Employee Relations Manager- Chicago

Job Summary

The Employee Relations (ER) Manager is an individual contributor and subject matter expert responsible for independently managing the full spectrum of employee relations activity at Well Be Senior Medical. Reporting directly to the SVP of HR & Employment Law, this role serves as the primary ER resource and right‑hand partner to the SVP — absorbing complex investigations, ADA/leave administration, and compliance matters so the SVP can focus on enterprise priorities.

The ER Manager also functions as the first‑line escalation point and coach for three HR Business Partners, building ER capability across the team and ensuring that routine ER matters are resolved without SVP involvement. This role requires a practitioner with deep employment law fluency, disciplined process thinking, and the credibility to influence business leaders and HR peers alike.

• Employee Relations Investigations
  • Lead all ER investigations end-to-end, from intake through documented resolution, with minimal SVP involvement on routine matters.
  • Conduct structured investigative interviews; assess credibility, weigh conflicting accounts, and apply a consistent evidentiary standard.
  • Prepare concise, legally defensible investigation summaries with clear findings and recommended outcomes for SVP review.
  • Maintain a centralized investigation tracker to monitor open matters, enforce timeliness standards, and surface trends.
  • Serve as the organization’s point of contact for external regulatory inquiries (EEOC charges, state agency complaints) in partnership with legal counsel and the SVP.
• Accommodations – ADA / FMLA
  • Manage the full ADA interactive process from intake through final resolution, including accommodation assessment, undue hardship analysis, and written determination.
  • Maintain accommodation logs and ensure all decisions are consistently documented and legally defensible.
  • Advise HRBPs and managers on day‑to‑day leave and accommodation questions, escalating only matters that require SVP or legal input.
• Team Capability Building
  • Serve as the first‑line ER escalation resource for the three HR Business Partners, ensuring ER questions are resolved at this role and do not require SVP intervention.
  • Provide real‑time coaching to HRBPs on ER process, employment law application, documentation standards, and manager communication.
  • Build and maintain an ER toolkit: investigation templates, intake forms, accommodation workflows, decision trees, and manager guidance documents.
  • Deliver periodic ER training to HRBPs and people managers on topics including harassment prevention, documentation best practices, and performance management.
• Process & Compliance
  • Author, maintain, and operationalize ER‑related policies, standard operating procedures, and employee‑facing guidance documents.
  • Monitor ER trends and case data; prepare quarterly ER reporting for the SVP and CHRO.
  • Ensure ongoing compliance with applicable federal and state employment laws in a healthcare/medical services environment, including EEOC regulations and state‑specific accommodation and leave law.
  • Stay current on EEOC guidance, state employment law developments, and ER best practices; proactively brief the SVP on changes with legal or operational impact.
  • Draft EEOC Position Statements and Responses to federal and state authorities and agencies.
  • Partner with SVP Human Resources and Employment Law on matters involving litigation risk, settlement, or regulatory agency response.
• Vendor Management
  • Manage relationships with HR‑related third‑party vendors (e.g., ATS, HRISs) in coordination with the SVP and Talent Acquisition.
  • Establish and maintain regular communication cadences with vendors (weekly, bi‑weekly, or quarterly) to ensure service delivery and engagement standards are met.
  • Review and approve vendor invoices for accuracy and submit for timely payment via  in coordination with Accounts Payable.

Salary – $109,200-$147,700

• Education
  :
  Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Industrial/Labor Relations, or a related field required. Master’s degree or JD (PHR, SPHR, SHRM‑CP, or SHRM‑SCP) preferred.
• Experience
  : 5–10 years of progressive Human…