Employee Relations Business Partner

Sutter Health•Soquel, CA

About The Position

Provides proactive, consultative employee relations support across an integrated healthcare delivery system to foster a positive, high-performing work environment. Serves as a trusted advisor to leaders and employees, providing guidance and hands-on support on a broad range of employee relations matters for both management-represented and union-represented employees, in alignment with organizational practices, policies, and applicable legislation. Operating as an embedded People Partner, anticipates and helps prevent workplace issues by coaching leaders, strengthening day-to-day people practices, and using field-level insights to inform broader strategies and risk mitigation efforts. Acting as a neutral, unbiased, and objective partner in assessing employee relations matters, is committed to upholding our organizational values in every situation. Collaborates closely with HR business partners, legal, labor relations, risk, and other human resources partners to drive consistent, compliant, and employee-centered outcomes. Supports leaders and teams through organizational change and workforce actions by translating enterprise people strategy into effective local practices. Leveraging case trends, workforce signals, and listening insights, contributes to continuous improvement efforts that strengthen leader capability, reinforce inclusion and belonging, and support a respectful work environment.

Responsibilities

Strategic Employee Relations Partnership (Prevention and Early Intervention)
Partners with leaders and HR business partners to identify emerging employee relations risks, trends, and hotspots, and addresses concerns early to prevent escalation.
Applies insights from employee relations casework, workplace metrics, and listening channels to recommend targeted actions that improve team health, consistency, and engagement.
Supports enterprise and local initiatives that strengthen a positive work environment, improve leader capability, and mitigate people-related risk.
Leader and Employee Consultation: Performance, Corrective Action, and Conflict Resolution
Provides consultation and coaching to leaders on performance improvement, corrective action, behavior management, misconduct matters, attendance, and documentation standards.
Supports leaders in planning and delivering difficult conversations, including performance feedback, corrective action, and end-of-employment discussions, with clarity and consistency.
Consults with employees on workplace concerns and resolution pathways, reinforcing respectful communication, inclusion, and effective conflict resolution.
Partners with HR and cross-functional stakeholders, including leave and accommodations, risk, and labor relations, to support aligned guidance on sensitive employee situations.
Investigations, Risk, and Compliance Support
Conducts objective workplace investigations and reviews related to discrimination, harassment, retaliation, policy violations, and Code of Conduct concerns, partnering with employee relations leadership and legal as appropriate.
Gathers, analyzes, and documents information, prepares summaries, findings, and recommendations, and ensures timely, thorough, and defensible case documentation.
Maintains confidentiality, discretion, and ethical judgment when handling sensitive employee relations matters.
Supports responses to grievances, agency inquiries, audits, and internal reviews by preparing documentation, timelines, and supporting materials.
Data, Analytics, and Workforce Insights
Leverages employee relations case trends and field observations to identify recurring themes, potential systemic issues, and opportunities for prevention and capability building.
Utilizes enterprise case management tools to track volumes, issues, actions, outcomes, and cycle times accurately and consistently.
Shares actionable insights with HR business partners and employee relations leadership to inform strategies, leader education, and consistent practice.
Restructuring, Organizational Change, and Workforce Actions
Supports organizational changes, redeployments, reductions in force, and other workforce actions by coordinating employee-facing processes in partnership with HR business partners and employee relations leadership.
Assists with end-of-employment processes, including employee communications, coordination of separation steps, and partnership with payroll, benefits, and other stakeholders to ensure a compliant and dignified employee experience.
Supports leaders and employees through transitions with empathy, clarity, and consistency.
Continuous Improvement and Practice Consistency
Contributes to scalable, consistent, and simplified employee relations practices by identifying process improvements, documentation standards, and decision supports such as templates, playbooks, and checklists.
Participates in education, training, and initiatives designed to strengthen leader capability and promote consistent people practices.
Leadership and Stakeholder Partnership
Builds trusted partnerships with HR business partners, labor relations, legal, risk, leave and accommodations, and other Centers of Excellence to deliver integrated, compliant, and employee-centered solutions.
Communicates clearly and credibly with leaders and stakeholders to support consistent decision making that balances employee experience, operational needs, and risk considerations.
Brings forward field-level insights to support enterprise employee relations strategies and action planning that strengthens engagement, retention, and workplace culture.