Remote Employee Relations & Policy Specialist

Macmillan; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 68,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

Macmillan Publishers is seeking an experienced Employee Relations & Policy Specialist (Legal) to manage workplace investigations, oversee employment policy compliance, and support internal employment legal matters. Sitting directly within the Legal team and reporting to the Employment Counsel, this role acts as a critical bridge between Legal and Human Resources.

The Specialist will lead objective workplace investigations, maintain multi-jurisdictional employment policies, and support

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business, or related field; or a Paralegal Certificate from an ABA-approved program.
• 2-3 years of progressive experience in Employee Relations, Workplace Investigations, or Employment Law (in-house legal/HR environment or employer-side law firm preferred).
• Strong working knowledge of federal, state, and local employment laws (FLSA, FMLA, Title VII, ADA, ADEA, state wage-and-hour laws).
• Proven ability to conduct neutral, sensitive workplace interviews and synthesize complex facts into concise written reports.
• Exceptional strategic judgment, emotional intelligence, discretion, and the ability to influence outcomes across all levels of the organization.
• Demonstrated capability in advising on complex performance management, leaves, accommodations, and employee relations issues.
• Exceptional legal/policy writing, editing, and organizational skills.
• Proficiency with legal research databases (Westlaw/LexisNexis) and document management systems.

Responsibilities

• Lead objective workplace investigations.
• Maintain multi-state employment policies.
• Support pre-litigation risk mitigation.
• Draft, tailor, and track standardized and custom employment agreements and severance/release agreements.
• Coordinate document collection, litigation holds, and evidence compilation for outside defense counsel.
• Review engagements to assess proper worker classification (W-2 vs. 1099).
• Monitor regulatory changes and suggest policy updates.

Skills

Employment law knowledge

Interviewing skills

Policy writing

Advisory skills

Document management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in HR or related field

Paralegal Certificate

Tools

Westlaw

LexisNexis

Job description

Macmillan Publishers is seeking an experienced Employee Relations & Policy Specialist (Legal) to manage workplace investigations, oversee employment policy compliance, and support internal employment legal matters. Sitting directly within the Legal team and reporting to the Employment Counsel, this role acts as a critical bridge between Legal and Human Resources.

The Specialist will lead objective workplace investigations, maintain multi-jurisdictional employment policies, and support