Human Resources Professional: Compliance, Regulatory, Audits, Assessments and Policy Development Expert

Expertise

Summary

Human Resource Subject Matter Expert domestically and international driving the compliance, regulatory, policies development, employee relations, investigation, auditing sectors including training, and speaking.  Collaborating with all levels of stakeholders across many disciplines by leveraging cross-functional relationships. Bilingual (Spanish) Fluent.

• Employee handbook and stand-alone policy development.
• Speaker, Trainer/, and Facilitator of HR workplace compliance topics.
• Sexual harassment: Investigations: Certified California Qualified Sexual Harassment Training facilitator and state-wide Qualified Sexual Harassment Training Facilitator.
• Policy development, interpretation and assessment
• Development and monitoring of compliance programs.
• Internal/external Vendor Assessment and Management
• Payroll Auditing
• Employee classification
• Exempt and non-exempt
• Multi-State Taxes
• Social Security, Medicare, FICA Compliance
• Department of Labor (DOL) wages, benefits, retirement violations for job seekers and employees.
• Off the "Clock Work" Auditing and policy development.
• I-9 Auditing and compliance.
• Immigration compliance sponsorship management.
• Collaboration with Professional Employer Organizations (PEO) services to ensure services meet regulations and compliance requirements.
• Development and monitoring of a global Integrity helpline.
• Volatile termination guidance.
• Policy auditing, development and monitoring
• Federal and defense contracting proposal review.
• Compliance Training via seminar, webinar and on-site facilities.
• Employee relations/HR investigations and mediation.
• Performance management and discipline.
• Voluntary/ and involuntary terminations (volatile).
• HR shared services and matrix modeling.
• Multi-leave management (FMLA, DVSAS, ADA, STD, and other workplace Leave process).
• Federal, state and local regulations development and auditing.
• Department of Labor (DOL, wage, hour, ACA, and HIPPA).
• Federal and defense contracting.
• Privacy and workplace employee monitoring.
• Regulatory agency liaison.
• Policies and regulations framework.
• HIPPA compliance.
• Sarbanes-Oxley Act /Auditing (SOX).

HR Compliance

• HR workplace compliance topics- Speaker, Trainer and Facilitator
• California Qualified Sexual Harassment Training Facilitator
• Policy development, interpretation and assessment
• Development and monitoring of compliance programs.
• Interna and external vendor management.
• Collaboration with PEO Services to ensure services meet regulations and compliance requirements.
• Development and monitoring of a global Integrity helpline services.

HR Management 

• HR Management; Onboarding to off boarding.
• Employee relations and HR Investigations-mediations.
• Compliance: Training via seminar, webinar and on-site facilities.
• Performance management and discipline.
• HR shared services and matrix model.
• Multi-leave management (FMLA, DVSAS, ADA, STD, and other workplace Leave process).
• Federal, State and local regulations development and auditing.

Regulatory Management (U.S. and International)

• OFCCP (Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs), EEO, (Equal Employment Opportunity) and AAP (Affirmative Action Plan).
• Department of Labor: Wage and hour, ACA (Affordable Care Act) HIPPA (Affordable Care Act).
• Research and analysis of emerging legislation and regulations...
• Payroll auditing and assessment.
• SOX auditing.
• Policy auditing, development and monitoring.
• Federal defense contracting.
• Regulatory agency liaison.
• Policies regulations framework.

EXPERT WITNESS EXPERIENCE

• Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) allegations supervisor on cases initiated by workplace employees-Identified compliance officer to respond to complaints by employees.
• Department of Labor (DOL) case review for cases on wage and benefit compliance (retained by Employers).
• Workplace and domestic violence expert witness, (New York cases).

Experience

H.R.C.S., Sr. HR Compliance Officer, Consultant, 2010 - Present                        

• Provide human resource consulting and contract work for International and Nationwide workplaces; compliance and HR audits for small to large companies; I-9 Immigration Self Audits, workplace strategies, risk management solutions, coordination of services based on the needs of the client.
• Create action plan on reducing and eliminating fines and criminal penalties for workplace violations.
• Developed recruitment strategies to resolve staffing obstacles. Streamlined hiring practices and background screening practices for employees involved in security clearance process.
• Employee Relations and internal investigations based on sexual harassment, hostile work environment, wrongful termination, discrimination and other workplace discrimination claims and abuses.
• Developed criteria to assess appropriate vendor assessment of payroll and HR outsourcing services to include review of HRIS (Human Resources Information System) (services, FMLA administration, workers compensation contract, applicant tracking systems, on-boarding and off-boarding services, employee investigations and employee relations services.
• Matched employer with outsourcing services including PEO, stand-alone payroll systems, HRIS systems by ensuring vendor management of 3rd Party vendors.
• Conducted FMLA administration according to federal DOL regulations; Developed paid and unpaid leave policies; Developed procedures to accommodate new regulations (transgender, salary question prohibition, Pay Equity, employee criminal background screening regulations, Federal Labor Standards Act (FLSA), proper classification, wage and hour, ACA, HIPPA compliance).
• Developed a mediation policy and program for employers to resolve employee internal conflicts.
• Identified as a workplace mediator for employee and employer conflict, coaching HR managers, management for crisis situations.
• Developed drug-free workplace policies and program meeting federal and workers compensation requirements.
• Responsible for Professional Employer Organization (PEO) implementation and monitoring of client services.
• Conducted and developed internal workplace audit policy and procedures to assist Employers in identifying workplace gaps and deficiencies in regulations.

Veritas Technologies, LLC: Lake Mary, FL, 2016 - 2018

Human Resource Policy and Compliance International Advisor

• Create and maintain HR policies and compliance procedures.
• Plan, direct, audit and coordinate activities for the organization to ensure compliance with ethical and regulatory standards from federal, state and local regulations including EEOC, DHS, DOL, FMLA, ACA,DCAA, FAR, FSG, HIPAA, DVSAS, wage and hour, and ADA to ensure compliance with current, newly developed regulations including ‘Ban the Box,’ reasonable accommodation, sexual harassment (regulations and required training), retaliation, transgender, hiring and termination regulations applicable for the California and International headquarters.
• Provide overall HR compliance support, guidance and audit activities relating to regulatory compliance, as well as global company HR policies and procedures.
• Ensure HR practices follow regulatory and legal requirements and Veritas' values and internal policies.
• Created and implemented a policy framework addressing global and nationwide regulations to ensure company compliance.
• Identified as the Lead HR compliance professional to support the Federal Trade Compliance team to ensure compliance with embargoed countries hiring practices, training and auditing.
• Led a company-wide culture change process resulting in a shift in competitive mindset from non-regulatory to regulatory to ensure compliance with Global and National regulations.
• Initiated revision of outdated employee handbook and developed 35 HR policies and procedures as per new regulations.

AVT Simulation, Orlando, FL, Human Resource Director, 2013 - 2015                                               

• Under a government contract, oversaw defense contracting recruitment, staffing and talent management process to ensure that positions were filled per the recruitment strategy of the engineering program.
• Provided compliance assessment for federal contraction initiatives and ensured compliance of OFCCP, (Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs) guidelines.
• Part of the Leadership Team in monitoring federal contracts to ensure adherence to subcontractor guidelines.
• HR Lead for collaborating with ADP/PEO, (Affordable Payroll Services/ Professional Employer Organization) services including implementation, contract services selection FMLA administration, COBRA administration, risk management, payroll and W-2 assessment and reviews.
• Directed and monitored the compliance component within the organization including DOL, FAR, FSG, DHS, EEOC, AAP and other regulatory agencies and reporting initiatives.
• Completed difficult employee relations tasks, such as investigate complaints, refereeing disputes, firing employees, and administering disciplinary procedures.
• Developed and maintain compensation plans, bonus structure, executive compensation and employee incentives and rewards programs.
• Provide risk management services/vendor management for original PEO (Administaff) and provided compliance assessment of services which resulted in substandard services and therefore, made decision to terminate contract.
• Assessment and management of employee relations, performance management and disciplinary process.

Ke`aki Technologies, LLC, Maitland, FL, Human Resources, 2011 - 2012

• Managed human resources department for the company which included providing support for the corporate offices and multisite/multi state defense contracting company including Hawaii, Maryland, Virginia and Florida during the HR Director's leave of absence.
• Developed the Integrity Helpline, an anonymous reporting hotline for suspicion of policy and procedure violations, ethical behaviors and fraud; conducted internal investigations on helpline reports and employee relations issues provide tracking/reporting and appropriate response to calls made to the helpline.
• Auditing of PEO regarding time tracking, payroll assessment, compliance monitoring and risk management.
• Conducted quarterly internal auditing of the Davis Bacon/Service Contract Act regulations ensuring compliance after findings by the Department of Labor at the Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF) located in Kauai, Hawaii.
• Conducted internal audits across all departments ensuring internal compliance; representative of the ITAR team and Compliance Program.

ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE

• Development of policies and procedures framework in response to new workplace regulations for new regulations (Reasonable Accommodations, gender neutral restroom, salary inquiries prohibition when hiring, new domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking regulations and California notification for new hires and current employees
• Testified as a subject matter expert on court cases involving workplace compliance.
• Development and monitoring of hiring practices based on International Federal Export Compliance Regulations regarding sanctioned countries.
• Volunteer Mediator for Orange County Supreme Court/Osceola County Court
• Created, developed and monitored Immigration compliance of I-9 documents by utilizing an I9 Document Correction and Storage Toolkit accepted by Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Hired by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to audit an agricultural farm that was a focus on I-9 Form violations and illegal hiring of immigrants.
• Created an I-9 Document Correction and Storage Program accepted by DHS and proven to help reduce fines and penalties when administered.
• Subject Matter Expert (SME) of California and New York workplace regulations, policy interpretation and policy development; Ensured the compliance, management and development of multi-state regulations coordination.
• Employee Handbook Review, assessment and development and research on federal, state and local regulations and industry standards.
• Created, developed and facilitated an 8-10 Leadership Compliance Certificate Program Series for leaders, human resources and compliance professionals and other professionals.

Honors & Publications

 Creditenals

Licenses

• Human Resources Certification Institute (HRCI) Professional HR PHR Certification
• Society for HR Management Certification SHRM-CP
• Mediation Certification-Florida Supreme Court Mediator-Providing Workplace Mediation Services
• Bachelor of Science, Human Services - Empire State University
• Professional Human Resources Management PHR Certification (HRCI)
• SHRM-CP Certification (SHRM)
• CCEP (Certified Compliance & Ethics Professional) certification course, Orlando, Florida
• Certified Supreme Court County Mediator/Mediation Certification Course

Technology

• Computer Software and HRIS Programs; Programs including Visio, One Drive, Sharepoint, Ultipro, PeopleSoft, ADP (PEO) HRB/ Workforce Now/TotalSource, Learning Management Systems (LMS), Luceo, Applicant Tracking System, Cornerstone (HRIS), Workday, Inspired E Learning. Learn Central (LMS), ATS, ADP, NAVEX (GRC), WebEx, Go-To Meeting and other remote communications tools. 

Languages

• Spanish fluent
• English – U.S.

Academic and Professional Affiliations

• Society Human Resources Management Association (SHRM)
• Society for Corporate Compliance & Ethics (SCCE)
• Human Resources Certification Institute
• Compliance Week

Education

• B.S.     Public Administration, Empire State University, New York, NY
• AAS    Counseling, Empire State University, New York, NY