Employee Relations Specialist

Employees in this class are responsible for participating in planning, organizing, and conducting employee relations activities for the municipal government. Under general supervision, employees perform assignments of considerable difficulty requiring the exercise of reasonable initiative and independent judgment in drafting, interpreting, and implementing rules, regulations, policies, and procedures. Work is performed in accordance with state and federal guidelines, legislation, accepted practices, existing arrangements, and union contracts with which the municipal government must comply. Employees participate, as required, in: discipline administration; grievance administration processes including arbitration or other grievance appeal processes; EEO complaint investigations; and, unemployment compensation hearings. As members of the city negotiating team in the collective bargaining process, these employees do research to develop negotiation strategy for consideration by superiors, draft contractual language, perform research, costing of union and city proposals, and prepare materials for Special Magistrate and legislative impasse procedures. Requires working effectively and directly with city-wide departmental management and supervisory personnel to provide guidance and direction on discipline, grievance and union contract/personnel policies matters as well as coordinating and completing actions. Work is reviewed while in progress and upon completion through conferences, written reports and results obtained.

Participates in planning, organizing and conducting municipal employee relations activities including collective bargaining tasks such as researching, surveying and analyzing data pertinent to wages, hours and working conditions.

As assigned conducts investigations and advises others in resolving complex and sensitive employee relations issues to include violations of City policies, Equal Employment Opportunity (EEOC) complaints, Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requests.

Coordinates administration of discipline, grievances and related activities, including attendance at departmental hearings to ensure compliance with prevailing laws and City policies, as well as consistency across City departments.

Consults with appropriate counsel on legal matters and coordinates proposals with officials authorized to render policy decisions.

Prepares and assists in presentation of the City's position in hearings including but not limited to arbitration, the Civil Service Board, EEOC, or other appeal processes.

Provides advice on development and application of personnel policies.

Instructs departments and other appropriate personnel in the determination and administration of various drug testing programs, Employee Assistance Program (EAP) referrals and employee compliance; responsible for ensuring release to work, follow-up testing, and other drug testing or EAP matters are implemented as directed.

Assists in the development and implementation of training designed for supervisors and managers and independently conducts resulting training sessions.

Performs all necessary research and responds to unemployment compensation claims; independently represents the city at unemployment compensation appeal hearings presenting witnesses and information to the hearing officer.

Responsible for duties related to a variety of programs such as responding to personnel file subpoenas, or public record requests from citizens or the media, labor-management committees, safety committees, and other HR related programs and presentations.

Keeps abreast of current labor-management activities, particularly in the public sector.

Performs related work as required.

Working knowledge of: labor-management negotiations, labor law, federal and state guidelines, and accepted practices and procedures; EEO and unemployment compensation rules and regulations; modern public human resources administration, organization and management principles and practices; municipal organization, programs and activities; civil service law, rules and regulations; sources of related information and data.

Some knowledge of: the city's personnel processing system; statistics; accepted principles and practices of supervision.

Ability to: compile and analyze data, at time presenting data needed for negotiations in a meaningful manner; prepare and submit clear, concise and timely oral and written reports, and present such material in a persuasive and convincing manner; conduct independent research, investigations and study for completing projects; conduct interviews, and analyze and evaluate data collected before and during the interview; establish and maintain effective working relationships with labor unions, employees, officials, and the general public.

Skill in: negotiating practices and procedures; public speaking including training presentations, explaining policies and materials to employees, higher level officials, including testimony and presentations before investigators or other hearing officers or appeal boards; operation of computers and use of software to include Excel, Word and PowerPoint.

Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor's degree, preferably a master’s degree in human resources, public or business administration, with emphasis on industrial relations, and three (3) years of professional human resources experience with accountability for employee relations programs, labor relations and/or human resources management.

Possession of a valid drivers license required.

Evaluation of education and experience. Drug testing is included in all pre-employment processing.

Employees may be required to work rotating shifts, including nights, weekends, holidays and overtime as needed. During periods when the Mayor issues an emergency declaration for the City of Tampa, all employees may be required to work in preparation, response or recovery activities related to the stated emergency.

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