Human Resources

Human Resources is dedicated to supporting an inclusive work environment for all employees at Western. This unit provides essential services related to recruitment, onboarding, payroll and benefits administration, and employee relations. The HR team collaborates with campus stakeholders to promote a positive workplace culture and enhance organizational effectiveness across the University.

Home

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The HR homepage provides information on job postings for staff, faculty, and students, as well as onboarding resources. 

Benefits & Leaves

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Learn about various retirement and insurance benefits available to employees, including details on open enrollment periods and information on leaves of absence.

Employee & Labor Relations

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The Employee and Labor Relations team provides comprehensive resources on Western's unions, tools for performance evaluations, vacancy support, and compensation information.

Hiring

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View resources for hiring professional staff, faculty, librarians, and executive officers, along with quick links to new hire paperwork, and guidelines for background checks to ensure a thorough and supportive hiring process.

HR Announcements

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HR announcements provide the latest updates on important information for employees, including benefits information, training opportunities, and upcoming events.

Payroll

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The payroll team provides information on time sheets, paychecks, direct deposit, payroll taxes, W-2 and W-4 forms, along with quick links to accrued leave, employment verifications, payroll schedules, and key dates and deadlines.

Associate Vice President (AVP) for Human Resources

Liz Parkes is the Associate Vice President (AVP) for Human Resources at Western, where she leads a service-oriented team dedicated to providing efficient and courteous support to the university's employees, while ensuring compliance with federal, state, and institutional regulations.

After earning her law degree, Liz began her career at the Office of the Attorney General in Spokane, representing the Department of Child and Family Services. She then moved to Seattle, where she worked at a boutique litigation firm before returning to her hometown of Bellingham. There, Liz spent 20 years at the Haggen corporate office, overseeing a broad range of responsibilities, including employee and labor relations, contract negotiation, commercial leasing, and various legal and Human Resources functions.

Liz Parkes

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