Employee Relations Consultant

Sun Life•Kansas City, MO

6d•Hybrid

About The Position

Employee Relations is a centralized team of trusted advisors that provides support to people leaders, employees and partners with Human Resources Business Partners (HRBPs) on a wide range of employee relations matters and designated HR practices across the Sun Life U.S. organization. The Employee Relations Consultant provides day-to-day coordination, administrative and operational support to the Employee Relations team. This role supports Senior Employee Relations Consultants, HRBPs, internal partners such as Legal, people leaders and employees by monitoring intake channels, responding to routine inquiries, coordinating documentation and logistics, supporting leave and accommodation processes, maintaining accurate case records and contributing to ER tools, reports, resources and process improvements. The ER Consultant plays an important role in ensuring ER matters are triaged, documented and supported in a timely, consistent and confidential manner, while helping the team deliver practical solutions that support business needs, employee experience and compliance with organizational policies and applicable legal and employment requirements.

Requirements

BA or equivalent degree, preferably in Human Resources or related field
3-5 years progressive experience in HR, preferably in employee relations, or equivalent experience
Excellent knowledge of U.S employment legislation, trends & practices
Excellent planning, organization and time management skills, attention to detail, ability to handle multiple tasks, and work in a consistently fast-paced and evolving environment.
Highly self-motivated and able to work collaboratively in a team setting as well as independently while proactively and appropriately keeping all relevant parties properly informed.
High degree of critical thinking, judgment and discretion in dealing with confidential and sensitive information; ability to work through novel and/or unusual employee situations
Strong ability to remain respectful and diplomatic in difficult situations
Excellent written and interpersonal communication skills with the ability to utilize exceptional active listening skills and to effectively work through difficult and/or sensitive conversations
Track record of delivering high quality client experience
Collaborative and creative approach to problem solving
Client relationship management, consulting and coaching skills
Demonstrated ability to support a positive team environment and to contribute to team development and transfer of knowledge
Strong proficiency in Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook.
Strong technical ability to navigate and understand case management and other HR Systems.

Responsibilities

Serve as a first point of contact for routine employee relations inquiries received through the ER central mailbox, HR Help and other intake channels; provide timely responses, triage matters, coordinate follow-up and escalate complex or sensitive issues as appropriate.
Assist with routine Employee Relations matters as needed in support of Sr. ERC staff.
Serve as the first point of contact for the interactive workplace accommodations process and sensitive complex leave of absence and disability matters.
Document and track case activity, responding to routine leader inquiries and escalating matters timely and as appropriate.
Ensure all communications and documentation is well written and includes key information in a clear, concise and professional manner, ensuring a positive client experience.
Have a strong foundational understanding of legal and compliance legislation to support leaders and employees with other topics such as absence management, accommodations, and employment legislation.
Appropriately balance the needs of the business and the employee while mitigating risk and ensure compliance with employment legislation.
Develop effective working partnerships with Sr. ERC’s, managers/employees at various levels and across various business units, HRBPs, Legal, Compliance and other key stakeholders to ensure effective resolution through collaboration for effective outcomes on all matters
Participate in HR/ER projects on an as-needed basis.
Contribute to the development, implementation and communication of best practices and participate in process improvement activities that support the overall success of the Employee Relations and Sun Life U.S. organization.