HR Generalist

ABOUT US Channing House is a leading not-for-profit Life Plan Community in Palo Alto, founded in 1960. We believe that older adults thrive in a vibrant setting that supports active, engaged and healthy living. We provide a sustainable, innovative community that promotes this lifestyle, while embracing respect and dignity for all who live and work here. Our team of 200 staff members, from Front-Line to Leadership, drive the mission of Channing House, providing services to the 265 highly engaged residents who call Channing House their home. POSITION SUMMARY The Human Resource Generalist is responsible for performing a variety of core HR-related duties and works closely with the Human Resources Manager to support Channing House’s employees and day-to-day HR operations. This role is responsible for executing a majority of the core HR functions, including recruiting, onboarding, employee records & benefits administration, leave administration communications and support to team members, training coordination, support and involvement in employee engagement, and compliance activities. The Human Resources Generalist works closely with the Human Resources Manager in delivering consistent, compliant, and employee-centered HR services throughout the employee lifecycle and supports the strategic work and direction of the Human Resources Director. The Human Resources Generalist exemplifies our Core Values: Do the right thing; Be a team player; Focus on quality; Adapt to change. Together with the entire team at Channing House, your role contributes to promoting a healthy and vibrant home for our residents. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES This position will be responsible for, but not limited to the following essential duties and responsibilities: Human Resources Core Responsibilities – 20% of job duties: Administers various human resource plans and procedures for all company personnel; assists with the implementation of human resources policies, procedures, and programs and recommends process improvements to the HR Manager. Supports compliance with federal, state, and local employment regulations by maintaining accurate documentation, monitoring required records, and bringing potential issues to the attention of the HR Manager. Protects organization’s values by managing and maintaining confidential information and communication. Recommends, evaluates and participates in staff development for the organization. Supports Human Resources projects, department initiatives, and continuous process improvement efforts. Coordinate employee communications and engagement activities, including maintaining compliance posters, updating open positions, drafting and distributing employee communications, supporting onboarding, orientation, staff celebrations, and special events. Handles employment-related inquiries from applicants, employees, and supervisors, referring complex and/or sensitive matters to the Human Resources Manager/Director. Supports HR Manager with employee disciplinary meetings, terminations, and investigations. Support employee training and development programs by scheduling sessions, tracking attendance, and assisting with meeting coordination, including capturing clear and accurate meeting minutes when needed. Participates in administrative staff meetings and attends other company meetings and seminars as needed. Maintain accurate and organized employee records, including personnel, medical, benefits, I-9, agency, and volunteer files in compliance with company policies and legal requirements. Manage employee photos, name badges, and parking permits. Maintains accurate employee information within the HRIS, ensuring personnel records, employment changes, and required documentation are current and complete. Maintains employee confidence and protects payroll operations by keeping information confidential. Provide Payroll/Accounting with accurate information for any personnel wage changes, new hires, working interviews and terminations to ensure accurate and timely payment to employees. Coordinates employee training records, required certifications, licenses, annual compliance training, and onboarding requirements to ensure employees remain current with organizational and regulatory requirements Employee Relations – 15% of job duties: Provides administrative support for employee relations matters by preparing documentation, coordinating meetings, maintaining confidential records, and tracking follow-up activities as directed by the HR Manager. Assists the HR Manager with investigations, disciplinary processes, and performance management by gathering documentation, coordinating meetings, and maintaining accurate records. Participates in and documents investigations; ensures consistent follow-up and recordkeeping. Promotes and supports culture initiatives and employee engagement efforts such as surveys, team-building events, and communication campaigns. Champions employee recognition programs including Nectar, milestone tracking, and organization-wide events; coordinates logistics and recognition items. Recruiting, Onboarding & Training– 30% of job duties: Manages full-cycle recruiting for all non-exempt roles, including posting jobs, screening resumes, scheduling interviews, facilitating working interviews, and collecting all documentation. Partners with hiring managers to ensure timely and compliant hiring practices. Maintains job descriptions, postings, and advertisements on various sites and forums. Execute interview process for all candidates (phone screening, scheduling in-person interviews and working interviews) and manage all paperwork flow to ensure documentation is thorough, accurate and compliant. Coordinates the onboarding process for all new employees, including new hire paperwork, I-9 verification, background checks, pre-employment requirements, orientation, system access, and coordination with department leaders to ensure employees are prepared for their first day. Maintains employee certifications, licenses, health requirements, mandatory education, and regulatory compliance documentation, ensuring records remain current and audit-ready. Coordinates organization-wide training by scheduling sessions, maintaining attendance records, tracking completion of required education, certifications, and annual compliance training, and providing reports to department leaders and the HR Manager. Tracks and reports on recruiting and onboarding metrics to HR Manager/Director. Benefits, Leaves, and Workers' Compensation– 20% of job duties: Coordinates leave administration by preparing documentation, communicating with employees, tracking leave timelines, and supporting the HR Manager in administering FMLA, CFRA, ADA, PDL, Workers' Compensation, and other leave programs. Assists employees with benefits questions and supports enrollment, changes, and terminations in benefits platforms. Partners with HR Manager to administer leave for employees, prepare letters, and assist with pay and benefits coordination. Ensures compliance with HIPAA and other regulatory standards related to health and leave-related information. Coordinates Workers’ Compensation claims by gathering documentation, maintaining communication with employees, and supporting return-to-work activities under the direction of the HR Manager. Works with the HR Manager to identify training or corrective action needs to reduce risk. Follow through with respective teams and managers for further training and opportunities to avoid continued accidents. Offboarding, Evaluations & Compliance – 15% of job duties: Manages offboarding process: prepares termination packets, coordinates final pay and benefits notices, collects equipment, conducts exit interviews, and updates records. Coordinates or conducts exit interviews and reports to the HR Manager/Director on key points from these interviews. Coordinates the performance evaluation process by preparing evaluation materials, tracking due dates, following up with managers, maintaining completed evaluations, and reporting completion status to the HR Manager. Supports disciplinary processes by preparing documents, reviewing for compliance, and attending meetings with HR Manager as needed. Participates in audits and assists with gathering required documentation for compliance reporting. Upholding Company Standards: Consistent commitment to: Establish and maintain effective team relationships with fellow staff; apply effective communication and listening skills. Demonstrate professionalism in all interactions with all residents, colleagues, clients, vendors, and members of the public. Provide a supportive and caring environment to meet the needs of residents as individuals and as members of a shared community. Adhere to all company policies, procedures, safety, and compliance practices, and business ethics codes. JOB REQUIREMENTS / QUALIFICATIONS To perform this job successfully, a person must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required. Years of Related Professional Experience : Three to five years of human resource experience. Previous supervisory experience is a plus. Experience coordinating onboarding, employee training, HRIS administration, benefits, and leave administration preferred. Educational/Position Requirements : High School diploma, GED or equivalent experience required. AA, BA or BS degree. Specialty in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field preferred. Computer/Software/Technical Applications: Ability to use a computer. Proficiency in Microsoft Office including Word, Outlook and Excel. Demonstrated ability in ADP WorkforceNow and payroll. HRIS skills; ATS knowledge is a plus. Languages : Ability to speak and comprehend English the primary language used in the workplace; ability to speak and/or comprehend other languages utilized by clients is a plus. Bilingual: English and Spanish highly desired. Required Licenses/ Certifications/ Background: Must be able to interpret and administer State and federal labor law to employees. Professional certifications such as SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, or PHR is a plus. Travel Required : Less than 5% Work Environment: Generally, in an indoor setting. Supervise activities and events outdoors. May be exposed to heat/cold during support of outside activities. The noise level in the work environment is usually low to moderate. Position requires flexibility to work nights, weekends and some holidays based on needs. Physical Demands: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to: Able to stand on your feet throughout work period. Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer and operating phones. Possess multi-limb and eye-hand coordination. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision. Able to reach, bend, stoop, push and/or pull, regularly move 10 pounds and occasionally lift/move up to 25 pounds. Channing House Diversity Statement: Channing House is an equal opportunity employer. Channing House is committed to providing a work environment free of harassment, discrimination, retaliation, and disrespectful or other unprofessional conduct based on actual or perceived race (including traits historically associated with race, such as natural hair, hair texture, hair type, and protective hairstyles), color, age, religion, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, immigration status, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions), gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, reproductive health decision making, disability (including sensory disability and use of a service animal by a person with a disability), HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C status, a legally protected medical condition, genetic information or data credit history, genetic information, status as a victim or domestic or sexual violence (including harassment, sexual assault, or stalking), expunged juvenile record, arrest or conviction records (except as legally required), use or non-use of lawful products off of Company premises during non-working hours, performance of duty in a uniformed service military or veteran status, or any other basis protected by local, state and/or federal law. Channing House also prohibits discrimination, harassment, disrespectful, or unprofessional conduct based on the perception that anyone has any of those characteristics, or is associated with a person who has or is perceived as having any of those characteristics. Compensation details: 87200-111800 Yearly Salary PI5e35d31ae4af-25448-41210115aa415a4b-8b21-40fc-a65c-70d2b25ca29a