Employee Relations Specialist

The⠀Employee⠀Relations⠀Specialist⠀is a⠀member of⠀a Center⠀of⠀Excellence⠀(CoE) at⠀RWJBarnabas⠀Health,⠀the⠀largest⠀academic⠀healthcare⠀system in⠀New⠀Jersey. As⠀a key⠀member of⠀a ER⠀Center of⠀Excellence,⠀the ER⠀Specialist⠀provides⠀support⠀and⠀guidance⠀across the⠀System to⠀Human⠀Resource⠀Business⠀Partners,⠀Directors,⠀and CHROs⠀in⠀addressing⠀violations⠀of System⠀policies,⠀performance⠀management⠀challenges,⠀workplace⠀disputes,⠀compliance⠀complaints,⠀EEO⠀issues,⠀and ADA⠀guidance.⠀Serving as⠀a neutral⠀party, the⠀ER⠀Specialist⠀conducts⠀timely⠀internal⠀investigations;⠀writing⠀clear,⠀concise,⠀accurate⠀written⠀reports of⠀findings⠀and⠀proposed⠀remedial⠀actions.

The⠀ER⠀Specialist⠀coaches⠀and⠀collaborates⠀with site⠀Human⠀Resources⠀in⠀identifying⠀and⠀mitigating⠀employment⠀risks and⠀fostering⠀a culture⠀of⠀respect,⠀inclusion,⠀fairness⠀and⠀equity.

They⠀also⠀support⠀the⠀accurate⠀recording,⠀analysis⠀and⠀reporting⠀of data⠀and⠀increasing⠀the⠀understanding⠀of⠀employees⠀and⠀leaders⠀through⠀training⠀sessions⠀and⠀educational⠀materials.

The⠀position⠀requires⠀the⠀ability to⠀operate in⠀the gray⠀as well as⠀superior⠀attention⠀to detail,⠀communication,⠀creativity,⠀critical⠀thinking,⠀empathy,⠀facilitation,⠀mediation,⠀objectivity⠀and⠀organizational⠀skills.

Essential Functions:

• Delivers⠀expertise,⠀consultation,⠀guidance⠀and⠀coaching⠀to HR⠀Business⠀Partners⠀and⠀Managers⠀throughout⠀the health⠀care⠀system on⠀best⠀practices,⠀laws,⠀policies⠀and⠀regulations.
• Triages⠀cases/complaints⠀according⠀to⠀risk/urgency.
• Conducts⠀timely,⠀thoughtful,⠀thorough⠀investigations;⠀identifies⠀policies,⠀documents,⠀media,⠀etc. to be⠀reviewed⠀and⠀analyzed;⠀identifies⠀complainants/participants/subject-matter⠀experts/witnesses⠀and⠀schedules/conducts⠀interviews.
• Prepares⠀investigatory⠀reports;⠀findings/recommendations.
• Enters⠀data in⠀accordance⠀with⠀policy.
• Prepares⠀and⠀provides⠀periodic,⠀and ad⠀hoc,⠀reports,⠀as⠀required.
• Identifies⠀workplace⠀trends and⠀collaborates⠀with the⠀affiliated⠀Human⠀Resources⠀Department⠀to⠀address.
• Partners⠀with⠀senior⠀leadership⠀and/or⠀internal⠀or outside⠀employment⠀counsel as⠀required.
• Maintains⠀confidentiality⠀throughout⠀the⠀process⠀and in⠀handling⠀documentation.
• Delivers⠀presentations,⠀conducts⠀workshops⠀and⠀prepares⠀educational⠀materials⠀to⠀increase⠀the⠀understanding⠀of⠀employees⠀and⠀stakeholders.
• Participates⠀on⠀designated⠀System⠀committee/work⠀groups.
• Remains⠀current⠀with⠀applicable⠀laws,⠀regulations⠀and/or⠀standards⠀Federal,⠀State and⠀Local.
• Other⠀duties as⠀required.

Job Requirements:

• BA/BS in a⠀related⠀field⠀required
• Four⠀(4) to six⠀(6) years⠀general⠀Human⠀Resources⠀experience;⠀at least⠀three (3)⠀years⠀directly⠀managing⠀complex⠀employee⠀relations⠀issues
• Knowledge⠀and⠀understanding⠀of Federal⠀and State⠀employment⠀laws e.g.⠀ADA/ADAAA,⠀ADEA,⠀Civil⠀Rights Act⠀of 1964 &⠀1991,⠀Equal Pay⠀Act, FMLA,⠀GINA,⠀NJCEPA,⠀NJFLA and⠀NJLAD
• Knowledge⠀and⠀understanding⠀of HIPAA⠀and⠀related⠀privacy⠀laws and⠀regulations
• Proven⠀proficiency⠀in⠀Employee⠀Relations/Human⠀Resources⠀software⠀e.g. HR⠀Acuity,⠀PeopleSoft
• Proven⠀proficiency⠀in Excel,⠀PowerPoint,⠀Publisher⠀and⠀Word
• Experience⠀in⠀conducting⠀complex,⠀internal⠀investigations⠀and⠀writing⠀investigatory⠀reports
• Experience⠀in⠀preparing⠀educational⠀materials⠀and⠀delivering⠀high⠀quality,⠀effective⠀presentations⠀to large⠀and small⠀audiences
• Demonstrated⠀emotional⠀intelligence;⠀ability to⠀set⠀effective⠀boundaries
• Strong⠀communication⠀skills⠀ability to⠀interact⠀and relate⠀to⠀individuals⠀of diverse⠀disabilities⠀and⠀backgrounds
• Strong⠀analytical⠀and⠀problem-solving⠀skills
• Travel⠀within the⠀region⠀required
• PHR,⠀SPHR or⠀related,⠀preferred