Strategic Employee Relations Partner

Gusto; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 88,000 - 118,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive base pay

Equity (RSUs)

Benefits

Job summary

Gusto seeks an experienced Employee Relations Partner to serve as a trusted advisor to frontline managers and leadership, handling sensitive ER matters with sound judgment and care. You will partner with Legal and People Partners to resolve cases, balance risk with employee experience, and support a culture of performance enablement and inclusivity.

Based in a hybrid setup across Denver, San Francisco, or New York, you’ll contribute to Gusto’s global People Platform and leverage AI to work

Qualifications

• Minimum 2–4 years in an Employee Relations or HR Business Partner role.
• Experience handling complex, sensitive ER matters with discretion, sound judgment, and composure under pressure.
• Ability to hold multiple stakeholder interests simultaneously while keeping fairness and equity at the center.
• Track record of cross-functional collaboration with Legal teams on escalated employee issues.
• Exceptional knowledge of HR best practices, employment laws, and industry trends.
• Strong coaching and mentoring skills with the ability to inspire and guide managers effectively.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal abilities, facilitating successful collaboration with diverse teams.
• Demonstrated analytical skills to interpret ER metrics and propose actionable insights.

Responsibilities

• Manage all aspects of addressing employee concerns, workplace conflict resolution, and promoting a harmonious and inclusive work environment through investigations, developing disciplinary action plans, and mediating conversations.
• Coach and support managers in setting clear performance expectations, providing regular feedback, and addressing development needs to foster an environment of continuous improvement. Facilitate implementation of performance management plans and offboarding.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of HR regulations and ensure managers' adherence to Gusto policies and legal requirements.
• Partner closely with Legal and People Partners to assess organizational risk and determine appropriate courses of action on escalated cases.
• Navigate ambiguous, high-stakes employee situations with sound judgment, balancing employee experience with business and legal risk.
• Maintain thorough and legally defensible documentation across all ER cases, ensuring consistency and protecting the organization.
• Identify patterns across cases and surface systemic risks to People leadership before they escalate.

Skills

Employee relations

HR business partner

Discretion under pressure

Cross-functional collaboration

HR policies knowledge

Coaching & mentoring

Communication skills

Analytical skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR or related field

Job description

Gusto seeks an experienced Employee Relations Partner to serve as a trusted advisor to frontline managers and leadership, handling sensitive ER matters with sound judgment and care. You will partner with Legal and People Partners to resolve cases, balance risk with employee experience, and support a culture of performance enablement and inclusivity.

Based in a hybrid setup across Denver, San Francisco, or New York, you’ll contribute to Gusto’s global People Platform and leverage AI to work