Foster a Positive Workplace Culture While Reducing Legal Risk and Managerial Burden
Build Trust, Manage Conflict, and Maintain Compliance
As a small to mid-sized business, you may not have a full-time HR team or Employee Relations (ER) specialist on staff. But that doesn’t mean you’re immune to workplace disputes, employee complaints, or team dysfunction.
When left unchecked, employee relations issues can quickly spiral into:
- Lawsuits
- High turnover
- Toxic work environments
- Lost productivity
- Damage to your brand and reputation
Our Employee Relations Point of Contact (ER-POC) Service offers an expert, third-party resource that your team can turn to—confidentially and professionally—when they have concerns, complaints, or need support navigating workplace issues.
We act as an extension of your team, providing unbiased, proactive, and confidential support designed to strengthen culture and reduce conflict.
What Is an Employee Relations Point of Contact?
An Employee Relations Point of Contact (ER-POC) is a designated professional—often external—who handles employee complaints, concerns, or interpersonal issues before they escalate into HR violations, morale problems, or legal matters.
This role may include:
- Receiving and documenting employee complaints
- Investigating minor workplace incidents or patterns
- Providing employees with guidance on next steps
- Coaching managers on how to handle sensitive issues
- Coordinating with legal/HR resources as needed
- Maintaining confidentiality and neutrality
For organizations that are growing but aren’t ready to staff a full ER department, this service fills a critical gap.
Who Needs This Service?
Our ER-POC service is ideal for:
- Small businesses (under 100 employees) that don’t have an in-house HR department
- Nonprofits where the executive director wears multiple hats
- Startups experiencing rapid growth and team changes
- Organizations experiencing high turnover or culture issues
- Companies under DEI or compliance pressure to improve workplace transparency
If your employees don’t have a trusted, confidential outlet to share concerns—small issues will grow into big problems.
Key Features of Our ER-POC Service
✅ Confidential Employee Support
We serve as a safe and neutral third party your employees can reach out to via phone, email, or virtual office hours.
They can report:
- Bullying or harassment
- Managerial concerns
- Workplace conflicts
- Discrimination or bias
- Stress, burnout, or job dissatisfaction
- Observed misconduct or retaliation
Employees are more likely to speak up to a neutral party outside the chain of command. We help them feel heard—and help you stay ahead of serious issues.
✅ Documentation & Issue Triage
Each case is:
- Logged
- Evaluated
- Categorized by severity
- Prioritized for next steps
Low-risk issues may be handled through coaching and follow-up, while higher-risk concerns are escalated to leadership or legal (with your consent and oversight).
We maintain clear documentation to support future HR or legal actions if needed.
✅ Coaching for Managers and Leadership
We don’t just work with employees—we support your leaders, too.
We offer:
- Guidance for handling difficult conversations
- Mediation support
- Action plans for improving team morale
- Coaching on consistent and fair responses
- Strategy sessions to improve communication
Sometimes, it’s not what you say—it’s how you say it. We help your leaders say it better.
✅ Pulse Reporting & Culture Monitoring
We provide monthly or quarterly reports with:
- Number of issues logged
- Types and themes (e.g., workload, management, DEI concerns)
- Recommended organizational responses
- Early warning signs of bigger culture challenges
This helps you proactively improve culture—not just react to problems.
✅ Policy Alignment & Compliance
We review:
- Your current employee handbook
- Internal reporting policies
- Investigation procedures
- Disciplinary protocols
If policies are missing or outdated, we help create or revise them to ensure consistency, legal compliance, and cultural alignment.
✅ Optional Add-Ons
- Exit interview support – Uncover root causes of turnover
- Investigation support – Partner with legal/HR for complex cases
- Conflict resolution sessions – Structured mediation and facilitated dialogue
- ER training for managers – Empower leadership with ER awareness and best practices
Why Use an External ER-POC?
Here’s what a third-party contact adds that internal teams often can’t:
Internal Only | With External ER-POC |
---|---|
Potential bias from reporting structure | Neutral, third-party confidentiality |
Overwhelmed managers avoiding issues | Dedicated time and follow-through |
Employees afraid to speak up | Safe, confidential channel |
Inconsistent issue resolution | Documented, structured process |
Risk of legal exposure | Early intervention and documentation |
Real-World Example
Client: Small tech startup with 32 employees Issue: Rising tension among developers due to perceived favoritism by one manager. Employees didn’t trust internal HR (seen as too close to leadership). One resignation had already occurred.
Our Solution:
- Became the ER-POC for all employees, with a confidential intake process
- Identified manager’s inconsistent task assignments and communication as the root cause
- Held individual coaching sessions with the manager
- Facilitated a team reset meeting with clear ground rules and expectations
- Instituted a rotating feedback process and improved task transparency
Result: Turnover dropped. Employee satisfaction in the team jumped by 42% in the next engagement survey. Trust in leadership was restored.
Benefits of Having an ER-POC
- 🔒 Confidential, safe space for employees
- ⚖️ Early resolution of conflicts and legal risks
- 💬 Boosted communication and transparency
- 🧘 Reduced stress and emotional load on leadership
- 📈 Improved morale, retention, and productivity
- 🏢 Stronger culture with clear boundaries and trust
Common Questions
Q: Do you act as the legal investigator in harassment or discrimination cases? A: We support documentation, listening, and triage but refer to legal or senior HR resources for formal investigations if warranted.
Q: Can employees call you directly? A: Yes. We offer a dedicated email and phone line, plus optional “open hours” or drop-in availability.
Q: How do you protect confidentiality? A: We follow ethical guidelines and only escalate concerns that are legally or ethically required. Otherwise, employee identities remain private unless consent is given.
Q: How much does this cost? A: Pricing varies based on organization size, number of employees, and desired service level. See below for more detail.
Let’s Keep Your People—and Your Culture—Protected
If your team doesn’t feel safe, respected, or heard, productivity suffers—and risk rises. Let us become the trusted bridge between your team and leadership.
You don’t need drama. You need dialogue—and a path forward.
Start Today
📅 Book your FREE HR Audit
📧 Email: info@[hrmomllc].com
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Your team deserves more than policies. They deserve a person. Let’s be that person.