Overview
COMPANY SUMMARY: The John Stewart Company is a full-service housing management, development and consulting organization that began in 1978 with a commitment to providing high quality service in the affordable housing sector. We work to enrich the lives of our residents and employees, while delivering our services cost‐effectively, efficiently and with the highest levels of professionalism, compassion, integrity and respect.
SUMMARY OF THE POSITION:
The HR Generalist - Compliance and Investigation will serve as JSCo’s primary responder to serious employee complaints and legal claims. General duties will include reviewing, investigating and responding to serious personnel complaints made directly to them or as assigned by the Director of HR/Payroll and managing other employee compliance issues. More specifically, they will conduct personnel investigations, develop recommended actions and write investigation reports; facilitate interactive processes (IP) discussions and reasonable accommodation (RA) requests and make related recommendations; manage EEOC and DFEH claims and make recommendations regarding financial settlements; support the legal defense team by helping gather and analyze data, conduct discovery and obtain witness statements; participate in devising legal defense strategy; serve as the company’s expert on employee investigations, IPs, and compliance with EEOC and DFEH regulations; and provide internal employee training on related areas of expertise.
Nothing in this job description restricts management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.
Responsibilities
PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:
- Effective intake and review of allegations; conducting, documenting and reporting outcomes of personnel investigations; creating and maintaining files.
- Properly conduct and document IPs and RA requests.
- Provide a strong management of EEOC and DFEH claims and making recommendations for settlements as necessary.
- Superior support for legal defense of labor and related claims.
- Attend trainings relevant to primary job functions and serve as the company’s expert on those subjects.
- Provide training to management staff on how to handle RA requests, IPs and related tasks.
- Work effectively with HR staff in the conduct of their work.
- Manage Special Projects as assigned.
PRIMARY JOB FUNCTIONS
Investigations
- Investigate highly sensitive employment claims, including: conduct complainant and witness interviews; analyzing data from various internal systems; develop factual findings; proposing remedial or disciplinary action based on investigation findings; drafting investigation report; production and proper storage of completed investigation documentation.
- Independently manage assigned casework, bringing investigations to timely, accurate and definitive closure.
- Collect and analyze employee statements and evidence.
- Analyze aggregate casework data to identify issue trends and opportunities for proactive issue mitigation.
- Analyze casework trends and produce strategic recommendations to the business to proactively address systemic issues.
- Partner with HR, COO and legal counsel to engage in continuous improvement of communication practices and policies.
- Partner with HR, COO and legal in analysis and revision of HR programs, policies, and practices to help sustain a positive work environment.
- Consult and collaborate with Corporate ER teams, Legal, and 3rd Party Vendors on complex employee investigations.
Interactive Process and Reasonable Accommodations
- Conduct IPs and evaluate RA requests and provide assistance to other JSCo staff conducting employee IPs and receiving RA requests.
- Consistently, accurately and thoroughly document IPs and RA request outcomes with the employee.
- Provide written and verbal updates and reports to Director of HR/Payroll, COO and Legal as necessary.
- Make recommendations in response to IP and RA requests and claims to Director of HR/Payroll, COO and Legal as necessary.
EEOC and DFEH Defense
- Manage EEOC and DFEH defense including:
- Investigate claims.
- Work with legal defense team to develop claim response strategy.
- Filing responses with EEOC and DFEH.
- Participate in EEOC and DFEH hearings.
- Recommend settlement terms.
- Manage settlement documentation.
Support Legal Defense
- Manage support of legal defense of labor claims including:
- Investigate claims as assigned.
- Working with legal defense team, Chief Operating Officer and the Director of HR and Payroll to develop claim response strategy.
- Coordinate the collection and distribution of discovery materials.
- Collect relevant system data and conduct analysis as assigned.
- Coordinate depositions and interviews between defense attorneys and employees.
- Attend mediation/arbitrations/litigation as a company representative as assigned.
- Manage settlement documentation.
Training
- As the Subject Matter Expert, provide training and guidance to company staff on IP, RA requests, FMLA, ADA, employment relations and related topics.
- Attend training to remain current on IP, RA, FMLA, ADA and related federal, state and local laws.
Other
- Manage Special Projects as assigned.
- Other duties as assigned.
Qualifications
EXPERIENCE
- At least five years of experience conducting employee relations or human resources functions including leave of absences, benefits, and other HR generalist roles with minimum guidance.
- Specialized training in employment law, conducting investigations, ADA, organizational planning, organization development, employee relations, safety, developing and conducting internal employee training, and preventive labor relations, preferred.
- Legal background highly desired.
- Experience conducting investigations.
- Demonstrated experience in problem identification, analysis, recommendation of options and development of logical and workable solutions.
- Demonstrated fluency with Microsoft Office Suites: Word, Excel, and Outlook is essential.
- Demonstrated success in multi-tasking and working in a fast-paced, high-volume environment.
- Multi-lingual beneficial.
WORKING CONDITIONS & PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.
Physical Environment/Requirements
- This position interacts with internal and external individuals on a regular basis: in person, phone and email.
- Some travel required as necessary in the conduct of work.
- It is sometimes necessary to deal with unpleasant or angry people with the need to problem solve difficult situations.
- Sitting and standing for extended periods of time is necessary.
- Hybrid Schedule.
JOB DESCRIPTION REVISION
This is not necessarily an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, skills, duties, requirements, efforts or working conditions associated with this job. While this job description is intended to be an accurate reflection of the current job, management reserves the right to revise the job or to require that other or different tasks be performed when circumstances change. This job description replaces all previous descriptions for this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Salary Range: $75,000 - $95,000/Yr.
Benefits-at-a-glance
Benefits for Employees who work 30+ hours/week -
- Medical, dental and vision care; preventative medical care paid at 100%.
- Vacation leave of up to ten days per year in the first year.
- Up to 72 hours of sick time per year.
- Flexible Spending Accounts for Health Care and Dependent Care.
- Company paid Life AD&D Long Term Disability.
- Free, confidential counseling through our Employee Assistance Program.
- Commuter benefit program.
- Discounts for AT&T and ClassPass.
- $50 annual Wellness Reimbursement.
- Matching 401(K) Retirement Savings Plan of up to 2% of your compensation (for any employee who works 20 hours or more per week).
Benefits for Employees who work less than 30 hours/week -
- Free, confidential counseling through our Employee Assistance Program.
- Commuter benefit program.
- Discounts for AT&T and ClassPass.
- $100 annual Wellness Reimbursement.
- Matching 401(K) Retirement Savings Plan of up to 2% of your compensation (for any employee who works 20 hours or more per week).
- Up to 72 hours of sick time per year.
#JS1388
Equal Opportunity Employer
The John Stewart Company provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, or any other consideration made unlawful by federal, state, or local laws. The John Stewart Company will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance and Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative.
California Consumer Privacy Act
Effective January 1, 2020, the California Consumer Privacy Act requires businesses that meet certain minimum threshold requirements to provide a “notice at collection” to applicants for employment who reside in California. The notice at collection describes the categories of personal information to be collected about these California applicants and the purposes for using that personal information. Therefore, we have posted the Company’s “Notice At Collection For California Applicants” here. Please review this Notice at your convenience.