Elise Demarais, Shrm-Scp Email & Phone Number

Fargo, ND, US

Research, analyze, and evaluate medical, life, disability and other benefit plans and act as a benefit advisor to clients. Lead consultant and primary point of contact for clients. Supervise work of team members, review work for accuracy and delegate work and projects to other members of the team to ensure client deliverables are completed timely and.

• Formulate partnerships with leaders and employees to deliver value-added HR services for 2,000 employees across the country.
• Revised exit documents to meet state and federal compliance requirements.
• Revised and benchmarked Employee Manual to reduce risk and gain insight on best practices.
• Coach and advise leaders regarding disciplinary action, termination and performance management.
• Travel to offsite locations to consult managers and employees.
• Assist leaders with change management initiatives.

• Managed hands-on and strategic HR expertise in the areas of employee relations and development, talent acquisition and retention, compensation, benefits and special projects for over 1,000 union and non-union employees.
• Provided guidance and input on workforce planning
• Investigated and resolved employee issues related to performance, harassment or discrimination
• Led HR initiatives
• Led HR and Risk/Safety team
• Recommended compensation and benefit enhancements

• Managed all areas of the employee life cycle: hiring, onboarding, performance, benefits and compensation administration, and termination process for over 200 employees.
• Served as first point of contact on employee relations issues, maintaining high levels of discretion, sensitivity to subject, and quick response times to conflict resolution.
• Facilitated weekly staffing meetings with leadership team to improve cross-departmental communication and stay aligned on performance and talent management.
• Led Salary Savings 401(k) committee and 401(k) plan administration to ensure plan is performing and complying with federal regulations.
• Developed benefits forecasting models, attrition statistics and compensation metrics to executive team and Board of Directors.
• Processed biweekly payroll ensuring verification and accuracy of information input into ADP for employees from multiple states.

• Subject matter expert on benefits and compensation administration, compliance and policies through multiple reductions in force and upcoming company closure.
• Led special initiatives, including: development of total reward statements, benefits benchmarking, compensation and job description reviews for over 40 job titles that resulted in increased employee visibility and.
• Led successful implementation of ADP for payroll and HRIS for over 200 employees.
• Negotiated cost savings of $100,000 on medical plan renewal by cultivating long-term relationships with various consultants and vendors.
• Counseled managers and employees on state and federal leave regulations and other benefit related topics.
• Led Wellness Committee, with a focus on employee health and wellness, resulting in higher employee engagement in wellness activities and increased employee satisfaction scores.

• Supported team of three HR Business Partners.
• Implemented standard operating procedures to immigration practices
• Facilitated employee investigations on harassment, misconduct and other grievances
• Developed I-9 operating procedures
• Led respectful workplace training for over 1,500 employees across multiple locations

• Managed benefit administration and auditing of plan and employee information for over 1,500 employees across the United States.
• Responded to employee and vendor questions or directed them to the appropriate resources.
• Implemented new third party leave of absence vendor.
• Led Q&A sessions for employees prior to Open Enrollment.
• Developed communication materials, facilitated orientation and trainings for several locations.

West Fargo, ND

• Oversaw office administrative duties related to a wide scope of HR functions.
• Developed detailed job descriptions for all positions.
• Created formal performance review forms.
• Managed incoming communication and application processing workflow.
• Retrieved and filed documents and confidential information.