Employee Relations Specialist

Methodist Health System•Dallas, TX

About The Position

The Employee Relations (ER) Specialist applies employee relations expertise, analytical thinking, and sound judgment to help resolve workplace matters fairly, consistently, and in compliance with policy and law. Under the oversight of the Vice President of Human Resources (HRVP), the specialist partners with HR operational leaders and other stakeholders on investigations, employee guidance, and risk-sensitive matters. The role also owns the employee relations measurement framework, including case tracking standards, KPIs, and leadership reporting. It develops consistent case intake, classification, and tracking processes; maintains accurate and confidential case records; analyzes trends and recommends interventions; and works with HRIS and Analytics to improve case-management and reporting tools. The position supports Methodist Health System, a faith-based healthcare organization whose mission is to improve and save lives through compassionate, quality healthcare.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business, Organizational Psychology, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
At least 3 years of progressive employee relations experience, including conducting investigations.
Working knowledge of Title VII, ADA, FMLA, FLSA, NLRA, and Texas employment law.
Demonstrated experience building metrics, reports, or dashboards.
Advanced Excel skills.
Sound judgment, neutrality, and discretion when handling highly confidential information.
Analytical thinking, including the ability to turn raw case data into clear insights and recommendations.
Ability to serve as a credible advisor to leaders at all levels, including HR Directors.
Clear, concise written communication and investigation report-writing skills.
A calm, solution-focused approach in emotionally charged situations.
Process-improvement mindset and attention to data accuracy.

Nice To Haves

SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, or SPHR certification.
AWI-CH or another investigations certification.
Familiarity with just culture principles and clinical licensure or regulatory requirements.
Experience with ER case-management systems, such as Workday.

Responsibilities

Serve as a dynamic employee relations resource.
Conduct timely, objective workplace investigations involving matters such as misconduct, harassment, discrimination, retaliation, workplace violence, and policy violations; document findings and recommend outcomes.
Advise leaders on performance management, progressive discipline, corrective action, and terminations, ensuring consistency with policy and precedent.
Under the direction of the HRVP, partner with People & Culture leadership on process improvement initiatives related to HR operations.
Coordinate with Legal, Compliance, and Risk Management on high-risk or cross-functional matters.
Support leave, accommodation, and fitness-for-duty processes in partnership with Benefits, Employee Health, and HR operational leaders, including FMLA and ADA matters.
Prepare responses and documentation for agency charges, including EEOC and TWC matters, and support unemployment claims and hearings.
Facilitate conflict resolution, mediation, and team interventions; recommend coaching or engagement actions.
Interpret and assist in developing HR policies; identify ER trends that support leader training on employee relations topics, documentation, and policy application.
Maintain accurate, confidential case records in the ER case-management system.
Design and implement a standardized ER case intake, categorization, and tracking process across all sites.
Develop and maintain an ER case model that classifies cases by complexity, risk, and resource intensity, and use it to triage and balance caseloads.
Establish and own tracking of ER KPIs, including case volume and rates, case mix, response and resolution times, investigation substantiation and outcome consistency, educational opportunities, agency charges, grievances, litigation trends, and ER-related turnover and regrettable loss.
Ensure data integrity through case documentation standards, coding definitions, and periodic audits.
Build dashboards and monthly or quarterly reports for People & Culture leadership.
Analyze trends to identify hot spots, root causes, and training needs; recommend targeted interventions under the leadership of the VPHR.
Benchmark ER metrics against healthcare industry data and internal targets.
Partner with HRIS and Analytics to optimize case-management and reporting tools.
Link ER data with engagement, turnover, patient experience, and safety indicators where appropriate.