Responsibilities
• Serve as the dedicated employment law advisor to GTI’s People team and other business partners across all multi-state retail, production, and corporate operations, providing practical, risk-calibrated guidance across the full employee lifecycle – from hiring and onboarding through performance management, compensation, accommodations, and separations.
• Advise on internal workplace investigations involving employee misconduct, discrimination, harassment, and retaliation, ensuring outcomes are consistent, lawful, and aligned with GTI’s values.
• Own GTI’s EEOC charge and administrative agency complaint process end-to-end – drafting position statements, coordinating fact-gathering, responding to agency requests, and driving matters to resolution prior to litigation.
• Collaborate closely with the Associate General Counsel – Litigation when matters escalate beyond the administrative stage, ensuring seamless handoff and consistent strategy on active employment-related cases.
• Serve as a trusted legal advisor on complex employee benefits escalations, interpreting applicable laws and regulations, counseling cross-functional partners, and identifying emerging legal risks requiring further action.
• Advise the People team on complex leave of absence and reasonable accommodation matters across GTI’s operating states, ensuring consistent application of federal and state requirements.
• Partner with the People team to proactively manage risk, draft and maintain employment policies, and advise on workforce strategy, employee relations, and all aspects of employment law compliance.
• Review form employment agreements, offer letters, separation and severance agreements, and the templates People and Talent Acquisition teams use day-to-day.
• Design and deliver practical employment law training for managers and the People team, covering high-risk areas such as terminations, accommodations, investigations, and wage and hour compliance.
• Collaborate with Assistant General Counsel – Labor, as needed, to support GTI’s labor relations strategy and union matters.
• Stay current on federal, state, and local employment law developments across GTI’s operating markets; manage compliance plans in response to legislative changes and translate developments into actionable guidance for business partners.
• Partner with the People team and other business leaders to spot early warning signs across complaints, investigations, and exits, and drive corrective action where possible.
• Own and maintain the employee handbook and all state-specific addenda, ensuring policies remain current, legally compliant, and reflective of regulatory changes across all jurisdictions in which GTI operates.