Employee Relations Specialist I - Camino Media

Clinica Sierra Vista•Bakersfield, CA

13d•Onsite

About The Position

Clinica Sierra Vista is seeking an Employee Relations Specialist I to support and enhance employee relations initiatives, fostering a positive, respectful, and legally compliant workplace. This role is crucial for addressing employee concerns, advising on policy interpretation, conducting investigations, and ensuring adherence to California and federal labor laws. The Specialist will collaborate with HR leadership, managers, and employees to resolve workplace issues, ensure procedural fairness, and mitigate risk. Clinica Sierra Vista is a large Federally Qualified Health Center dedicated to serving diverse populations with competitive pay, comprehensive health coverage, generous vacation, a wellness plan, continuing education assistance, and a 403(B) plan with company matching.

Requirements

Experience in employee relations
Knowledge of California and federal labor laws (FEHA, CFRA, ADA, FMLA, Cal/OSHA)
Experience conducting investigations into workplace misconduct
Ability to document investigation findings and ensure compliance
Experience providing guidance on workplace policies and progressive discipline
Familiarity with HR trends, case law, and regulatory changes
Experience in developing, interpreting, and implementing HR policies
Ability to maintain accurate and confidential records
Experience preparing written summaries, investigation reports, and correspondence
Ability to track and analyze employee relations data
Experience supporting training programs on respectful workplace, harassment prevention, performance management, and conflict resolution
Experience assisting in employee engagement efforts
Subject matter expertise in employee relations for clinical and non-clinical departments
Experience investigating allegations of harassment, discrimination, retaliation, workplace bullying, HIPAA violations, unprofessional conduct, and patient care concerns
Ability to collaborate with Clinical Leadership, Risk Management, and Compliance
Knowledge of Joint Commission and OSV expectations
Understanding of California-specific employment laws and hospital/healthcare policies
Experience with meal and rest break compliance, overtime and alternative workweek schedules, and on-call, standby, and reporting time pay
Ability to partner with Clinical Management, HR, and Legal
Experience reviewing disciplinary actions and ensuring documentation supports defensibility
Knowledge of California-specific leave laws and complex leave and return-to-work scenarios
Ability to maintain a positive, professional demeanor
Ability to provide a welcoming environment towards employees
Ability to multi-task and work on multiple projects at once
Reasonable and predictable in person attendance

Nice To Haves

Experience in a healthcare setting
Experience with Workers’ Compensation investigations

Responsibilities

Respond to employee concerns and complaints, ensuring prompt, confidential, and thorough resolution in accordance with legal and company policies.
Conduct investigations into allegations of harassment, discrimination, retaliation, and other workplace misconduct, including interviews, documentation review, and recommendation of corrective actions.
Document investigation findings and ensure compliance with documentation standards under California law.
Partner with HR and management to develop appropriate resolutions and disciplinary actions, ensuring consistency and legal compliance.
Provide guidance to managers and employees on employee relations best practices, workplace policies, and the progressive discipline process.
Monitor compliance with state and federal employment laws, including FEHA, CFRA, ADA, FMLA, and Cal/OSHA regulations.
Maintain a strong understanding of emerging HR trends, case law, and regulatory changes affecting California workplaces.
Assist in the development, interpretation, and implementation of HR policies, procedures, and employee handbooks.
Maintain accurate and confidential records of employee relations cases, investigations, and disciplinary actions.
Prepare written summaries, investigation reports, and correspondence for internal or external use.
Track and analyze employee relations data to identify patterns and make recommendations for workplace improvements.
Support the development and delivery of training programs related to respectful workplace, harassment prevention, performance management, and conflict resolution.
Assist in employee engagement efforts, including climate assessments, focus groups, and action planning.
Serve as a subject matter expert in employee relations for clinical and non-clinical departments, ensuring timely, fair, and objective resolution of workplace concerns in alignment with California labor laws and healthcare regulations.
Conduct and document comprehensive investigations into allegations of harassment, discrimination, retaliation, workplace bullying, HIPAA violations, unprofessional conduct, and patient care concerns involving staff.
Collaborate with Clinical Leadership, Risk Management, and Compliance to assess risk related to patient safety or clinical misconduct and recommend appropriate corrective or disciplinary action.
Ensure adherence to Joint Commission, OSV expectations when addressing staff behavior that may affect patient care or regulatory compliance.
Apply and interpret California-specific employment laws and hospital/healthcare policies in complex situations involving meal and rest break compliance, overtime and alternative workweek schedules, and on-call, standby, and reporting time pay.
Partner with Clinical Management, HR, and Legal to ensure that employee actions, investigations, and terminations minimize organizational risk and regulatory exposure.
Review disciplinary actions and ensure documentation supports defensibility under California’s at-will employment framework while recognizing heightened risk in wrongful termination claims.
Support compliance with California-specific leave laws and on complex leave and return-to-work scenarios.
Perform other duties as assigned.
Provide support on employee safety initiatives.
May conduct Workers’ Compensation investigations.
Responsible for being aware of and complying with HIPAA regulations including HIPAA security requirements.
Support and uphold all CSV Values which include Respect, Integrity, Teamwork, Excellence, Transparency, and Timeliness.
Must be able to multi-task and work on multiple projects at once.
Must maintain a positive, professional demeanor and provide a welcoming environment towards employees.
Reasonable and predictable in person attendance.