Assistant General Counsel, Employment Law

Guided by our company Purpose of "Inspiring well-being for our colleagues, consumers, and communities", we are committed to building a best-in-class Law Department.

We drive a high-performance culture across our Legal, Compliance, and Government Affairs functions. Aligned to "what" we deliver, our goals and "how" we deliver, our values and behaviors demonstrated in delivering against our goals. We do this through leveraging a series of core capabilities, which includes interpersonal effectiveness , ability to demonstrate business savvy , being a subject matter expert in your practice area, and leading people and teams where applicable.

Our colleagues, and the candidates we hire are key to the continuing success of our department.

In this role you will primarily provide leadership and legal advice to business partners (People Leaders, HR partners, and other senior leaders) with a focus on employment law related manners. In addition, as part of our Law Department community you will also provide mentorship to other attorneys and may lead special cross-department projects.

You Will

• Work closely with the Associate General Counsel to devise a strategy and execution plan for the Employment Law Practice Group.
• Provide advice and counsel to management and HR professionals on all aspects of day-to-day employment-related matters, including hiring and termination issues, discrimination and retaliation, harassment, leaves of absence, reasonable accommodations, wage and hour issues, restrictive covenants, conflicts of interest, independent contractor issues, statutory employee issues, employee investigations, etc.
• Keep informed regarding pending industry changes, trends, and best practices to ensure you can track and interpret developments in employment statutes, regulations, and executive orders, and provide tailored recommendations to stakeholders on any revisions / updates to related policies and employment practices.
• Review, interpret, and draft company policies and procedures, including assisting our incumbent employee benefits lawyer with the drafting and maintenance of ERISA and other comp & benefits related plans and policies.
• Conduct legal review of involuntary terminations (including group actions) and draft or supervise the production of separation packages.
• Perform legal review of administrative charges / complaints and represent Guardian at the administrative level (EEOC, DOL, equivalent state and local agencies).
• Prepare mediation / position statements and manage outside counsel. Partner with litigation team on employment litigation, reviewing pleadings, developing strategy, facilitating the gathering of information (documents, interviews); making recommendations at key stages in the process, etc.
• Provide legal advice for colleague relations and compliance / ethics investigations; may be asked to serve as lead investigator in high-level or sensitive matters.
• Identify areas where training is needed. Prepare and deliver training courses on identified employment law topics.
• Assist in company M&A efforts, including addressing related employee matters.
• Develop professional credibility and relationships with internal and external stakeholders as well as manage relationships with outside counsel.

You Have

Salary Range :

174,760.00 - $287,102.50

The salary range reflected above is a good faith estimate of base pay for the primary location of the position. The salary for this position ultimately will be determined based on the education, experience, knowledge, and abilities of the successful candidate. In addition to salary, this role may also be eligible for annual, sales, or other incentive compensation.

Our Promise

At Guardian, you'll have the support and flexibility to achieve your professional and personal goals. Through skill-building, leadership development and philanthropic opportunities, we provide opportunities to build communities and grow your career, surrounded by diverse colleagues with high ethical standards.

Inspire Well-Being

As part of Guardian's Purpose - to inspire well-being - we are committed to offering contemporary, supportive, flexible, and inclusive benefits and resources to our colleagues. Explore our company benefits at www.guardianlife.com / careers / corporate / benefits. Benefits apply to full-time eligible employees. Interns are not eligible for most Company benefits.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Guardian is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to age, race, color, creed, religion, sex, affectional or sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, marital status, disability, military or veteran status, or any other classification protected by applicable law.

Accommodations

Guardian is committed to providing access, equal opportunity and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities. Guardian also provides reasonable accommodations to qualified job applicants (and employees) to accommodate the individual's known limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, unless doing so would create an undue hardship. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and / or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact applicant_accommodation@glic.com.

Current Guardian Colleagues : Please apply through the internal Jobs Hub in Workday.

Salary : $174,760 - $287,103