Job Title: Labor Relations Assistant
Location: Merrillville, IN
Work Model: Hybrid — onsite Tuesday through Thursday; remote Monday and Friday
Rate: $25–$30/hour
Contract Duration: November 2, 2026 – May 28, 2027
Possibility of Extension: Yes, strong possibility of extension
Employment Type: W-2 OnlyWork Authorization: U.S. Citizens Only | Green Card holders also eligible; no visa sponsorship available

Position Overview

We are seeking a detail-oriented and highly organized Labor Relations Assistant to support HR and labor relations activities within a fast-paced utility environment.

This role will provide administrative, reporting, analytical, and transactional support to HR, business leaders, and union stakeholders. The position will work extensively with Workday HRIS, Excel, PowerPoint, HR reporting, represented employee transactions, job bidding, attendance tracking, requisitions, and labor-related correspondence.

The ideal candidate is proactive, responsive, comfortable working with confidential information, and able to manage multiple competing priorities. This person should be able to work independently while also collaborating closely with HR, business leaders, and union representatives.

Key Responsibilities

Labor Relations & Union Support

• Support HR and business leaders with labor relations activities involving represented employees.
• Assist with attendance reporting, job bidding, and bumping processes.
• Maintain documentation and trackers related to union-represented employees.
• Support correspondence and coordination with local union offices.
• Assist with represented employee transactions and related approvals.
• Help ensure labor-related records and processes remain accurate, timely, and well documented.
• Provide administrative support for labor relations initiatives and special projects.

HR Reporting & Analytics

• Create and maintain HR reports, queries, trackers, and analytical summaries.
• Work with HR and business leaders to provide reporting and analysis supporting key initiatives.
• Interpret HR data and identify trends, alternatives, and potential recommendations.
• Manipulate data in Excel and PowerPoint for efficient use by HR teams and business partners.
• Maintain databases and reporting tools supporting:
  • Attendance reporting
  • Job bidding
  • Vacancy tracking
  • Pay changes
  • Represented employee activity
  • HR transactions
• Create improved reporting tools and processes as business needs evolve.
• Summarize complex data into clear, usable information for HR and operational stakeholders.

Workday HRIS Support

• Work within Workday HRIS to support HR and labor relations activities.
• Create and run HRIS queries.
• Extract, organize, and analyze HR data.
• Assist with HR transactions related to represented employees.
• Support data validation and reporting activities.
• Help maintain accurate employee and position information.
• Assist with troubleshooting routine system or data issues.

Job & Position Administration

• Lead and submit requests for:
  • New job creation
  • Job codes
  • Budget locations
  • Vacancies
  • Pay changes
• Track required approvals and follow up with stakeholders.
• Assist leaders with creation of job requisitions.
• Support position and employee transactions.
• Maintain accurate records of approvals and status.
• Coordinate with HR and business leaders to ensure transactions are completed accurately and on time.

HR Program & Policy Support

• Compile and analyze information related to HR programs, systems, and processes.
• Assist with administration and enforcement of HR policies and procedures.
• Provide employees with general guidance regarding policies and HR-related questions.
• Escalate more complex employee concerns to the appropriate HR or labor relations resource.
• Support documentation and communication related to HR initiatives.

Data Management & Documentation

• Maintain HR databases, trackers, reports, and supporting documentation.
• Ensure data is accurate, current, and easily accessible to appropriate stakeholders.
• Develop spreadsheets, presentations, Word documents, and other business materials.
• Organize HR information for efficient use by HR team members and business partners.
• Maintain confidentiality of employee, labor, compensation, and organizational information.

Project & Administrative Support

• Complete special projects by:
  • Clarifying project objectives
  • Establishing timelines
  • Conducting research
  • Organizing information
  • Coordinating transactions
  • Tracking deliverables
• Maintain schedules, action items, and project documentation as needed.
• Support HR initiatives that require coordination across multiple teams.
• Adjust priorities quickly as business needs change.

Process Improvement

• Identify opportunities to improve HR reporting, administrative processes, and workflows.
• Support development and implementation of more efficient HR tools and processes.
• Recommend improvements based on recurring issues or operational needs.
• Help standardize reports, trackers, and HR administrative practices.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives across the HR function.

Employee & Stakeholder Support

• Respond to employee questions regarding policies and other HR-related concerns.
• Provide timely and professional support to HR, business leaders, and employees.
• Maintain a strong sense of urgency and responsiveness.
• Collaborate effectively across organizational lines.
• Build productive working relationships with HR, business leaders, union representatives, and other stakeholders.

Day-to-Day Responsibilities

• Run Workday reports and queries.
• Prepare attendance and job-bidding reports.
• Maintain HR data trackers and databases.
• Export and manipulate HR data in Excel.
• Create PowerPoint presentations and reporting summaries.
• Track job creation, job codes, vacancies, budget locations, and pay-change approvals.
• Assist leaders with job requisitions and represented employee transactions.
• Support bidding and bumping processes.
• Coordinate correspondence with local union representatives.
• Respond to routine employee HR questions.
• Complete special projects and administrative requests.
• Maintain confidential HR documentation.
• Support process-improvement initiatives.
• Balance multiple priorities and shifting deadlines.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources OR 3–5 years of HR administrative experience.
• Strong understanding of HR functions, policies, and procedures.
• Strong Microsoft Office skills, particularly:
  • Excel
  • PowerPoint
  • Word
  • Outlook
• Experience working with electronic communications, calendars, and business systems.
• Ability to create and run queries within an HRIS system.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to manage conflicting priorities and multiple concurrent tasks.
• Strong sense of initiative and proactive approach to work.
• Demonstrated responsiveness and sense of urgency.
• Ability to independently problem-solve and exercise sound judgment.
• Ability to maintain composure in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
• Strong teamwork and collaboration skills.
• Ability to work across organizational levels and functional groups.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality when handling sensitive HR and labor-related information.
• Ability to work onsite in Merrillville, IN Tuesday through Thursday.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with Workday HR.
• Previous experience supporting labor relations or union-represented employees.
• Experience with:
  • Attendance tracking
  • Job bidding
  • Bumping processes
  • Position management
  • Job requisitions
  • Pay-change transactions
• Experience preparing HR reports and workforce analytics.
• Strong Excel skills, including data manipulation and reporting.
• Experience within a utility, industrial, manufacturing, or other unionized environment.

Core Competencies

• Labor Relations Support
• Human Resources Administration
• Workday HRIS
• HR Reporting
• Data Analysis
• Excel
• PowerPoint
• HRIS Queries
• Attendance Tracking
• Job Bidding
• Bumping
• Position Management
• Job Requisitions
• Represented Employees
• Union Coordination
• HR Transactions
• Confidentiality
• Process Improvement
• Stakeholder Support
• Organization
• Prioritization
• Communication
• Problem Solving

Ideal Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate is a highly organized and responsive HR professional who is comfortable supporting both labor relations and HR operations in a fast-paced environment.

The strongest candidates will have experience working with Workday, HR reporting, Excel, represented employees, attendance tracking, job bidding, and HR transactions. They should be able to manage detailed administrative work while also providing clear data and reporting support to HR and business leaders.

This role is best suited for someone who takes initiative, adapts quickly, communicates professionally with employees and union stakeholders, and can manage several priorities without losing accuracy or follow-through.