Senior Employee Relations Specialist

Essential Job Functions:

The partner must be able to perform all of the following duties and responsibilities with or without a reasonable accommodation:

• Answer and respond to inquiries from Petco associates, applicants, and external parties regarding employee relations issues. Provides guidance and recommendations for appropriate resolution while maintaining Petco's best interest to eliminate and/or minimize risk, exposure, liability and costs.

• Review, discuss and make recommendations on more complex issues such as sexual harassment and discrimination allegations. Strategize with management and regional HR staff on investigation and resolution of these sensitive issues.

• Stays current on employment law as well as employment law trends. Proactively researches information and conducts analysis on current processes/policies and initiates steps to avoid/eliminate potential company exposure.

• Trains new field and NSC associate on employee relations, provides guidance on employee relation matters to ER staff, may review ER staff work and recommend changes, acts as the point of contact in the absence of the Director, Employee Relations.

• Leads response to agency (EEOC, DFEH, etc.) claims to include wage & hour, discrimination, wrongful terminations etc. Manages investigations of claims, conducts risk assessment of the facts collected, and prepares Petco's response. Interacts with legal counsel representing current and former associates to exchange information, resolve issues and negotiate settlements.

• Manages the settlement of employee-related claims. Provides direction in determining the dollar value of a case based on the facts and merits presented and/or collected. Negotiates and or assists in the negotiations with the associate/agency/attorney as to the dollar amount both parties will agree to. Prepares settlement agreements for parties to sign.

• Conducts onsite investigations. Prepares questions, evaluates the information collection and makes recommendations to appropriate manager as to the resolution of the cases.

• Investigates high-profile employment related cases to include class actions. Assists in the collection of documents, evaluating data, preparing communication, conducting audits, and generating required reports for legal counsel.

• Effectively act as Case Manager with outside counsel to assure that counsel is handling matters in Petco's best interest and ensuring costs are kept to a minimum.

• Develop, review, and update policy and procedures regarding employee relation issues. Communicate new/updated policies as needed.

• Interact with the Benefits and Risk Management Departments to communicate associate information concerning leaves of absences. Provides guidance on the laws pertaining to disabilities and makes recommendations as to continued employment for associates with Petco based on company policy, applicable laws and past practice.

• As needed, review and assist in writing Employee Performance Notices (EPN's) for appropriate documentation and consistency in handling of disciplinary issues. Analyze content to follow up with manager or supervisor to recommend action, if necessary.

• Advise and assist managers in communicating disciplinary decisions up to and including separations.

• Review and analyze exit Interview feedback upon receipt. If contents warrant follow-up action (i.e. possible claim or litigation issue), notify Regional HR Director/Manager or District Manager to investigate and follow up. Summarize results by region and provide quarterly feedback to Regional HR Directors, VPOs and DOs.

• Possibly perform one or more of the following tasks on a periodic basis: personal exit interviews at the NSC, analyze wage data, review invoices and forward for payment, create/revise policy and procedures, create/revise forms, etc.

• Provide support to the Director or Vice President Human Resources for various audits, respond to claims and/or litigation to include collecting of data, analyze data, provide summary information of data, draft correspondence or act as the liaison with attorneys and agencies.

Education/Experience:

• Minimum 7 years of experience in Human Resources, preferably in an exempt capacity with exposure to counseling on and/or processing involuntary terminations where individual judgment was used to make recommendations, managing high-risk employee-related cases from investigation to resolution, and interaction with state/agencies and outside counsel.

• Advanced experience in employment law is required preferably in a multi-state environment.

• Strong oral and written communication skills that effectively influence or convince the audience's decision-making process.

• Excellent interpersonal communication, interviewing/investigative, negotiation skills are required due to the volume and nature of interaction with all levels of management, outside agencies, legal counsel and staff when gathering information to offer guidance and make recommendations.

Note: Current responsibilities are impacted by company and team priorities that may have evolved from what is displayed in the Workday job profile.The description provides general job duties and requirements, but the partner's manager may assign additional responsibilities or tasks depending on business needs.