Key Responsibilities

1. Multi-State Labor Law Compliance, Contracting & Risk Mitigation

• Multi-State Workforce Oversight: Maintain complete employment compliance across a multi-jurisdictional workforce, supporting active employees in Virginia and Washington state, preparing for expansion into Washington, D.C., and overseeing U.S.-based independent contractors exclusively.

• Agreement & Offer Letter Execution: Draft, customize, and issue standard Evocati PR Independent Contractor Agreements, Statements of Work (SOWs), and formal Employment Offer Letters in strict accordance with federal and state labor statutes.

• Worker Classification & SOW Audits: Conduct quarterly audits of contractor engagements to ensure adherence to the Virginia Worker Misclassification Act (Va. Code § 40.1-28.7:7) and IRS guidelines. Structure fee or rate adjustments as formal SOW amendments to prevent co-employment exposure.

• Contractor Hours & Budget Tracking: Monitor contractor hours in Gusto weekly and monthly to ensure strict alignment with client project budgets, contract caps, and operational limits.

• Multi-State Regulatory Maintenance: Manage multi-state employer registrations, state withholding, unemployment (SUTA), and paid family/sick leave accounts inside Gusto across active jurisdictions.

• Policy Enforcement & Handbook Audits: Annually audit, update, and enforce the Evocati PR Employee & Contractor Handbook to preserve at-will employment status, enforce non-disclosure covenants, and ensure compliance with state-specific mandates (including Washington State Paid Sick Leave and Virginia wage payment laws).

• IP & Confidentiality Safeguards: Secure executed Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs), Intellectual Property and Work Product Assignments, and non-solicitation covenants from all incoming personnel prior to their start date.

2. Employee Relations, Dispute Resolution & Claims Defense

• Objective Mediation Buffer: Serve as the primary, neutral point of contact for employee grievances, wage inquiries, and workplace conflicts under formal dispute protocols, providing an objective buffer for EPR Ownership.

• Investigations & Progressive Discipline: Conduct impartial, documented workplace investigations. Administer progressive discipline (verbal counseling, written warnings, and Performance Improvement Plans) supported by legitimate, non-discriminatory business justifications.

• Unemployment Claims Defense: Compile personnel records and evidence to draft and submit formal contestations to state unemployment agencies—including the Virginia Employment Commission (VEC), Washington Employment Security Department (ESD), and District of Columbia Department of Employment Services (DOES)—defending the firm against unwarranted claims.

3. Performance Management & December Annual Appraisals

• Annual Review Execution: Co-lead and attend annual employee performance appraisals occurring each December (and July mid-year check-ins) alongside Evocati PR Ownership. Track Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and evaluate self-authored employee narratives using the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) framework.

• Bonus Allocation Preparation: Aggregate performance evaluation scores, peer feedback, and operational metrics to assist Evocati PR Ownership in calculating merit-based end-of-year bonus distributions on the firm’s 1-to-5 rating scale.

4. Benefits Administration, Payroll Preparation & Financial Controls

• Benefits Plan Management: Serve as the operational intermediary between benefit vendors, Gusto, and Evocati PR Ownership. Oversee annual plan evaluation, selection, open enrollment, and paperwork for Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield healthcare plans and Schwab retirement plans.

• Retirement Contribution Administration: Generate monthly retirement contribution statements from Gusto payroll reports for the firm’s Schwab retirement accounts. Transmit statements via secure email to the firm’s wealth advising vendor (X2 Wealth Planning), ensuring every transmission is reviewed and signed off by Evocati PR Ownership prior to dispatch.

• Payroll Preparation & Contractor Staging: Prepare bi-weekly employee payroll inside Gusto for final authorization by Evocati PR Ownership. Stage monthly contractor invoice payments in Gusto for final disbursement by Evocati PR Ownership.

• Expense & Purchasing Audits: Review employee expense reimbursements and contractor Amazon Business purchasing requests against firm SOPs (verifying pre-approval for items over $25 and valid receipts), staging approved reimbursements in Gusto.

• Workers’ Compensation & Timecard Management: Manage annual Workers’ Compensation policy renewals and audits. Audit nonexempt employee timecards in Gusto for FLSA overtime compliance, enforcing PTO and Paid Sick Leave under a strict "use it or lose it" policy.

5. Talent Acquisition, Onboarding, Offboarding & Training

• Recruitment & Onboarding: Manage job postings, screening, and interview workflows. Execute complete onboarding via Gusto, including Form I-9 verification within three business days, Anthem health insurance setup, Schwab 401(k) enrollment via X2 Wealth Planning, Google Workspace setup, and Airtable access provision.

• Mandatory Training Oversight: Administer annual mandatory workforce training (Anti-Harassment, Data Security, and AI Standards compliance) and track employee learning and development (L&D) budget caps.

• Offboarding Protocols: Execute standard offboarding checklists, ensuring immediate revocation of software stack access (Google Workspace, Airtable, Meltwater, Squarespace, Canva, Amazon Business), collection of mandatory Exit Memos, and processing of final wages and COBRA notifications in Gusto.

6. Leadership Briefings

• Monthly Executive Meetings: Meet monthly with Evocati PR Ownership to present data-driven briefings on workforce health, contractor hour allocations against budgets, benefits enrollment, multi-state compliance risks, and recruitment status.

• Experience: Minimum 5–7+ years of progressive Human Resources experience, ideally supporting professional services firms, micro-agencies, or government contracting environments (1M - 5M revenue).

• Certifications: Active HR certification (SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP, SPHR, or equivalent) strongly preferred.

• Regulatory Expertise: Deep understanding of federal labor laws (FLSA, USERRA, IRS contractor criteria) and state employment regulations across Virginia (Va. Code Title 40.1, VEC), Washington (ESD, Paid Sick Leave), and Washington, D.C.

• Tech Stack Proficiency: Hands-on mastery of Gusto (payroll, benefits, time-tracking), Google Workspace, Airtable, and Microsoft Office.

• Engagement Structure: Must operate as a U.S.-based independent contractor / consulting firm with an active FEIN.

To submit your proposal or application, please submit the following via Upwork or email to contact@evocatillc.com with “HR Administrator” in the Subject Line:

1. A concise cover letter outlining your experience as a Fractional HR Business Partner/Administrator for small businesses.

2. Your current resume or firm capability statement.

3. Your proposed monthly retainer rate and hourly fee schedule for specialized ad-hoc projects.

EPR is a dynamic, values-led firm that operates with a philosophy of servant leadership. Our environment is fast-paced, innovative, and focused on growth for both our clients and our team members.

Evocati Public Relations is a values-driven firm committed to helping businesses amplify their impact through strategic and purposeful public relations campaigns. We pride ourselves on being a problem-solving company that fosters innovation, integrity, and excellence in everything we do.