Excellus BCBS · 1 day ago
Employee Relations Consultant I
Utica, NY
Full-time
Hybrid
Mid, Senior Level
$65K/yr - $118K/yr
2+ years expExcellus BCBS is a healthcare company that focuses on employee relations and compliance. The Employee Relations Consultant I will manage client relationships, respond to employee concerns, and implement proactive employee relations strategies to enhance workplace culture and compliance.
Health CareHealth InsuranceNon Profit
Responsibilities
Acts as a consultative partner to client aligned team(s) to ensure effective alignment of employee relations partnership with strategic organizational objectives
Collaborates with Human Resources Business Partners and other HR leaders/business partners to drive a Lifetime Way Culture, strategic goals, and performance management based on a shared set of values and company mission
Serves as the primary point of contact for day-to-day talent and performance management guidance to all levels of staff (coaching, counseling, human capital development, disciplinary actions up to and including terminations) to assess and minimize legal risk with effective follow through and resolution
Serve as trusted advisor to leadership, providing sound business guidance around employee relations issues
Manages and resolves employee relations issues
Conducts effective, thorough, and objective investigations including partnership with Ethics & Compliance on ethic complaints related to the Code of Conduct and other state and regulatory agencies
Maintains in-depth knowledge of legal requirements related to day-to-day management of employees, reducing legal risks, and ensuring regulatory compliance
Partners with the Legal department as needed/required
Ensures compliance with Federal, State and Local requirements
Proactively mitigate current and future legal risk through continuous assessment
Responsible for responding to any legal claims and subpoenas
Gathers documentation in coordination with legal
Assist with preparation and attendance at hearings or court appearances
Develops, Interprets, recommends, and effectively communicates HR practices, policies, procedures and initiatives and makes best practice change recommendations for business alignment purposes
Conducts ongoing training for compliance, development, and policy implementation to ensure leaders are aware of employee and employer leave rights and responsibilities
Creates, manages and monitors all retention initiatives including tracking data, providing recommendations/solutions, and pivoting as needed to drive low turnover and employee engagement
Conducts exit interviews and provides monthly reporting to identify trends and areas of concern
Partners with HR Team and organization on various compliance audits including FLSA, compensation and systems data integrity
Manages all aspects of employee leave management programs, NYS Disability & Supplemental Disability, NYS Paid Family Leave, Family Leave Act, Workers Compensation, NYS Paid Sick Leave, Americans With Disability Act, and ergonomics
Advises managers and employees on the interaction of leave laws with paid time off
Collaborates closely with Payroll team to ensure leave payments are properly tracked and paid
Manages random drug and alcohol testing with external vendor and employment action because of policy infractions
Consistently demonstrates high standards of integrity by supporting the Lifetime Healthcare Companies’ mission and values, adhering to the Corporate Code of Conduct, and leading to the Lifetime Way values and beliefs
Maintains high regard for member privacy in accordance with the corporate privacy policies and procedures
Regular and reliable attendance is expected and required
Performs other functions as assigned by management
Responsible for responding to concerns, including complex investigations, pertaining to workplace policies, procedures, and compliance with all Company and external requirements to mitigate Company-wide risk and contribute to productivity, motivation, and morale while instilling and maintaining our culture and values
Collaborates with HR Business Partners to identify trends, provide insight, and make recommendations on issues impacting employee retention and engagement
Serves as a trusted advisor and subject matter expert on a variety of Employee Relations concepts, practices, procedures, laws, and regulations
Leads high profile HR initiatives and projects within the aligned divisions and/or across the entire enterprise
Provides back-up support to the Manager of Employee Relations when needed
Qualification
Required
A combination of experience and higher education equal to six or more years or Bachelor's degree in Human Resources or related area with two years of experience in Human Resources
Working knowledge, understanding, and experience with employment and labor laws, Employee Relations, and performance management concepts preferred
Strong knowledge of FMLA, Worker's Compensation, SSTD, OSHA, ADAAA programs
Demonstrated knowledge of and skill in conflict resolution, decision making, influence, interpersonal relations, problem solving, results orientation, systems thinking, group presentations, and group process facilitation
Strong Employee Relations skills and abilities to engage, counsel, and recommend performance management for employees at all levels
Familiarity with a wide variety of field concepts, practices, procedures, laws, and relies on considerable experience and judgment to plan and accomplish goals
Demonstrated ethical decision-making and ability to see implications of decisions
Ability to establish and maintain effective professional relationships
Excellent oral and written communication skills
Travels 25% - 50% to other Company sites to meet employees regarding Employee Relations matters
Ability to work prolonged periods sitting and/or standing at a workstation and working on a computer
Preferred
Working knowledge, understanding, and experience with employment and labor laws, Employee Relations, and performance management concepts preferred
Three or more years of experience handling complex Employee Relations and performance management concerns
Experience with employment and state and federal labor laws
Active listening skills and ability to analyze a conversation to discern the true issue/concern. Demonstrated ability to synthesize information to advise on resolution and next best steps for the parties involved to move forward
Demonstrated project management experience
Benefits
Participation in group health and/or dental insurance
Retirement plan
Wellness program
Paid time away from work
Paid holidays
Company
Excellus BCBS
Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, a nonprofit independent licensee of the BlueCross BlueShield Association, is part of a family of companies that finances and delivers vital health care services to about 1.5 million people across upstate New York.
5001-10000 employees
H1B Sponsorship
Excellus BCBS has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (3)
2024 (18)
2023 (12)
2022 (15)
2021 (17)
2020 (20)
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageLeadership Team
Jeremy Donath
Director, Provider Reimbursement Analytics & Operations
Recent News
Rochester Business Journal
2026-01-03
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