HR Generalist: Payroll, Benefits & People Ops

PetVet Care Centers; Lexington (KY); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Paid parental leave

401(k)

Pet discounts

Wellbeing support

Career development

Relief fund

Local hospital culture

Job summary

PetVet Care Centers' Hagyard Equine Medical Institute in Lexington, Kentucky, is seeking a Human Resources Generalist to join our team. This role serves as a trusted HR partner to leaders and team members, guiding across employee relations, performance management, payroll, benefits, compliance, and talent initiatives.

The position balances daily HR operations with proactive partnership to support organizational goals, strengthen engagement, and foster a positive workplace culture.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Admin, or related field; equivalent combination may be considered.
• 2–4 years progressive HR experience, generalist preferred.
• Knowledge of federal, state, and local employment laws and HR best practices.
• Experience administering payroll, benefits, leave, and workers' compensation.
• Ability to handle employee relations matters with discretion and professionalism.
• Ability to coach leaders and influence change.
• Ability to analyze HR data and provide recommendations.
• Strong problem-solving and communication skills.
• Experience supporting organizational change initiatives.
• Proficiency with HRIS and MS Office; Dayforce or similar systems preferred.

Responsibilities

• Serve as HR partner to leaders and team members across relations, performance, payroll, benefits, compliance, and talent initiatives.
• Investigate employee concerns and document findings with recommendations.
• Coach managers on attendance, performance, conduct, and corrective action.
• Ensure consistent application of policies and employment laws across the org.
• Coordinate bi-weekly payroll, PTO, on-call pay, shift differentials, new hires, changes, and terminations.
• Review payroll reports for accuracy and identify discrepancies for process improvement.
• Coordinate onboarding and offboarding; conduct new hire orientation.

Skills

Employee relations

Payroll

Benefits administration

Policy compliance

Leadership coaching

HR data analysis

Recruiting

Problem solving

Communication

HRIS

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR or related field

Experience equivalent to degree

Tools

Dayforce

Job description

PetVet Care Centers' Hagyard Equine Medical Institute is currently seeking a Human Resources Generalist to join their team!

At PetVet Care Centers, our mission is to improve the lives of animals and people — providing exceptional and compassionate care at every stage — for all the moments that matter.

Because life is better with pets.

We deliver the Ultimate Care Experience — every pet, every client, every time. That starts with a Culture of Care that supports our team members as much as the pets and clients we serve.

With more than 420 locally led hospitals and over 11,000 team members nationwide, we offer:

• Local autonomy with national support
• Career mobility and development opportunities
• A collaborative, inclusive environment where your wellbeing comes first
  
  

You care for pets. We care for you.

Position Overview

Join our team as a Human Resources Generalist who serves as a trusted HR partner to leaders and team members by providing guidance across team member relations, performance management, payroll, benefits, compliance, and talent initiatives. This role balances day-to-day HR operations with proactive partnership to support organizational goals, strengthen team member engagement, and foster a positive workplace culture.

Hagyard Equine Medical Institute in Lexington, Kentucky, is an internationally recognized leader in equine medicine, combining cutting-edge technology with a collaborative team dedicated to advancing equine health and performance.

Essential Functions:

• Team Member Relations:
• Serve as a trusted resource for team members by responding to questions, addressing concerns, and resolving workplace issues, or directing team members to the appropriate resource when necessary.
• Conduct prompt, thorough, and impartial investigations into team member complaints, policy violations, and workplace concerns; document findings and provide recommendations for appropriate resolution.
• Coach and support supervisors and managers in effectively addressing team member attendance, performance, behavioral, and conduct issues, ensuring timely and consistent corrective action.
• Promote consistent application of the Team Member Handbook, company policies, disciplinary procedures, and applicable federal, state, and local employment laws across all team member relations matters.
• Payroll:
• Coordinate the bi-weekly payroll process to ensure accurate and timely payroll processing, including entering PTO, on-call pay, shift differentials, and other special payments, as well as processing new hires, compensation changes, and terminations.
• Review payroll reports for accuracy, including shift assignments, PTO balances, overtime, and minimum hour requirements; identify discrepancies and recommend process improvements to ensure compliance and payroll accuracy.
• Onboarding and Offboarding:
• Coordinate the onboarding process to ensure new team members are prepared for their first day and have the necessary resources for a successful start.
• Conduct new hire orientation, providing an overview of company policies, benefits, expectations, and organizational resources.
• Partner with the IT department to coordinate onboarding and offboarding activities, including system access, equipment assignments, and account deactivation.
• Conduct exit interviews with departing team members to gather feedback, identify trends, and support employee retention initiatives.
• Workers' Compensation:
• Coordinate the reporting and filing of work-related injuries with the organization's workers' compensation insurance carrier in a timely and accurate manner.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for employees, managers, and insurance representatives throughout the workers' compensation process.
• Monitor workers' compensation cases by maintaining regular communication with injured employees, tracking recovery progress, and coordinating return-to-work efforts as appropriate.
• Team Member Benefits:
• Respond to team member inquiries regarding PTO, employee benefits, and leave programs, providing timely guidance and support.
• Partner with team members and benefit vendors to resolve benefit-related questions while supporting annual open enrollment and qualifying life events.
• Communicate enrollment deadlines and send reminders to new team members to ensure timely completion of benefit elections.
• Serve as the primary HR contact for leaves of absence by coordinating with team members, managers, and the leave administration team to facilitate a smooth leave process.
• HR Communication:
• Partner with leaders to address organizational and team effectiveness challenges by providing coaching on performance management, team member engagement, conflict resolution, and talent development.
• Support performance management processes by coaching managers on goal setting, performance evaluations, development planning, and corrective action.
• Partner with leaders to develop and implement team member engagement and retention initiatives based on survey feedback, exit interviews, and organizational needs.
• Monitor employment law developments and partner with leadership to ensure organizational policies and practices remain compliant.
• Assist with recruiting initiatives, team member engagement activities, recognition programs, and company events as needed.
• Process employment verification requests while ensuring confidentiality and compliance with company policies.
• Support departmental goals by participating in HR projects, process improvements, and other initiatives as assigned.
  
  

Qualifications:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field preferred; equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered.
• Minimum of 2–4 years of progressive human resources experience, preferably in a generalist role.
• Working knowledge of federal, state, and local employment laws and HR best practices.
• Experience administering payroll, employee benefits, leave administration, and workers' compensation.
• Demonstrated ability to handle employee relations matters with professionalism, discretion, and sound judgment.
• Demonstrated ability to influence and coach leaders.
• Ability to analyze HR data and provide recommendations.
• Strong problem-solving and critical thinking skills.
• Experience supporting organizational change initiatives preferred.
• Strong interpersonal, communication, and conflict resolution skills with the ability to build effective working relationships at all levels of the organization.
• Proficiency with HRIS, payroll, and Microsoft Office applications; experience with Dayforce or similar HR/payroll systems preferred.
  
  

The list of essential functions, as outlined in this job description, is intended to be representative of the tasks performed within this classification. The omission of any job function does not preclude management from assigning duties not listed herein if such functions are a logical assignment to the position.

Schedule: Primarily Monday through Friday, 8AM to 5PM

What We Offer

We care deeply about supporting our team members — professionally and personally. Benefits include:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Paid Parental Leave (birth, adoption, foster)
• 401(k) with discretionary contribution
• Team Member Pet Discounts
• Emotional wellbeing support — including Calm app access and 24/7 EAP
• CE stipends and career development resources
• Grant Circle — a relief fund for team members facing personal hardship
• Local hospital culture backed by national resources
  
  

At PetVet Care Centers, we’re committed to a Culture of Care — for pets, for the people who love them, and for the team members who make it all possible. With more than 420 hospitals across the U.S. and a team of over 11,000 dedicated professionals, including 1700+ veterinarians, we offer a unique blend of local leadership and national support that helps our hospitals thrive.

Our model is built on partnership, collaboration, and local medical autonomy, empowering each hospital to deliver high-quality care while benefiting from shared resources and a strong professional community. Whether you’re providing care in a hospital or supporting operations behind the scenes, PetVet is a place where you can grow your career, stay connected to your purpose, and make a meaningful impact.

You care for pets. We care for you.

PetVet is an equal opportunity employer. All employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, age, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, religion, citizenship, national origin/ancestry, physical/mental disabilities, military status or any other basis prohibited by law. EOE, M/F/D/V

PetVet respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information. Please see ourprivacy noticefor additional information about our data practices.