Employee Relations Partner

Medica is a nonprofit health plan with more than a million members that serves communities in Minnesota, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Missouri, and beyond. We deliver personalized health care experiences and partner closely with providers to ensure members are genuinely cared for.

We're a team that owns our work with accountability, makes data-driven decisions, embraces continuous learning, and celebrates collaboration — because success is a team sport. It's our mission to be there in the moments that matter most for our members and employees. Join us in creating a community of connected care, where coordinated, quality service is the norm and every member feels valued.

The Employee Relations (ER) Partner I is the entry point into the Employee Relations job family. This role provides foundational support to the ER team by handling administrative tasks, intake and triage responsibilities, and assisting with lower‑complexity employee relations matters. The ER Partner I collaborates with other members of the ER Team, HR Business Partners (HRBPs), members from other HR Centers of Excellence (COEs), Legal, Compliance, and other internal stakeholders to ensure compliance with employment laws, consistent processes and positive employee experiences. Work is completed with close guidance, oversight, and direction from more senior ER team members. Performs other duties as assigned.

This role is ideal for early‑career professionals with 1–2 years of experience, preferably in Human Resources, Employee Relations, or a related field, who are interested in building their ER knowledge and capabilities.

Key Accountabilities

• ER Intake, Triage & Administrative Support
  • Manage administrative, intake and follow up communication responsibilities for ER cases coming in from a variety of channels, including but not limited to our ServiceNow and EthicsPoint systems
  • Conduct initial triage for accommodation and hybrid-model exception request cases, including:
    • Sending case acknowledgments
    • Distributing required forms
    • Reviewing submissions for completeness
    • Scheduling interactive process and/or intake meetings with managers
    • Sending case response communications after coordinating with managers, as appropriate
  • Manage the ServiceNow ER case intake queue, ensuring cases are accurately logged, prioritized, and assigned
  • Review termination submissions from leaders for completeness, accuracy, and correct application of PTO payout eligibility
  • Respond to personnel file requests in compliance with state and federal timelines
  • Manage other compliance related activities including:
    • Employment notice and poster compliance across Medica (including audits, updates, and distribution)
    • Affirmative-action and EEO1 reporting
    • Continuous monitoring for sanctions and exclusions

• Employee Relations Support
  • Develop foundational understanding of the various employment laws that come in to play in the workplace (e.g. Title VII, Americans with Disabilities Act, Family Medical Leave Act, Fair Labor Standards Act, Age Discrimination in Employment Act, etc.) as well as Medica’s policies, practices, and organizational structure to effectively support ER work. Begin to develop analytical skills needed to thoughtfully use this knowledge to identify and evaluate relevant facts and potential risk factors unique to each ER case
  • Support other ER Team members and HRBPs by gathering information, preparing documents, conducting policy reviews, and assisting with case file management
  • Under guidance from more senior ER Team members, handle lower‑complexity ER inquiries
  • Shadow and support more senior ER Team members on investigations through coordinating meetings, creating investigation preparation documents (e.g. timeline, witness lists, initial list of witness questions), observing and note-taking during investigation meetings and other documentation collection as directed by other ER Partners or the ER Director
  • Assist with various ER process improvement and project work
  • Enter, track, and maintain ER case data to support trend analysis and reporting activities
  • Maintain confidentiality and professionalism in all aspects of ER work

• Cross‑Functional Partnership
  • Build strong working relationships with other ER team members, members of other HR COEs, HRBPs, Legal, Compliance, and other partners to ensure seamless case coordination
  • Provide clear and timely communication with stakeholders, including leaders and employees, regarding ER processes and required next steps

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in related field

Skills and Abilities

• Strong administrative, organizational, and time management skills
• Ability to maintain confidentiality, handle sensitive information, and follow established processes
• Effective written and verbal communication skills; able to work with stakeholders, leaders and employees at all levels
• Willingness and ability to learn ER practices, employment laws, and Medica policies
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast paced environment with close guidance from senior ER Team members

This position is an Office role, which requires an employee to work onsite, on average, 3 days per week. We are open to candidates located near one of the following office locations: Minnetonka, MN, or Madison, WI.

The full salary grade for this position is $50,800 - $87,000. While the full salary grade is provided, the typical hiring salary range for this role is expected to be between $50,800 - $76,125. Annual salary range placement will depend on a variety of factors including, but not limited to, education, work experience, applicable certifications and/or licensure, the position's scope and responsibility, internal pay equity and external market salary data.  In addition to compensation, Medica offers a generous total rewards package that includes competitive medical, dental, vision, PTO, Holidays, paid volunteer time off, 401K contributions, caregiver services and many other benefits to support our employees.

The compensation and benefits information is provided as of the date of this posting. Medica’s compensation and benefits are subject to change at any time, with or without notice, subject to applicable law.

Eligibility to work in the US: Medica does not offer work visa sponsorship for this role. All candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of application. Employment is contingent on verification of identity and eligibility to work in the United States.

We are an Equal Opportunity employer, where all qualified candidates receive consideration for employment indiscriminate of race, religion, ethnicity, national origin, citizenship, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, disability, genetic information, or any other protected characteristic.