Employee Relations & Policy Specialist (Legal)
Macmillan
OperationsFull Time$68k - $85k
- Location
- New York, NY (Remote)
- Posted
- October 13, 2026
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The Legal Department is seeking an experienced, detail-oriented Employee Relations & Policy Specialist 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 pre-litigation risk mitigation across a distributed workforce.
Responsibilities
- Policy Governance & Drafting: Maintain, update, and draft employee handbooks, multi-state employment policies, and standard operating procedures to ensure compliance with federal, state, and local labor laws.
- Internal Workplace Investigations: Conduct fair, objective internal investigations into policy violations and workplace concerns under the guidance of Employment Counsel. Draft comprehensive investigation summaries, findings, and remediation recommendations.
- Performance Management & Employee Guidance: Provide guidance on performance management, corrective action, coaching, performance improvement plans (PIPs), accommodations, and leave programs.
- Trend Analysis, Documentation & Leader Capability: Analyze employee relations trends, maintain compliant case documentation, and support leader capability through training, coaching, and mentoring on employee relations best practices.
- Separation and Employment Agreements: Draft, tailor, and track standardized and custom employment agreements and severance and release agreements in compliance with applicable law (e.g., OWBPA, state-specific rules).
- Legal Process & Dispute Support: Serve as the primary point of contact for agency inquiries, employment record requests, and subpoenas. Coordinate document collection, litigation holds, and evidence compilation for outside defense counsel.
- Independent Contractor Classification: Review engagements to assess proper worker classification (W-2 vs. 1099) under federal, state, and local legal tests; maintain classification documentation and records.
- Regulatory Research & Risk Mitigation: Monitor statutory changes, state/local leave laws, and workplace regulations to proactively identify required policy updates and support pre-litigation risk mitigation.
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.
Compensation and Benefits
- Salary range: $68,000 - $85,000
- Overtime eligible: Exempt
- This position is classified as remote but is tied to our New York, NY office located at 120 Broadway.
- Employment is subject to New York State tax withholding under applicable regulations.
