SANDRA L. SPENCER - SPHR, SHRM-SCP

860-***-**** ad2ly0@r.postjobfree.com LinkedIn:sandyspencersphrCT

PROFESSIONAL SKILLS SUMMARY

Strategic Planning Private Equity & Merger/Acquisitions Workers’ Comp/ OSHA/Safety

Change Management Compensation/Benefits management Policy/Procedure Development

Process Improvement/Lean HR Talent Management and Retention Employee Surveys/Engagement

Organizational development Employee handbooks Training grant writing

Performance management Applicant tracking systems Employee/Labor Relations

Union avoidance Affirmative Action Plan/compliance Payroll implementation (ADP)

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

TOWN OF EAST LYME – Niantic, CT 10/2022 – 11/2023

Director of Human Resources

Directed the centralized HR function for the Town of East Lyme for up to 400 employees including seasonal staffing for unaffiliated and four labor unions (Police, Fire, Dispatch, and Public Works/Admin staff).

Project Leader Timekeeping and Paid time off system (NOVAtime implementation which upgraded payroll processing from paper records to on-line and mobile access use for all hourly staff within four months.

HR Audits conducted for Benefits, I-9, and OSHA to ensure compliance with all Federal and state regulations resulting in cost savings for overall Benefits and Workers’ compensation spends.

DOL quarterly wages and unemployment compensation reporting audits updated within two months of hire by working collaboratively with the CT Department of Labor and Payroll vendor to automate quarterly wage filings.

Hired over 150 regular and seasonal staff within a one- year period without using professional staffing firms and very low-cost sourcing methods.

Ensured timely submission of annual pension records and worked with outside counsel to begin updating all pension and 403b documents to ensure that record keeping, and fiduciary standards were met.

Completed initial filing of Civil Rights Evaluation survey with Department of Homeland Security to ensure compliance for Federal grant funding programs.

FLETCHER BUSINESS GROUP/ FLETCHER-TERRY COMPANY – East Berlin, CT 01/2022 - 08/2022

Director of Human Resources

Member of the Senior Management Team for this 150-year-old OEM manufacturing company with locations in CT, NJ, IL and Italy.

HR/Payroll and Benefits Compliance and Process improvements in the area of payroll, HR payroll and benefits audits, Unemployment Compensation, Immigration, and recruitment

Saved over 100K from prior year in recruitment fees through creative sourcing.

Obtained free leadership training for newly promoted leader and staff saving over $3K

FIRST CHOICE HEALTH CENTERS, Inc. – East Hartford CT 03/2020 – 09/2021

Director of Human Resources

Member of the Senior Management Team for this Federal Qualified Health Center with 14 outpatient and school-based clinics employing over 150 clinical and administrative support employees.

Pandemic communications and staffing planning team member – included communication plans for reductions in force, reduced schedule and return to work programs for both staff and DOL

Employee experience/engagement – Worked with clinical team and Senior management to develop focus groups and action plans based on employee feedback from employee engagement survey resulting in more open and positive feedback from all employee groups.

Created a comprehensive health benefits plan. Reduced overall costs by 40k with the first renewal and cost neutral in the second year. Secured new wellness benefits for on-line weight management coaching, mindfulness meditation, and smart watch enabled steps programs.

Recruited over 50 administrative staff and providers without using agency fees saving over 150K.

Proactive Workers Compensation and Unemployment Claims management resulting in 10% premium reduction and 20K in unemployment costs respectfully.

S&S WORLDWIDE, Inc. - Colchester CT 03/2012 – 11/2019

Director of Human Resources

Member of the Senior Management Team that established a five-year business strategy in 2014. Management leadership responsibility for employee engagement in the areas of talent management including recruitment, retention, and associate development.

Reduced HR operating budget by 30% through technical upgrades, associate self-service, process improvement, manager training, and staff reduction.

Secured and administered training grants of over $50,000 from the Department of Labor & CCSU-ITBD.

Developed a comprehensive 5-year benefits strategy which resulted in no financial increases for the last four years by switching to self-funding and reference-based pricing models.

Lowered Worker’s Comp mod rate from 1.5 to 0.87 significantly reduced insurance premiums.

Implemented ADP payroll/HR and Applicant Tracking systems resulting in streamlined recruiting, HR, and payroll processes with employee and manager self-service.

CELEBRATION FOODS, LLC, A Division of Rich Products - New Britain CT 08/2006 – 03/2012

Director of Human Resources

Redesigned talent management and orientation processes by implementing streamlined processes for recruitment sources, lower recruitment costs, and significantly improved on-boarding for all hiring levels.

Saved over $100,000 by securing new management, benefits administration, applicant tracking, recruitment advertising, and pre-employment screening vendors.

Led the human capital management processes plant closures in California, Massachusetts, and Maryland.

Successful union avoidance by collaborating with management and outside council.

Established formal orientation process for the over 400 staff that were hired within a 12-month period.

Developed and coordinated staffing and training to improve overall plant decorating efficiencies from 50% to 100% with 25% less staff.

Administrator for over $130,000 in state training grant money and wrote training grants for an additional $40,000 in training grants for displaced workers. Obtained and coordinated grant funded on-site ESL classes.

Member of strategic planning senior team for operations, manufacturing, sales and product initiatives, and human capital management as well as Board of Directors communications and company quarterly reviews

Served as leadership contact for all employment legal updates, compliance, and potential litigation, including state, federal, OFCCP, and NLRB; successfully passed two OFCCP desk audits and was responsible Affirmative Action Plan updates and compliance.

DATICON, Inc. – Norwich CT 06/2000 – 05/2006

Corporate Director of Human Resources

Directly supervised two human resources staff for this BPO litigation support services and technology company with 500 employees in CT, MA, NJ, DE, NY, TX and CA.

Created and implemented pre-employment screening processes including drug screens, background checks, and professional references; developed pre-employment drug testing and testing for reasonable suspicion policies. and procedures including vendor selection and staff and management communication and education.

Produced and implemented new human resources policies and procedures and employee handbook that provided for consistent staff communications for performance expectations and management practices.

Designed and delivered management training courses in the areas of human resources policies and procedures, employee relations, workers’ compensation case management, performance management and documentation, behavioral interviewing, and sexual harassment prevention.

Provided pro-active management and employee coaching and counseling.

Recruited over 200 professionals in the first two years of employment as the company doubled in size and increased revenue by over 40% while maintaining recruitment costs far below the national average.

Responsible for broker management and benefit administration for all corporate health benefits and 401(k) plans, including vendor selection, employee communication and education, and plan administration and compliance; also instituted a Section 125 flex spending program for both medical and dependent care savings accounts.

HOSPITAL FOR SPECIAL CARE, NEW BRITAIN, CT 03/1993 – 06/2000

Senior Employee Development Consultant

Provided general human resources support for multiple business lines for a rehabilitation/sub-acute hospital, a skilled nursing facility, and on-site childcare center with over 1000 employees.

Wrote and administered an $18,000 CT Department of Labor customized job training grant for clinical staff computer training for conversion from paper to electronic medical records system.

Developed policies and procedures manual for organizational restructuring which resulted in multiple position eliminations with no adverse legal action taken against the company; payroll savings were well over $500,000

Served as human resources consultant working in partnership with employee health to effectively manage workers’ compensation claims, which resulted in a significant reduction in both work injuries and lost work time through effective case management and return to work light duty programs; mod rate decreased by 20%.

Project Leader for job description/performance evaluation taskforce which successfully re-designed job description and performance evaluation standards.

Core team member of analysis and compensation workgroup that resulted in establishing both internal and external equity according to a market-based philosophy.

Designed and delivered management training programs in the areas of sexual harassment, effective interviewing techniques, performance evaluations and documentation, FMLA, ADA, and conflict management.

ADJUNCT FACULTY/TEACHING

THREE RIVERS COMMUNITY COLLEGE – Norwich, CT 2015 - 2016

Part-Time Adjunct Faculty for the SHRM certification prep course - for SHRM human resources certification

EASTERN CONNECTICUT STATE UNIVERSITY – Willimantic/Groton, CT 2004 – 2012

Part-Time Adjunct Faculty for the Human Resources Certification Institute (HRCI) prep course

EDUCATION

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Hartford, CT - M.S Human Resources Management

Bryant University, Smithfield, RI – B.S. Business Administration, Marketing concentration

Magic Kingdom College Internship Program - Walt Disney World, Lake Buena Vista, FL

Human Resources Certification Institute- Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR)

Society for Human Resources Management - Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP)

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