Employee & Labor Relations Representative

Our Employee & Labor Relations Team is seeking experienced and well-qualified applicants for the position of Employee & Labor Relations Representative. Employee & Labor Relations Representatives in Public Health serve as trusted advisors within the department on daily employee and labor relations issues. These issues primarily include advising on complex employee performance management and disciplinary issues, and conducting investigations into employee workplace complaints.

At Public Health - Seattle & King County (Public Health), our mission is to help protect and improve the health and well-being of all people in King County. This Employee & Labor Relations Representative position works in service to Public Health's mission, by providing support to our employees and supervisors working across the Department.

Update, 3/2/23: Candidates invited for an interview will be asked to provide a writing sample of an investigation report/summary they wrote for a workplace investigation they conducted, or another writing sample the candidate believes provides a similar example of their written work product regarding work of this nature.

The first round of interviews is anticipated to take place on March 29th and 30th.

Commitment to Equity and Social Justice: Named after Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., one of the most influential civil rights leaders in our nation's history, King County is a vibrant international community with residents that represent countries from around the world. It is a region with increasing diversity that cherishes the traditions of many cultures.

The county government has a deep commitment to equity and social justice and advancing practices, strategies, and policies that promote fairness, justice, and opportunity for all - in our workplaces and our communities. With this commitment, King County has adopted a pro-equity agenda to advance regional change and ensure that residents from all communities are incorporated into our emergency planning and public outreach efforts.

We recognize that structural racism consists of principles and practices that cause and justify an inequitable distribution of rights, opportunities, and experiences across racial groups. Since declaring Racism is a Public Health Crisis in June 2020, King County and Public Health committed to being intentionally anti-racist and accountable to Black, Indigenous and People of Color communities.

To learn more, please visit http://www.kingcounty.gov/elected/executive/equity-social-justice.aspx

• Advise and coach supervisors and managers on the following issues:
  • Personnel rules and applicable federal, state and local employment and labor laws
  • Employee disciplinary and corrective actions
  • Conducting investigations into allegations of misconduct
• Conduct workplace investigations; write investigative reports; and present findings and recommendations to management.
• Establish and maintain on-going, effective relations with employees, shop stewards, union officials, and management; facilitate effective resolution of employee and labor relations issues.
• Advise and assist managers with the processing of grievances.

Well-qualified candidates for this position will possess:

• A minimum of three years of progressively responsible experience with employee relations issues, including conducting employment workplace investigations and writing investigation reports, advising on performance management issues, and interpreting and applying federal, state, and local employment rules and regulations, as well as human resources policies and procedures.
• High-level written and oral communication skills
• Demonstrated ability to think critically and strategically to advise on complex employment and labor matters.
• Ability to recognize and work effectively with sensitive situations and materials

We are looking for a team member who can apply a racial equity and social justice lens to the work in order to promote equitable outcomes in employee and labor relations issues. The work of this position is not transactional in nature; it requires strong critical thinking skills, including the ability to identify important considerations even when not explicitly presented. This position will require composure, and the ability to see the bigger picture while building consensus among groups that may have differing perspectives and goals.

The ability to prioritize work, change direction and focus dependent upon the situation and thrive in what can be a fast-paced work environment are key to success within the team. Careful attention to detail is also important for this position. And while the work is in a team environment with partners who possess subject matter expertise, successful candidates also demonstrate the ability to work independently and exercise good judgment.

Ideal candidates for this opportunity have experience performing these duties in a public employment setting, and where the workforce is mostly represented by labor unions, and are knowledgeable of the legal and other considerations associated with such a work setting

Forbes named King County as one of Washington State's best employers.
Together, with leadership and our employees, we're changing the way government delivers service and winning national recognition as a model of excellence. Are you ready to make a difference? Come join the team dedicated to serving one of the nation's best places to live, work and play.

Guided by our "True North", we are making King County a welcoming community where every person can thrive. We value diversity, inclusion and belonging in our workplace and workforce. To reach this goal we are committed to workforce equity. Equitable recruiting, support, and retention is how we will obtain the highest quality workforce in our region; a workforce that shares and will help advance our guiding principles - we are one team; we solve problems; we focus on the customer; we drive for results; we are racially just; we respect all people; we lead the way; and we are responsible stewards. We encourage people of all backgrounds and identities to apply, including Native American and people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ+, people living with disabilities, and veterans.

King County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer
No person is unlawfully excluded from employment opportunities based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation and pregnancy), age, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or other protected class. Our EEO policy applies to all employment actions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, selection for training, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation.

To Apply
If you are interested in pursuing this position, please follow the application instructions carefully. If you need this announcement in an alternate language or format, would like to request accommodation or assistance in the application or assessment process or if you have questions please contact the recruiter listed on this job announcement.

Who May Apply: This Career Service position is open to all qualified candidates.

Application Process:
The following items are required to be considered for this vacancy:
1. A resume
2. A cover letter addressing why you are interested in this position and about your qualifications for the job. Your letter should effectively explain your interest in this position and why you believe you would be an excellent candidate.
3. Responses to Supplemental Questions. Please provide narrative responses to the questions. Do not copy and paste from your resume in response to Supplemental Questions. Doing so will result in an incomplete application, unless the submitted information completely and directly answers the questions posed.

Your application may be rejected as incomplete if you do not include the relevant information in the application. Cover letters and/or resumes are not accepted in lieu of a completed NeoGov application. Applications and/or Supplemental Questionnaires that state "see my resume" or "see my personnel file" are considered incomplete and will not be accepted.

• The selection process may include but is not limited to: evaluation of application materials and supplemental questions, interviewing, and testing. For more information on our selection process, please refer to www.kingcounty.gov/depts/health/jobs/hiring.
• Regular and reliable attendance, effective communication skills, and development of effective working relationships are requirements of all Public Health positions.
• Staff may be required to play an active role in the event of a public health emergency, which may include changes in responsibilities, work location and working hours.

Necessary Special Requirements

• The selected candidate will be required to pass a thorough background investigation.
• Employees are required to protect the privacy and security of protected health information as defined in State and Federal Law.
• Employees are required to adhere to OSHA/WISHA guidelines including but not limited to completing required training on time.

Work Schedule: The normal work week is Monday - Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; however, as an FLSA-exempt position the employee is expected to work the hours necessary to satisfactorily perform the duties.

Work location: The position is based at the Chinook Building located at 401 5th Ave, Seattle on the 10th floor, but is expected to be performed remotely on a full-time basis.

Employees will be provided with a County issued laptop and must maintain a workspace with an internet connection where they can reliably perform work and remain available and responsive during scheduled work hours. Employees must reside in WA state and within a reasonable distance to their King County worksite to respond to workplace reporting requirements. There will be situations where the employee is required to report to a County worksite.

To support employees during this time King County has a robust collection of tools and resources to support working remotely. The individual selected for this opportunity will be joining an innovative and progressive team. King County is doing its part to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and remains committed to reducing our carbon footprint.

Union affiliation: This position is not represented by a union.

Contact: For questions, please contact Catherine Fitzpatrick - Sr. HR Analyst at Catherine.fitzpatrick@kingcounty.gov.



Employment Type: Career Service, Full Time, 40 hrs/week