Employee Relations Specialist

OUC - The Reliable One, is presently seeking an Employee Relations Specialist to join the Employee Experience division. At OUC, we don't just work - we're building a bright future of innovation and transformation for future generations.

We are looking for a pro-active and resilient professional to play a critical and hands-on role in building a positive, compliant, and productive work environment by supporting the employee relations function across the organization. Working closely with HR leadership, managers, and employees, you will support a wide range of employee concerns, investigations, conflict resolutions, and data analysis, helping our team maintain a culture of trust, transparency, and continuous improvement.

OUC's mission is to provide exceptional value to our customers and community by delivering sustainable and reliable services and solutions. Click here to learn more about what we do.

Why You'll Love Working Here:

• Be part of a mission-driven team that values people-first thinking.
• Gain immediate impact through shadowing and strategic projects.
• Enjoy a collaborative, supportive HR environment where your expertise matters.
• Opportunities for learning, growth, and development in a dynamic organization.

What you will do:

• Serve as the first point of contact for employee complaints and concerns.
• Provide clear, empathetic, and unbiased counsel to employees and managers on HR policies, performance issues, workplace disputes, and more.
• Conduct initial investigations and escalate complex cases appropriately.
• Assist with counseling and termination meetings.
• Draft and track warnings, coaching notes, and investigative documentation.
• Monitor and report on trends related to employee engagement, retention, performance, and compliance.
• Stay current on employment laws and ensure related policies and postings are up to date.
• Partner with payroll, HRIS, and legal teams to handle unemployment claims and reporting.
• Conduct exit interviews and analyze results for actionable insights.
• Collaborate with the Employee Engagement team on survey findings and focus area development.

The ideal candidate will have:

• Bachelor's Degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field.
• Minimum of 3 years' experience in Human Resources with a focus on employee relations.
• Proven experience in:
  • Counseling employees and managers on HR matters
  • Conducting investigations and conflict resolution
  • Applying employment laws and organizational policies
  • Using HRIS, case management, or ERP systems
• Experience supporting technical, craft, or skilled trades employees as well as management teams.
• Excellent communication, organization, and interpersonal skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to provide clear, concise, and detailed guidance in writing as well as in conversations.
• Ability to remain neutral and unbiased while handling sensitive employee relations matters, ensuring fairness and professionalism at all times.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook).
• Valid Driver's License required.
• SHRM or HRCI Certified Professional (SPHR/PHR or SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP), Certificate in Employee Relations Law Seminar, or similar HR certification, (preferred).

OUC offers a very competitive compensation and benefits package. Our Total Rewards package includes to cite a few:

• Competitive compensation
• Low-cost medical, dental, and vision benefits and paid life insurance premiums with no probationary period.
• OUC's Hybrid Retirement Program includes a fully-funded cash balance account, defined contribution with employer matching along with a health reimbursement account
• Generous paid vacation, holidays, and sick time
• Paid parental leave
• Educational Assistance Program, to include tuition reimbursement, paid memberships in professional associations, paid conference and training opportunities
• Wellness incentives and free access to all on-site OUC fitness facilities
• Access to family-oriented recreational areas
• Paid Conference and Training Opportunities
• Free downtown parking
• Hybrid work schedule

Click here to view our Benefits Summary.

Salary Range: $66,248.48 - $85,000.00 annually (commensurate on experience)

LOCATION: Reliable Plaza 100 W. Anderson St. Orlando, FL 32801

Please see below a complete Job description for this position.

Job Purpose:

The Employee Relations Specialist will engage in the administration and execution of the employee relations function in collaboration with Employee Experience (EE) leadership and team members. This includes assisting in the oversight of policies and procedures, employee counseling, investigations, conflict resolution, data analysis of trends, and metrics reporting. The Employee Relations Specialist works closely with business partners, management, leadership, and employees to create a positive work environment that supports organizational goals and objectives, while remaining in full compliance with all federal, state and local laws and OUC policies. Counsels members of management on a broad range of routine employee relations matters, including but not limited to, policy interpretation and application, performance concerns, progressive discipline, conflict resolution, leave cases, and investigations.

Primary Functions:

• Serves as the initial contact and liaison for intake and assessment of employee complaints;
• Handles routine human resource inquiries related to policies, including providing guidance on HR policy interpretation and application; refers complex matters to appropriate Employee Experience and/or management staff;
• Conducts initial interviews and gathers information for employee relations matters such as work complaints, harassment allegations, or other concerns; escalates to appropriate team members when additional investigation is required;
• Assists and participates in counseling or termination meetings with employees and managers;
• Assists with collecting information and data to assess cost and policy implications of negotiations and disputes. This may include management proposals, pay scales and wages, benefits, working conditions, and other mitigating circumstances;
• Drafts, edits and tracks warnings, coaching and other report documentation for leadership as needed;
• Drafts investigation and case related documentation for HR leadership review and approval and ensures they are recorded upon finalization;
• Utilizes case management, HRIS and other HR systems to record employee relations matters such as investigations, warnings, performance improvement plans, coaching etc;
• Pulls reports and performs analytics as necessary on types/trends of discipline, terminations and other related data;
• Conducts surveys, interviews, and other research related to human resource policies, total rewards and other employee relations matters influencing engagement; collects information and reports results to the Human Resources leadership;
• Manages the purchase and updates of mandatory labor posters at all OUC locations to ensure compliance with federal and state regulations;
• Remains current on laws and regulations related to EEO, affirmative action, ADA, FMLA, reasonable accommodations and broad human resources topics from a federal, state, and local level;
• Supports the preparation of plans, documents, and reports including but not limited to affirmative action plans, organizational charts, and employee policies;
• Conducts employee exit interviews; creates and maintains reports and conducts analysis to identify issues that may have affected employee performance and success;
• Collaborates with employee engagement team to gather data to identify patterns, trends and themes related to employee engagement and retention concerns;
• Partners with payroll, HRIS and other related teams to complete unemployment requests and tracks the associated reporting;
• Owns the update and maintenance of the repository for policies; collaborates with team to provide recommendations on policy changes;
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Technical Requirements:

• Working knowledge of all, but not limited to the following:
  • Federal, State, and local employment, labor, compensation and benefits laws;
  • Workplace investigations;
  • Employee relations procedures and processes;
  • Data metrics and reporting;
  • HR policies and policy interpretation;
  • Mediation and conflict resolution;
  • Software Applications (HRIS, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Case Management, Performance Management, Applicant Tracking and Report Line);
• Familiarity with all, but not limited to the following:
  • Related industry, organizational, and departmental policies, practices, and procedures; legal guidelines, ordinances, and laws;
• Ability to:
  • Communicate clearly, concisely, and efficiently in verbal and written communications with employees at all levels of the organization;
  • Exercise judgment and discretion in the development, implementation, and maintenance of HR programs;
  • Identify areas of improvement and make recommendations;
  • Exhibit strong analytical skills;
  • Work in a team-oriented environment and provide support to the department through a strong work ethic, a sense of commitment, and a strong desire to succeed;
  • Make arithmetic computations using whole numbers, fractions, and decimals, and compute rates, ratios, and percentages;
  • Use Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.) and standard office equipment (telephone, computer, copier, etc.).

Education/ Certification/ Years of Experience Requirements:

• Bachelor's Degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field of study from an accredited college or university;
• Minimum of three (3) years of professional level experience in human resources with an emphasis on administering employee relations programs (required) to include:
  • Counseling employees and managers on human resources issues, conducting routine workplace investigations, and conflict resolution;
  • Experience evaluating and making recommendations for routine employee relations cases in compliance with workplace policies and local, state, and federal employment laws;
  • Metrics tracking and reporting;
• Valid Driver's License (required);
• SHRM or HRCI Certified Professional (SPHR/PHR or SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP), Certificate in Employee Relations Law Seminar, or similar HR certification, (preferred).

Working Conditions:

This job is absent of disagreeable working conditions. This job is performed in an office work environment. Must be able to travel to all OUC locations at any time for investigations, trainings, meetings, etc.

Physical Requirements:

This job includes very frequent speaking/ hearing, writing/ typing, and detailed inspection. This job requires frequent standing, walking, sitting, and bending. There may be occasional climbing, kneeling, reaching over head, and lifting up to twenty (20) lbs. Also, this job includes very frequent driving of a company vehicle.

OUC-The Reliable One is an Equal Opportunity Employer who is committed through responsible management policies to recruit, hire, promote, train, transfer, compensate, and administer all other personnel actions without regard to race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information and any other factor prohibited under applicable federal, state, and local civil rights laws, rules, and regulations.

EOE M/F/Vets/Disabled