Employee Relations & Labor Principal

Overview

This role is with a leading organization in the healthcare industry, committed to delivering exceptional patient care and fostering a supportive, compliant environment for its dedicated workforce. Partnering with Aquent, this organization is seeking passionate and skilled professionals to uphold its values and drive its mission forward.

We are seeking a dynamic and highly experienced Principal to make a significant impact on our employee and labor relations landscape. This pivotal role will empower you to shape a positive workplace culture, ensure fair practices, and navigate complex legal frameworks, directly influencing the well-being of our workforce and the success of our operations. You will be at the forefront of fostering a fair and compliant workplace, ensuring that both employees and management operate within established policies, agreements, and legal guidelines. Your expertise will be crucial in resolving disputes, mitigating risks, and developing strategies that support a thriving and productive environment.

What You Will Do:

• Serve as a subject matter expert in all areas of Employee & Labor Relations, providing essential guidance to management and staff.
• Interpret and enforce human resource policies, collective bargaining agreements, and state and federal laws.
• Provide counsel on corrective action and performance management strategies.
• Conduct thorough investigations into employee complaints and grievances, drafting comprehensive outcomes and recommendations.
• Collaborate closely with legal counsel on third-party cases, agency charges (such as Equal Employment Opportunities Commission and National Labor Relations Board), and other complex legal matters.
• Prepare and present cases for weekly legal review, ensuring robust defense and compliance.
• Guide employees through employment-related challenges, connecting them with appropriate internal and external resources.
• Advise supervisors, managers, and directors on the interpretation, compliance, and enforcement of human resource policies, collective bargaining agreements, and relevant state and federal laws, including those pertaining to Americans with Disabilities Act, various leaves, and Workers’ Compensation.
• Provide expert guidance to management on corrective action, grievance, and arbitration procedures, investigating issues, preparing reports, and recommending resolutions aligned with HR standard practices.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of human resource policies and procedures that are consistent with federal and state laws and sound management principles.
• Manage unemployment insurance claims from initial report through the appeals process, taking proactive action to minimize organizational costs.
• Identify critical issues, problems, and opportunities, generating alternatives and utilizing a collaborative team approach to recommend and implement appropriate actions.
• Deliver exceptional customer service and model core organizational principles.
• Maintain meticulous documentation and tracking of cases within the case management system.
• Proactively share knowledge and expertise, fostering continuous development and growth within the team and organization.
• Contribute to shaping HR strategies, applying understanding of policies and practices, and translating goals for team implementation.
• Challenge the status quo and drive continuous improvements with an entrepreneurial spirit.
• Analyze organizational maturity to facilitate the adoption of recommendations and build strong relationships with key stakeholders.
• Demonstrate comprehensive knowledge of root causes for organizational issues and develop effective solutions.
• Actively participate in complex negotiations, preserving relationships while influencing outcomes and architecting solutions that satisfy all parties.
• Motivate and lead others towards achieving organizational goals, proactively addressing potential obstacles.
• Guide the HR function and stakeholders to leverage available data sources for insights, performing data analysis to inform decisions.
• Operate with consideration for healthcare industry regulations and Union agreements, recommending policy and process changes to enhance awareness and compliance.
• Translate changes in healthcare industry regulations and employment laws into appropriate updates for HR policies and processes.

Must-Have Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in a work-related discipline/field from an accredited college or university preferred.
• Twelve (12) years of progressively responsible and directly related work experience.
• Demonstrated ability to conduct and maintain objectivity in agency and legal investigations.
• Proven ability to maintain confidentiality of sensitive information.
• Exceptional planning, organizational, and prioritization skills, with the ability to work independently and meet deadlines.
• Strong problem-solving and solution identification capabilities.
• Ability to work effectively both as a team player and a leader.
• Adept at working effectively with individuals at all levels of the organization.
• Current knowledge of local, state, and federal regulatory requirements related to functional responsibility and human resources.
• In-depth knowledge of the principles and practices of Employee and Labor Relations and collective bargaining.
• Strong analytical, organizational, communication, facilitation, training, and administrative skills.

The target hiring compensation range for this role is $98.24 to $106.13 an hour. Compensation is based on several factors including, but not limited to education, relevant work experience, relevant certifications, and location.

About Aquent Talent:

Aquent Talent connects the best talent in marketing, creative, and design with the world’s biggest brands.

Our eligible talent get access to amazing benefits like subsidized health, vision, and dental plans, paid sick leave, and retirement plans with a match. We also offer free online training through Aquent Gymnasium. More information on our awesome benefits! 

Aquent is an equal-opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, and other legally protected characteristics. We’re about creating an inclusive environment—one where different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives are valued, and everyone can contribute, grow their careers, and thrive.

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