Lead, Employee Relations

Ontario Health • Full-time • Remote (Toronto, ON, CA) • 3d ago

At Ontario Health, we are committed to developing a strong organizational culture that connects and inspires all team members across the province. Our vision is that together, we will be a leader in health and wellness for all. Our mission is to connect the health system to drive improved and equitable health outcomes, experiences and value. How we work together is reflected through our five values: integrity, inspiration, tenacity, humility and care.

What Ontario Health offers:

Achieving your career goals is a priority to us. Benefits of working at Ontario Health may include the following based on employment type:

Fully paid medical, dental and vision coverage from your first day
a health care spending account
a premium defined benefit pension plan
three personal days and two float days annually
three weeks’ vacation to start (for individual contributors), increasing to four weeks after two years
career development opportunities
a collaborative values-based team culture
a wellness program
a hybrid working model
participation in
Communities of Inclusion

Want to make a difference in your career? Consider this opportunity.

The Lead, Employee Relations, is responsible for developing strong partnerships with leaders across Ontario Health (OH) and for managing all employee relations and employment concerns (workplace investigations, performance management, employee relations case management, etc.).

The role is key support for OH leadership in achieving business objectives through developing and implementing Performance Improvement Practices and investigative Practices. The Lead, Employee Relations coaches and guides leaders during the meditation process and supports the repair of working relationships while supporting organizational compliance and ensuring policy and legislative compliance.

The role partners with the Human Resources Business Partner (HRBP) Team to develop and implement data-driven HR Strategies, enhancing decision-making and ensuring alignment with business needs.

There are 2 positions available

Here is what you will be doing:

Point of contact for all People Leaders for guidance on employee-related issues and leadership accountabilities.
Responsible for administration of Ontario Health’s Workplace Investigations Process and Performance Improvement Process.
Manages a caseload of investigations with various priority levels, sensitivity, and time frames.
Leads complex high-profile and/or time-sensitive workplace investigations.
Champions the HR support function through effective influencing and partnership efforts.
Supports HRBP Team and People Leaders by providing expertise, analysis, and a point for resolution and/or escalation of employee relations matters.
Develops trusting relationships with People Leaders and external partners as required.
Develops investigation plans for consultation and early identification of issues by assessing the scope and determining the methodology and techniques required to conduct a thorough and effective investigation.
Partners with the HRBP Team to transition and case manage People Leader support with all performance management and is valued as the expert during the investigation and mediation process.
Conducts thorough and objective investigations involving individual and systemic issues, focusing on rigorous fact-finding, fairness, timelines, and attention to detail.
Coordinates list of people to be interviewed, communicates with complainants and witnesses, and conducts on-site interviews and inspections to gather evidence which will include:
- Investigate incidents, claims, or legal matters by gathering and reviewing evidence.
- Plans and conducts thorough interviews using a variety of interviewing techniques.
- Interview witnesses, suspects, and experts to collect statements or testimonies.
- Analyze physical evidence, documents, or digital data to find relevant information.
- Collect and analyze records, reports, and other materials pertinent to an investigation.
- Identifies potential barriers to an effective investigation and recommends solutions.

Recommend and Implement Mediation techniques to support parties in resolving outstanding issues and concerns while encouraging all parties to move forward in a recommended healthy state. This includes leading constructive resolutions and better understanding between the parties involved.
Ability to facilitate communication, help clarify misunderstandings, and guide the parties toward mutually agreeable solutions. Understand their perspectives, the root causes of the dispute, and what each party hopes to achieve from the mediation. Engage the parties to find a resolution and ability to negotiate an outcome of agreement with all parties.
Provides guidance and direction when required to the Employee Relations Specialist on investigative or other employee relations process management.
Collects HR metrics and data from various sources to conduct research and analyze investigative trends and issues for client groups; uses information to continuously provide recommendations on reducing risks connected with investigative results.
Leads the analysis and resolution of complex ER issues with the HR Team and leaders and participates, as required, in resolving related issues and performance concerns/supports.
Prepares briefing/issue notes, options papers, business cases, feasibility studies, presentations and other HR-related documents to support providing recommendations/advice for leadership on Investigative matters.
Develops and maintains effective partnerships and relationships with OH’s leadership team to respond to and provide advice/recommendations on performance-related activities, policy applications, and best practices to address issues with broader corporate impacts.
Collaborates with EIDA-R team to include EIDA-R principles throughout the investigation processes.
Maintain objectivity by staying impartial and focusing on the issues in question.
Leads and/or participates in various HR projects as assigned.

Here is what you will need to be successful:

Education and Experience

Completion of a postsecondary degree or diploma in Human Resources Management or Business Management or a related field – or a combination of education, training and experience deemed equivalent
Six to ten years of related progressive work experience in an investigative HR capacity (e.g. workplace investigation, respectful workplace investigations, human rights investigations, health and safety investigations, etc.)
Mediation/Investigation certification, an asset (eg. ADRIC, ADR, etc)
CHRP/CHRL, an asset
EIDA-R expertise/training an asset

Knowledge and Skills

Thorough understanding of workplace investigation, including mediation expertise as the Subject Matter Expert knowledge of employment and related legislation (e.g. Occupational Health and Safety Act, Human Rights Code, Employment Standards Act, AODA, etc.), equity principles, and sound human resources practices.
Provides coaching, advice, and training to clients and the HR team on various investigative policy programs and initiatives, as well as sound management/employee relations and legislative compliance.
Strong relationship-building skills/communications to establish and maintain effective working relationships across all levels of management, including HR colleagues and OH team members; influence and/or persuade senior management on contentious HR processes, policies, practices, and new initiatives.
Demonstrated ability to strategically manage conflicting priorities and points of view and demonstrate the HR value proposition.
Proven initiative with an entrepreneurial spirit for developing innovative HR solutions to solve complex concerns and issues.
Develops and maintains strong/supportive working relationships with the legal team, HR colleagues, and leaders to ensure the smooth transition of people through sensitive and emotionally charged processes.
Communicates critical performance management support and ER practices and procedures/policy interpretation to managers and leaders across OH with a focus on coaching and building manager capability.
Proven research skills to analyze and leverage quantitative and qualitative data to identify emerging trends/issues such as systemic issues, policy/process concerns, business needs, etc. and prepare recommendations that will enable informed decision-making.
An ability to anticipate emerging issues, assess their complexity, scope, and degree of short- and long-term impacts on business, and proactively identify potential ER risks post investigation/performance support.
An ability to exercise considerable judgment (and discretion) regarding investigative HR practices that are provided effectively to resolve issues.
Recommends post-investigative solutions and progressive discipline where required in line with corporate policy and works directly with the legal division to guide the leadership team.
Review successes, opportunities for improvement, and a full analysis of ER issues/matters to support continuous learning and improvement of overall leadership competencies.
Analyzes performance trends and issues for client group; and communicates expertise on ER trends to provide recommendations on continuously improving employee productivity.
Proactively supporting performance management, identifying at-risk portfolios through data collection/analysis, and flagging corporate compliance risks.
Excellent stakeholder management and relationship-building capabilities across all levels of the organization to deal with and/or influence various complex ER issues.
Excellent communication and presentation skills to prepare and present briefing/issue notes, reports on investigations, mediation reports, performance measures, etc.; prepare responses to information requests and effectively present new and/or complex HR issues.
Effective at dealing with resistance.
Strategic thinker to identify short- and long-term options to HR issues and planning activities.
Able to operate on a tactical and strategic level.
Coaching and facilitation skills.
Other duties as assigned.

LI-hybrid

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Location: Ontario, Canada (currently hybrid; subject to change)

Employment Type:

Permanent Full time

Contract Length:

N/A

Salary Band:

Band 7

External Application Deadline Date:

January 25, 2025

All applicants must be a resident of Ontario to be considered for roles at Ontario Health.

Ontario Health encourages applications from candidates who are First Nations, Métis, Inuit, and urban Indigenous; Francophone; members of Black and racialized groups; 2SLGBTQIA+ communities; trans and nonbinary individuals; and people living with disabilities.

Ontario Health is an accessible employer, and we offer accommodation in all aspects of employment, including the recruitment process. If you require a disability related accommodation in order to participate in the recruitment process, please email

careers@ontariohealth.ca

and a member of the team will connect with you within 48 hours.