by Ben FitzSimons

In June of 2025, the Governor signed H.B. 25-1333, and the Office of Legislative Workplace Relations was renamed the Legislative Human Resources Division. With the passage of that bill, the division’s scope was also expanded, allowing the division to provide full human resources support to the Colorado General Assembly.

Located in Room 022, in the northwest quadrant of the Legislative Services Building basement, the division consists of two human resources professionals: Ben FitzSimons (Director) and Stephanie Schliemann (People Partner). Both Ben and Stephanie are committed to providing professional human resources services and support in a neutral, nonpartisan, and confidential manner.

The division provides a number of human resources services to the entire legislative branch, including legislators and their employees and interns, legislative staff agencies, and third parties, like members of the media and individuals and lobbyists testifying in committee. These include:

• Confidential consultation, facilitation, and resolution planning for workplace issues and concerns, including: Working with legislators and supervisors to help resolve concerns or issues with their staff members; 
• Working with legislators’ staff members (including aides, interns, partisan and nonpartisan staff, and volunteers) to help resolve questions or concerns about the work environment or their supervisors;
• Confidential consultation regarding corrective or disciplinary action and planning; and
• Harassment complaint intake, investigation, and resolution.

• Workplace training, including:
  • Annual workplace harassment and expectations training for all legislators, staff, and third parties;
  • Manager or Supervisor training on topics like coaching, providing effective feedback, and effective meeting management; and
  • Other professional development training, such as effective training skills, introduction to project management, leadership, and workplace ethics.

• Organizational development services, including:
  • Provision or coordination of organizational development services to teams or agencies;
  • Team or individual coaching;
  • Customized team-building programs or exercises; and
  • Team-based leadership development training and projects.

• Resources for recruiting and compensation classification, including:
  • Support for recruiting through the full hiring cycle, from developing job posting language to sending out job offer letters;
  • Performing salary audits to identify potential gaps or inequities; and
  • Assisting with the creation or revision of job descriptions to ensure compliance with applicable laws and best practices.

• Support for personnel policies and handbooks, including:
  • Coordinating with legislative leadership to ensure branch-wide policies and procedures use consistent language;
  • Ensuring agency, chamber, and caucus policies and handbooks are up-to-date and compliant with current law; and
  • Working with individual agencies or chambers on their unique needs and associated policies.

• Centralized, branch-wide compliance support, including:
  • Support for workplace accommodations and the accommodation process under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990;
  • Management of all required employment law postings;
  • Providing notice of changes to employment laws; and
  • Management, maintenance, and storage of medical records related to medical leave or ADA accommodations.

You may contact the division, also known as HR, by email at lhrd@coleg.gov or call (303) 866-3393. You may also visit the office in person in Room 022 of the basement level of the Legislative Services Building.