Employee & Labour Relations Specialist

Employee & Labour Relations Specialist

The opportunity

Reporting to the Director, Employee and Labour Relations, this role will support all aspects of the employee and labour relations practice.  Working closely with members of the Global P&C Business Partner team, the broader People & Culture team and the Divisions to partner and support on key employee and labour relations issues, providing guidance and direct support to leaders on the handling of employee relations issues.  The Employee & Labour Relations Specialist is to act as the first point of contact for Business Partners, P&C, management and the union.  This role triages requests from the union, manages day to day employee & labour relations issues, coordinates documents, as well as ongoing monitoring of key labour relations risks.  In addition, the role provides additional support on all people and culture initiatives – talent review, year-end performance reviews, year-end compensation cycle, etc.

Who you'll work with

You will partner closely with business clients (Manager, Director and MD level leaders) & union execs/reps as well as collaborate with all P&C partners & legal as the need arises

What you'll do

• Partner with Director, Employee & Labour Relations to address employee & labour relations matters as required

• Provide council and advice, perform fact finding investigation activities (interviews, document review, consultation) related to inquiries, complaints, and concerns and facilitates conflict resolution

• Work with clients to formulate, document and recommend plans to address employee performance issues, including formal performance improvement plans. Take accountability, manage and provide direction to leaders on performance management issues within client groups.

• Provide direction, support, and coaching, as it relates to ER/LR matters to various levels of management and employees.  Ensure issues, questions, and concerns are addressed in compliance with legislation, the labour context (interpretation & application of the Collective Agreement) and OTPP policies and act as a subject matter expert and coach as it relates to ER/LR matters

• Act as a first point of contact for the Union and triage requests to the appropriate Business Partner, Director Employee & Labour Relations, other P&C teams

• In partnership and with support from Director ER/LR & Legal, assist and conduct some investigations and management of compliance matters related to employment regulations, raise issues as appropriate

• Proactively research and develop programs or training to address potential employee or labour relations issues. Build communication plans and conduct training as needed

• Assist in exits (e.g., generate calculations, prepare severance documentation, scripts, coordinate payroll and P&C Ops, e-filing, coordinate security shut down, coordinate outplacement service etc.).  Manage post-exit events (e.g., process WD transactions, equipment and property returns, etc.). Conduct some terminations

• As key member of Global P&C Business Partner team, review, transform and streamline existing processes to ensure operational efficiency

• Act as a change agent in supporting communications, policy review & implementation of human resources or labour relations initiatives

• Enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of the Global P&C Business Partner team and management teams by building their capability, providing labour relations support and implementing common processes/tools

• Partner with Business Partners and Legal where required to develop labour relations solutions that support strategic objectives and are in compliance with legislation and the Collective Agreement

• Key support to all phases of the collective bargaining process, disciplinary and administrative measures, managing grievances, support arbitrations, and other legal proceedings.

• Assist and participate on various tasks relating to Joint Consultation Committee & collective bargaining by collecting data and information for negotiation preparation.

• Layoff planning – provide advice on planned restructurings, transformations and other organizational changes that may impact bargaining unit employees & ensure that collective agreement is followed if BU layoffs/surplus are required 

• Manage information to the Union as required by the collective agreement (ie. biannual seniority report, annual ratings distribution for bargaining unit employees, monthly new hire list, notice to bargain request, etc)

• Other duties/accountabilities/special projects as assigned

• Ability to work independently with little direction

• Take necessary initiative to analyse complex issues and deliver solutions within tight deadlines

• Demonstrate knowledge in conducting research, including the ability to think critically, identify, evaluate and synthesize results

• Strong advising skills and judgement in assessing Union and other partner requests and providing solutions that preserve P&C & management credibility with the union and maintain positive Union/Management relations

What you'll need

• Bachelor’s degree or post-secondary certificate/diploma with concentration in Human Resources Management or Industrial Relations

• CHRP is considered an asset

• Demonstrated ability to develop & maintain strong partnerships with individuals at all levels of management and the Union

• Ability to apply sound judgment and innovative solutions to challenging issues as well as a demonstrated ability on conflict resolution skills

• Solid communicator both written and oral

• Analytical and problem-solving skills, including the ability to exercise sound independent judgement

• Proficient in MS office applications, Workday etc

• Well-organized teammate with good interpersonal skills

• A working knowledge of labour and employment law

• Demonstrates ability to think critically

• Ability to negotiate and influence diverse stakeholders regarding challenging organizational issues

• Must be able to establish and maintain effective working relationships with union representatives, co-workers and management at all levels

• Collaborative and strong execution skills

• Expert understanding of employment standards legislation

• Minimum 4 years of progressive experience in human resources, labour relations and employee relations experience

• Experienced decision maker who uses good reasoning and sound judgement

• Demonstrated ability to collect, analyse, interpret and make recommendations on ER related data

• Proven ability to coach, mentor, advise and partner with stakeholders at various levels of the organization

#LI-OTPP, #LI-VN, #LI-Hybrid

What we’re offering

• Pay-for-performance environment that offers competitive salary and incentive

• Numerous opportunities for professional growth and development

• Comprehensive employer paid benefits coverage

• Retirement income through a defined benefit pension plan

• The opportunity to invest back into the fund through our Deferred Incentive Program

• A flexible/hybrid work environment combining in office collaboration and remote working

• Competitive time off

• Our Flexible Travel Program gives you the option to work abroad in another region/country for up to a month each year

• Employee discount programs including Edvantage and Perkopolis

• Degreed: a digital platform that helps you quickly and easily discover, share, and track various learning resources – from courses to videos to articles and more

At Ontario Teachers', diversity is one of our core strengths. We take pride in ensuring that the people we hire and the culture we create, reflect and embrace diversity of thought, background and experience. Through our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion strategy and our Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), we celebrate diversity and foster inclusion through events for colleagues to connect for professional development, networking & mentoring.  We are building an inclusive and equitable workplace where our talent is respected, accepted and empowered to be themselves.  To learn more about our commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, check out Life at Teachers'.

How to apply

Are you ready to pursue new challenges and take your career to the next level? Apply today! You may be invited to complete a pre-recorded digital interview as part of your application.

Accommodations are available upon request (peopleandculture@otpp.com) for candidates with a disability taking part in the recruitment process and once hired.

Candidates must be legally entitled to work in the country where this role is located.

The privacy of your personal information is important to us. Please visit our Privacy Centre to learn how we handle your personal information.

Functional Areas:

People & Culture

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