Employment Counsel (Associate Counsel, Level C)

Empower Every New Yorker — Without Exception — to Live the Healthiest Life Possible

NYC Health + Hospitals is the largest public health care system in the United States. We provide essential outpatient, inpatient and home-based services to more than one million New Yorkers every year across the city’s five boroughs. Our large health system consists of ambulatory centers, acute care centers, post-acute care/long-term care, rehabilitation programs, Home Care, and Correctional Health Services. Our diverse workforce is uniquely focused on empowering New Yorkers, without exception, to live the healthiest life possible.

At NYC Health + Hospitals, our mission is to deliver high quality care health services, without exception. Every employee takes a person-centered approach that exemplifies the ICARE values (Integrity, Compassion, Accountability, Respect, and Excellence) through empathic communication and partnerships between all persons.

The Office of Legal Affairs/Office of the General Counsel is responsible for the provision of legal services to the System and is generally organized by practice groups that are aligned with the business needs of the corporation. The Employment practice group of the Office of the General Counsel provides legal counsel and guidance to NYC Health + Hospitals with respect to a wide range of employment issues, and also consults on other litigation-related matters as needed.  The attorneys in the Employment practice group are available to provide guidance on system policies, support the operational needs of the system with respect to employment-related matters, and to assist the system in maintaining compliance with its legal responsibilities and obligations with respect to employment issues. They also provide in-house litigation support on employment and, occasionally, other litigation matters. The Associate Counsel position assists the Chief Employment Counsel in the performance of his/her duties.

General tasks and responsibilities will include: 

Under the direction of the Chief Employment Counsel, the responsibilities of the associate counsel include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Providing strategic legal counsel and serving in an advisory role to management, Human Resources and other business partners with respect to executing a wide variety of employment-related matters, including but not limited to, matters concerning recruiting, hiring, benefits, compensation, performance, discipline, terminations, internal investigations, leaves of absences, employee relations, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wage and hour compliance, contingent worker matters, regulatory compliance and employment risk management.
• Responding to complaints of alleged violations of employment and labor laws (including but not limited to Title VII, the New York State Human Rights Law, the New York City Human Rights Law, ADA, FMLA, ADEA, FLSA, and other applicable federal, state and local laws), including, but not limited to, investigating, drafting internal memoranda, and drafting external responses to federal, state, and city civil rights agencies, as well as handling any associated requests for information or settlement negotiations 
• Drafting, reviewing and revising policies and procedures that touch and concern employment (e.g. policies related to leaves of absences, equal employment opportunity, performance management, employee discipline, occupational health services, background checks, salary policies, etc.).
• Negotiating, drafting and executing settlement agreements concerning employment related matters.
• Managing and overseeing external counsel where appropriate, which includes, but is not limited to reviewing litigation-related court filings, collaborating on litigation strategies, determining appropriate settlement value/authority, attending depositions, mediations and court conferences, etc.
• Monitoring legislation, regulations, case law and government enforcement activities related to employment issues and providing proactive, strategic advice to the relevant stakeholders.
• Providing advice and developing strategy with senior leadership on company-wide initiatives affecting employees, including but not limited to, workforce reduction and performance management.
• Advising and Assisting with the supervision of the system’s EEO Staff who are responsible for handling all requests for reasonable accommodations, responding to all internal and external EEO complaints, and providing EEO trainings for the System.
• Conducting in-person trainings/workshops and creating training modules and guidelines for staff.
• All other duties as assigned and/or as deemed appropriate within the scope of practice.
• All other tasks as deemed appropriate by the Chief Employment Counsel.

1. A baccalaureate degree or equivalent, and LLB or JD from an accredited School of Law; and admission to New York State Bar; and 
2. Three (3) years of experience and background in the practice of law subsequent to admission to the Bar in matters of litigation, negligence, corporate law, contracts, real estate, labor relations, labor law and employee relations, or 
3. Two (2) years of experience and background in the practice of law subsequent to admission to the Bar in matters of litigation, negligence, corporate law, contracts, real estate, labor relations, employment law and employee relations, with two (2) years of progressively responsible experience in a professional or managerial capacity in respective fields applicable to the general body of law, specialties or practice.

• Admission to the New York State Bar and SDNY and EDNY
• At least five (5) years of experience and background in the practice of law subsequent to the admission to the bar.
• At least five (5) years of experience and background in the practice of employment law and litigation, generally.
• At least one (1) year of experience working with health care clients or other experience in health care.