Gretchen Bohlke

Brought on to solve union payroll inefficiencies and was later promoted to Director of HR. Oversaw HR operations, payroll modernization, and environmental compliance for this $6.6B energy logistics firm.

• Developed and implemented HR, Payroll, and Benefits frameworks for union and non-union workforce, achieving enhanced compliance and quantifiable reduction in operating costs.
• Drove a 89% increase in payroll accuracy by deploying and integrating a Time & Attendance system that adhered to Collective Bargaining Agreements.
• Launched Environmental Management System, enhancing reporting accuracy by 32% and mitigating risk.
• Guided retirement strategy, protecting assets during volatile markets through fiduciary education and plan redesign.
• Directed each phase of the hiring process, encompassing employment verification, employee relations investigations, criminal background checks, and onboarding.

Partnered with clients in construction, manufacturing, DOT-heavy hauling, non-profits, and nursing colleges to rebuild and streamline HR functions. Delivered high-impact consulting in compliance-heavy environments.

• Directed teams of 2–8 to deliver tailored HR solutions and guide clients through complex union and non-union compliance restructures, boosting workforce productivity by 32%.
• Enhanced onboarding experience, improving new hire engagement and participation by 52%.
• Cultivated inclusive culture initiatives, achieving a 65% boost in team efficiency.
• Managed FMLA administration, coordinating leave requests, and tracking time off for compliance purposes.
• Reduced overall company healthcare costs with strategic negotiations and vendor partnerships.

Brought on the day COVID shut down California to rescue a failing HR/payroll function after previous manager quit.

• Designed and executed COVID-19 workforce continuity plans, reducing layoffs by 35%.
• Orchestrated automated data integration across Paycom, insurance, and 401(k) vendors, resolving $60K in loan defaults and $105K in premium discrepancies while streamlining benefits enrollment and compliance.
• Engineered the transition from paper-based to digital HR processes, implementing an Employee Experience platform that streamlined onboarding, open enrollment, and total rewards. Partnered with operations to redesign training protocols for management and staff, reducing overtime costs and improving risk compliance.
• Fostered a culture of continuous improvement by regularly reviewing processes and policies surrounding employee benefits management.
• Streamlined benefits enrollment process for smoother onboarding of new employees.

Hired to rebuild client from stand-alone payroll to full HCM solution using iSolved.

• Championed strategic overhaul of legacy payroll-only client agreements, transitioning to a comprehensive HCM platform with integrated Benefits and Compliance support,reducing client processing errors by 56%–86% and significantly improving satisfaction and retention.
• Designed and launched targeted training programs focused on client systems, regulatory compliance (86%), and HCM platform proficiency - driving a 74% increase in sales revenue within 6 months and boosting cross-functional team performance.

Full-service general contractor ranked among the top commercial construction companies in California. Oversaw HR and payroll functions for multimillion-dollar, multi-state operations covering union and non-union labor across diverse industrial, public works, and tenant improvement projects.

• Boosted employee retention and reduced workforce risk by 25% by implementing job rotation and training programs.
• Led diversity hiring initiatives, resulting in a 125% increase and securing $13 million in major contract wins, demonstrating a strong business case for DEI.
• Optimized vendor relationships and benefit packages, yielding $120K in annual cost reductions.
• Developed and implemented OSHA certification enforcement protocols, resulting in a significant reduction in safety violations and improved compliance.

Promoted to Regional HR Payroll Manager

• Spearheaded the unionization of Hawaii operations, resulting in a 62% increase in bid eligibility.
• Executed policy training and enforcement strategies that yielded a 65% decline in unemployment claims.
• Re-engineered training systems, implementing a new approach that increased employee productivity by 30%.

Human Resources, Payroll, and Accounting that consisted of 20% human resources, 50% payroll, and 30% accounting, managing labor job cost and general ledger reconciliations for monthly CRM reports

• Leveraged expertise in audit preparation and prevailing wage regulations to achieve a $1.2M reduction in potential penalties, demonstrating significant cost savings.
• Improved cost control and forecasting strategies, achieving a 20% revenue boost, increased profitability, and more accurate budgeting.
• Improved Safety training by creating engaging video content, “Toolbox” training material, by increasing workplace illness and injuries awareness on all jobsites.