{"id":6825,"date":"2026-02-17T09:07:53","date_gmt":"2026-02-17T17:07:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hr.uw.edu\/ops\/?page_id=6825"},"modified":"2026-02-17T09:20:38","modified_gmt":"2026-02-17T17:20:38","slug":"employee-relations","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/hr.uw.edu\/ops\/employee-relations\/","title":{"rendered":"Employee relations at the University of Washington"},"content":{"rendered":"

Employee Relations at the University of Washington supports healthy, respectful workplaces where people can do their best work. We partner with employees, supervisors, and leaders to navigate workplace challenges, manage change, and address concerns with care, fairness, and clarity.<\/p>\n

Employee Relations work at UW is delivered through two closely aligned teams, each serving a distinct part of the University while sharing common principles, policies, and a commitment to consistency.<\/p>\n

Campus Employee Relations:<\/strong> Campus Employee Relations supports the Seattle, Bothell, and Tacoma campuses and serves all employee types, including staff, faculty, academic personnel and student employees.<\/p>\n

UW Medicine Employee Relations:<\/strong> UW Medicine Employee Relations serves the University\u2019s health system, including UWMC Montlake, UWMC Northwest, Harborview Medical Center and associated clinics and entities.<\/p>\n

What we do<\/h4>\n

Employee Relations supports the full lifecycle of all employees \u2013 faculty, academic personnel, staff, academic student employees, hourly student employees – through workplace issues and organizational change, including:<\/p>\n

Consultation and Policy Guidance:<\/strong> We help employees, managers and leaders understand and apply University policies, collective bargaining agreements, and employment programs to real-world situations.<\/p>\n

Workplace Concerns and Conflict Resolution:<\/strong> We provide guidance and practical strategies to address workplace concerns<\/a> early and constructively, including recommending employee support resources when a conflict is ongoing, affecting team functioning, or involves behavior that could harm individuals or the workplace. These measures \u2014 like mediation, coaching, process guidance, or organizational adjustments \u2014 help de-escalate tension, strengthen communication, and create a path forward that protects wellbeing and performance.<\/p>\n

Performance Management, Corrective Action and Separation:<\/strong> We advise on performance expectations, improvement plans, misconduct concerns, and corrective action <\/a>and separation processes<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Reorganizations and\/or Layoffs:<\/strong> We guide units through planning and implementation of layoffs and reorganizations<\/a> and provide support throughout the process.<\/p>\n

Leave and Accommodation Support:<\/strong> We partner with the Disability Services Office<\/a>, the Leave & Accommodation teams and HR partners to navigate complex employment situations.<\/p>\n

How we partner<\/h4>\n

Strong partnerships start early. Your assigned HR consultant is a key thought partner when workplace questions or concerns arise\u2014and reaching out sooner helps everyone navigate issues with clarity, care, and confidence.<\/p>\n

Employees<\/strong> are encouraged to contact their HR consultant<\/a> when navigating a challenging workplace situation, seeking guidance, or trying to understand available options. Early conversations can help surface concerns, clarify processes, and identify next steps before issues escalate.<\/p>\n

Managers, leaders, and department HR staff<\/strong> should connect with their HR consultant<\/a> early when workplace concerns emerge or when changes such as reorganizations, performance issues, or corrective actions are being considered. Early partnership helps ensure decisions are thoughtful, well-documented, and aligned with University policy, collective bargaining agreements, and employment law.<\/p>\n

HR consultants work alongside you to:<\/p>\n