Employment Law Attorney

About Us:

The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce is a diverse team of passionate, education-focused professionals responsible for overseeing and enhancing the quality of education for each of Ohio’s 1.7 million students. The Department provides the resources and supports essential to raising student achievement and accelerating learning opportunities, advancing the connectivity between K-12 and postsecondary learning, creating programs to support and expand workforce experiences, and ensuring students have the necessary supports to be ready each day to learn.

As the governing body responsible for overseeing and enhancing the quality of education within the State of Ohio, the Department of Education and Workforce is dedicated to promoting educational excellence and ensuring equal access to learning opportunities for all students. The Department is committed to collaborating with schools, districts, educators, students, families, businesses, nonprofits and all stakeholders to achieve our educational goals.

What You'll Do:

Serve as management level employee & provide legal counsel & advice to appointing authority on matters concerning labor relations:

• Coordinates and monitors all labor relations activities affecting employees of agency and assists in planning agency's overall labor relations program;
• Confers and/or advises managers and/or supervisors regarding collective bargaining contractual issues, interpretation and/or processes;
• Administers and ensures compliance with OCSEA union contract;
• Plans and presents training on OCSEA union contract and any significant updates;
• Assists agency in contract negotiations;
• Evaluates current and potential labor and employee relation problems and recommends resolutions;
• Liaises with Office of Collective Bargaining;
• Drafts agency work rules, policies and procedures;
• Prepares and provides technical assistance to management/supervisory personnel;
• Responds to inquiries from government officials, employees, general public and union officials;
• Facilitates all aspects of pre-disciplinary meeting and grievance processes and/or represents agency at grievance hearings (i.e., Step 2, mediation, WOOC, ADR, arbitration);
• Prepares recommendations to management and appointing authority concerning discipline;
• Implements approved disciplinary actions;
• Assists the Ohio School for the Deaf and Ohio State School for the Blind with disciplinary and/or OCSEA, SCOPE/OEA and/or SEIU 1199 contractual issues.

Develops and implements activities to ensure compliance with equal employment opportunity (EEO) and affirmative action laws, rules and regulations:

• Assists with development of policies and procedures to ensure compliance in recruiting, hiring and promotional opportunities;
• Investigates EEO complaints and attempts to resolve discrimination complaints through liaison with internal and external legal counsel and enforcement agencies and recommends corrective action;
• Prepares periodic EEO related reports and provides recommendations;
• Provides EEO training to new employees and management personnel to keep abreast of new trends or legislation.

Serves as Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Coordinator for the Department and implements all aspects of ADA Titles 1 and 2 for the Department and for the public:

• Meets with team members with disabilities and engages in the interactive process.
• Liaises with team members, facilities management, DAS building management and the Office of Accessibility and Opportunity at DAS regarding ADA accommodations;
• Manages the ADA Title 2 email inbox for the public and works with Department offices to address customers and stakeholders with disabilities accommodations;
• Writes, recommends, and implements changes to policies related to Americans with Disability Actt;
• Develops training materials and presents trainings to implement policies related to Americans with Disability Act.

Performs other duties as assigned including:

• Serves as Department’s 504 Coordinator;
• Implements approved record retention schedule for office.

Admission to Ohio Bar pursuant to Section 4705.01 of Revised Code; 12 mos. exp. as licensed attorney; 6 mos. exp. in employee training & development.

Job Skills: Attorney/Legal

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in employment law or experience investigating complaints involving employee misconduct,
• Writing investigative reports and making recommendations

Ohio is a Disability Inclusion State and strives to be a model employer of individuals with disabilities. The State of Ohio is committed to providing access and inclusion and reasonable accommodation in its services, activities, programs and employment opportunities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other applicable laws.

The State of Ohio is a drug-free workplace which prohibits the use of marijuana (recreational marijuana/non-medical cannabis). Please note, this position may be subject to additional restrictions pursuant to the State of Ohio Drug-Free Workplace Policy (HR-39), and as outlined in the posting.

Knowledge of employment law (i.e., procedural & substantive); legal research methods; legal writing; interviewing; laws, rules & procedures applicable to operations of employing agency; supervisory principles/techniques*; employee training & development.

Ability to deal with large number of variables & determine specific course of action; organize & interpret extensive variety of legal material in books, journals or legal documents; communicate verbally regarding legal issues; handle sensitive contacts with government officials, adverse parties &/or general public.

(*)Developed after employment.