Employee Relations and Compliance Manager

Employee Relations & Case Management

• Serve as the primary point of contact for employee relations matters across all branches and departments, ensuring timely, consistent, and fair resolution.
• Manage the full employee relations caseload, including intake, assessment, resolution, and closure, maintaining appropriate documentation at each stage.
• Advise supervisors and branch leadership on performance concerns, conduct issues, policy interpretation, and appropriate courses of action.
• Facilitate conflict resolution, mediation, and reset conversations between employees and supervisors where appropriate.
• Handle complex leave and ADA accommodation matters that intersect with active employee relations cases, in partnership with the Benefits, Leave & Engagement Specialist.
• Maintain confidentiality, objectivity, and sound judgment in all employee relations matters.
• Escalate legally sensitive matters and those carrying significant organizational exposure to the Associate Vice President of Human Resources and the CHRO.

Workplace Investigations

• Conduct thorough, impartial, and timely investigations into employee complaints, workplace conflicts, and allegations of misconduct, including matters involving child safety and supervision.
• Develop investigation plans, identify and interview witnesses, gather and assess evidence, and reach supportable findings.
• Prepare clear, well-documented investigation reports and recommendations for HR leadership review.
• Coordinate with branch leadership, operations partners, and outside agencies as appropriate during investigations.
• Maintain accurate and complete records of investigations, findings, and outcomes in accordance with legal and organizational standards.
• Identify patterns across investigations and recommend policy, training, or practice changes that reduce recurrence.

Disciplinary Review & Progressive Discipline

• Review and approve all formal disciplinary actions, including written warnings, final warnings, performance improvement plans, demotions, and terminations.
• Partner with supervisors to ensure disciplinary actions are documented appropriately, consistently, and in compliance with policy.
• Support managers in developing action plans and performance expectations for employees not meeting standards.
• Ensure progressive discipline is applied consistently across all branches and departments, recognizing that inconsistent enforcement creates direct organizational exposure.
• Advise on separation decisions and prepare or review separation documentation.
  
  

Supervisor Coaching & Capability Building

• Deliver training for managers and supervisors on employee relations policies, documentation standards, investigation basics, and progressive discipline.
• Provide ongoing coaching to branch and department leaders on performance management and conduct matters.
• Build branch-level capability so routine performance and conduct matters are handled appropriately at the site level rather than escalated to HR by default.
• Develop and maintain tools, templates, and guidance materials that support consistent employee relations practice across the association.

Unemployment Compensation

• Own the unemployment compensation process from initial claim notice through final determination.
• Prepare and submit timely SIDES responses and ensure all statutory filing deadlines are met.
• Assemble complete appeal case files, including separation documentation, disciplinary history, investigation notes, and applicable policy references.
• Recommend appeal or non-appeal decisions based on case merit, precedent, and organizational exposure.
• Represent the organization at Unemployment Compensation Board of Review referee hearings, including witness preparation and examination.
• Coordinate with outside legal counsel on unemployment matters as directed by HR leadership.
• Analyze determinations to identify gaps in documentation, policy enforcement, or supervisor training and translate findings into corrective action.

Clearance & Regulatory Compliance

• Ensure all active employees remain compliant with Pennsylvania Child Protective Services Law clearance requirements, including initial clearances and ongoing renewals.
• Monitor clearance expiration dates, coordinate renewal activity, and follow up with employees and supervisors to ensure timely completion.
• Review clearance documentation for accuracy and completeness and maintain records in accordance with organizational, accreditation, and licensing requirements.
• Oversee I-9 compliance across the association and conduct periodic audits to identify and correct errors or missing documentation.
• Maintain documentation meeting Praesidium Accreditation, ACA Camp Accreditation, and DHS program requirements, and support preparation for accreditation audits and renewals.
• Own the association’s suspicion-based drug testing standard operating procedures.
• Ensure compliance with the Pennsylvania Child Labor Act and maintain required labor law postings.
• Partner with the HR Operations team to verify that clearances, background checks, and required onboarding documentation are completed accurately before employees begin work.
• Serve as the point of contact for staff and supervisors regarding clearance and compliance requirements and manage exceptions as they arise.
• Oversee any external partners, systems, or tools used to support clearance processing and compliance tracking.

Risk Monitoring & Reporting

• Monitor trends in employee relations activity, unemployment outcomes, and compliance performance, providing reports and recommendations to HR leadership.
• Use case data to inform policy updates and proactive strategies that reduce organizational risk.
• Escalate emerging risk patterns and compliance concerns promptly.
• Perform other duties necessary to support association priorities.