Employee Relations Specialists (ERS's) provide advice and guidance on employee and labor relations matters. ERS's service various agencies and organizational units as follows: APHIS Employee Relations Branch (PDF)
ERS's Help Supervisors
Some of the ways in which an ERS can help supervisors are as follows:
Advise how to handle a situation involving an employee performance, conduct, or labor relations issue;
Assist with a decision of what alternative action or what disciplinary action may be appropriate;
Locate and interpret pertinent regulations;
Help determine if a regulation was properly communicated to an employee;
Help determine if a rule was violated by an employee, and whether it was enforced with discipline in the past;
Explain how to counsel and document properly;
If necessary, conduct further factfinding or an investigation;
Advise on alternatives to traditional discipline;
If official disciplinary action is warranted, assist in defining an appropriate penalty for the offense(s);
Write official disciplinary letters for the supervisor's signature (based on input from the supervisor);
Explain pertinent employee's rights and the regulations therein;
Advise and assist with grievances; and
Defend disciplinary actions taken by the Agency that go before a third party (i.e., arbitration or the Merit Systems Protection Board).
ERS's Help Employees
Some of the ways in which an Employee Relations Specialist (ERS) can help employees are as follows:
Answer questions on employee or labor relations matters;
Locate and interpret pertinent regulations;
Explain employee's rights and the regulations therein;
Explain the disciplinary/adverse action process;
Explain the administrative or negotiated grievance process;
If the employee alleges discrimination, provide the telephone number of the Civil Rights Enforcement and Compliance (CREC) office, or the name of an Equal Employment Opportunity counselor; or
Explain applicable regulations pertaining to bargaining unit employees (i.e., Weingarten right).
