Human Resources Specialist

Description

*** Office Located in East Longmeadow MA

Position Overview

The Human Resources Specialist is responsible for overseeing and coordinating all aspects of human resources administration, recruitment, onboarding, employee relations, compliance, training, and workforce management. This position ensures compliance with federal and Massachusetts employment requirements, agency policies, contractual obligations, and applicable home care standards. The HR Specialist serves as a key resource to management and staff and supports the recruitment, retention, development, and engagement of a qualified workforce dedicated to quality client care.

Recruitment and Hiring

• Manage the recruitment process from job posting through onboarding.
• Create, post, and maintain employment advertisements on appropriate job platforms.
• Review applications, screen candidates, and identify qualified applicants.
• Schedule and coordinate interviews, or pass qualified candidates along to the designated supervisor, manager, or coordinator for interview scheduling and follow-up.
• Conduct reference checks, employment verifications, and credential verification.
• Process new-hire paperwork and maintain applicant and hiring records.
• Develop and maintain recruitment sources and strategies for caregivers and office personnel.
• Participate in job fairs, career fairs, and community recruitment events.
• Monitor recruiting activity, open positions, and hiring outcomes.
• Prepare and distribute hiring announcements, new-employee introductions, promotion notices, transfer notices, and other approved staffing communications.
• Execute and document employee status changes, including new hires, transfers, promotions, demotions, leaves of absence, terminations, rehires, changes in employment classification, compensation changes, and other authorized personnel actions.

Employee Onboarding and Orientation

• Conduct new-employee orientation for caregivers and office staff.
• Ensure onboarding requirements are completed before an employee begins work or receives an assignment.
• Complete employment eligibility verification and ensure all required employment documents are received.
• Set up and administer home care orientation programs that address agency policies, client rights, confidentiality, infection control, emergency procedures, incident reporting, abuse and neglect reporting, workplace safety, documentation expectations, and other mandatory topics.
• Coordinate required training, competency reviews, and acknowledgments.
• Provide employee handbooks, policies, procedures, and compliance materials.
• Issue and track staff identification badges, equipment, technology, keys, and agency materials.
• Explain job expectations, reporting procedures, benefits, attendance requirements, and available employee resources.

Home Care Compliance and Credential Management

• Support compliance with applicable federal and Massachusetts employment requirements, agency policies, payer contracts, and home care program requirements.
• Monitor employee credentials and expirations, including professional licenses, certifications, physical examinations, health screenings, CPR and First Aid, HHA or CNA documentation, driver documentation when applicable, and required annual training.
• Maintain complete personnel files and compliance records in accordance with record-retention and confidentiality requirements.
• Assist with audits, surveys, payer reviews, inspections, and licensing or accreditation activities.
• Coordinate corrective action plans related to personnel or training findings and track completion.
• Maintain HR compliance dashboards, expiration reports, and follow-up logs.
• Complete required exclusion, sanction, and eligibility checks when applicable to an employee’s position or program assignment.

CORI and Background Screening

• Process CORI background checks and other required pre-employment screenings.
• Coordinate national or supplemental background checks when required by agency policy, contract, payer, or program.
• Maintain confidential screening records and follow applicable authorization, review, and adverse-action procedures.
• Monitor and complete re-screening requirements when applicable.

Employee Relations and Performance Management

• Serve as a resource for employee questions, concerns, policies, and HR processes.
• Promote positive employee relations, respectful communication, and a professional workplace culture.
• Assist managers with coaching, conflict resolution, investigations, and employee communications.
• Coordinate annual evaluations, introductory-period reviews, and other performance review processes.
• Support employee retention, recognition, engagement, and professional development initiatives.
• Maintain strict confidentiality regarding personnel matters.

Disciplinary Procedures and Separations

• Guide supervisors and managers through employee counseling and disciplinary procedures.
• Prepare documentation for verbal counseling, written warnings, final warnings, suspensions, performance improvement plans, and terminations.
• Promote consistent application of agency policy and appropriate documentation of employment decisions.
• Coordinate workplace investigations, witness statements, findings, and follow-up actions as assigned.
• Process separations, final documentation, access removal notifications, equipment returns, benefit notices, and required record updates.
• Maintain disciplinary, investigation, and separation records securely.

FMLA, Leave Administration, and Accommodations

• Administer Family and Medical Leave Act requests and coordinate other applicable federal, Massachusetts, and agency leave programs.
• Provide required notices, request supporting documentation, track leave usage, and communicate deadlines.
• Coordinate return-to-work documentation and reinstatement processes.
• Assist with disability accommodation requests and the interactive process.
• Maintain confidential medical and leave records separately from general personnel files.

Workers’ Compensation and Occupational Health

• Manage workers’ compensation incident reporting, claim submission, documentation, and follow-up.
• Coordinate with insurance carriers, claims representatives, healthcare providers, legal counsel, and managers as appropriate.
• Track work restrictions, transitional-duty plans, return-to-work status, and required appointments.
• Maintain applicable workplace injury records and support required safety reporting.
• Identify injury trends and collaborate with management on prevention and corrective actions.

Unemployment Administration

• Process unemployment claims and respond to agency requests for information by required deadlines.
• Collect and organize supporting documentation related to employee separations.
• Coordinate hearing preparation, management responses, and appeals when directed.
• Maintain accurate unemployment claim and decision records.

Incident Reporting and Risk Management

• Administer employee-related incident reporting procedures and ensure prompt routing to the appropriate manager, clinical leader, quality staff, payer, or other designated party.
• Assist with incident investigations, documentation, follow-up, and corrective actions.
• Maintain confidential incident records and track outstanding items through completion.
• Support reporting and follow-up for allegations of abuse, neglect, exploitation, harassment, discrimination, policy violations, safety concerns, and other reportable matters.
• Review trends and recommend process, training, or safety improvements to management.

Housing and Community Program Support

• Prepare, review, route, and maintain housing-related personnel and program paperwork as assigned.
• Coordinate collection of required documentation and track missing or expiring items.
• Support housing program audits, reporting, orientation, and staff compliance needs.
• Collaborate with housing and program staff to ensure records are accurate, complete, and timely.

Training and Staff Development

• Maintain training records, competency documentation, and completion reports.
• Schedule and coordinate orientation, annual in-services, refresher training, and mandatory education.
• Track continuing education and certification requirements.
• Coordinate policy acknowledgments and annual handbook distribution.
• Support leadership development, caregiver competency, employee recognition, and retention programs.

Benefits and Payroll Coordination

• Assist employees with benefit enrollment, qualifying events, changes, and general benefit questions.
• Coordinate annual open enrollment and required employee communications.
• Maintain benefit records and distribute required notices in coordination with vendors or advisors.
• Communicate authorized hires, terminations, leave status, deductions, compensation changes, and other payroll-impacting actions to designated payroll staff.
• Reconcile HR records with payroll, scheduling, and benefit systems and promptly address discrepancies.

HRIS, Personnel Records, and Reporting

• Maintain accurate and confidential electronic and paper personnel files.
• Enter and update employee information in HR, payroll, scheduling, training, credentialing, and other approved systems.
• Process employment verification requests and approved personnel documents.
• Prepare HR reports related to hiring, turnover, vacancies, attendance, leave, training, credentials, incidents, and workforce trends.
• Protect employee information and follow agency privacy, cybersecurity, and document-retention requirements.

Home Care Workforce and Administrative Support

• Partner with scheduling and operations staff regarding employee availability, eligibility, onboarding status, and staffing needs.
• Monitor attendance and reliability concerns and route issues to the appropriate manager.
• Support staff recognition, caregiver retention, and employee satisfaction initiatives.
• Assist with HR-related policy development, annual reviews, and implementation.
• Participate in emergency preparedness, continuity planning, and workforce communications.
• Perform other HR and administrative duties reasonably related to the position and agency operations.

Requirements

Required Qualifications

Education and Experience

• Associate degree or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience required; bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Healthcare Administration, or a related field preferred.
• Minimum of three years of human resources experience preferred.
• Experience in home care, home health, healthcare, human services, or long-term care strongly preferred.
• Working experience with employee relations, leave administration, workers’ compensation, unemployment, onboarding, investigations, and compliance documentation.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Knowledge of federal and Massachusetts employment requirements and sound HR practices.
• Understanding of home care workforce, onboarding, training, credentialing, and documentation needs.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong organization, follow-through, attention to detail, and ability to manage competing deadlines.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment, remain composed, solve problems, and handle sensitive matters professionally.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively with management, office staff, caregivers, clients, and external partners.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, HRIS platforms, scheduling systems, training software, and electronic records.
• Bilingual English and Spanish proficiency preferred.

Physical and Work Requirements

General Requirements

• Ability to perform computer and telephone work for extended periods.
• Ability to occasionally lift and carry up to 25 pounds.
• Ability to travel between agency offices, training locations, and community sites as needed.
• Ability to maintain reliable attendance and meet the scheduling needs of a full-time position.