Enjoy making a difference? Join the team at FREE, enriching the lives of others, one individual at a time.
Family Residences and Essential Enterprises, Inc. (FREE) benefits and proudly supports more than 4,000 individuals with intellectual / developmental disabilities, mental illness and traumatic brain injury. It is the mission of FREE to support people of all abilities reach their full potential and thrive in their communities. FREE provides a diverse array of supports and services including: housing; recovery services; transition to work; employment; day, community and family services; respite; crisis services; education and after school support; specialty health services; and advocacy.
POSITION SUMMARY
Working in partnership with the Chief of Human Resources, the Employee Relations Director serves as the organization's subject matter expert and primary resource for employee relations matters. This role oversees the resolution of complex workplace issues, conducts investigations, ensures compliance with employment laws and organizational policies, and partners with leaders to foster a positive, engaged, and legally compliant work environment. The Employee Relations Director provides guidance and training to managers and employees, leads employee relations programs and initiatives, analyzes workforce trends and metrics to mitigate risk and improve retention, and supervises employee relations staff while supporting organizational culture, engagement, and performance management strategies.
DUTIES, RESPONSIBILITIES, AND ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
- Provides direct supervision and ongoing coaching to the Employee Relations Specialist, fostering professional development through training, regular one-on-one meetings, performance evaluations, and timely feedback in accordance with FREE's policies and performance management practices.
- Serves as the primary point of contact for complex employee relations issues and subject matter expert on FREE’s employee handbook, including conflict resolution, disciplinary actions, performance concerns, and policy violations.
- Assists employees with raising concerns through the job-related problem-solving process.
- Responds to after-hours issues and triages employee relations areas when needed.
- Partners with leadership to proactively identify, address, and respond to employee relations concerns, ensuring issues are acknowledged and resolved appropriately before they escalate.
- Manages and ensures prompt resolution of sexual harassment and discrimination complaints.
- Manages all arrest notifications, suspensions, interviews, and risk assessments for new and existing employees.
- Conducts prompt thorough, and impartial investigations into employee complaints, partnering with Legal and Compliance as needed; maintain follow-up with all recommendations.
- Acts as liaison to FREE’S external investigators and counsel representation.
- Documents all cases appropriately, ensuring consistency, accuracy, and confidentiality.
- Interprets and provides guidance on FREE’s HR policies, procedures, and employment laws to managers and employees.
- Partners with HR leadership to develop, revise, and implement HR policies, procedures, and the employee handbook, while ensuring their consistent application across the organization.
- Ensures compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws and regulations.
- Supports HR initiatives related to organizational change, restructuring, and culture development.
- Oversees employee recognition and support programs, including Thank You Rewards and the Treasure Town emergency assistance fund, and partners across departments to develop and implement employee engagement initiatives that support organizational culture.
- Analyzes employee relations trends and metrics, identifies systemic issues and risk mitigation opportunities, reports insights to leadership, and advises on communication and engagement strategies.
- Assists in the development and delivery of employee relations training programs for managers and directors; facilitates during new hire orientation and delivers employee training.
- Ensures accurate and timely documentation of employee relations matters and data entry within the HRIS and other tracking systems in accordance with organizational practices and legal requirements.
- Manages the employee separation processes, including documentation, unemployment claims, and exit interviews, and communicates exit trends and insights to leadership.
- Oversees annual employee satisfaction survey and stay interviews and utilizes data to develop strategies to improve retention.
- Prepares and delivers regular and ad hoc human resources reports and data analyses for internal and external stakeholders, including leadership and HR partners, as needed.
- Ensures that all required documentation (paper and electronic) is completed/processed appropriately, in a timely manner, and meets quality and compliance thresholds.
- Performs other duties as assigned.
Responsibilities of All FREE Employees
- Always communicates in a respectful manner with all people including the people we support, Managers, other valued team members, and members of the community.
- Complies fully with FREE’s confidentiality policies by holding in strictest confidence all information pertaining to members, residents, the people we support and their families, clients, providers, contractors, and employees.
- Meets all safety training requirements; adheres to all safety policies and reports any and all unsafe conditions; takes measures to prevent accidents and/or eliminate conditions that pose a safety or health risk.
- Coordinates, supports, attends and participates in all required events/ meetings/ reviews/ committees, including ones outside of standard working hours.
- Meets all job requirements and stays in compliance.
- Adheres to FREE’s standard of ethical behavior as outlined in the Employee Handbook and Code of Conduct as well as applicable laws and regulations.
Responsibilities of FREE Employees in Leadership/Management Positions:
- Ensures compliance with FREE policies, procedures, and operating standards.
- Implements a continuous quality improvement process for department services and administrative functions.
- Assists in the development, implementation and administration of Human Resources policies and programs including compliance with Equal Employment Opportunities and Affirmative Action Programs.
Please note the above duties, responsibilities, and essential functions are a non-exhaustive list, and may be changed by FREE at any time, with or without notice to the employee.
QUALIFICATIONS
- Education:
- Bachelor’s degree in business administration, human resources, or another related field required; master’s degree in a related field preferred.
- Experience:
- Minimum of four (4) years of progressive experience in human resources and/or human services management required, including at least two (2) years of employee relations experience involving activities such as conducting workplace investigations and interviews, managing complex employee relations matters, interpreting and applying policies and procedures, resolving workplace conflicts, and/or advising management on employee relations issues.
- Minimum of one (1) year of supervisory experience required.
- If internal candidate does not have 1 year of supervisory experience, they may qualify if they successfully passed their probation period and have a recommendation from their current supervisor and the Vice President. This candidate would need to successfully complete internal management and supervisory training within the first 120 days in the manager role.
- Specialized Training, Licenses, Certifications:
- SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, or SPHR certification preferred.
- Knowledge, Skills, Competencies, and Abilities:
- Understanding of general human resources policies and procedures.
- Knowledge of employment and labor laws.
- Must be proactive, efficient, well organized, extremely detail oriented and have excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- Aptitude in problem-solving.
- Demonstrated ability to balance competing priorities and meet deadlines by maximizing available technology.
- Demonstrates ability to communicate with multiple constituents clearly and professionally.
- Desire to work as a team with a results driven approach.
- Other Requirements:
- Valid driver’s license required.
- Must be available to work in person during evenings to address employee relations matters and support operational needs.
- Ability to be on-call for employee relations matters during evenings, weekends, and holidays as needed.
WORK ENVIRONMENT
This role is performed in-person in an office setting. Some travel may be required.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
- Employee is required to sit, walk and stand for prolonged period of time (at least 8 hours).
- Employee is required to effectively communicate both verbally and in writing.
- Employee is required to operate standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, fax and filing cabinets.
- Employee is required to reach with hands and arms.
- Employee is required to bend, stoop, kneel, crouch or stand on a stool as needed.
- Employee is required to be able to lift 50 pounds at a time.
Notwithstanding the above listed physical requirements of this position, FREE will provide reasonable accommodations to allow employees to perform the essential functions of the position, provided such reasonable accommodations do not cause undue hardship on FREE.
FREE is an equal opportunity employer and provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, genetics, or any other protected characteristic. In addition to federal law requirements, FREE complies with applicable state and local laws governing non-discrimination in employment in all of its locations. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including, but not limited to, recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.
Family Residences and Essential Enterprises’ affirmative action efforts related to protected veterans and individuals with disabilities are set out and described in our affirmative action plan for protected veterans and individuals with a disability. If you have any questions or would like to view the affirmative action plan, please visit our website www.familyres.org
