Lead Employee Relations Partner

Job Description Why UKG At UKG, the work you do matters. The code you ship, the decisions you make, and the care you show a customer all add up to real impact. Today, tens of millions of workers start and end their days with our workforce operating platform. Helping people get paid, grow in their careers, and shape the future of their industries. That's what we do. We never stop learning. We never stop challenging the norm. We push for better, and we celebrate the wins along the way. Here, you'll get flexibility that's real, benefits you can count on, and a team that succeeds together. Because at UKG, your work mattersand so do you. As a Lead Employee Relations (ER) professional within the People & Employment Practices (PEP) team, you will play a critical role in fostering a respectful, fair, and legally compliant workplace culture. You will serve as a trusted advisor and subject matter expert, partnering closely with HR Business Partners, Legal, and People Operations to ensure that employee relations strategies and practices align with organizational values and legal standards. This role requires a strategic and analytical thinker with deep expertise in employment law, conflict resolution, and organizational change management. You will influence policy development, lead complex investigations, and drive continuous improvement in ER practices across the organization. Key Responsibilities - Collaborate with Legal and People Operations to develop, implement, and maintain ER policies that align with labor laws and organizational values. - Serve as the regional ER expert for your assigned geography, applying local employment law knowledge and cultural awareness to ensure tailored, compliant, and effective support. - Educate employees and managers on policies, legal obligations, and best practices. - Serve as a trusted advisor to managers and HRBPs on complex employee matters, including performance management, disciplinary actions, and terminations. - Provide guidance on sensitive issues such as harassment, discrimination, and workplace disputes. - Mediate interpersonal and team conflicts to foster a collaborative work environment. - Lead or oversee impartial investigations into employee complaints, misconduct, or policy violations, ensuring fairness, confidentiality, and consistency. - Support managers in addressing performance issues, implementing performance improvement plans, and ensuring disciplinary actions are fair and well-documented. - Develop and deliver training programs to enhance ER knowledge and promote awareness of policies and legal standards. - Analyze ER-related data to identify trends, root causes, and opportunities for proactive strategies that improve the employee experience and mitigate risk. - Provide ER expertise during mergers, acquisitions, restructures, and offboarding processes to ensure smooth transitions. - Recommend and help implement HR technologies that support ER functions, and leverage workforce analytics to drive continuous improvement. - Serve as the lead for assigned verticals and/or cross-functional projects, ensuring alignment with broader Employee Relations and organizational objectives. ________________________________________ Qualifications - Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field (Master's preferred) or an equivalent combination of education and experience will be considered in lieu of a degree - 8+ years of progressive experience in employee relations, HR, or employment law, with a strong track record of handling complex workplace issues - Deep knowledge of federal, state, and local employment laws and regulations - Demonstrated experience conducting workplace investigations, resolving conflicts, and managing sensitive employee matters with discretion and integrity - Strong analytical and critical thinking skills with the ability to assess risk and make sound, data-informed decisions - Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence and build trust across all levels of the organization - Experience working in a matrixed or global organization is a plus - Experience with HRIS and case management systems is a plus. Company Overview UKG is the Workforce Operating Platform that puts workforce understanding to work. With the world's largest collection of workforce insights, and people-first AI, our ability to reveal unseen ways to build trust, amplify productivity, and empower talent, is unmatched. It's this expertise that equips our customers with the intelligence to solve any challenge in any industry because great organizations know their workforce is their competitive edge. Learn more at ukg.com. UKG is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and is committed to promoting diversity and inclusion in the workplace, including the recruitment process. Disability Accommodation in the Application and Interview Process For individuals with disabilities that need additional assistance at any point in the application and interview process, please email [Confidential Information]