Employee Relations Business Partner - Central Office, Hayward CA

POSITION SUMMARY  

Under the guidance of the Employee Relations Manager, the Employee Relations Business Partner (HRBP) serves as an advisor to managers, and employees by providing guidance on workplace concerns, policy interpretation, performance management, and compliance matters. This role supports the full lifecycle of employee relations activities, including investigations, disciplinary actions, leave administration, accommodations, and offboarding, while ensuring consistent and legally compliant application of company policies. The HRBP collaborates closely with HR leadership, Legal, Safety/Risk, and Payroll to mitigate risk and promote a respectful, compliant, and engaged workplace culture.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES 

Employee Relations and Advisory Support

• Advise supervisors, managers, and leaders on interpreting and applying HR policies, employment laws, and best practices to address employee concerns consistently and effectively.
• Serve as a point of contact for employees and managers regarding workplace issues, conflict resolution, and ER related inquiries; redirect or escalate matters as appropriate.
• Support and reinforce fair, consistent, and compliant people practices across the organization.

Investigations, Discipline and Performance Management

• Conduct and support basic employee relations investigations, including intake, fact finding, documentation, and outcome recommendations.
• Manage low level disciplinary processes, including performance and behavioral issues, in alignment with company policy and legal requirements.
• Support the performance management process, including corrective action documentation and manager coaching.
• Execute employee terminations or suspensions, onsite or via virtual platforms (e.g., Teams), ensuring professionalism, compliance, and appropriate documentation.

Compliance, Risk and Workplace Safety

• Support workplace violence prevention (WPV) incidents, partnering with HR leadership, Safety, and Risk Management as required.
• Support compliance with meal and overtime policies, including issuing biweekly notices to employees and management.
• Coordinate work related injury processes with Safety, Risk, and Workers’ Compensation partners.

Leave Management and Accommodations

• Support in administering and managing employee leaves of absence, including FMLA, CFRA, PDL, ADA, Workers’ Compensation, and related programs, as needed.
• Support in manual pay and benefit calculations related to FMLA, CFRA, PDL, and Workers’ Compensation, as needed.
• Support in managing reasonable accommodation (RA) requests and the interactive process through completion when assigned, engaging the ER Manager and/or legal counsel as needed.

HR Operations and Administrative Support

• Provide ER administrative support, including case tracking, documentation management, and reporting.
• Maintain accurate ER case logs and reporting metrics.
• Process Paycom employee changes related to ER actions.
• Manage EDD unemployment claims and related documentation.
• Verify rehire eligibility and eligibility for internal transfers, promotions and Groundbreakers in accordance with company guidelines.

Offboarding, Reporting and Analytics

• Facilitate employee offboarding and terminations, ensuring completion of required steps and documentation.
• Manage or support the exit survey process by capturing data from voluntary departures.  
• Complete quarterly and annual reports related to Employee Relations, Workers’ Compensation, Workplace Violence Prevention, and turnover trends.

Training, Culture and Engagement

• Provide training to managers and employees on a variety of workplace topics, including performance management, policy application, and employee relations best practices.
• Provide ongoing policy guidance and interpretation to support consistent application across the organization.
• Support culture and engagement initiatives that reinforce company values and a respectful workplace environment.

EDUCATION and or EXPERIENCE 

• 3 years or more direct responsibility for investigation, discipline and involuntary separations or Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Labor Relations.  Or an equivalent combination of education and experience in working in employee relations.
• Certification in Human Resources, preferred (SPHR, PHR, SHRMCP or SHRMSCP)
• Workplace investigations training.

PREFERRED SKILLS and or ABILITIES 

• Bilingual English/Spanish preferred.  
• Ability to achieve results for the organization with and through other people, utilizing creative and innovative solutions, conflict management and problem solving skills.
• Proficient with MS Office (i.e. Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook).
• Proven ability to work with diverse groups in cooperative problem solving and consensus building.

• Ability to work under pressure and successfully meet deadlines.

• Ability to work independently and in a team environment, under minimal supervision. 

• Ability to communicate and interface professionally and sensitively to staff, board, residents and public.
• Ability to handle shifting and multiple priorities in a fast paced, growth environment.
• Strong communication (verbal and written), decision making, interpersonal, organizational, administrative, negotiation and conflict resolution skills.
• Flexible, innovative, detail oriented and well organized.
• Must be able and willing to travel to all company locations to carry out duties and responsibilities.
• Commitment to the companies’ goals and philosophy.

LANGUAGE, MATH and REASONING SKILLS 

Ability to read, analyze and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, government regulations, loan documents, financial reports, regulatory agreements and other legal documents. Ability to respond to inquiries or complaints from customers, regulatory agencies, or members of the business community. Ability to write reports, business correspondence and procedure manuals. Ability to effectively present information to top management, public groups and officials, and or boards of directors. Ability to calculate figures and amounts such as discounts, interest, commissions, proportions, percentages, area, circumference, and volume.  Ability to apply concepts of basic algebra and geometry. Ability to analyze financial reports, income statements and perform cost analyses. Basic accounting knowledge also required. Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS  

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel and reach with hands and arms.  The employee frequently is required to stand, walk, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl and talk and hear.  The employee is occasionally required to sit and climb or balance. The employee must frequently lift and or move up to 25 pounds and occasionally lift and or move up to 100 pounds. Physical mobility includes the ability to move about property, climb stairs, lift appliances or tools, stretch, bend and climb stairs and ladders.  Manual dexterity includes the ability to operate machines, use tools and make general repairs.   Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and ability to adjust focus.  Vision requirements include the ability to read labels, signs, instruction manuals and work orders. 

WORK ENVIRONMENT  

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently exposed to fumes or airborne particles, wet or humid conditions, high, precarious places and outdoor weather conditions and toxic or caustic chemicals. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

QUALIFICATIONS  

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

JOB DESCRIPTION REVISION

This is not necessarily an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, skills, duties, requirements, efforts or working conditions associated with this job.  While this job description is intended to be an accurate reflection of the current job management reserves the right to revise the job or to require that other or different tasks are performed when circumstances change.  This job description replaces all previous descriptions for this position.

Eden Housing is an equal opportunity employer. Eden Housing does not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, disability, familiar status, national origin, or any other arbitrary basis.