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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Employee Relations Coordinator

💰 $55,000 - $85,000

Human ResourcesEmployee RelationsHR Operations

🎯 Role Definition

The Employee Relations Coordinator supports a fair, consistent and legally compliant workplace by managing employee relations casework, conducting workplace investigations, advising managers on policy interpretation, and tracking trends that impact engagement and retention. This role partners with HR Business Partners, Legal, Talent & Compliance teams to resolve employee concerns proactively and maintain accurate case documentation in HR systems.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • HR Coordinator with 1–2 years of generalist exposure
  • HR Intern or HR Administrative Assistant transitioning into employee-facing responsibilities
  • Talent Acquisition Specialist or Benefits Coordinator with cross-functional HR experience

Advancement To:

  • Employee Relations Specialist / Senior ER Coordinator
  • HR Business Partner
  • Employee Relations Manager or HR Manager (People & Culture)

Lateral Moves:

  • HR Generalist
  • HRIS Analyst (with focus on case and reporting systems)
  • Compliance or Labor Relations Specialist

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Manage a high-volume caseload of employee relations matters from intake through resolution, ensuring timely acknowledgment, investigation, documentation and closure using HRIS case management tools.
  • Conduct impartial, fact-based workplace investigations into allegations such as harassment, discrimination, misconduct and policy violations; draft investigation plans, witness interview notes, witness statements and impartial investigation reports.
  • Advise managers and supervisors on performance management, progressive discipline, corrective action plans and terminations in accordance with company policy and employment law while balancing risk mitigation and organizational fairness.
  • Serve as a subject matter resource on company policies, procedures and handbook provisions; interpret and communicate policy consistently to employees and leaders and recommend policy revisions when trends indicate the need.
  • Escalate complex or high-risk cases to HR leadership and Legal, prepare case summaries for senior stakeholders and support executive-level decisions with well-documented analysis and recommendations.
  • Coordinate return-to-work processes, reasonable accommodation requests and interactive dialogue under ADA and local labor law frameworks, partnering with Occupational Health or external providers where needed.
  • Track, analyze and report employee relations metrics (case volume, cycle time, outcomes, EEO categories and escalation trends) and provide insights and recommendations to reduce risk and improve employee experience.
  • Develop, maintain and audit accurate case files in HR systems and shared drives, ensuring strict confidentiality, legal defensibility and compliance with record retention policies.
  • Facilitate and document disciplinary actions, written warnings and performance improvement plans; ensure consistent application across teams and provide coaching to managers on documentation and next steps.
  • Support investigations that require coordination with external counsel, law enforcement or regulatory agencies, providing detailed timelines, documentation and factual summaries to outside partners.
  • Manage sensitive separation processes including final pay, severance documentation, exit interviews and offboarding checklists with a focus on risk mitigation and compliance with local wage-and-hour laws.
  • Design and deliver manager training and employee workshops on conflict resolution, respectful workplace behavior, investigation awareness and policy updates to build capability and reduce recurrence of issues.
  • Partner with HR Business Partners and Talent Management to address systemic root causes such as role clarity, workload, compensation or leadership capability and to design targeted retention or engagement interventions.
  • Execute complex employee accommodations, conflict mediation and facilitated conversations between employees and managers to de-escalate conflicts and reach practical, documented agreements.
  • Coordinate multi-jurisdictional case handling, applying local labor law nuances for international or multi-state employees and escalating to legal where appropriate.
  • Maintain awareness of federal, state and local employment law changes and EEO requirements; update HR policies and provide training as laws evolve.
  • Participate in cross-functional incident response for workplace safety issues, employee crises or high-visibility matters, acting as primary ER lead to ensure consistent communications and follow-up.
  • Assist with union-related inquiries by collecting factual information, documenting issues and partnering with Labor Relations or Legal on bargaining unit matters.
  • Conduct exit interviews and qualitative analysis to identify patterns in turnover drivers and present recommendations to HR leadership for retention strategies.
  • Support compensation and benefits inquiries that intersect with employee relations, escalating to total rewards partners as needed and ensuring consistent messaging.
  • Prepare executive-level dashboards and monthly/quarterly reports summarizing ER activity, root causes, resolution timelines, and recommended policy or training interventions.
  • Partner with HRIS and People Analytics to automate standard outcomes, track SLA compliance for case handling and improve reporting accuracy through data validation and routine audits.
  • Participate in special projects such as handbook revisions, compliance audits, global ER playbook implementation and employee survey action planning.
  • Maintain professional certifications and attend continuing education on investigations, employment law and best practices to elevate the organization’s ER maturity.

Secondary Functions

  • Provide day-to-day support for HR escalations and employee inquiries that require ER triage, ensuring prompt first-response and proper prioritization.
  • Support the design and rollout of employee communications related to policy changes, investigation outcomes (as appropriate), and new ER resources to promote transparency and compliance.
  • Maintain and update templates, checklists and investigator guides to increase consistency and efficiency across ER casework.
  • Assist with ad-hoc HR projects such as culture initiatives, leadership calibration sessions and cross-functional audits that impact employee experience.
  • Act as a backup for HR Business Partner tasks when ER workload surges, including performance review coordination and manager coaching touchpoints.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Workplace investigations: planning, witness interviewing, evidence collection, investigative report writing and recommendation drafting.
  • Employment law & EEO compliance: knowledge of federal/state/local regulations (ADA, FMLA, Title VII, FLSA, state leave laws) and experience applying them to casework.
  • Case management & documentation: expertise using HRIS/ticketing systems (e.g., Workday, PeopleSoft, ServiceNow, Zenefits, BambooHR) for tracking cases and retention.
  • HR metrics & reporting: ability to produce dashboards and analyses using Excel, Google Sheets, Tableau, Power BI or People Analytics tools.
  • Performance management processes: coaching managers on progressive discipline, PIP development and objective documentation practices.
  • Conflict resolution & mediation techniques: structured facilitation skills and experience leading mediated conversations to mutually agreed outcomes.
  • Investigative best practices and defensible documentation standards for litigation preparedness.
  • Microsoft Office suite proficiency (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) for preparing reports, presentations, and case exhibits.
  • Privacy and data protection for sensitive employee records, including secure file handling and redaction practices.
  • Project coordination: managing timelines, stakeholders and deliverables for ER initiatives such as handbook updates or training rollouts.

Soft Skills

  • Excellent written communication: clear, neutral and legally sound writing for investigation reports, policy language and manager guidance.
  • Strong verbal communication and active listening for interviews, coaching and sensitive conversations.
  • High emotional intelligence and empathy to manage distressed or upset employees while remaining objective.
  • Sound judgment and the ability to make fair recommendations under ambiguity while escalating appropriately.
  • Discretion and integrity in handling confidential and legally sensitive information.
  • Influencing and stakeholder management: ability to gain buy-in from managers, HR peers and senior leaders.
  • Resilience and stress tolerance when managing high-pressure or high-visibility cases.
  • Analytical mindset to identify trends and root causes from qualitative and quantitative ER data.
  • Time management and prioritization to handle competing cases and urgent escalations.
  • Collaborative orientation: works effectively with Legal, Talent, Diversity & Inclusion and People Operations teams.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Industrial/Organizational Psychology, Business Administration, Labor Relations or related field.

Preferred Education:

  • Bachelor's plus HR certifications (SHRM-CP, PHR); or Master’s degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology, Human Resources Management, Labor Relations or Employment Law coursework.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Human Resources Management
  • Industrial/Organizational Psychology
  • Business Administration
  • Labor and Employment Relations
  • Legal Studies / Employment Law

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • 2–5 years of progressive HR experience with at least 1–2 years focused on employee relations, investigations or HR case management.

Preferred:

  • 3+ years handling employee relations caseloads, conducting investigations and advising managers in a fast-paced environment.
  • Experience in a multi-state or multinational environment, exposure to union/collective bargaining matters a plus.
  • Professional certifications (SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, SPHR) and formal training in investigations, mediation or employment law are highly desirable.
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