Human Resources Management

Karen B. Saidiner

*** ** **** ****

Glendale, California 91206

818-***-**** cellular

email *********@***.***

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/karen-saidiner/2/126/5b9

SUMMARY I have maintained responsibility for implementing a strategic view of

Human Resources and Employee Relations. I have had primary

responsibility for management of Employee Relations, including the

Leave of Absence and Employee Services Departments. Moreover, my

responsibilities included but were not limited to developing, interpreting

and recommending program goals and objectives, policies and

procedures and courses of action all while managing a team of Human

Resources professionals and maintaining department budgets.

PROFESSIONAL Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Pasadena, CA

EXPERIENCE Director, Employee Services & Solutions Center (HR Management)

08/2008 to 12/2009

• Direct supervisory responsibility for twelve employees

assigned to the Employee Services & Solutions Center,

which includes the HR Generalists, the Leave of Absence

Unit, the Relocation and Tuition Reimbursement

Departments, Employee Services and Work/Life Balance

Departments, Benefits and aspects of Compensation.

• Supervised and manage the Employee Relations function at

the Laboratory

• Supported the daily operation involving major HR processes,

activities, events, benefits administration and Oracle data

execution.

• Identified and support manager/employee training and

development.

• Own HR policies and procedures.

• Provide extensive leadership coaching and counseling to all

levels of management within the organization.

• Coordination as a true business partner with Ethics Office,

Legal Department, Security, Business Operations and

organization management.

• Focused on diagnostic and consultative work with an

emphasis on talent and performance management,

organizational capability, and employee motivation and

engagement.

Boston Scientific Neuromodulation, Valencia, CA

Human Resources Regional Business Partner (Director Level),

Human Resources Dept., 11/2007 to 08/2008

• Consulted with senior management and board members on

employee development and engagement

• Aided in the development of Company culture

• Overall policy development and adherence

• Proactively developed and implemented HR initiatives that

align with and support the business needs and company

strategies.

• Managed performance management process. Co-

developed and implemented training on the process,

leadership responsibilities within it and building manager and

employee PeopleSoft skills.

• Focus on diagnostic and consultative work with an emphasis

on talent and performance management, organizational

capability, and employee motivation and engagement.

Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market, Inc., El Segundo, CA

Director, Employee Relations (HR), Human Resources Dept., 7/2006

to 11/2007.

• Direct supervisory responsibility for six employees assigned

to the Employee Relations Department.

• Designed, developed and implemented all policies and

procedures including comprehensive management guides

implementing performance management and overall

evaluation tools.

• Maintained seat at Board of Directors meetings, advised

CEO of HR strategies and overall focus of human resources.

• Set up employee benefits, leave of absences and 24 hour

employee hotlines while in start-up phase

• Liaison with vendors including outside counsel, Ceridian,

Mercer and other benefit based organizations.

• Formulated and recommended program goals and

objectives

• Developed and maintained overall Company culture.

• Developed and established in-service employee training and

educational assistance programs in an effort to upgrade

managerial, technical and support-level productivity.

• Developed, maintained and met budget guidelines.

Responsible for Employee Relations Department including Employee

Relations Managers, Human Resources Generalists, Payroll and

Administrative functions. Start up company forecasting over 30,000

employees within 5 years. Designed, coordinated and delivered all

policies, procedures and processes for all functional areas of the

Company, including home office, distribution and manufacturing

environments. Responsible for consulting CEO and Board members in all

relevant policies, processes and procedures. Design overall team

function to support employee environment in coordination with company

core values. Design and managed performance processes, evaluations,

succession planning, leave administration, dispute resolution process,

employee assistance programs, designed vacation structure, diversity

plan, business ethics plans and designed and rolled out all operational

training plans. Handle legal issues including hearings, mediations and

pre-trial arrangements.

UnumProvident Corporation, Glendale, CA

Director, Employee Relations, Human Resources Dept. 6/2001 to

7/2006

• Developed and established manager training programs to

lower turnover rates with success

• Developed EEO training programs and successfully

lessened legal issues

• Reclassified employee structures resulting in successfully

thwarting and dismissing multiple class action lawsuits

without having to pay monies upon dismissal

Responsible for consulting, counseling and guiding management through

performance management process, manager/employee relationships,

terminations, and staffing in an insurance claims environment as well as

in multi-state sales operations. Member of the senior management team,

making sure the operations are aligned with our culture and vision and

values policy. Involved in interim and annual reviews, ensured all

programs administered and scored according to law and policy. Met with

managers who may have direct reports scoring low in leadership,

professional integrity or ethics. Helped to implement and write personnel

policies. Designed and directed new hire orientations. Responsible for

investigating internal complaints with all state and federal agencies.

Attended hearings with Labor Commissioner’s Office and Department of

Labor. Counseled management on all relevant employment laws

including wage and hour laws and all aspects of the Fair Labor

Standards Act. Knowledgeable in multi-state and federal employment

laws, including FMLA, ADA, and Title VII. Conducted training with all

levels of management and employee populations, DDI Certified.

SBC Communications, Inc., Los Angeles, CA

Senior HR/EEO Consultant/Human Resources Dept. 4/1999 to

6/2001

• 98 percent success rate with all charges filed with Federal

and State agencies.

• Designed and delivered programs to increase employee

engagement with success.

Responsible for investigating all internal and external complaints filed

with the EEOC, DFEH, and DOL with respect to discrimination and all

laws falling under Tile VII, as amended and the California State Fair

Employment & Housing Act, and responding to agencies. Counseled

management on disability plans and the applicable laws governing the

ADA/FMLA & CFRA/PDL and other leave and accommodation issues.

Reviewed Position Statements of other EEO Consultants. Oversaw

maintenance of EEO database. Implemented and conduct new hire

orientations. Consulted in union and non-union environments. Member

of Statewide Absence & Accommodation Review Committee (SAARC).

Partner with union. Counseled and advised management and other

internal clients on employee development, implementation of personnel

policies, performance improvement plans, termination packages

including recommendations thereto and other areas of employment

relations. Advised staffing and employment departments in areas of

hiring, testing and retention. Advise management on diversity and EEO.

Designed, conducted and evaluated training programs, both formal

programs by conducting needs analysis, training methods and training

evaluation and informal including socialization and mentoring.

Conducted dispute resolution. Use, interpret and continually update

knowledge of all federal and state employment laws including recent

court decisions and legislation.

Xerox Corporation, Santa Ana, CA

Human Resources Consultant 2/1992 to 4/1999

Responsible for counseling human resources departments in the western

US with respect to performance improvement programs, policy violations,

recruitment and selection, interpretation and implementation of personnel

policies, wage and hour laws and current state and federal laws with

respect to FMLA, FLSA, ADA, sexual harassment and other areas of

employee relations. Investigating charges filed with the EEOC, DFEH,

DOL and NLRB. Designed, conducted and evaluated training programs.

Dispute resolution and management training. Also, negotiated changes

to Xerox Order Agreements reviewed and approved Covenant Not to

Compete agreements, Barter Agreements, Sales Agency agreements,

and Service Agency agreements. Pre-litigation resolution of customer

disputes. Managed litigation budget for entire West Coast region.

Consulted in union and non-union environments.

Solish, Jordan & Wiener, Los Angeles, CA

Paralegal To Managing Partner 1990 to 1992

Coordinated all law and motion. Created, drafted and summarized

discovery for use in trial. Handled all aspects of trial preparation.

Second-chaired trials with senior partner in malpractice cases.

Wilson, Elser, Moskowitz, et al., Los Angeles, CA

Paralegal 1988 to 1990

Coordinated all procedural aspects of law and motion and discovery in

Los Angeles for the New York home office in their defense of 101

international and domestic reinsurers in a complex contract action

involving the liquidation of one of America’s largest insurance companies.

Interviewed and hired paralegals and other support staff. Negotiated

with multiple vendors for products and services.

EDUCATION MS – Human Resources – Chapman University – Honors

Litigation Certification – UWLA – Honors

BA – Psychology - UCLA

SPECIAL SKILLS Exceptional written and verbal communication skills; strong interpersonal

abilities; excellent organization, planning, and team building skills.

COMPUTER HARDWARE: PC & MAC

COMPUTER SOFTWARE: Windows for PC & MAC, Microsoft Word,

Excel, PowerPoint, Entourage, Access, Internet, various HRIS including

PeopleNet, PeopleSoft, Oracle

REFERENCES Other professional experience includes the legal profession and will be

supplied upon request.

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