HR Business Partner Employee and Labor Relations

Job Description

Job Description

JOB SUMMARY:  

The HR Business Partner serves as a strategic and hands-on advisor to leaders and employees, with shared responsibility for employee relations and labor relations. This role provides guidance on workplace concerns, investigations, corrective action, grievance and contract administration, performance management, and leadership coaching. The HR Business Partner helps leaders navigate complex people matters, strengthen accountability, support constructive labor-management relationships, and build engaged, high-performing, and people-centered teams while ensuring consistency, compliance, and alignment with organizational values.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS INCLUDE, but are not limited to the following:

Employee Relations

• Provide timely guidance to leaders and employees on workplace concerns, policy interpretation, conflict resolution, and employee conduct matters.

• Conduct and support workplace investigations, including intake, documentation, interviews, findings, and recommended next steps.

• Partner with managers to address employee concerns in a fair, consistent, and legally compliant manner.

• Identify employee relations trends and recommend proactive solutions to improve communication, trust, and workplace culture.

• Support the development and consistent application of HR policies, procedures, and employee communication practices.

Labor Relations

• Support labor relations activities, including contract interpretation, grievance handling, bargaining preparation, and union-management communication.

• Partner with leadership and legal counsel to ensure compliance with collective bargaining agreements, labor laws, and organizational practices.

• Prepare documentation, timelines, data, and analysis related to grievances, negotiations, information requests, and labor-related matters.

• Coach leaders on effective communication and decision-making in a unionized environment.

• Help build constructive labor-management relationships while protecting management rights and organizational interests.

Performance Management

• Coach managers on performance expectations, corrective action, documentation, accountability, and employee development plans.

• Support annual and ongoing performance management processes, including goal setting, feedback, performance reviews, and calibration discussions.

• Partner with leaders to address performance concerns early through clear expectations, coaching, and follow-through.

• Review performance-related documentation to ensure consistency, fairness, and alignment with policy and employment law.

• Identify performance trends and recommend training, tools, or leadership interventions to improve team effectiveness.

Leadership Development

• Partner with leaders to identify capability gaps and develop practical leadership development solutions.

• Coach managers on employee engagement, communication, conflict resolution, team dynamics, and change management.

• Support leadership training programs focused on accountability, feedback, inclusion, labor awareness, and people management fundamentals.

• Help leaders strengthen their ability to manage performance, build trust, and lead through complex workplace situations.

• Collaborate with HR and organizational leadership to support succession planning, talent reviews, and internal growth opportunities.

PHYSICAL AND MENTAL REQUIREMENTS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT:

• Standing and sitting for long periods of time along with being able to move and walk to various locations; climbing, stooping, kneeling, reaching, pulling, pushing, bending, twisting, and lifting (30-35 lbs.).

• Ability to clearly receive and give instructions/data/information.

• Complex reading and writing skills, memorization skills, analytical/perceptive/comprehensive capabilities, judgment and decision-making capability.

• Respond effectively to the most sensitive inquiries or complaints. · High level concentration and attention to detail for extended periods of time required.

• Quickly organize and communicate thoughts and to understand communications from others.

• Work independently and autonomously, with others, around others, have verbal contact with others, face-to-face contact with others, prioritize work and make decisions.

KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITIES:

Core Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Employee and Labor Relations: Thorough knowledge of employee relations and labor relations principles, including workplace investigations, corrective and disciplinary action, grievance administration, contract interpretation, and progressive discipline. 

• Employment and Labor Law: Working knowledge of applicable federal, state, and local employment and labor laws, regulations, and collective bargaining requirements. 

• Performance Management: Skill in guiding leaders through goal setting, performance feedback, coaching, performance improvement plans, documentation, and corrective action. 

• Leadership Coaching: Ability to coach and advise leaders on communication, accountability, conflict management, team effectiveness, employee engagement, and sound people-management practices. 

• Collective Bargaining Agreement Administration: Ability to interpret and consistently apply collective bargaining agreements, organizational policies, past practices, and established procedures. 

• Workplace Investigations: Skill in conducting timely, objective, thorough, and well-documented investigations involving employee complaints, misconduct, policy violations, and workplace concerns.