Employee Relations Specialist

If your goal is to build a career that makes a difference and you have a passion for making a difference in the lives of South Carolina's youth, consider joining the dedicated people of the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ). MISSION: It is the mission of the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) to impact and transform young lives, strengthen families, and support safer communities through targeted prevention and rehabilitation. JOB PURPOSE: Under general supervision, the Employee Relations Coordinator, working under the guidance of the Employee Relations Manager, will perform employee relations core processes to include processing unemployment claims, non-grievable disciplinary actions, ER Checks, FOIA request, voluntary resignations, outside employment request, acceptance of resignations, separation notifications, filing and assisting Employee Relations Consultants with coordination of the grievance process and investigations. This position performs administrative functions and provides programmatic and project support to the department. JOB RESPONSIBILITIES: Responsible for fostering positive relationships between employees and the organization, ensuring compliance with employment laws, agency policy, to resolve workplace issues. Provides guidance to management and employees ensuring agency policies are enforced. Assists with discipline documentation and employee relations core processes to ensure timely, consistent, and appropriate intervention. Creates a productive and positive work environment. Disseminates information and educates employees and managers on related processes and associated timeframes. Provides support to Employee Relations Consultants with conducting investigations and processing employee grievances. Conducts through research to address issues and advise management on appropriate corrective action. Assists with the proposal of strategies to improve the effectiveness of human resources management at the agency. Collaborates with HR and other departments to ensure regulatory compliance. Maintains accurate records and compliance with record-keeping regulations. Constructs non-grievable actions to include Notice of Informal Counseling, Level I Reprimands, Level II Reprimands, Job Abandonments, and Acceptance of Resignations. Processes FOIA request, ER Checks, and Outside Employment request. Drafts memoranda, timelines, and other relevant correspondence as it relates to the agency's employee relations program. Creates responses to clearly communicate related matters as needed to multiple levels of the agency. Assists with providing recommendations to management on an appropriate course of action and ensures implementation. Provides updates on assigned actions to the ER team. Sends notification to program areas of pending actions. Retrieves unemployment documents from the SCDEW portal and processes actions based on the established deadlines. Assists Employee Relations Consultants with processing unemployment appeal requests by gathering required documentation and attending hearings as needed. Protects confidential information to ensure it is shared only on an as needed basis with authorized individuals only. Provides ER related data and statistics for reporting purposes. Assists with managing accurate information on the ER Master List. Assists with providing notifications of substantiated Investigations to Deputy Directors. Stays abreast of guidelines and assists ER Consultants with the SCCJA reporting process and review of the ER complaint log. Assists with managing ER Outlook Mailbox and reviewing EPMS, WNSP and ADA accommodation requests. Assists with tracking the progress of ER actions and processes and ensures timeframes for completion are met according to the established guidelines. Assists HR Department with special projects and request as needed. Performs other related job duties as assigned. STATE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS: A bachelor's degree and relevant experience. ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS: Knowledge of principles and practices of human resource management. Understanding of the relevant human resources policies and procedures and of agency policies and procedures. Competence to interpret agency policies. Knowledge of federal laws and state regulations affecting human resources. Ability to demonstrate a blend of soft skills, technical expertise, and knowledge of employee relations core processes. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships. Essential skills include detail-oriented, organization, strong communication, conflict resolution, problem-solving, and decision-making skills. The able to work independently and as part of a team. This position work environment is primarily a standard office setting. The physical demands of the job typically include frequent sitting, standing, walking, and using hands to operate office equipment. Additionally, they may occasionally lift or move objects up to 20-30 pounds. Specific vision abilities, like close vision, distance vision, and the ability to adjust focus, are also required. The position may require minimal travel to attend trainings, or meetings. The work schedule does not often vary, nor does it require evening or weekend work. Depending on the specific needs of the department overtime may be approved. This position performs job duties relating to the custody, control, transportation, or recapture of youth within the jurisdiction of the Department of Juvenile Justice, and the employee may have direct and indirect contact with youth within the jurisdiction of the Department of Juvenile Justice. Training applicable to these duties will be provided. PREFERRED AGENCY REQUIREMENTS: A bachelor's degree and experience in employee relations, i.e. ADA, disciplinary actions, unemployment insurance, and other HR related matters. South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice offers an exceptional benefits package for FTE positions that includes: Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Health, dental, and life insurance 15 days annual (vacation) leave per year 15 days of sick leave per year 13 paid holidays State retirement plans and deferred compensation programs Discount Programs such as TicketatWork and WeSave #J-18808-Ljbffr