6 templates with salary, FLSA, and a generalist-vs-specialist guide. Download as DOCX.
Most templates for this role miss the two things a hiring manager actually needs to get right: whether you need a dedicated employee relations specialist at all, and how to classify the role under the FLSA. The role is real and important, but it is also a specialized job that usually lives inside an established HR department, which is why the first honest question is whether your team is large enough to need one yet.
At FirstHR, we build templates for the teams making HR hires directly, which means being straight about fit. The six templates below cover the role by seniority and setting, including an HR Generalist version for teams not ready for a dedicated specialist, each with the FLSA and reporting-line guidance built in. Fill in the brackets and post, and the guide to writing a job description covers the fundamentals.
TL;DR
Six free templates: Standard ER Specialist, Senior, Coordinator, HR Generalist (ER focus), Labor Relations Specialist, and ER Manager. Two things competitors skip, both built in: an honest generalist-vs-specialist guide (most small teams do not need a dedicated specialist) and an FLSA note (usually exempt under the administrative exemption). Pay anchor: $93,500 median for labor relations specialists; $72,910 for HR specialists (BLS, May 2024).
What Does an Employee Relations Specialist Do?
An employee relations specialist handles workplace concerns, investigations, and compliance, responding to complaints, conducting fair investigations, advising managers, interpreting policy, and supporting employment-law compliance. The role maps to labor relations specialists (SOC 13-1075), which federal data also calls employee relations specialists, and overlaps with human resources specialists (SOC 13-1071).
For the employer writing the posting, two features stand out: the role almost always sits inside a larger HR department and reports to an HR manager or director, and it spans several seniority levels, from a junior coordinator to a manager. The six templates split by level and setting so the document matches the real job.
Do You Need One? Generalist vs Specialist
Before writing the posting, ask whether you need a dedicated specialist at all. A standalone employee relations role appears once an HR team is large enough to split into specialized jobs, which usually means an organization well past 50 employees. Most small and growing teams are better served by a generalist who handles employee relations among other duties.
When it fits
HR Generalist (ER duties): Most teams under ~50 people
Dedicated ER Specialist: Larger HR teams that can segment roles
Scope
HR Generalist (ER duties): ER plus onboarding, policy, and all HR
Dedicated ER Specialist: ER is the primary, focused job
ER volume
HR Generalist (ER duties): Occasional concerns and investigations
Dedicated ER Specialist: Steady, ongoing caseload
Who handles it now
HR Generalist (ER duties): Owner or solo HR person
Dedicated ER Specialist: A dedicated ER function inside HR
Typical employer
HR Generalist (ER duties): Small and growing businesses
Dedicated ER Specialist: Unions, government, healthcare, universities, large firms
Employee Relations Specialist Duties and Responsibilities
Employee relations duties center on concerns and disputes, investigations, policy and compliance, and analysis. The emphasis shifts by level, more independent judgment for a senior specialist, more support work for a coordinator, but these areas hold across the role.
Concerns and disputes
Respond to employee concerns and complaints
Mediate employee-manager disputes
Coach managers on conduct and performance
Investigations
Conduct fair, timely investigations
Document findings thoroughly
Recommend appropriate action
Policy and compliance
Interpret and apply policies consistently
Support EEOC, FMLA, ADA, and FLSA compliance
Help maintain the employee handbook
Analysis and process
Conduct exit interviews
Analyze ER trends and patterns
Improve ER processes and records
A strong posting grounds these in your specifics: your organization, your workforce, your policies, and your reporting line. For a structured way to scope any role before posting, the guide to defining job responsibilities walks through the process.
Which Template Should You Use?
Pick the template by seniority and setting. Five are HR roles inside a department; the HR Generalist version is for a team not yet ready for a dedicated specialist. Use this guide to choose.
Standard ER Specialist
Core ER role
The universal version: handle concerns, run investigations, advise managers, and support employment-law compliance.
Senior ER Specialist
Complex, high-risk matters
For experienced ER work: lead sensitive investigations, advise leadership, and partner with legal on high-stakes issues.
ER Coordinator
Junior, support-focused
A support role: intake concerns, schedule and document meetings, and keep case records and ER processes organized.
HR Generalist (ER focus)
Growing team, no ER hire yet
For a team not ready for a dedicated specialist: one person owns ER alongside onboarding, policy, and day-to-day HR.
Labor Relations Specialist
Unionized workforce
For a represented workforce: administer collective bargaining agreements, handle grievances, and support negotiations.
ER Manager
Leads the ER function
For a manager-level hire: set ER strategy, lead the team, oversee investigations, and advise senior leadership.
Match the Template to the Hire
Small or growing team: HR Generalist (ER focus). Core ER role: Standard Specialist. Complex, high-risk work: Senior. Support role: Coordinator. Unionized workforce: Labor Relations Specialist. Leading the function: ER Manager. Confirm the FLSA classification by the actual duties and salary in each case.
Download all six as a single Word document or copy individual templates. Each follows the same structure: organization and role summary, key responsibilities, qualifications, the FLSA note, reporting line, and pay, with an EEO statement. Fill in the brackets and post.
Download All 6 Templates
Standard, senior, coordinator, HR generalist, labor relations, and manager. All in one DOCX.
Template 1: Standard Employee Relations Specialist
The universal version: handle concerns, run investigations, advise managers, and support employment-law compliance.
Standard Employee Relations Specialist Job Description
EMPLOYEE RELATIONS SPECIALIST JOB DESCRIPTION
Company: __ ([City, State] / Remote)
Department: Human Resources
Reports to: [HR Manager / HR Director]
Employment type: Full-time, W-2 employee
FLSA status: Exempt (administrative; confirm by duties and salary)
Salary range: $_ - $_
ABOUT [COMPANY NAME]
[One or two sentences: your organization, your workforce size, and the
HR team this role joins.]
POSITION SUMMARY
[Company Name] is hiring an Employee Relations Specialist to handle
workplace concerns, investigations, and policy questions across the
organization. You will be the point person for employee-manager
disputes, conduct fair investigations, advise managers, and help keep
the company compliant with employment law.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Respond to employee relations concerns and complaints
•Conduct and document fair, timely workplace investigations
•Advise and coach managers on performance and conduct issues
•Interpret and apply company policies consistently
•Support compliance with employment laws (EEOC, FMLA, ADA, FLSA)
•Recommend and help administer disciplinary actions
•Conduct exit interviews and analyze trends
•Help update policies and the employee handbook
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•[Bachelor's in HR, labor relations, business, or equivalent]
•[3+] years of HR or employee relations experience
•Working knowledge of federal and state employment law
•Strong investigation, documentation, and judgment skills
•Discretion and the ability to stay neutral
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
•PHR, SHRM-CP, or related certification
•Experience with HRIS and case documentation
COMPENSATION AND HOW TO APPLY
Salary range: $_ - $_ [+ benefits]
To apply, email __ with your resume.
[Company Name] is an equal opportunity employer.
Template 2: Senior Employee Relations Specialist
For experienced ER work: lead sensitive investigations, advise leadership, and partner with legal on high-stakes issues.
Employee Relations Specialist Skills and Qualifications
Most ER roles weigh employment-law knowledge, investigation skill, and sound judgment alongside a typical bachelor's in HR or a related field. List what is truly required separately from what is preferred, and weigh demonstrated judgment over credentials alone.
This is the classification question competitors almost always skip, and it usually has a clear answer for the specialist role, with one exception worth flagging.
Usually Exempt, but Confirm by Duties and Salary
An employee relations specialist is generally exempt under the FLSA administrative exemption, which applies when the primary duty is office or non-manual work directly related to management or general business operations and includes the exercise of discretion and independent judgment on matters of significance. ER work fits that standard, so the role is typically exempt. But exempt status is never automatic from the title: the employee must also be paid on a salary basis of at least $684 per week ($35,568 per year), and the real duties must match. A junior coordinator who mostly schedules and documents without independent judgment may be non-exempt and overtime-eligible. Review DOL Fact Sheet 17C and classify by the actual work.
Classify the specialist, senior, and manager roles as exempt where the duties and salary support it, and look harder at a coordinator role. For the underlying rules, the exempt vs non-exempt guide and the Fair Labor Standards Act guide explain the tests. This is general information, not legal advice; confirm with an employment attorney, since some states set a higher salary floor than the federal level.
Employee Relations Specialist Pay
Pay varies by the exact role, experience, region, and employer type, and federal data ties the role to two occupations.
Employee Relations Pay Anchor (BLS)
Labor relations specialists, which the BLS treats as the same occupation as employee relations specialists, had a median annual wage of $93,500 in May 2024. The related, broader category of human resources specialists had a median of $72,910, with the lowest 10 percent under $45,440 and the highest 10 percent over $126,540 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).
The wide spread reflects the jump from a junior coordinator to a senior specialist or manager, and the employer type, with unions, government, and large healthcare and university systems paying differently than smaller employers. Set your range using current market data for your region and the seniority level, rather than the occupation-wide median alone.
An Honest Note on Hiring This Role
This is a specialized role concentrated in large institutional employers. BLS counts only about 65,400 labor relations specialists nationally, with employment projected to show little or no change from 2024 to 2034, while the broader HR specialist field is larger and growing about 6 percent. The practical takeaway: a small or growing business almost never needs a standalone employee relations specialist, and is usually better served by a generalist until the HR team is large enough to specialize.
Employee Relations for a Small Team
A large organization has a full HR department to staff a dedicated ER function. A small or growing team handles employee relations differently, often through the owner or a single generalist, and faces three things most templates skip: whether to hire a specialist at all, the FLSA classification, and the need for a defensible process. Here is how to handle them.
Most small teams do not need a dedicated employee relations specialist yet
A standalone employee relations specialist is, by the nature of the role, an employer with an HR department large enough to split HR into specialized jobs: separate recruiters, compensation specialists, benefits administrators, and an ER function. That profile describes unions, government agencies, healthcare systems, universities, and companies well past 50 employees, not a growing small business. Federal data backs this up: labor relations specialists, which the Bureau of Labor Statistics treats as the same occupation as employee relations specialists, number only about 65,400 nationally and are concentrated in large institutional employers. The practical guidance for a small team is that you almost certainly do not need to hire a dedicated ER specialist. Below roughly 50 people, the employee relations function, responding to concerns, running fair investigations, advising managers, is handled by the owner or a single HR generalist, supported by clear policies and a good handbook. The HR Generalist template on this page exists for exactly that case. Hire the specialist only when your HR team is large enough that ER is a full, ongoing job on its own.
The role is almost always exempt, but you still have to verify the classification
An employee relations specialist is generally an exempt, salaried employee under the Fair Labor Standards Act administrative exemption, which is a useful detail most generic templates leave out. The administrative exemption applies when the employee's primary duty is office or non-manual work directly related to management or general business operations, and the role includes the exercise of discretion and independent judgment on matters of significance. ER work, conducting investigations, interpreting policy, advising managers, and recommending discipline, fits that description well, so the role is typically exempt. But exempt status is never automatic from the title. The employee must also be paid on a salary basis of at least $684 per week ($35,568 per year) under current federal rules, and the actual duties must match the exemption, not just the job title. A junior ER coordinator who mostly schedules, logs, and documents without independent judgment may be non-exempt and overtime-eligible, which is why the coordinator template here flags the classification rather than assuming exempt. Confirm the classification against the real duties and salary, and remember some states set a higher salary threshold than the federal floor.
Even without a specialist, a small business needs a defensible ER process
Not hiring a dedicated specialist does not mean skipping employee relations; it means the owner or generalist needs a clean, repeatable process so concerns are handled fairly and consistently, which is what protects the business if a matter ever becomes a legal dispute. The core pieces are a current employee handbook with clear conduct, anti-harassment, and complaint policies, a consistent way to intake and investigate concerns, accurate and confidential documentation, and an understanding of the basics of EEOC, FMLA, ADA, and FLSA. FirstHR supports the people-process side of this: document management to store signed handbook acknowledgments, investigation notes, and policy records in one place, e-signature for handbook and policy sign-offs, onboarding workflows and an AI onboarding wizard to set expectations from day one, training modules for conduct and compliance orientation, and an HRIS with an employee database and org chart so reporting lines and records are clear when an issue arises. FirstHR does not run payroll, administer benefits, or provide legal advice, so pair it with your payroll provider and an employment attorney for anything sensitive. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR.
After You Hire: Onboarding for Employee Relations
Once the offer is accepted, onboarding someone into an employee relations role, a dedicated specialist or a generalist who will own ER, centers on access, policy, and documentation. Send the offer letter stating the exempt classification and salary, collect the signed offer, complete Form I-9 and tax forms as part of the new hire paperwork, and have them sign confidentiality and conduct policies, since they will handle confidential cases.
Then give them what they need to do the work: the current employee handbook, the investigation and documentation process, the HRIS and employee records, and an introduction to managers and reporting lines, with signed onboarding documents kept in one place. The offer letter template covers the terms.
FirstHR supports the people side of this: e-signature for the offer letter and policy acknowledgments, document management to store signed handbook acknowledgments, investigation records, and policy files, onboarding workflows and an AI onboarding wizard for the first weeks, training modules for conduct and compliance orientation, and an HRIS with an employee database and org chart so reporting lines and records are clear when an issue arises. FirstHR does not run payroll, administer benefits, or provide legal advice, so connect your payroll and benefits providers and an employment attorney for those functions. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR.
Key Takeaways
An employee relations specialist handles workplace concerns, investigations, policy interpretation, and compliance, usually inside a larger HR department.
Most small teams do not need a dedicated specialist; an HR generalist (or the owner) handles ER until the HR team is large enough to specialize.
The specialist role is generally exempt under the FLSA administrative exemption, but confirm by duties and salary; a junior coordinator may be non-exempt.
Employee relations and labor relations overlap; labor relations specifically involves a unionized workforce and collective bargaining agreements.
Pay anchor: $93,500 median for labor relations specialists and $72,910 for HR specialists (BLS, May 2024), varying widely by level and employer.
Even without a specialist, a small business needs a defensible ER process: a current handbook, consistent investigations, and clean documentation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does an employee relations specialist do?
An employee relations specialist handles the relationship between employees and the organization, focusing on workplace concerns, disputes, and compliance. The core work includes responding to employee complaints, conducting fair and documented workplace investigations, advising and coaching managers on conduct and performance issues, interpreting and applying company policies consistently, and supporting compliance with employment laws like the EEOC rules, FMLA, ADA, and FLSA. Many also conduct exit interviews, analyze trends in why people leave or file complaints, and help keep the employee handbook current. In federal data, the role is closely tied to labor relations specialists (SOC 13-1075), which the Bureau of Labor Statistics explicitly calls also called employee relations specialists, and to human resources specialists (SOC 13-1071). The role usually sits inside a larger HR department and reports to an HR manager or director. The templates on this page split by seniority and setting so the description matches the exact role you are hiring.
Does a small business need an employee relations specialist?
Usually not. A dedicated employee relations specialist is a role that appears when an HR department is already large enough to split into specialized jobs, which describes unions, government agencies, healthcare systems, universities, and companies well past 50 employees rather than a small or growing business. Below roughly 50 people, the employee relations function is normally handled by the owner or a single HR generalist, supported by clear policies and a good handbook. That does not mean ignoring employee relations: you still need a fair, consistent way to handle concerns and investigations. It means the work is one part of a broader HR role rather than a standalone job. The HR Generalist template on this page is written for exactly this situation, where one person owns employee relations along with onboarding, policy, and the rest of HR. Hire a dedicated specialist only when your HR team is large enough that employee relations is a full, ongoing job by itself.
Is an employee relations specialist exempt or non-exempt under the FLSA?
An employee relations specialist is generally exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act administrative exemption, meaning the role is salaried and not entitled to overtime, but you should confirm the classification against the actual duties and salary. The administrative exemption applies when the employee's primary duty is office or non-manual work directly related to management or general business operations, and includes the exercise of discretion and independent judgment on matters of significance. Employee relations work, conducting investigations, interpreting policy, advising managers, and recommending discipline, fits that standard, so the role is typically exempt. However, exempt status is never automatic from the title. The employee must also be paid on a salary basis of at least $684 per week ($35,568 per year) under current federal rules, and the real duties must match the exemption. A junior employee relations coordinator who mostly schedules and documents without independent judgment may be non-exempt and overtime-eligible. Some states set a higher salary threshold than the federal floor, so confirm by duties, salary, and state law.
What is the difference between an employee relations specialist and an HR generalist?
The difference is focus and scope. An employee relations specialist concentrates almost entirely on the employee-employer relationship: concerns, investigations, disputes, policy interpretation, and compliance. An HR generalist covers all of HR, including employee relations but also onboarding, policy, records, and day-to-day support. Which one you need depends on size and volume. A dedicated specialist makes sense when an HR team is large enough to segment roles and employee relations is a steady, full-time caseload, typically in larger organizations. A generalist who handles employee relations among other duties fits most small and growing businesses, where ER comes up occasionally rather than constantly. For a small team, hiring a generalist (or having the owner cover HR) is almost always the right call, and you can specialize later as you grow. This page includes both a dedicated specialist template and an HR Generalist with ER duties template so you can pick the right fit.
What is the difference between employee relations and labor relations?
The terms overlap and the Bureau of Labor Statistics groups them under one occupation, but there is a working distinction. Employee relations covers the general relationship between an employer and its individual employees: concerns, investigations, conduct, policy, and compliance, in any workplace. Labor relations specifically involves a unionized or collectively represented workforce: interpreting and administering collective bargaining agreements, processing grievances through agreed steps, supporting contract negotiations, and preparing for arbitration. In practice, a labor relations role exists where there is a union or similar representation, which is heavily concentrated in unions themselves, government, and certain large industries. An employee relations role can exist in any sufficiently large organization, union or not. This page includes a Labor Relations Specialist template for represented workforces and standard Employee Relations templates for the broader case. Choose based on whether your workforce is unionized.
How much does an employee relations specialist make?
Pay varies by the exact role, experience, region, and employer type. The Bureau of Labor Statistics ties the role to two occupations. Labor relations specialists, which BLS treats as the same occupation as employee relations specialists, had a median annual wage of $93,500 in May 2024. Human resources specialists, a closely related and broader category that includes much employee relations work, had a median annual wage of $72,910 in May 2024, with the lowest 10 percent under $45,440 and the highest 10 percent over $126,540. The wide spread reflects differences between a junior coordinator, a mid-level specialist, a senior specialist, and a manager, as well as the employer: unions, government, and large healthcare and university systems tend to pay differently than smaller employers. Because the role is salaried and typically exempt, set your range using current market data for your region and the seniority level you are hiring, rather than the occupation-wide median alone.
What should an employee relations specialist job description include?
A strong employee relations job description includes a short organization and role summary, the core responsibilities, the required and preferred qualifications, the reporting line, and the employment and pay details. For responsibilities, focus on the real work: responding to concerns, conducting fair and documented investigations, advising managers, interpreting policy, supporting employment-law compliance, and running exit interviews. Two things most templates skip but that matter here: state the FLSA classification thoughtfully, since the role is usually exempt under the administrative exemption but a junior coordinator may be non-exempt, and be clear about seniority, since specialist, senior, coordinator, and manager are genuinely different jobs. Note the reporting line, because this role almost always sits inside an HR department. The templates on this page give you a role-matched, fill-in-the-blank starting point, including an HR Generalist version for teams that are not ready for a dedicated specialist, with the FLSA and seniority guidance built in.
What happens after I hire for employee relations?
Onboarding someone into an employee relations role, whether a dedicated specialist or a generalist who will own ER, centers on access, policy, and documentation, because their job is to handle sensitive matters fairly and consistently. Start with the basics before day one: send the offer letter stating the exempt classification and salary, collect the signed offer, complete Form I-9 and tax forms, and have them sign confidentiality and conduct policies, since they will handle confidential cases. Then give them what they need to do the work: the current employee handbook and policies, the investigation and documentation process, the HRIS and employee records, and an introduction to managers and reporting lines. Because employee relations work depends on clean records and consistent process, a repeatable system matters. FirstHR supports this on the people side, from the e-signed offer letter and stored policy acknowledgments to document management for investigation records, onboarding workflows, and an HRIS with an org chart and employee database. FirstHR does not run payroll, administer benefits, or provide legal advice, so connect those providers and an employment attorney separately. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR.
