Human Resources Employee Relations Specialist

Human Resources Employee Relations Specialist

$ 26 - $ 34 / Hour

Location: Phoenix, Arizona

Contract to hire

The Senior Employee Relations Specialist plays a critical role in fostering a respectful, compliant, and collaborative workplace. This position is responsible for managing sensitive employee matters, supporting leaders with performance and policy guidance, and helping to shape a positive organizational culture within a healthcare setting. You'll ensure fairness, consistency, and legal compliance through detailed case management, trend analysis, and strategic consulting with leadership.

Key Responsibilities:

• Conduct thorough, unbiased investigations into employee concerns, policy violations, and conduct-related issues with professionalism and urgency.
• Collaborate with managers and HR leadership to craft and execute performance management strategies, including corrective actions and improvement plans.
• Mediate and resolve workplace disputes, grievances, and employee complaints in line with internal procedures and employment law.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to department heads on employee relations practices, ensuring decisions are equitable and aligned with company values and policies.
• Maintain detailed, legally sound documentation for all employee relations activities, ensuring consistent recordkeeping and supporting organizational accountability.
• Partner with leadership to implement employee engagement strategies and retention-focused initiatives specific to the healthcare workforce.
• Analyze feedback from exit interviews, periodic employee surveys (30/60/90-day check-ins), and other tools to identify improvement opportunities.
• Leverage HR technology platforms (HRIS systems) to track employee relations trends and deliver actionable data insights to HR and executive leadership.
• Stay current with federal, state, and local employment regulations, ensuring all employee relations practices remain compliant with applicable laws and standards.
• Coordinate and document employee transitions (e.g., offboarding, internal transfers) by managing communication workflows and system updates.
• Support organizational compliance initiatives, including adherence to internal codes of conduct and conflict of interest policies.
• Perform other duties and special projects as assigned to support the broader HR function.

Compensation: $26-$34/hr depending on years of experience.

Qualifications & Requirements:

• Associate's degree in Human Resources, Business, or a closely related field preferred; equivalent experience in employee relations will be considered.
• At least four (4) years of professional experience managing employee relations in complex or highly regulated environments, ideally within healthcare.
• Deep understanding of HR laws, best practices, and employee relations methodologies.
• Demonstrated experience working with HRIS systems and proficiency in Microsoft Office tools (Excel, Word, PowerPoint).
• Excellent written and interpersonal communication skills, especially in handling sensitive issues and delivering difficult messages.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to balance multiple cases or projects simultaneously.
• Capable of maintaining discretion and confidentiality in alignment with HIPAA and organizational policies.
• Valid driver's license and minimum age of 18 required.
• Physical requirements include the ability to lift up to 10 lbs and occasional movement such as walking, bending, or kneeling.

Preferred Skills:

• Previous healthcare or clinical environment experience.
• Familiarity with case management tools or ticketing systems (e.g., Jira) for tracking employee-related actions.
• Experience facilitating training or coaching sessions for managers on employee relations practices.