COUNSEL LABOR & EMPLOYMENT

Join Newport Healthcare: Transform Lives Through Meaningful Work.

Are you ready to embark on a rewarding career in psychiatric healthcare? At Newport Healthcare, we are passionate about delivering exceptional mental health services to individuals in need. Our comprehensive approach covers the entire spectrum of care, creating a wealth of diverse roles for those who aspire to make a real impact. We believe in nurturing talent and fostering professional growth in a supportive environment. Here, you won't just find a job-you'll discover a fulfilling career path in the mental health field.

If you're eager to contribute to a mission-driven organization and help change lives for the better, we invite you to join our dedicated team at Newport Healthcare. Together, we can make a profound difference in the lives of those we serve.

Position Summary:
Newport Healthcare is seeking a highly skilled and motivated Labor & Employment Counsel to join our dynamic legal team. The ideal candidate will provide comprehensive legal guidance on all employment-related matters, ensuring compliance with federal, state, and local labor laws. This role will support our HR department in employee relations, policy development, investigations, and risk management.

Key Performance Responsibilities:

• Provide day-to-day legal advice on a wide range of employment and labor law issues, including hiring, discipline, leave management, terminations, wage and hour compliance, and workplace accommodations.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state (especially California), and local employment laws and regulations, including FMLA, CFRA, FEHA, FLSA, ADA, and Title VII.
• Advise on labor relations and union matters, including collective bargaining agreements and grievance procedures, where applicable.
• Support HR and Compliance in conducting workplace investigations involving employee complaints, harassment, discrimination, and other policy violations.
• Draft, review, and update employee policies, handbooks, employment agreements, separation agreements, and contractor agreements.
• Partner with external counsel in responding to administrative complaints (e.g., EEOC, DFEH, DLSE) and managing employment litigation.
• Assist with regulatory audits or inquiries from labor agencies.
• Monitor evolving employment law and healthcare-specific regulatory requirements and provide timely updates and training to HR and leadership teams.
• Support HR in the development and implementation of training programs, workplace culture initiatives, and best practices.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with HR, Compliance, Operations, and Risk Management on employment-related risk mitigation strategies.
• Manage other litigation and related matters, including professional liability matters, workers' compensation matters, and subpoena and document requests.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Professionalism: Demonstrates professional behavior reflective of [Insert Company Name]'s Mission Statement, Philosophy, and Values.
• Customer Focus: Actively demonstrates a dedication to meeting the expectations and requirements of internal and external customers.
• Adaptability: Able to understand and accept changes in the work environment and adjust approaches as necessary.
• Communications: Demonstrates ability to communicate clearly and succinctly, both verbally and in writing.
• Composure: Remains calm under pressure and adapts to frequent changes, delays, or unexpected events.
• Confidentiality: Keeps sensitive business and personnel information private and shares information only with those who have a legitimate business need to know.
• Decision Quality: Makes informed decisions based on analysis, wisdom, experience, and judgment.
• Dependability: Commits to delivering high-quality work and meets attendance and punctuality guidelines.
• Fast-Paced Environment: Thrives in a fast-paced environment, managing multiple competing tasks and demands.
• Functional Skills: Possesses the technical knowledge and skills necessary to excel in this role.
• Industry Knowledge: Demonstrates a working knowledge of current and emerging trends affecting the industry.
• Learning: Quickly grasps new concepts and information.
• Organization: Effectively orchestrates multiple activities to achieve goals.
• Presentation Skills: Proficient in delivering effective presentations in various settings.
• Process Management: Skilled in organizing people and activities to streamline workflows and improve efficiency.

Qualifications:

• Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an accredited law school and licensed to practice law in at least one U.S. jurisdiction.
• Minimum of 4 years of relevant employment law experience, with significant focus on California labor and employment law strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience with wage and hour issues, internal investigations, and managing or responding to agency claims.
• Strong analytical, interpersonal, and communication skills; ability to provide practical, business-minded legal advice to a wide range of stakeholders.
• Ability to work effectively in a highly regulated and fast-paced environment.
• Prior in-house legal experience, ideally within a healthcare organization.
• Familiarity with unionized environments and labor relations strategy.
• Experience supporting HR through employee training, cultural initiatives, and compliance planning.
• Working knowledge of healthcare-specific regulations such as HIPAA, The Joint Commission, and CMS guidelines as they relate to employment practices.

This is your opportunity to lead with integrity and inspire a culture of compliance and quality in a dynamic environment. At Newport Healthcare, you will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of behavioral health services while ensuring adherence to the highest standards of regulatory compliance.

If you possess the education, experience, and passion to excel in this role, we want to hear from you!

We are excited to hear about your interest in this opportunity! If you have any questions or need assistance with the application process, please feel free to contact me directly at Sydney Spencer, either via email at sydney.spencer@newporthealthcare.com or by phone at 615-961-4138. If you need further support, you are also welcome to reach out to our careers and management team at careers@newporthealthcare.com.