Employee Relations Team Ready to Solve Problems, Big and Small
“Employees are our greatest asset,” said Robert Cancellieri, director of employee relations at Einstein. “We aim to do whatever we can to ensure that people succeed here at Einstein. We want them to succeed.”
Anna Gartner and Rob Cancellieri team to address critical issues that concern Einstein employees
To do that, staff members within this division of human resources offer advice to employees with work-related issues, mediate conflicts, administer union contracts, confirm that Einstein policy is in line with employment law and best practices and maintain Einstein’s employee handbook.
More than anything, the office staffers promote fairness.
They act as liaisons between Einstein’s employees and the institution at large, working daily to resolve employee problems at every level and in every department in order to develop positive relationships among staff, faculty and managers.
The Go-to Resource for Employees
Rob at the annual Service Recognition Ceremony with Drs. Ed Burns and Steven SafyerTo that end, the two-person team—Mr. Cancellieri and employee relations specialist Anna Gartner—fields requests for help. Some are simple questions about vacation or sick time; others, such as complaints and allegations of a serious nature, may require investigating.
“Rob and Anna are here to listen to employees and guide them to the various resources that are available to them,” said Yvonne Ramirez, vice president of human resources and diversity officer. “That can include acting as a sounding board or investigating an actual conflict.”
The duo strives to make sure that Einstein employees are comfortable in their jobs and understand Einstein’s policies and procedures. “The work we do affects the everyday lives of employees, so we must be fair, thorough and diligent in how we respond,” noted Mr. Cancellieri.
Adapting to Change
With the transition to Montefiore complete, the past two years proved a busy period for the employee relations team. It oversaw the implementation of a new contract with 1199 Service Employees International Union and New York State Nurses Association, and reviewed every employee policy detailed in Einstein’s new employee handbook.
“We went through it line by line, policy by policy, and updated them all,” said Mr. Cancellieri.
The revised handbook, released to the Einstein community on March 8, 2018, is a valuable employee resource. If a policy is unclear, the employee relations team members can help.
Instilling Fun through Engagement
While much of their work involves delving into the “nitty gritty” of employee policies, employment law and union contracts, the duo also organizes events that bring Einstein employees together outside of work.
Rob and Anna with other members of the Einstein-1199 Making Strides breast cancer walk team“We have a softer side,” Mr. Cancellieri said. “We also are in charge of employee engagement. We organize the annual blood drive, the annual appreciation picnic, staff service recognition ceremony and some other fun events held during the year.”
In years past, they’ve overseen school-supply drives for local public schools; more recently they organized a walk team to benefit the American Cancer Society and introduced a Pi Day celebration, held—in a happy coincidence—each year on Albert Einstein’s birthday, March 14.
“I think it’s important to get our employees to work together in a different way, teaming up outside the cubicle, and to provide them with avenues to let loose for a while. These events provide another perspective and improve morale,” said Mr. Cancellieri.
Last year, they established a steering committee of employees from throughout Einstein to help identify other areas of opportunity. Their aim is to offer more events to engage employees, and training that will help them work better together.
This spring, they plan to launch a new program, Bravo!, through which employees can recognize another employee or groups of Einstein staffers by nominating them to receive recognition for efforts that go above and beyond the normal scope of their job duties, embody Einstein’s values in a meaningful way, or represent a distinctive contribution to the Einstein community. (Watch for information about the Bravo! program in an upcoming e-blast and in an Inside Einstein story.)
Always within Reach
Do you have a question or issue that requires assistance from the employee relations team? Rob and Anna are available at (718) 430-2551 or (718) 430-3771, respectively, or by e-mail at employeerelations@einstein.yu.edu. For more information, visit http://einstein.yu.edu/administration/human-resources/.
Posted on: Wednesday, June 13, 2018