Employee Relations & Policy Specialist (Legal)

Macmillan•New York, NY

1d•Remote

About The Position

The Legal Department is seeking an experienced, detail-oriented Employee Relations & Policy Specialist to manage workplace investigations, oversee employment policy compliance, and support internal employment legal matters. The role sits within the Legal team, reports to the Employment Counsel, and serves as a bridge between Legal and Human Resources. The Specialist leads objective workplace investigations, maintains multi-jurisdictional employment policies, and supports pre-litigation risk mitigation across a distributed workforce. The position maintains, updates, and drafts employee handbooks, multi-state employment policies, and standard operating procedures; conducts internal investigations and prepares summaries, findings, and remediation recommendations; and advises on performance management, corrective action, coaching, performance improvement plans, accommodations, and leave programs. It also analyzes employee relations trends, maintains case documentation, and supports leaders through training, coaching, and mentoring. Additional duties include drafting and tracking employment and severance agreements; serving as the primary contact for agency inquiries, employment record requests, and subpoenas; coordinating document collection, litigation holds, and evidence compilation for outside defense counsel; reviewing worker classification; and monitoring legal and regulatory changes to identify policy updates and mitigate risk. The position is classified as remote and tied to the New York, NY office at 120 Broadway. Employment is subject to New York State tax withholding under applicable regulations. The role is exempt and eligible for a salary of $68,000–$85,000.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business, or a related field, or a Paralegal Certificate from an ABA-approved program.
2–3 years of progressive experience in Employee Relations, Workplace Investigations, or Employment Law.
Strong working knowledge of federal, state, and local employment laws, including FLSA, FMLA, Title VII, ADA, ADEA, and state wage-and-hour laws.
Ability to conduct neutral, sensitive workplace interviews and synthesize complex facts into concise written reports.
Strategic judgment, emotional intelligence, discretion, and ability to influence outcomes across all levels of the organization.
Ability to advise on complex performance management, leave, accommodation, and employee relations issues.
Exceptional legal and policy writing, editing, and organizational skills.
Proficiency with legal research databases such as Westlaw or LexisNexis and with document management systems.

Nice To Haves

Experience in an in-house legal or HR environment or at an employer-side law firm is preferred.

Responsibilities

Maintain, update, and draft employee handbooks, multi-state employment policies, and standard operating procedures to ensure compliance with federal, state, and local labor laws.
Conduct fair, objective internal investigations into policy violations and workplace concerns under the guidance of Employment Counsel.
Prepare comprehensive investigation summaries, findings, and remediation recommendations.
Advise on performance management, corrective action, coaching, performance improvement plans, accommodations, and leave programs.
Analyze employee relations trends, maintain compliant case documentation, and support leaders through training, coaching, and mentoring on employee relations best practices.
Draft, tailor, and track standardized and custom employment agreements and severance and release agreements in compliance with applicable law.
Serve as the primary point of contact for agency inquiries, employment record requests, and subpoenas.
Coordinate document collection, litigation holds, and evidence compilation for outside defense counsel.
Review engagements to assess proper W-2 versus 1099 worker classification under applicable federal, state, and local legal tests, and maintain classification documentation and records.
Monitor statutory changes, state and local leave laws, and workplace regulations to identify required policy updates and support pre-litigation risk mitigation.