L&I Industrial Relations Agent

Industrial Relations Agent 2

Join the Employment Standards team as an Industrial Relations Agent 2! In this role, you'll have a direct impact in fulfilling the "Working" component of L&I's mission by elevating awareness and understanding of Washington's fair labor requirements, processes, and obligations for both employers and employees. You will also provide education, outreach, consultation and enforce compliance related to Washington state child labor rules including the Industrial Welfare Act, Minimum Wage Act, Wage Payment Act, and other related statutes.

Some of what you'll do:

• Investigate existing and emerging child labor requirements and work processes related to the child labor rules of the Industrial Welfare Act and related enforcement.
• Work independently to resolve both standard and complex child labor violations.
• Investigate child labor violations that are legally or politically sensitive, or that include multiple act violations, or multiple issues legally requiring coordination with other central office staff and/or other agencies.
• Identify and analyze issues in dispute, recommend solutions, negotiate settlement or otherwise mediate and resolve disputes between employers and employees resulting from child labor violations.
• Collect documentary information and other substantiating evidence through interviews, observations, and examination of records. Obtain witness statements through telephone and in-person interviews.
• Communicate with employers, employer representatives and employees via phone, email, in person, and letters to gain information for both complex and standard child labor investigations. Determine validity of complaints by applying rules and regulations promulgated under the appropriate statutes.
• If child labor violations are found during an investigation, prepare a written recommendation to the child labor specialist for a citation and file the complete case for review.
• Issue subpoenas when necessary.
• Review and approve minor work permits through the Department of Revenue Business License Service Portal. Prepare case files for litigation, participate in the appeals process and testify in judicial proceedings such as hearings, pre-trial conferences and interviews.
• Upon request or assignment, speak before any group of interested people concerning child labor requirements and other Employment Standards topics.

Required:

• A bachelor's degree

AND

• Two years of experience in any of the following:
• labor/employment relations and regulations
• collection of revenue/taxes from employers/businesses
• investigation of complaints of misconduct
• audit of employer financial records
• the interpretation and explanation of Labor and Industries rules and regulations regarding employment standards, prevailing wages, wage and hour, and child labor laws
• related experience

Note:

Additional qualifying experience will substitute for education at the rate of one year of experience for one year of education.

AND

• The ability to take action to learn and grow.
• The ability to take action to meet the needs of others.

Desired:

• Experience conducting investigations of complaints of misconduct (administrative, civil or criminal)
• Working with applications or systems such as Outlook, Excel, Word, CATS, LINIIS, and BEAR
• Applying knowledge of testifying processes, mediation, arbitration, and resolution
• Understanding the principles, standards and techniques of investigations, rules of evidence, interviewing techniques, auditing, and bookkeeping procedures
• Interpreting and applying complex laws, rules and regulations
• Experience managing heavy caseloads
• Analyzing issues involving employee/employer disputes and formulating suggestions to compromise and settle disputes
• Communicating and presenting complex information in clear, concise, and logical sequence; gather, preserve, and present material; exercise mature judgment in a wide variety of public rules
• Interpretation and explanation of Labor and Industries rules, regulations, policies, and practices regarding employment standards and child labor rules.

Things You Need To Know

To help you maintain a proper work-life balance, teleworking is one of the work schedule options for this position. L&I also offers flexible custom work schedules.

State employees who meet the qualifications will become eligible for a generous retirement package at the end of the employee's career. Click on the "Benefits" tab to learn more.

At L&I, your voice matters. In addition, L&I is a diverse state agency dedicated to the safety and health and security of Washington's 3.3 million workers. Take a look at this brief video and learn more about why L&I is an employer of choice.

For this position, telework is permitted full time. The assigned duty station for this position is in any of our L&I service locations statewide in Washington.

For positions where in-office work is necessary, the frequency of telework will be discussed with the supervisor of the position at the time of offer.

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