Employee Relations Specialist

Employee Relations Specialists perform a variety of duties to promote employee welfare, such as resolving human relations problems and promoting employee health and well‐being. Administers complex processes related to the delivery of HR ER services within regional location – conducting investigations, corrective actions, conflict resolution, leave management, and monitoring compliance programs.  

Key Responsibilities:

• Documenting and managing employee relations or workplace concerns in a case management system and initiating the fact-finding process. 

• Conduct fact-finding in a deliberate, thorough, and timely manner to determine the appropriate resolution or if further investigation is needed on any given case.  

• Maintaining accurate and up-to-date records and documentation in the case of the management system at all times.  

• Responsible for ensuring each employee relations or workplace concern are documented and addressed regardless of the intake method. Escalating employee concerns or grievances as necessary.  

• Engaging with employees regarding reasonable accommodation requests, including interviewing employees, collecting appropriate documentation, and evaluating requests.  

• Providing strategic support through partnership and coaching to all levels of the organization to ensure the management of employee performance with a focus on employee relations is top of mind for all managers and region.  

• Staying attuned to organizational and operational changes across the business and industry to identify potential risks and develop plans to address them proactively.  

• Serving as a point of contact and providing support, guidance, and direction to management and employees on the management of employee performance with a focus on performance improvement and corrective action matters.  

• Assisting with the development and delivery of appropriate feedback or corrective/disciplinary actions across the company. 

•  Providing rigorous data analysis and reporting solutions based on base, region or company needs, highlighting key trends in employee relations to actively drive proactive solutions to improve employee engagement, reduce risk, and minimize reactive work.  

• Helping develop target initiatives to address specific employee relations issues related to that base/region. 

• Partnering closely with HR Partners and the Performance Management team to identify trends in performance issues and action plans to address them. Helping facilitate educational workshops and training for managers and broader audiences on topics related to employee relations.  

• Conducting routine data analysis and reporting to identify and escalate key trends in employee relations issues to ensure root-cause analyses are taking place and to enable and drive proactive solutions.  

• Designing, creating, and implementing proactive programs, policies, and procedures that improve employee relations and contribute to a positive and productive working environment.  

• Maintaining accurate, confidential records regarding all reported cases and fact-finding documentation. 

• Interpreting and applying an understanding of GardaWorld policies and practices, employment law, and other regulations to provide advice, guidance, or clarification for ER inquiries.  

• Maintaining a pulse on employment legal trends and new legislation. Identifying and recommending appropriate process or technology improvements to ensure effective and efficient fact-finding, resolution, and communication. 

Education: 

• A minimum of 5 years of experience in Human Resources, preference to have this experience working in a unionized environment.  

•  Post Secondary Education in Human Resources or Labour Relations or equivalent work experience. 

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: 

• Employee relations, including principles and best practices, current theories, and trends, as it is relevant to corporate policies and applicable legislation. 

• Experience working within federal jurisdiction, is ideal.  

• Proven experience of working with collective agreements or arbitral jurisprudence. 

• Interpretation methods for a variety of collective agreements and voluntary recognition agreements to provide accurate, consistent advice and recommendations. 

• Negotiation and dispute resolution methods and techniques to facilitate or persuade the settlement/resolution of difficult grievances and disputes with bargaining unit representatives and other stakeholders; and to assist with the representation of management in mediations and arbitration situations. 

• Proven ability in providing advice and support to employees, operations, and management to address/resolve routine labour or employee relations issues and situations. 

• Capable effective management of all grievance cases up to stage 3 including settlement negotiations, or withdrawal. 

• Responsible for promoting a positive employee relations environment and effective employee relations strategies and practices that meet both corporate and regional interests and requirements. 

• Responsible for participating in special corporate or regional projects involving employee relations/labour relations, as assigned. 

Competencies: 

• Team Building and Communication: must be able to support the development of a healthy internal culture that retains vital employees and holds individuals accountable to company or regulatory standards. Facilitate coordination and communication between departments and functions.  

• Work Standards – Sets and maintains high performance standards. Pays close attention to detail, accuracy, and completeness. Shows concerns for all aspects of the job and follows up on work outputs. 

• Problem Solving – Analyses problem by gathering and organizing all relevant information. Identifies cause and effect relationships. Comes up with appropriate solutions and ensures follow through. 

• Initiative – Takes action to influence events. Generates ideas for development, takes advantage of opportunities, suggests innovations.  Does more than is required. 

• Communication: Communicates clearly and concisely. 

Working Conditions: 

• 20% to 30% of this position is travel-based, within Canada. Higher travel requirement during collective bargaining negotiations. 

• Most of the time is spent in an office environment with frequent opportunity to move about. Occasionally, moves/lifts light objects. 

• Physical Environment Work is performed in a closed office for 50% of the time; the remaining time is spent in meetings 

• Work is performed in a typical office environment or in combination with telecommuting.   

• Requires visual attention and concentration when working with employees to determine and understand employee relations issues, while analyzing data and information, reviewing case files, or creating/drafting case law summaries. In meetings or hearings, the incumbent must listen, watch, and record observations and other information. 

• Long periods of reading and concentration required when doing research on case law, reading case files, and going over collective agreements. 

• The incumbent regularly encounters unpleasant social interactions with individuals who are angry or frustrated. The incumbent may also experience stress from the long-term implications of their recommendations and the impact on their credibility from making the correct recommendation