Employment Attorney

📋 Description

• Serve as a trusted advisor to the Executive Leadership Team, HR/People Team, and business leaders throughout the organization on critical people-related decisions.

• Spearhead a contemporary approach to employment risk management, investigations, and governance.

• Assist in the design and scaling of policies, training, and tools that facilitate ethical practices executed correctly.

• Simplify intricate employment law concepts into clear, actionable guidance for HR/People leaders and managers concerning performance management, discipline, terminations, accommodations, leaves, wage and hour, remote work, and other employment matters.

• Collaborate as a thought partner on program and policy design (e.g., performance, hiring, RIFs/restructuring), ensuring decisions are compliant and aligned with business strategy and culture.

• Provide risk-calibrated options, framing legal risks, business impacts, and trade-offs rather than offering simple “yes/no” responses.

• Oversee or conduct internal workplace investigations (harassment, discrimination, retaliation, ethics, and other complex matters), ensuring thorough, timely, and balanced fact-finding with clear recommendations and documentation.

• Manage demand letters and pre-litigation matters in collaboration with external counsel, balancing legal strategy, business goals, and employee experience.

• Develop and maintain frameworks, playbooks, and escalation paths to help HR/People and leaders proactively identify, assess, and manage employment risks.

• Draft, review, and update employee handbooks, policies, and agreements (e.g., arbitration, severance, restrictive covenants) to comply with evolving federal, state, and local regulations.

• Monitor legal and regulatory developments (e.g., pay transparency, leaves, wage and hour, AI in employment decisions, privacy) and translate them into practical updates for policies, processes, and tools.

• Assist in defining a scalable, modern governance model that aligns business needs, employee experience, and legal compliance with appropriate rigor, consistency, and documentation.

• Design and deliver training for HR/People, managers, and leaders on investigations, documentation, performance management, accommodations/leave, anti-harassment, and various employment topics.

• Create self-service tools and guidance (FAQs, playbooks, templates) so HR/People and business partners can confidently resolve routine issues and escalate the appropriate concerns at the right time.

• Utilize case trends and insights from HRIS and case management systems to inform training, policy revisions, and leadership behavior.

• Collaborate closely with HR/People, Legal, Compliance, Internal Audit, IT, Security, and external counsel to ensure decisions are coordinated, informed, efficient, and aligned with business objectives.

• Contribute to People and enterprise initiatives (e.g., AI in HR, modern work practices, remote/hybrid strategies) by providing insights on employment law, privacy, and ethical considerations.

• Exemplify a team-first, low-ego, high-judgment approach to work that fosters trust across functions.

⛳️ Requirements

• Juris Doctor (JD) from a recognized law school.

• Active license in good standing with at least one U.S. state bar (California preferred or the ability to register as in-house counsel, depending on jurisdiction).

• Over 10 years of experience in employment law.

• Proven experience advising HR/People teams and business leaders in a corporate setting; experience in insurance, financial services, or other highly regulated, multi-state environments is advantageous.

• Strong business acumen, with the ability to connect legal advice to company performance, culture, and operational realities.

• Experience guiding leaders on performance management, organizational changes, RIFs/restructuring, compensation processes, and other personnel decisions.

• Extensive experience with workplace investigations, including planning, interviewing, credibility assessments, findings, and remediation.

• Demonstrated ability to handle demand letters and pre-litigation matters as part of a comprehensive business and people strategy.

• Solid understanding of federal and state employment laws, including Title VII, ADA, ADEA, FMLA, FLSA, NLRA, EEOC guidance, and key state laws (particularly California wage and hour, Unruh Act, leaves, pay transparency, and PAGA where applicable).

• Proficient in utilizing HRIS, case data, and external benchmarks to identify trends, inform recommendations, and measure impact.

• High integrity, with a strong sense of confidentiality and professional responsibility, particularly concerning privileged communications and sensitive investigations.

• A collaborative, low-ego partner capable of coaching, challenging, and supporting leaders and HR/People colleagues equally.

🏝️ Benefits

• Competitive compensation.

• Flexibility to work from anywhere in the United States for most positions.

• Paid time off (vacation time, sick time, 9 paid Company holidays, volunteer hours).

• Incentive bonus programs (potential for holiday bonus, referral bonus, and performance-based bonus).

• Medical, dental, vision, life, and pet insurance.

• 401 (k) retirement savings plan with company match.

• Engaging work environment.

• Opportunities for promotion.

• Education assistance.

• Professional and personal development opportunities.

• Company recognition program.

• Health and wellbeing resources, including free mental wellbeing therapy/coaching sessions, child and eldercare resources, and more.