HR Compliance Job Description: Roles, Responsibilities, and Requirements (SwiftSDS Guide)
If you’re searching for an HR compliance job description, you likely need two things: (1) a clear definition of what HR compliance professionals actually do day-to-day, and (2) a practical template you can use to hire an HR compliance specialist or HR compliance manager who can reduce legal risk and keep your workforce policies audit-ready. Below is a focused, HR-ready breakdown of HR compliance roles and responsibilities, required skills, and the key laws and training obligations this position typically supports.
For broader context on building a complete compliance training program, see SwiftSDS’s hub on human resources compliance training.
What is an HR Compliance Specialist (and why the role matters)?
A human resources compliance specialist (also called an HR compliance specialist) is responsible for ensuring HR practices align with applicable employment laws, posting requirements, internal policies, and documentation standards. The role touches wage and hour, anti-discrimination, leave administration, workplace safety coordination, recordkeeping, and training—often across multiple jurisdictions.
In smaller organizations, the HR compliance specialist may be a “do-it-all” compliance owner. In larger organizations, they often partner with legal, payroll, safety/EHS, and HR business partners to manage compliance controls, audits, and training.
If you’re evaluating tools or vendors to support the function, SwiftSDS also provides a comparison of HR compliance companies.
HR Compliance Roles and Responsibilities (core duties)
An effective human resources compliance job description should define responsibilities in concrete, auditable terms. Here are the most common pillars.
1) Maintain compliance with wage & hour and pay practices
HR compliance frequently supports wage-and-hour governance, including:
- Worker classification support (employee vs. independent contractor; exempt vs. non-exempt)
- Timekeeping and overtime controls
- Youth employment rules, break/meal compliance (state-specific), and pay transparency coordination where applicable
- Required wage notices and posters
For example, employers covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) must display the Employee Rights Under the Fair Labor Standards Act notice: Employee Rights Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) poster. If you employ Spanish-speaking workers, you may also need the Spanish version: Derechos de los Trabajadores Bajo la Ley de Normas Justas de Trabajo (FLSA).
Actionable expectation to include in the job description: “Conduct quarterly wage-and-hour compliance checks in partnership with Payroll and document corrective actions.”
2) Oversee required labor law postings and jurisdiction changes
A major compliance risk is outdated postings—especially for multi-state employers or employers with local requirements (e.g., counties/cities).
A strong HR compliance specialist will:
- Map worksites and remote employee locations to posting obligations
- Ensure required federal, state, and local notices are displayed and updated
- Track effective dates and replacement versions
- Maintain proof-of-posting (photos/logs) for audits
SwiftSDS can help you scope requirements by jurisdiction, starting with Federal (United States) Posting Requirements. For state-specific compliance, reference the appropriate page such as California (CA) Posting Requirements. If you operate in jurisdictions with local additions, see examples like San Francisco County, CA Posting Requirements or city-level requirements such as San Francisco, San Francisco County, CA Posting Requirements.
Actionable expectation: “Maintain a posting compliance matrix by location and perform monthly verification of updates.”
3) Support anti-discrimination, harassment prevention, and equal employment compliance
HR compliance professionals help operationalize equal employment and anti-discrimination requirements by:
- Keeping policies current (anti-harassment, accommodation, complaint intake, investigations)
- Coordinating training requirements and documentation
- Supporting internal reporting channels and case management processes
Where state law requires specific notices, the role should ensure those notices are posted. For Massachusetts employers, for example, the Fair Employment in Massachusetts notice is a key posting: Fair Employment in Massachusetts.
Actionable expectation: “Maintain complaint intake and investigation documentation standards; coordinate annual policy review with Legal.”
4) Manage leave and accommodation compliance processes
Depending on your footprint, HR compliance may coordinate:
- FMLA administration (federal Family and Medical Leave Act)
- State paid family/medical leave programs (state-specific)
- ADA interactive process support (Americans with Disabilities Act)
- Pregnancy-related accommodation requirements and related notices
For Massachusetts, employers may need to post specific leave-related notices such as: Notice: Parental Leave in Massachusetts.
Actionable expectation: “Create standardized leave and accommodation workflow checklists; audit 10% of leave files semi-annually for completeness.”
5) Coordinate workplace safety compliance touchpoints and training records
While EHS teams often “own” OSHA programs, HR compliance frequently supports:
- Training assignment and completion tracking
- Incident documentation coordination
- New-hire safety orientation requirements
- Public-sector or state-specific safety posting obligations
To structure training expectations in your HR compliance job description, align responsibilities with your training program. SwiftSDS resources that fit naturally into this role include:
If your organization uses certifications to validate competency, see environmental health and safety certification programs.
Actionable expectation: “Own compliance training assignment rules (who/when), maintain completion reports, and retain records for audit timelines.”
HR Compliance Specialist Job Description (template you can adapt)
Use the structure below as a practical HR compliance specialist job description. Adjust based on organization size and states where you operate.
Job Title
HR Compliance Specialist (Human Resources Compliance Specialist)
Summary
The HR Compliance Specialist supports enterprise HR compliance by maintaining accurate policies, postings, training documentation, and audit controls aligned to federal, state, and local labor laws.
Key Responsibilities
- Monitor HR-related regulatory changes (wage & hour, leave, posting requirements, employee notices) and coordinate implementation.
- Maintain labor law posting compliance across all locations, including federal requirements and state/local additions.
- Support HR compliance training administration (assignment, completion tracking, record retention) and partner with internal stakeholders to close gaps.
- Assist with HR audits (internal and external), create corrective action plans, and document evidence of compliance.
- Maintain HR compliance documentation standards for personnel files, I-9 retention processes, training records, and investigation files (as assigned).
- Partner with HRBP, Payroll, and Legal to ensure consistent application of policies and processes.
Qualifications
- 2–5 years in HR compliance, HR operations, or employee relations with compliance exposure
- Working knowledge of FLSA, FMLA, ADA, Title VII concepts; familiarity with state/local posting requirements
- Strong documentation skills; comfortable with audit evidence and change management
- HRIS proficiency (reporting, workflows), strong Excel/Sheets skills
Success Metrics (highly recommended)
- Posting compliance accuracy rate (e.g., 100% required posters current by location)
- Training completion rate by deadline (e.g., 98%+)
- Audit findings closed within defined SLAs
- Policy review cadence achieved (e.g., annual updates documented)
HR Compliance Manager Job Description: what changes at the manager level?
An HR compliance manager typically expands scope and accountability. A strong hr compliance manager job description may include:
Strategic and leadership responsibilities
- Own the HR compliance program roadmap and governance calendar
- Lead cross-functional compliance committees (HR, Payroll, Safety/EHS, Legal)
- Manage vendor relationships (HR compliance software, training vendors, poster services)
To evaluate vendors and platforms, reference HR compliance companies. If you outsource training content or LMS support, see compliance training providers.
Risk management and audit ownership
- Build an audit plan and sampling methodology (files, time records, training logs)
- Ensure consistent evidence retention and defensibility
- Deliver executive reporting (risk trends, corrective actions, readiness)
A practical companion resource is SwiftSDS’s human resources compliance audit checklist, which can be used as part of the manager’s annual audit cycle.
Location-specific compliance: how to write it into the job description
Because posting and policy obligations vary by jurisdiction, add a clear requirement such as:
- “Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local labor law postings and notices for each worksite and remote-work location.”
Then specify your highest-risk jurisdictions. For example, employers with California employees should reference California (CA) Posting Requirements, and those with San Francisco area employees should review San Francisco County, CA Posting Requirements and San Francisco, San Francisco County, CA Posting Requirements.
FAQ: HR compliance job description
What’s the difference between an HR compliance specialist and an HR compliance manager?
An HR compliance specialist typically executes day-to-day compliance tasks (postings, training tracking, documentation, audits). An HR compliance manager usually owns the program strategy, leads cross-functional governance, and is accountable for audit outcomes and risk reporting.
What laws should an HR compliance role know?
Common baseline knowledge includes FLSA (wage and hour), FMLA (leave), ADA (accommodations), and Title VII concepts (anti-discrimination/harassment), plus state and local requirements—especially posting and notice rules that change frequently by jurisdiction.
How do you measure HR compliance performance?
Use metrics tied to auditability: posting accuracy by location, training completion by deadline, time-to-close corrective actions, policy update cadence, and reduction in repeat audit findings.
If you want to align this role with a training-first compliance program, pair the job description with your training inventory and assignment rules using SwiftSDS guidance on compliance training for employees and annual safety training.