Director, Labour Relations and Employee Relations | Centre of Excellence

Location

Burlington, ON | Canada

Job description

Annual Base Salary Range: $140,000-$175,000 (CAD)

Sodexo is looking for a Director of Labour and Employee Relations supporting our business in Canada.

At Sodexo, our purpose is to create a better every day for everyone to build a better life for all. As the global leader in services that improve the Quality of Life, we operate in 55 countries, serving over 100 million consumers each day through our unique combination of On-Site Food and FM Services, Benefits & Rewards Services and Personal & Home Services.

How You'll Make an Impact:

Reporting to the VP Human Resources, this role is responsible for leading labour relations across Canada for all business segments as well as building the Labour & Employee Relations Centre of Excellence. The Director will partner HR Business Partner team and in-house legal team to drive positive labour and employee relations and strengthening of manager capabilities. S/he will be responsible for establishing and maintaining satisfactory labour-management relations and the formulation and administration of company's labour relations policy; represent management in labour relations, including negotiation, interpretation, and administration of collective bargaining agreements, mediations and arbitrations. The Director will design systems and processes to ensure a high degree of compliance and best practices are applied to managing employee relations.  

Strategic:

• Define a Labour and Employee Relations strategy in alignment with the overall business objectives.
• Represent Sodexo Canada management in labour relations, including the negotiation, interpretation, and administration of collective bargaining agreements.
• Lead the labour relations team, to support and implement effective labour relations strategies aligned to Sodexo’s labour strategy and framework.  
• Design and implement effective employee relations programs to drive a culture of accountability at all levels.
• Provide overview of HR-related legislative changes for communication to management and Human Resources staff.
• Establish and produce all employment and labour related metric data and for internal stakeholders.
• Advise operational units and work with senior executives on sensitive matters of strategic importance.
• Facilitate the development of labour and employee relations policy and practices to ensure alignment with overall business framework.
• In partnership with key stakeholders, oversee and facilitate the development of bargaining strategy and plans to ensure economic & non-economic mandates align to company objectives, and contingencies to protect operational continuity.
• Provides leadership and expertise in the development of positive employee relations programs, including training, assessment, and risk mitigation programs.
• Maintains strong collaborative relationships with Business Segments, Transversal and Service Ops teams, Total Rewards, and other key stakeholders. 
• Leads or advises on other labour & employee relations initiatives as required. 
• Perform due diligence related to business opportunities.

Capability Building:

• Drives process and systems to build sustainable labour and employee relations practices across all business segments.
• Provide advice and guidance, tools, and resources, as required to manage employee and labour relations matters. 
• Respond to union organizing drives, certification, decertification, and employee list applications including preparation of necessary documentation, communications, and training.
• Leverage regional or local resources to build excellence and competency in labour and employee relations.
• Provide leadership, training, and support for planning and conducting effective collective bargaining and or administration of the CBA, including interpretation, grievance/arbitration, past practice management, mid-contract changes, developing memorandum of settlements.
• Monitor and understand changes to applicable jurisprudence and legislation and incorporate such changes into policies and processes as necessary.
• Identify and drive best practices in labour and employee relations.
• Ensures compliance with all applicable provincial laws.

Stakeholder Management:

• Build and manage constructive relationships with external and internal stakeholders to drive business objectives, compliance and culture of accountability. 
• Serve as a strategic consultant and work with operations to positively impact the business.
• Advise and proactively communicate with segment business leaders, HR Managers/HRBPs, and the Legal team regarding requirements in compliance, employee relations, and labour relations. 
• Establishes a robust communication plan related to Employee Relations and Labour Relations topics.
• Networks with other leading organizations in similar space through industry associations to identify emerging trends and best practices.
• Lead a regular cadence of internal key stakeholder connections including but not limited to HR, Legal, Compliance, Finance, and Business Segments. 
• Member of the Canadian Human Resources Leadership team.

Policies & Practice Ownership: 

• Leverage existing or develop training on HR-related policies and procedures to promote Sodexo’s commitment to an environment of respect and fair treatment.
• Ensures understanding and monitors compliance with relevant legislation, labour law, industry-level agreements, and any applicable internal company/workforce agreements. 
• Design, implement and monitor adherence to Performance Improvement Process to ensure a high degree of compliance to employee relations’ matters. 
• Partner with HR Lead to ensure appropriate escalation of complex and highly sensitive HR-related investigations.
• Establish a case management system to identify gaps and required tools and resources for risk mitigation.
• Conduct and provide Labour Relations risk analysis and contract review.
• Perform Labour Relations audits to ensure the collective bargaining agreement is properly administered by the unit.
• Provide support to operations with acquisition and/or divestiture of the business.

What you’ll need to succeed

• University degree(s) in a related field (i.e. Labour Relations, Industrial Relations, Law) with ten (10) years’ progressively responsible experience in labour relations and/or human resources, or an equivalent combination of education and experience;
• Bilingual in French and English is highly desired
• Extensive experience as a spokesperson in collective bargaining, experience as a chief spokesperson with multiple unions.
• Must have extensive labour relations experience dealing with grievances, arbitration preparation and presentation, collective agreement interpretation.
• Strong knowledge and experience with collective bargaining agreements.
• Strong knowledge of applicable employment/labour legislation and legal principles.
• Experience in labour and employment research and analysis, labour economics, human resources functions with a union workforce or related area.
• Experience in managing Indigenous labour and employee relations is desired
• Experience of working in a matrixed, global organization; global labour and employee relations experience a plus.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with demonstrated ability to deal effectively with contentious and controversial issues.
• Experience with high-performance work systems, including performance management and change strategies.
• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills.
• History and reputation of constructive relations with Unions and representatives.
• Ability to influence and lead at all levels of the organization, with respectful behaviors, business acumen, smart risk-taking, emotional intelligence, collaboration, and stress tolerance.
• Requires exceptional stakeholder management, change management, relationship building, and influencing skills.
• Project and program management – proven ability to effectively prioritize and self-manage projects to success and mobilize resources.
• Well organized, with excellent attention to detail and accuracy.
• Demonstrated skills in conflict management and team building.
• Ability to multitask while working under tight deadlines.
• Well-developed computer skills with advanced Excel knowledge.
• Ability and willingness to travel (about 30% travel across Canada)

What Makes Sodexo Different :  

Working with us is more than a job; it’s a chance to be part of something greater because we believe our everyday actions have a big impact. You  belong in a company that allows you to  act with purpose and  thrive in your own way. In addition, we offer:

• Flexible work environment  
• Competitive compensation & great employee benefits 
• Training and development programs  
• Countless opportunities for growth  
• Corporate responsibility & sustainability  
• An award-winning employer for Sustainability, Diversity & Inclusion, Corporate Social Responsibility, and much more. View Sodexo’s latest awards  here
• And so much more!     

Sodexo is committed to Employment Equity and Diversity. We do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of national origin, race, religion, ethnic group, age, disability, gender, sexual preference, sexual or gender identity, status as a veteran or any other federal, provincial or local protected class.  

We welcome and encourage applications from people with disabilities. Accommodation is available on request from candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process.  

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