a zero-cost health plan option, dental, and vision insurance
• Retirement matching program towards our defined pension 

Salary is $65,000 - $70,000 annually 

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Wingspan Care Group (“Wingspan”) is the not-for-profit parent company of Applewood Centers, Inc., Bellefaire Jewish Children’s Bureau, Bluestone Child & Adolescent Psychiatric Hospital, and Lifeworks. The mission of Wingspan is to provide organizational efficiencies at the operational, administrative, and fiscal levels for its subsidiary agencies so that they may focus on their respective missions. Wingspan is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Wingspan’s policy is not to discriminate against any applicant or employee based on race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, age (40 and over), disability, military status, genetic information, or any other basis protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws. Wingspan also prohibits harassment of applicants or employees based on any of these protected categories.