Employee Relations Specialist

The Employee Relations Specialist plays a critical role in supporting Curana Health’s commitment to a respectful, compliant, and high-trust workplace. This individual contributor partners closely with managers, HR colleagues, and employees to address employee relations matters, support investigations, and ensure consistent application of company policies and employment practices across a multistate healthcare environment.

This role is ideal for someone who is highly organized, detail-oriented, and comfortable navigating sensitive situations with professionalism, empathy, and sound judgment. The Employee Relations Specialist exercises independent judgment and discretion in evaluating employee relations issues, recommending appropriate courses of action, and supporting consistent, legally compliant outcomes. While this role does not make final employment decisions, it plays a key advisory role in disciplinary and termination related matters.

Employee Relations Support & Case Management

• Act as a trusted go-to HR resource for employee relations matters, navigating policy interpretation, mediating workplace disputes, and driving performance improvement conversations.

• Own the intake, documentation, and hands-on management of employee relations cases from the initial report to final resolution—ensuring prompt follow-through, strategic escalation, and impeccable records every step of the way.

• Lead fact-finding efforts and actively participate in investigations of employee complaints, policy breaches, and workplace concerns, all while adhering to proven protocols and escalation pathways.

• Craft concise, objective investigation summaries, articulate findings and clear recommendations, and maintain thorough supporting documentation.

• Collaborate closely with managers, equipping them with actionable guidance and recommendations for corrective actions—whether it’s coaching sessions, formal warnings, or preparing for terminations.

• Deliver strategic guidance on disciplinary actions and termination decisions, ensuring management and Employee Relations leadership have the insight needed for final calls and execution.

• Identify patterns and recurring themes in employee relations cases, surfacing actionable insights and trends to HR leadership to proactively mitigate risks and drive continuous improvement.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner closely with HR Operations, Benefits & Leave, and HR Business Partners to seamlessly resolve employee concerns that span multiple HR disciplines.

• Partner directly with Legal, Compliance, or outside counsel on escalated employee relations issues, ensuring expert guidance and risk mitigation.

• Support audits, reporting, and internal data requests, supplying accurate and insightful information related to employee relations activity.

Continuous Improvement & Documentation

• Drive the creation, updating, and optimization of employee relations SOPs, templates, and playbooks to promote best practices at every turn.

• Contribute to manager resources and deliver training materials on employee relations best practices, policy application, and risk awareness to empower leadership.

• Champion a culture grounded in fairness, respect, accountability, and unwavering compliance with Curana’s values.

Policy Application & Compliance Support

• Champion the consistent application of Curana policies, ensuring every action aligns with federal, state, and local labor laws across all jurisdictions.

• Drive compliance-focused processes involving employee discipline, separations, and workplace conduct, ensuring best practices are always followed.

• Keep meticulous, up-to-date documentation in HR systems and case management platforms, maintaining an audit-ready record of all actions and outcomes.

• Assist in preparing and submitting unemployment claims documentation and responses, working collaboratively with HR Operations or external partners as necessary.