Senior Human Resources Generalist

Job Overview: The Senior Human Resources Generalist is an experienced HR professional responsible for independently administering and supporting a broad range of Human Resources functions throughout the employee lifecycle. This position provides hands-on support in employee relations, performance management, leave and accommodation administration, policy interpretation, compliance, onboarding and offboarding, employee changes, payroll coordination, benefits administration, recruiting, HR systems, and general HR operations.

The Senior HR Generalist serves as a primary resource for employees and managers, providing practical guidance on HR policies, employment practices, employee concerns, and workplace matters. The position independently handles moderately complex to complex HR issues, identifies when matters require escalation, and partners with HR leadership and other HR functions to ensure consistent and compliant HR practices.

The ideal candidate has broad HR experience, strong knowledge of employment practices, sound judgment, and the ability to balance employee support with company policies and business needs.

Job Details

Employee Relations

• Serve as a primary HR resource for employees and managers regarding workplace concerns, employee relations matters, policies, and employment practices.
• Independently manage employee relations matters involving attendance, conduct, workplace conflicts, policy violations, performance concerns, and other employee issues.
• Conduct workplace investigations, including gathering information, interviewing involved parties and witnesses, reviewing documentation, and preparing findings.
• Partner with HR leadership on complex, sensitive, or high-risk employee relations matters.
• Provide managers with guidance regarding appropriate employee relations actions and documentation.
• Review corrective action documentation for consistency, clarity, factual support, and alignment with company policy.
• Identify recurring employee relations concerns and recommend appropriate actions or process improvements.
• Maintain complete and confidential documentation of employee relations matters.
• Promote consistent application of company policies and employment practices across departments.

 

Performance Management and Corrective Action

• Provide managers with guidance regarding employee performance concerns and appropriate performance management practices.
• Assist managers in developing clear performance expectations and documentation.
• Support the preparation and administration of coaching documentation, written warnings, final warnings, performance improvement plans, and other corrective actions.
• Review corrective actions before delivery to ensure documentation appropriately addresses the performance or conduct concern.
• Participate in corrective action meetings when appropriate.
• Monitor active performance improvement plans and corrective actions for required follow-up.
• Advise managers on distinguishing between performance, attendance, conduct, policy, and other employee concerns.
• Maintain appropriate performance and corrective action documentation.

 

Leave of Absence and Accommodation Administration

• Administer employee leave programs in accordance with applicable company policies and federal, state, and local requirements.
• Serve as a resource for employees and managers regarding FMLA, company leaves, parental leave, military leave, state-specific leave programs, and other applicable leave programs.
• Determine or coordinate employee eligibility for applicable leave programs.
• Provide required notices, forms, and communications and monitor documentation deadlines.
• Track leave usage, certifications, recertifications, return-to-work requirements, and exhaustion of available leave.
• Coordinate leave administration with payroll, benefits, disability carriers, state programs, and third-party administrators as applicable.
• Administer the interactive process for employee accommodation requests under the ADA and applicable state requirements.
• Coordinate appropriate documentation and communication regarding accommodation requests.
• Partner with HR leadership or Legal on complex accommodation and leave matters.
• Maintain confidential leave and accommodation records.
• Support employees and managers through return-to-work and transitional processes.

 

HR Compliance

• Interpret and administer company policies and procedures.
• Provide employees and managers with guidance regarding policy requirements and established HR practices.
• Support development, review, and revision of HR policies and procedures.
• Monitor changes to federal, state, and local employment requirements and assist with implementing necessary changes.
• Support compliance with applicable employment laws and regulations, including wage and hour, equal employment opportunity, leave, accommodation, and recordkeeping requirements.
• Assist with internal HR audits and compliance reviews.
• Identify potential compliance concerns and escalate matters when appropriate.
• Maintain HR records in accordance with applicable retention and confidentiality requirements.
• Assist with preparation of documentation associated with unemployment claims, agency inquiries, audits, and other employment matters.

 

Employee Lifecycle Administration

• Support employees and managers throughout the employee lifecycle, including hire, onboarding, job changes, transfers, promotions, leaves, and separation.
• Review employee changes for appropriate documentation, approvals, and effective dates.
• Coordinate employee changes with Payroll, Benefits, Talent Management, HRIS, and other HR functions as necessary.
• Support onboarding activities and ensure required employment documentation is completed.
• Assist managers with employee transition and organizational change processes.
• Conduct or coordinate exit interviews and analyze employee feedback for recurring themes.
• Support voluntary and involuntary separation processes.
• Prepare and review separation documentation and coordinate final HR-related activities.
• Ensure employee records and HR systems accurately reflect employment changes.
• Support the HR components of new employee onboarding.
• Ensure required employment documentation and HR processes are completed accurately and timely.

 

Recruiting and Talent Acquisition Support

• Partner with hiring managers to support recruiting efforts, including intake discussions, job requisition review, candidate screening, interview coordination, and hiring recommendations.
• Review job descriptions and recruiting requirements to ensure alignment with business needs, internal job structures, compensation expectations, and established approval processes.
• Source and screen candidates for assigned positions using Workday Recruiting, LinkedIn, job boards, referrals, staffing partners, and other recruiting channels.
• Support interview planning and selection processes by developing screening criteria, coordinating interviews, gathering feedback, and maintaining accurate candidate documentation.
• Manage candidate progression through Workday Recruiting, including requisition activity, interview status, dispositioning, offer-related steps, and required approvals.
• Partner with hiring managers and HR leadership to identify recruiting challenges, candidate market trends, and opportunities to improve time to fill and candidate quality.
• Support offer preparation, pre-employment activities, and transition of selected candidates into onboarding.
• Assist with recruiting metrics and reporting, including applicant activity, source effectiveness, time to fill, interview conversion, and offer acceptance.
• Support talent pipeline development for recurring, specialized, or difficult-to-fill positions.
• Ensure recruiting and selection practices are consistent, documented, and compliant with company policies and applicable employment requirements.

 

Benefits Administration

• Support the day-to-day administration of employee benefit programs, including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, short-term and long-term disability, retirement, and other company-sponsored benefits.
• Serve as a resource for employees regarding benefit eligibility, enrollment, coverage, deductions, qualifying life events, and general benefit questions.
• Process and review benefit enrollment events in Workday, including new hire enrollment, qualifying life events, employee changes, and benefit terminations.
• Coordinate with benefit carriers, brokers, third-party administrators, and internal partners to research and resolve employee enrollment, eligibility, coverage, and deduction issues.
• Support annual benefits open enrollment, including employee communications, Workday enrollment activities, benefit elections, employee questions, and post-enrollment review.
• Review benefit elections, eligibility, effective dates, and payroll deductions for accuracy and assist with reconciliation of discrepancies between Workday, payroll, and carrier records.
• Support administration of COBRA, disability benefits, life insurance, and other benefit continuation or claim-related processes as applicable.
• Assist with benefit invoice review and reconciliation to identify enrollment, billing, eligibility, or deduction discrepancies.
• Coordinate benefit changes associated with employee leaves of absence, status changes, and employment separations.
• Maintain accurate benefit records and documentation while ensuring employee benefit information is handled confidentially and in accordance with company policies and applicable requirements.

 

Payroll Administration

• Process accurate and timely payroll, including regular, off-cycle, and supplemental payrolls, ensuring employee earnings, deductions, taxes, and benefit deductions are properly calculated and recorded.
• Review and audit payroll data prior to processing, identify and resolve discrepancies, and coordinate necessary corrections to ensure compliance with company policies and applicable federal, state, and local regulations.
• Maintain payroll records and process employee payroll changes, including new hires, terminations, compensation changes, bonuses, deductions, garnishments, and other payroll-related adjustments.
• Support payroll processing by reviewing employee changes, compensation updates, timekeeping information, deductions, and other payroll-related transactions for accuracy and completeness.
• Review employee lifecycle transactions in Workday to ensure payroll-impacting changes are processed accurately and timely.
• Assist with payroll audits and reconciliations, including validation of employee data, compensation changes, benefit deductions, and other payroll inputs.
• Support quarter-end and year-end payroll activities as needed, including employee data validation, W-2 review, and coordination of payroll corrections.
• Serve as an employee and manager resource for routine payroll questions and escalate complex payroll or tax matters to the appropriate payroll or finance resource.
• Maintain confidentiality and accuracy when handling employee compensation, payroll, tax, and other sensitive information.

 

HCM and Workday Administration

• Use Workday to process and review employee lifecycle transactions.
• Maintain accurate employee and organizational information within Workday.
• Review transactions for completeness, accuracy, and required approvals.
• Monitor Workday inbox items and business processes requiring HR action.
• Research and resolve routine Workday transaction and employee data issues.
• Run standard Workday reports to support HR operations, compliance, employee relations, and workforce analysis.
• Perform routine employee data audits and identify discrepancies requiring correction.
• Support testing of Workday business process changes and system enhancements when needed.
• Partner with HRIS or Workday administrators on configuration, security, integration, or other technical system issues.
• Assist managers and employees with appropriate Workday processes and functionality.

 

Manager and Employee Support

• Serve as an accessible and knowledgeable HR resource for employees and managers.
• Provide managers with guidance regarding company policies, employee concerns, attendance, performance management, leave, accommodations, and general HR practices.
• Coach managers on appropriate documentation and communication of employee matters.
• Help managers navigate routine and complex employee situations while identifying matters requiring escalation.
• Respond to employee questions and concerns in a timely and professional manner.
• Facilitate communication between employees, managers, and other HR functions when appropriate.
• Build effective working relationships across departments while maintaining appropriate HR objectivity and confidentiality.

 

HR Reporting and Data Analysis

• Prepare and review recurring HR reports.
• Analyze employee data related to turnover, attendance, employee relations, headcount, leave, and other workforce trends.
• Conduct routine HR data audits and correct or coordinate resolution of discrepancies.
• Identify trends and communicate findings to HR leadership.
• Support HR metrics and reporting requirements.
• Provide data and documentation for audits, compliance activities, and leadership requests.
• Maintain accurate and complete HR records.

 

HR Programs and Projects

• Participate in HR initiatives and department projects.
• Assist with implementation of new or revised HR policies, procedures, systems, and programs.
• Identify opportunities to improve HR processes, documentation, and employee experience.
• Develop and maintain HR procedures, templates, forms, manager resources, and standard operating procedures.
• Assist with employee communications related to HR programs and policy changes.
• Support employee engagement and retention initiatives.
• Participate in cross-functional projects requiring HR representation.
• Provide guidance and support to less-experienced HR team members when appropriate.

 

Job Requirements

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
• 5+ years of progressive Human Resources experience in a generalist or comparable broad-based HR role.
• Demonstrated experience independently managing employee relations and performance management matters.
• Experience conducting workplace investigations.
• Hands-on experience administering employee leaves and supporting ADA accommodation processes.
• Strong working knowledge of federal and state employment laws and HR compliance requirements.
• Experience supporting corrective action and performance improvement processes.
• Experience interpreting and administering HR policies.
• Experience supporting employee onboarding, offboarding, and employee lifecycle changes.
• Experience using an HRIS, preferably Workday.
• Strong documentation, organizational, and recordkeeping skills.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to handle sensitive and confidential information appropriately.
• Strong judgment, problem-solving skills, and attention to detail.
• Ability to independently manage multiple priorities and deadlines.

Desired

• 7+ years of progressive Human Resources experience.
• Experience supporting employees and managers across multiple states.
• Proficiency with Workday HCM and employee lifecycle business processes.
• Experience with Workday reporting and data audits.
• Experience independently administering FMLA and ADA processes.
• Experience supporting state-specific paid leave and disability programs.
• Experience responding to unemployment claims or participating in unemployment hearings.
• Experience developing or revising HR policies and procedures.
• Experience supporting HR compliance audits.
• Experience working within a corporate HR environment.
• SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, or SPHR certification.

 

Work Arrangement

• This is a full-time position requiring regular business hours of 40 hours per week
• The role may operate in an on-site, hybrid environment based on organizational needs

FLSA Classification

• Exempt, full-time position under the Executive and Administrative exemptions of the Fair Labor Standards Act