Employee Relations Business Partner
Resume:
Jeffrey E. Deaton, J.D.
Avon, IN 46123
*** – 753- 3047
*********@*****.***
Professional Summary:
A purposeful human resource professional with over twenty years of experience specializing in the areas of employee/labor relations, legal compliance, conflict resolution, performance management, accountability management, change management, job coaching, diversity, and operational support.
Professional Experience:
Functional Devices, Inc. / RIB – Sharpsville, IN
Sr. Employee Relations Consultant May 2022 – June 2023
•Hired full-time, reporting to the President and CEO, into a newly created position to oversee, gauge, and address all matters involving employee engagement, performance management, legal compliance, employee morale, and union avoidance.
•The company was nearly organized by the UAW in 2021 and I was hired to develop and run a successful employee relations department.
Indiana University Hospitals & Health - Indianapolis, IN January 2022 - April 2022
Sr. Employee Relations Consultant
Contracted to work with IU’s employee relations department, to recommend hospital leadership with pressing employee relation matters such as harassment, performance management, and Level III policy violations.
Spin (Ford Mobility) - San Francisco, CA October 2021 - December 2021
HR / Employee Relations Consultant
Contracted to work remotely and to address employee relations concerns related to conflict resolution, job coaching, job performance, consistent administration of company policies, legal compliance, and overall corporate HR and operational support.
The Home Depot: Repair and Liquidation Center - Plainfield, IN October 2020 - October 2021
Key 3 HR Business Partner
Oversee all HR functions for Home Depot’s weekend shift in their 500,000 square foot repair and liquidation warehouse. Duties included: employee relations, on-boarding labor headcount, legal compliance, performance management, conflict resolution, and operational support.
Great Dane Trailers – Brazil, IN February 2014 –January 2019
Manager – Human Resources
Managed the entire hourly and salary human resource function for Great Dane’s largest and most profitable manufacturing facility of 1200 total employees with only 4 direct reports; and a heavy load of employee relation matters.
Maintained the facility’s union free status by way of a true “open door policy” covering both shifts and on weekends, and through individual training of supervisors on professional conduct and communication skills.
Drafted and installed a new and simplified attendance policy that led to a 3% decrease in unexcused absences in 2018 (to 4.5%) despite the plant’s 23% OT.
Introduced new staffing agencies that increased recruiting success for skilled trades, maintenance, materials, and hourly production (including a substantial increase in hired diversity candidates).
Indiana Wesleyan University – Multiple Indiana Locations February 2006 –January 2014
Adjunct Professor – Adult Learner Graduate Studies
Taught in-class MBA evening courses: Feb 2006 – Jan 2014.
ITT Educational Services, Inc. – Carmel, IN August 2012 - January 2014
HR Business Partner
Managed HR, legal, employee relations, compliance, and operational support for thirty-three individual schools in eight different states across the US.
Maintained all legal matters and ethics issues on schedule during the time of the company’s financial downturn and eventual bankruptcy.
Advised twelve other schools in five other states to cover for another HRBP when required to travel for work or off on vacation.
Due to proper analysis, I was able to successfully defend all EEO cases within my authority.
Air System Components, Inc. – Lebanon, IN September 2010 – April 2012
Manager – Human Resources
Was specifically hired to bring stability and sustainability to this small, 100-person union facility with a history of acrimonious relations with ownership.
Resolved over fifty grievances within the first two weeks and had the remaining ten grievances cleared by the end of the first month.
Did not have a single grievance filed after beginning work there and was able to help with successful contract negotiations after corporate led effort failed in their first attempt to get a signed agreement.
LEP Special Fasteners – Frankfort, IN November 2007 – February 2009
Director – Human Resources
Overhauled the entire human resource function including labor relations approach, payroll system, time and attendance tracking, and staffing for a newly purchased facility and distribution center of over five hundred total employees.
Most significant contribution was becoming involved with the facility’s first ever union contract negotiation that was already six months long, and then leading to the decertification of the union before a contract could be voted on.
Vitran Express – Indianapolis, IN June 2006 - September 2007
VP - Human Resources & Risk Management
I was hired to bring stability to the HR department that the earlier VP vacated without notice, and with a territory of eight states and fifteen service centers.
There were dozens of EEO claims in need of prompt attention and was able to successfully mediate five of the six oldest pending cases from Chicago, Nashville, and Flint.
Successfully led the company’s system-wide union-avoidance campaign when advised by the NLRB of an official union organization try by the Teamsters in Rockford, IL.
Upon defeating the union’s organization attempt, I then led in the successful merger with a trucking firm in Pittsburgh, PA.
HR successfully rolled out the company’s first on-line open enrollment, and pay card initiative, without incidence.
Diamond Chain Company – Indianapolis, IN April 2005 - January 2006
Manager – Human Resources
I was hired to manage a union that earlier management was unable to work with.
Immediately contracted a safety expert, an occupational nurse, who brought the recordable injury rate down to one per month from nine within the first 4 months.
I traveled to England to conduct a disciplinary hearing for the company’s VP of European Sales that resulted in his termination of employment for inappropriate conduct with work associates.
Oxford Automotive – Greencastle, IN April 2003 - April 2005
Manager - Human Resources
Was recruited by a former manager at a prior company (Rolls Royce) to help turn around a financially troubled 400-person union facility with a history of labor strife.
Was one of six new managers brought in at the same time but was the only one left after 3 months.
Quickly resolved all twenty open grievances and in two years only had three new grievances filed, with none going to arbitration.
Education:
Indiana University School of Law – Indianapolis, IN
Degree: Doctor of Jurisprudence (JD)
(Specialized Training: Civil and Family Mediation Practices
Conducted by the Indiana Continuing Legal Education Forum)
Huntington College – Huntington, IN
Degree: B.A History (Cum Laude)
President - Senior Class
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