You said:
ChatGPT said:
“Leave coverage” means the company is hiring someone temporarily to fill in for an employee who is away from work for an extended period.
In this posting, Joyce wrote “Temp for leave coverage.” That likely means their current HR Manager is on an approved leave—possibly medical leave, parental leave, family leave, or another type of absence—and they need an experienced HR Manager to run the function until that person returns.
A few things I'd ask Joyce about before accepting anything:
- How long is the assignment expected to last?
- Is there any possibility of becoming permanent?
- Is the person currently in the HR Manager position expected to return?
- Would you be employed by LHH or directly by the client company?
- Are there benefits during the temporary assignment?
- Is the $45–$55/hour W-2 pay through LHH?
At $55/hour, that's roughly $114,400 annualized at 40 hours/week, but you wouldn't necessarily receive a full year's work because it's temporary.
And now that you've asked about it, I would actually remove the sentence in your cover letter saying you're interested in providing leadership “during a leave-coverage assignment.” There's no advantage to emphasizing the temporary nature of the job. Your cover letter should focus on why you're qualified for the HR Manager position.
You said:
ChatGPT said:
Yes—that will make the cover letter stronger. I’d replace the paragraph about leave coverage with this:
Jennifer “Sunny” Pleasants
Vallejo, CA
(925) 565-6444
jpleasants88@gmail.com
September 22, 2026
Joyce Marie Reyes
Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist
LHH Recruitment Solutions
Dear Ms. Reyes:
Thank you for contacting me regarding the Human Resources Manager opportunity in Fairfield. After reviewing the position, I am very interested in the opportunity and believe my extensive Human Resources, business operations, employee relations, and California compliance experience aligns well with the needs of the role.
I bring more than 20 years of experience across Human Resources, recruiting, staffing, business operations, manufacturing, healthcare, and highly regulated California environments. Throughout my career, I have worked closely with leadership and employees to manage both strategic HR initiatives and the day-to-day employee matters that are essential to maintaining an effective and compliant workplace.
In my HR leadership roles, I have managed employee relations matters and workplace investigations, including employee complaints, counseling, conflict resolution, corrective actions, performance concerns, and supporting documentation. I have also led full-cycle recruiting, workforce planning, onboarding and orientation, employee training, performance management, compensation and salary planning, and HR process improvements.
My background also includes manufacturing experience with Benchmark Electronics, where I worked in a fast-paced environment supporting cross-functional operations and programs across multiple geographic regions. This experience strengthened my ability to coordinate across departments, respond to changing business requirements, analyze operational needs, and build productive relationships with employees and leadership.
In my current Senior Human Resources Manager / Staffing Manager role, I support multi-site operations and partner with management on staffing, employee relations, performance management, workforce planning, California employment requirements, training, compensation considerations, regulatory compliance, and broader business initiatives. Working within a highly regulated environment has also required a high level of confidentiality, documentation, organization, adaptability, and attention to detail.
I am particularly interested in this opportunity because it combines hands-on Human Resources leadership with strategic business partnership. I am comfortable balancing organizational priorities with day-to-day HR responsibilities while serving as a trusted resource to both employees and leadership.
I would appreciate the opportunity to discuss my experience and learn more about the organization and its HR priorities. Thank you for your consideration, and I look forward to speaking with you.
Sincerely,
Jennifer “Sunny” Pleasants
(925) 565-6444
jpleasants88@gmail.com
This is the version I'd use. It keeps the focus entirely on why you're qualified for the HR Manager role rather than calling attention to the temporary nature of the assignment.