Employee Relations & HR Compliance Manager

Crawford Thomas Recruiting; Orlando (FL); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Crawford Thomas Recruiting in Maitland, FL, is seeking an experienced Employee Relations & HR Compliance Manager to guide complex employee relations matters, strengthen HR compliance, and minimize employment-related risk in an in-office, fast-paced environment.

The role requires advising managers and senior leadership on sensitive situations, conducting workplace investigations, documenting findings, and ensuring consistent, legally compliant employment decisions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Legal Studies, Employment/Labor Relations, or related field.
• 5+ years of progressive HR, Employee Relations, HR Compliance, or employment-related legal experience.
• 3+ years of direct experience handling complex employee relations matters, workplace investigations, disciplinary actions, and involuntary terminations.
• Strong working knowledge of federal and state employment laws.
• Experience advising managers and senior leadership on sensitive and high-risk employee situations.
• Experience independently conducting workplace investigations and preparing clear, defensible documentation.
• Strong understanding of documentation practices related to performance management, discipline, investigations, and terminations.
• Ability to recognize employment-law risk and determine when matters should be escalated.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple investigations and employee relations matters simultaneously.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a trusted advisor to HR leadership and managers on employee relations, performance management, disciplinary actions, and terminations.
• Review proposed terminations and other high-risk employment decisions to ensure proper documentation, consistency, policy compliance, and risk mitigation.
• Manage and support employee offboarding, including involuntary terminations, resignations, severance matters, reductions in force, and related documentation.
• Conduct objective and thorough workplace investigations involving employee complaints, misconduct, harassment, discrimination, retaliation, policy violations, and other sensitive matters.
• Prepare investigation summaries, findings, recommendations, corrective-action documentation, and other confidential employee relations records.
• Partner with managers on Performance Improvement Plans, written warnings, final warnings, and other corrective actions.
• Identify potential legal, regulatory, reputational, and operational risks and determine when issues should be escalated to leadership or employment counsel.
• Partner with internal and external legal counsel on employment claims, investigations, demand letters, agency complaints, litigation, and other sensitive matters.
• Assist with responses to EEOC, state agency, unemployment, and other employment-related claims or inquiries.
• Review and recommend updates to employee policies, procedures, handbook provisions, and HR practices.
• Develop standardized investigation protocols, termination checklists, documentation standards, templates, and employee relations procedures.
• Coach managers through difficult employee conversations, documentation, performance management, and disciplinary situations.

Skills

Employee relations

HR compliance

Workplace investigations

Employment law knowledge

Advising managers

Documentation & records

Risk mitigation

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR or related field

SHRM-CP / SHRM-SCP / PHR / SPHR or similar certification

JD or employment-law experience

Job description

EMPLOYEE RELATIONS & HR COMPLIANCE MANAGER

Maitland, FL | IN-OFFICE

Competitive Salary Based on Experience

About The Opportunity

A growing organization is looking for an experienced Employee Relations & HR Compliance Manager to help guide complex employee relations matters, strengthen HR compliance, and minimize employment-related risk. This is a high-impact role for an HR professional who enjoys being a trusted advisor to leadership, handling sensitive employee situations, conducting workplace investigations, and ensuring employment decisions are consistent, well-documented, and legally compliant. The ideal candidate combines strong Employee Relations experience with a practical understanding of employment law and is comfortable advising managers and senior leaders through difficult situations.

What You'll Do

• Serve as a trusted advisor to HR leadership and managers on employee relations, performance management, disciplinary actions, and terminations.
• Review proposed terminations and other high-risk employment decisions to ensure proper documentation, consistency, policy compliance, and risk mitigation.
• Manage and support employee offboarding, including involuntary terminations, resignations, severance matters, reductions in force, and related documentation.
• Conduct objective and thorough workplace investigations involving employee complaints, misconduct, harassment, discrimination, retaliation, policy violations, and other sensitive matters.
• Prepare investigation summaries, findings, recommendations, corrective-action documentation, and other confidential employee relations records.
• Partner with managers on Performance Improvement Plans, written warnings, final warnings, and other corrective actions.
• Identify potential legal, regulatory, reputational, and operational risks and determine when issues should be escalated to leadership or employment counsel.
• Partner with internal and external legal counsel on employment claims, investigations, demand letters, agency complaints, litigation, and other sensitive matters.
• Assist with responses to EEOC, state agency, unemployment, and other employment-related claims or inquiries.
• Review and recommend updates to employee policies, procedures, handbook provisions, and HR practices.
• Develop standardized investigation protocols, termination checklists, documentation standards, templates, and employee relations procedures.
• Coach managers through difficult employee conversations, documentation, performance management, and disciplinary situations.

What We're Looking For

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Legal Studies, Employment/Labor Relations, or a related field.
• 5+ years of progressive HR, Employee Relations, HR Compliance, or employment-related legal experience.
• 3+ years of direct experience handling complex employee relations matters, workplace investigations, disciplinary actions, and involuntary terminations.
• Strong working knowledge of federal and state employment laws.
• Experience advising managers and senior leadership on sensitive and high-risk employee situations.
• Experience independently conducting workplace investigations and preparing clear, defensible documentation.
• Strong understanding of documentation practices related to performance management, discipline, investigations, and terminations.
• Ability to recognize employment-law risk and determine when matters should be escalated.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple investigations and employee relations matters simultaneously.

Preferred Qualifications

• SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, SPHR, or similar HR certification.
• Juris Doctor (JD), employment law coursework, paralegal experience, or significant experience working directly with employment counsel.
• Experience supporting a rapidly growing, multi-state organization.
• Experience developing employee relations policies, investigation procedures, termination protocols, or HR compliance programs.
• Experience responding to EEOC, state agency, unemployment, or other employment-related claims.
• Experience supporting reductions in force, severance agreements, restructuring, or other complex employment actions.
• Experience within technology, SaaS, cybersecurity, or another fast-paced growth environment.