Human Resources Generalist

Union College • Schenectady, NY

14d • Onsite

About The Position

Oversees college-wide leave administration, facilitates benefit enrollments, and processes life-event updates while ensuring effective communication with employees, campus partners, and third-party administrators, ultimately contributing to the overall well-being and satisfaction of Union College employees. Partners with Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) to investigate employee incidents, conduct root-cause analyses, and collaborate on safety training initiatives.

Requirements

• Associate’s degree and a minimum of one to three years general HR experience, preferably in a higher education setting, and/or a combination of relevant education, training, certifications, and/or leave management work experience.
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, with a proven ability to build rapport across a diverse campus community and delivering top-tier customer service.
• Ability to independently manage multiple deadlines and priorities with the highest degree of accuracy and efficiency.
• Demonstrated ability to interpret and apply policies, regulations, and laws to make sound, well-reasoned decisions.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, and basic familiarity with Google Suite (docs, sheets, etc.), Human Resources Information Systems (Workday experience preferred), and web-page administration.
• Ability to excel in managing multiple competing priorities.
• The ability to allocate time efficiently to various tasks while maintaining a high level of quality and attention to detail.
• Able to exercise exceptional judgment, ensure strict confidentiality, and demonstrate outstanding professionalism in a range of situations.

Nice To Haves

• Workday experience preferred

Responsibilities

• Leads the daily administration of leave management, including but not limited to Short-Term Disability, Long-Term Disability, Workers’ Compensation, Family and Medical Leave (FMLA), NYS Paid Family Leave, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and other leaves.
• Serves as the College’s primary subject matter expert on leave-related laws, policies, and processes.
• Exercises independent judgment in interpreting and applying federal, state, and institutional leave regulations and labor laws.
• Liaises between employees, departments, and third-party administrators to ensure timely and compliant documentation, tracking, communication, and payroll management (salary continuation).
• Manages separation of employment in alignment with long-term disability transitions.
• Maintains accurate records and updates the leave tracking system for employees, while managing timelines to ensure compliance.
• Provides consultation to department leaders regarding leave and accommodation matters.
• Exercises discretion in handling sensitive personnel matters, including protected health information and compliance with HIPAA regulations.
• Leads and coordinates the College’s Workers’ Compensation program in collaboration with EHS and the college’s third-party insurance carrier.
• Ensures the timely submission of incident reports and all supporting documentation to the insurance company.
• Collaborates with EHS, when needed, on incident investigations and root cause analysis.
• Processes relevant work orders, when appropriate.
• With the assistance from EHS, if and when needed, maintains the OSHA 300 log and supports annual reporting compliance to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), if notified.
• Evaluates ergonomic assessments in partnership with EHS to identify risk factors and propose workplace solutions to minimize health risks, and enhance employee well-being and productivity.
• Proposes recommendations and collaborates with department leaders on the procurement and implementation of identified ergonomic solutions, if necessary.
• Supports Human Resources operations and contributes to continuous improvement of Human Resources services and ensures consistency with institutional goals and values.
• Aids in the development and updating of employment and leave communications, materials, and forms.
• Provides support for employee engagement and benefit administration initiatives, open enrollment and various HR events.
• Facilitates various department recruitment efforts while ensuring compliance with established hiring protocols.

Benefits

• Generous Vacation, Sick, and Personal Time
• Winter Recess Break in Addition to Paid Holidays (in accordance with policy)
• Healthcare, Dental, and Vision Insurance (Flexible Spending and Dependent Care Accounts)
• Free On-Campus Fitness Facility Access and Discounts for On-Campus Wellness Programs
• Employee Scholarships toward Certifications, Seminars, Training and Professional Development
• Pre and Post Tax participation in a 403(b) Retirement Plan
• Salary Continuation Program in the event of Disability
• Tuition programs

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Associate degree