L&I Industrial Relations Agent 4

Full Job Description

Job Highlights:

As the Industrial Relations Agent 4, you’ll oversee resolution of complaints filed under the Wage Payment Act as well as enforcing conditions of employment filed under the Industrial Welfare Act.

You’ll recommend changes to regulations, administrative policies, operations manuals, and standard work processes, so your knowledge of administrative law and agency policies under the Wage Payment act is crucial.

This is a supervisory role and you will be supervising a team of Industrial Relations Agent 2s and an Industrial Relations Agent 3.

Requirements

Duties:

Some of what you’ll do:

• Set expectations, conducts mid-year progress reviews and annual performance evaluations for assigned staff.
• Make hiring recommendations and administers corrective action as needed.
• Hold staff accountable and ensures performance expectations/criteria are established and met by regional staff. Ensure staff’s work is consistent and uniform with established policy and procedures.
• Conduct accompanied customer visits with assigned staff as needed.
• Frequent and regular travel to meet with staff and with peer supervisors.

Provide technical expertise, support, and direction to direct reports engaged in investigating and enforcing violations of Minimum Wage Act, and Industrial Welfare Act.

These cases may involve multiemployer worksites, multiple statute violations, legal or politically sensitive investigations where litigation is likely, or cases involving large financial implications.

Analyze employer records related to Employment Standards investigations. Testify in court as appropriate.

Review citation recommendation summaries submitted by IRA2 & 3s at the end of their investigations and prepares citations for the citation desk and for signature of the Employment Standards Program Manager.

• Provide training and outreach to customers with an interest in labor laws regarding Wage and Hour laws and rules to internal staff (along with development of training plans), external groups, including employers, employees, associations, government agencies, and other interested parties.
• Establish a close working relationship with various stakeholder groups with an interest in Wage and Hour laws through supports the program as a resource to answer questions and provide consultation for unions, local and state government, industry, elected representatives and the general public for the purpose of addressing problems and/or resolving issues.
• Review and manage changes to the department’s rules, administrative guidelines, operations manuals, and standard work process for wage and hour related Employment Standards subject areas.

Qualifications

Required:

A combined total of eight years of education and/or experience.

Experience in one or more of the following areas to reach a total of eight years (see below how experience and education can contribute to the eight-year requirement total):

Experience options (at the rate of one year of experience for one years of education to reach a total of eight years):

• Experience as an Industrial Relations Agent in Employment Standards.
• Explanation, interpretation, understanding, and enforcement of rules and regulations regarding RCWs, WACs in Employment Standards laws.
• Experience in labor/employment relations and regulations, audit of employer financial records; interpretation and explanation of rules and regulations regarding employment law, wages and hours, and child labor laws, or related experience.

Education options include:

• A master’s degree (six years, and two years or more experience; types of qualifying experience listed above)
• A bachelor’s degree (four years, and four years or more experience; types of qualifying experience listed above)
• An associate’s degree (two years, and six years or more experience; types of qualifying experience listed above)

As mentioned, experience may be substituted for education at the rate of one year of experience for one year of education for a combined total of eight years to meet required qualifications.

AND

• The ability to take action to learn and grow.
• The ability to take action to meet the needs of others.

Desired:

• Public sector labor/employment relations and regulations; investigations of complaints of misconduct (criminal or civil); interpretation and explanation of Labor and Industries rules, regulations, policies, and practices regarding employment standards, retaliation, prevailing wage, wage and hour, and child labor laws.
• Leadership experience as a supervisor, lead, project manager or in coaching, training, mentoring and providing technical advice to others.
• Working with applications or systems such as Outlook, Excel, Word, CATS, LINIIS, and BEAR.
• Mediation, arbitration, and resolution; the principles, standards and techniques of personal investigations, rules of evidence, auditing, accounting and bookkeeping procedures.
• Leading special projects.
• Collaborating with cross program partners or external agencies.
• Providing presentations regarding complex information to diverse audiences.
• Compiling complex reports.
• Interpreting complex laws, rules and regulations.
• Process Improvement.
• Change Management.
• Experience managing high productivity teams and heavy caseloads.

Additional Information

Things You Need To Know:

To help you maintain a proper work-life balance, teleworking is one of the work schedule options for this position. L&I also offers flexible custom work schedules.

State employees who meet the qualifications will become eligible for a generous retirement package at the end of the employee’s career. Click on the “Benefits” tab to learn more.

At L&I, your voice matters. In addition, L&I is a diverse state agency dedicated to the safety and health and security of Washington's 3.3 million workers. Take a look at this brief video and learn more about why L&I is an employer of choice.

For this position, telework is dependent upon business needs and supervisor approval. The assigned duty station for this position is Tumwater, Washington.

For positions where in-office work is necessary, the frequency of telework will be discussed with the supervisor of the position at the time of offer.

To receive more information on opportunities at L&I sign up for GovDelivery and select L&I job alerts.

Application process:

We will contact the top candidates directly to interview for this position.

Because we base the selection on information provided by you, it is in your best interest to identify the knowledge, skills, and abilities that address the required and desirable qualifications described in the announcement.

Please include the following documents with your application:

1. A cover letter describing specific qualifications.
2. A current resume detailing applicable experience and education.
3. A list of at least three professional references with current telephone numbers.

Please do not attach or place any medical information (vaccination status included) within the application, resume, or cover letter.

If you do, we will have to reject your application to safeguard others from receiving your confidential information. You will have to remove the confidential information before you can apply again.

To learn more about our hiring process timeline at L&I please visit our L&I recruiting page at Hiring Process at L&I. If you would like to read our website in a language other than English, scroll up to the top of the page to select your language of choice from the banner.

Background Check Notice

Prior to a placement in this position, a background check, including criminal history record will be conducted. Information from your background check will not necessarily preclude employment but will be considered in determining your eligibility to perform the requirements of the position.

Other information

• For positions requiring travel, you must have a valid unrestricted driver's license and have insurance if driving a privately owned vehicle on state business.
• This position is represented by the Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE).
• Candidates who are offered a job with L&I must possess work authorization that does not require sponsorship by the employer for a visa now or in the future.

The Department of Labor & Industries complies with the employment eligibility verification requirements of the federal employment eligibility verification form, I-9.

The selected candidate must be able to provide proof of identity and eligibility to work in the United States consistent with the requirements of that form on the first day of employment.

• Please note: L&I may use this announcement to fill multiple permanent and/or non-permanent positions.

Did You Know?

In addition to offering a positive balance between life and work, L&I provides one of the most competitive benefits packages in the nation. We also believe your voice matters.

We value our employees and their work-life balance by encouraging flexible schedules. L&I is a diverse state agency dedicated to the safety and health and security of Washington's 3 million workers.

Veterans Preference

Applicants wishing to claim Veterans Preference should attach to their application a copy of their DD-214 (Member 4 copy), NGB 22, or signed verification of service letter from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.

Please blackout any personally identifiable data such as Social Security numbers. For further information, contact L&I’s Jobs@lni.wa.gov.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Employer

L&I employees come from all walks of life. We strive to hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.

We believe in the importance of recognizing the value each of us contribute to the success of the agency mission.

Having a diverse workforce is this agency’s greatest resource of strength and knowledge.

It is through the combination of talents and abilities that we can pursue finding effective measures to provide the best customer service.

We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace for everyone and we strongly mean everyone.

The State of Washington is an equal opportunity employer.

Persons with a disability who need accommodation in the application process or testing process, or those needing this announcement in an alternative format, may call 360-902-5700.

TTY users should first call 711 to access the Washington Relay Service.

You are welcome to include the name and pronoun you would like to be referred to in your materials and we will honor this as you interact with our award-winning diverse and inclusive organization.

For more Information

If you have any questions regarding this job posting, program, or the agency, please contact Haleigh Missildine (she/her/hers).