BRIAN JAY SKORNICK

Work in close partnership with 20 Vice Presidents and Program Directors to create positive change and proactively mitigate and resolve employment issues.

• Conducted and documented Investigations, employee disciplinary meetings, and terminations for over 100 cases. Wrote Corrective Action Notices and Performance Improvement Plans
• Provided advice and coaching to management on situations that involve employee relations to limit risk and legal liability to the organization. Educated managers on the proper handling of workplace conflict resolution
• Led recruitment and onboarding efforts for in-demand, specialized positions in social services and management. Reviewed and assessed vacancies in business areas, to develop strategies for efficient and effective workforce planning
• Trained new and existing managers on job requisition, recruiting, and interviewing standards and guidelines annually or as needed
• Collaborated with managers to develop high-quality job descriptions and recruitment strategies to accomplish the goal of filling all vacant positions within 30-60 days of posting
• Promptly posted vacant positions, ensuring that the posting remained visible and accessible on all appropriate job boards until the position was filled
• Screened and interviewed candidates as part of the selection process
• Ensuring that offer letters are sent to eligible candidates within one business day of the hiring manager confirming candidate selection
• Assisted and monitored candidates through the state-mandated screening process
• Organized and let new hire orientation twice monthly for all new employees within their first two weeks of employment
• Trained managers on internal HR policies and procedures, including but not limited to performance management, compliance, time & attendance, and other key aspects of staff management
• Processed over forty medical and family leave of absence, certifying complete documentation and ensuring employees received proper benefits.
• Coached managers on effective employee relations strategies to address workplace conflicts proactively. Managed complex employee relations issues to promote a healthy workplace culture.
• Ensured legal compliance in all HR practices, preventing potential lawsuits and fines.
• Maintained the confidential nature of employee and company proprietary and privileged information used or observed while performing job duties.
• Championed diversity and inclusion initiatives, cultivating a welcoming organizational culture for all employees.
• Investigated complaints of harassment, discrimination, employee grievances, and other sensitive issues and prepared position statements for EEOC.
• Fostered strong relationships with external partners such as universities and employment agencies for enhanced networking opportunities.

Directed the employee and labor relations programs for one of the largest private social service agencies in New York City.

• Primary contact in the organization for the three unions that represent 2/3 of JASA staff
• Point person for all employee relations and disciplinary actions within the organization. Provided labor and employment laws expertise to help employers make more effective decisions. Principal in all contract negotiations, employer representative in grievance and arbitration hearings
• Coached and mentored over 100 Directors, Managers, and Supervisors in progressive discipline process by providing outstanding communication and attention on an individual basis, resulting in over 400 employee discipline cases through the complete discipline process, including terminations
• Investigated employee misconduct and claims of discrimination and harassment through thoroughly interviewing witnesses, gathering evidence, and compiling reports based on complaints and claims of harassment
• Liaison for JASA to the three unions representing JASA employees: DC37, 1199, and UAW 2320; promptly provided requested employee information and statistics to the unions. Interacted with union representatives and strengthened labor-management relationships by effectively addressing grievances and resolving disputes.
• Responded to inquiries for detailed explanations and interpretations of contract language, company policy, and municipal, state, and federal labor regulations from employees, supervisors, and managers, providing clear and concise answers and avoiding possible grievances and legal claims
• Integral member of the 3-member management negotiating team in 4 contract negotiations with different unions, leading to mutually beneficial agreements between employers and union representatives. Providing background information and professional insights
• Successfully reached agreements with all unions, including the initial collective bargaining agreement with the JASA’s attorneys for elder justice
• Contact tracer for 250 reported cases of Coronavirus in the JASA staff
• Reached out and personally spoke with exposed employees and worked with those in close contact to ensure everyone was tested and safe
• Acting Director of Human Resources for six months during a placement search
• Intermediary and moderator for interpersonal employee conflicts when requested by department directors. Personally worked attentively with staff to find common ground and resort office amity.

Co-Managed Labor and Employee Relations for the fifth largest library system in the nation, with over 1300 employees in 60 locations throughout Brooklyn.

• Instituted an automated timekeeping system to replace antiquated, paper-based systems and trained all employees in under six months to ensure proper payroll and time records converted smoothly
• Investigated misconduct, harassment, discrimination, and insubordination cases
• Gathered evidence and witness statements that led to the statement of charges for violation of policy and procedures; advised supervisors on progressive discipline and performance management
• Accurately calculated and processed general wage increase for 1,000 unionized employees after negotiations of a new collective bargaining agreement retroactive for 3 years by carefully reviewing past pay history
• Ensured all increases and back pay was processed in a timely manner
• Solely developed, implemented, and carried out wage notification program, through use of the HRIS system, for 1300 employees to ensure compliance with state law
• Periodically reviewed HRIS data to identified staff members for salary increases based on years of service; calculated retroactive pay back to effective date of increase
• Analyze HRIS records to identify employee time & leave abuse in compliance with the union contract
• Completed surveys on staffing, compensation, and turnover through compiling and analyzing staff data for monthly and quarterly reports for the BLS
• Developed and presented training module to over 150 supervisors on the theory and practice of progressive discipline, corrective action, labor policies and performance management leading to more effective employee management.

Acting Director of Human Resources for a highly regarded social service agency with 14 locations in New York City.

• Processed monthly benefit bills, reviewed, reconciled, and submitted changes to insurance companies; managed benefit enrollments and changes to ensure all eligible employees received benefits staff requested and were entitled to
• Led team that implemented new HRIS system, through thorough data mapping, ensured proper migration of all data from old, outdated systems to new systems to manage better and report employee records
• Organized training for all key management staff to utilize the new hris system in an effective manner
• Conducted new employee orientation
• Reviewed completed hiring packets to ensure compliance with state and federal law
• Solely responsible for conversion of all employees into new insurance plans; conducted research and marketed benefits; updated ABRA and maintained Access database.