Employee Relations Manager

Hydro One is proud to be the largest electricity transmission and distribution provider in Ontario, serving nearly 1.5 million customers. We have a long history in the industry with our roots dating back over 110 years to 1906. Since then, we have worked to grow and evolve to meet the changing needs of our customers and communities across Ontario. Today, we're focused on providing exceptional customer service and ensuring we are building safe communities where we live, work and play.

It's an exciting time to join the team at Hydro One

Job Purpose:

Employee and Labour Relations is seeking a new Employee Relations Manager to join their organization. Reporting to the Director, Employee & Labour Relations, the Employee Relations ("ER") Manager will be accountable for Hydro One's Fit for Duty procedure and programming, risk analysis and advice to HR and line management, reporting, analytics, training and vendor management. The role will also be involved in various cross functional projects and initiatives both within HR and other departments across Hydro One on matters ranging from fatigue management to employee wellness and psychological health and safety.

The ER Manager will also be involved in the development of employment-related policies, processes, and programs to ensure alignment with our corporate values and expected behaviours, reflect industry best practices, and meet all legal/regulatory requirements. The ER Manager acts as a key advisor and partner both within Human Resources, Labour Relations and to other business units who are accountable for the implementation of policies and programs impacting employees. The ER Manager is accountable for policies and programs pertaining to both represented (unionized) and unrepresented (management) staff in areas such as: hours of work/overtime, attendance management, performance management, and human rights/accommodation. The ER Manager is a subject matter expert with respect to human resources, employment risk, legislative compliance, and is able to effectively influence others and lead change. The ER Manager may have the opportunity to build and lead a team of professionals.

The ideal candidate will have demonstrated flexibility and resilience to adapt to a changing environment, anticipate and respond to politically sensitive situations, including with union representatives, and have the ability to independently work well under pressure. They will develop and implement approaches to analyze employee relations trends and propose actions to proactively address identified issues. The successful candidate will be a disciplined self-starter, have strong interpersonal skills, excellent analytical, project management, and negotiation capabilities, and be practically minded in arriving at solutions to complex issues. They are a high-performing leader, who can build internal relationships enterprise-wide.

Specific Accountabilities:

- Ensure that any employee relations issues are dealt with at the highest level of professionalism and sensitivity and are addressed in compliance with Hydro One's legal obligations and internal policies and procedures.
- Innovate and identify opportunities to create and/or improve policies and programs to increase their effectiveness for employees, people managers, and HR partners while meeting compliance and business objectives, as well as industry best practices.
- Work collaboratively with key stakeholders to assess the impact of policies and practices and make recommendations to address areas of inconsistency or practice improvement.
- Draft and revise employee policies, programs, and supporting materials owned by Employee and Labour Relations. Advise and provide guidance on the interpretation and administration of policies, procedures, and programs.
- Provide recommendations of appropriate action; ensure concerns are documented thoroughly, addressed, and resolved in a timely manner, in partnership with internal and external legal counsel and compliance. Follow up regarding investigations and performance management/employee disciplinary concerns.
- Serve as a subject matter expert and partner with employees and business leaders to provide resources and mentorship when employee issues arise.
- Champion and promote a positive employee relations climate, providing appropriate counsel and support to ensure that any employee relations processes are delivered to maximize the employee experience.
- Maintain awareness of changing legal and regulatory requirements and practices within the industry.
- Assess risk associated with employment-related processes, from a variety of perspectives, including legal/regulatory, reputational, and impact on employee experience.
- Lead project teams tasked with creating or changing employment-related programs.
- Liaise with risk management partners such as Labour Relations, Human Resources, Law and Ethics groups to ensure policies, procedures and practices are consistent with Hydro One's risk tolerance.
- Prepare briefing notes, analytics, and other materials for reporting to senior leadership (e.g. on projects, programming, emerging trends, risk analysis).
- Assist peers and management in grievances, arbitrations, tribunals, when necessary. Make recommendations regarding collective agreement provisions.
- Manage the escalation of issues to the appropriate parties including Director, ELR.

Selection Criteria:

- A minimum of 5 years of Human Resources or Employee/Labour Relations experience. Unionized workplace experience would be strongly desired.
- Bachelor's degree in human resources, Law, Business, or related discipline.
- MIR, JD/LLB, CHRP, CHRL designation, or equivalent, would be considered an asset.
- Highly organized with the ability to manage competing priorities and deliverables within a short timeframe.
- Experience providing risk analysis and advice with respect to employment matters, human rights, accommodations would be an asset.
- Thorough understanding of employee and/or labour relations practices and principles and the collective bargaining process.
- Strong negotiation, mediation, and conciliation skills.
- Previous experience providing advice and counsel to business leaders at various levels of the organization. Ability to influence and coach leaders through employee relations issues.
- Demonstrated ability to assess risk related to employment practices from a variety of perspectives (e.g., legal, reputational, and business).
- Ability to articulate opinions concisely, make practical recommendations, and influence change involving multiple stakeholder groups.
- Previous experience building a high-performance culture. Highly motivated with the ability to engage and mentor a team; experience attracting, retaining, and developing a team.
- Firm understanding of the legal frameworks relating to employment in Ontario; Employment Standards Act, 2000, Labour Relations Act, 1995, Human Rights Code, and Occupational Health and Safety Act.
- Ability to draft policy, collective agreement language or related documentation effectively using plain language.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills with an emphasis on confidentiality, tact, and diplomacy; ability to prepare messaging for various audiences (e.g., Senior Leadership Team, Lines of Business leaders, external partners, etc.).
- Proven ability to build and maintain strong working relationships at all levels, cross-functionally and cross-divisionally.
- Ability to think strategically with a strong sense of urgency while managing competing timelines, projects, and priorities.
- Relationship Management: Builds strong and positive working relationships internally at all levels as well as alliances and partnerships externally by fostering trust, collaboration, and teamwork.
- Decision Quality: Makes timely decisions and applies sound judgment to assess risks, evaluate alternatives, and select the best course of action; uses a combination of analytical thinking, intuition, mental agility, and seasoned experience to address complex, sensitive or political issues.
- Effective Negotiation: Constructively facilitates discussion with legal counsel, investigators, union representatives, and other external and internal partners and stakeholders.
- Building Trust: Cultivates strong relationships on a foundation of credibility and authenticity. Have the confidence to engage others across all levels, and all lines of business.
- Integrity: Adheres to the highest level of personal and professional integrity.
- Coaching and Mentoring: Attracts and retains high-performing talent and supports the growth of employees.
- Professionalism: A constant ambassador of Hydro One.

At Hydro One we understand that the success and strength of our business rests with our people. When we develop their skills, we are investing in both their success and ours. To secure the best talent, we seek to create a workforce that reflects the diverse populations of the communities where we live and work and to create a culture based on safety, innovation and inclusiveness.

We are honoured to be recognized by Forbes in its list of Canada's Best Employers for 2025.

Thank you for considering a career with Hydro One, we welcome applications from all qualified candidates. If you are having difficulty using our online application system and you need an accommodation due to a disability, please email careers@hydroone.com. Hydro One will provide reasonable accommodation for qualified individuals with disabilities in the job application process.

Please note this email is only for accommodation requests. Resumes sent to this email address will not be considered.

Deadline: March 31, 2025

We thank all applicants for their interest in a career at Hydro One; however, only those candidates who are selected for an interview will be contacted.

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