Employee and Labour Relations Advisor

**JOIN US IN ENABLING TRADE THROUGH CANADA'S LARGEST PORT.**

The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority is an arm’s-length federal agency responsible for the shared stewardship of the lands and waters that make up the Port of Vancouver, Canada’s largest port. Our mandate, as outlined in the Canada Marine Act, is to enable Canada’s trade objectives on behalf of all Canadians, ensuring the safe movement of goods through the Port of Vancouver while protecting the environment and considering local communities.

As an organization with a significant impact on communities and businesses across Canada, the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority is dedicated to diversity, inclusion, and sustainability. We strive to create a workplace that mirrors the richness of our community, empowering all employees to achieve their full potential.

**What you do**:

- In collaboration with HRBP, provide advice to people leaders on employee issues relating to labour relations, performance management, human resources policies and procedures, discipline, grievances, case law and government legislation and regulations
- Negotiate with union representatives to resolve routine, straight forward disputes prior to a formal grievance whenever possible
- Investigate, research, and analyze labour relations issues, conduct grievance hearings, and prepare cases for arbitration hearings
- Participate in collective bargaining as a resource
- Provide support to the LR team in coordinating workforce changes and other employee or labour relations initiatives and projects
- Act as a technical resource on corporate projects by providing a labour relations perspective of the impacts on planned activities, programs and initiatives
- Provide guidance on the appropriateness of disciplinary and non-disciplinary actions.
- Provide confidential advice to employees and management regarding effective conflict resolution
- Facilitate and support the grievance process and other workplace issues, and provide guidance to people leaders on employee relations and labour relations matters
- Develop, implement, and monitor safe stay-at-work and/or return-to-work plans for employees with injury or illness
- Provide guidance in the management of accommodation issues
- Coordinate disability case management of ill and injured employees, including early intervention and provision of services and referrals, to implement cost-effective strategies to decrease absence
- Provide advice and manage disability management processes for employees, including topics such as policy and procedures, enrolment, acceptance/denial of disability claims, reinstatements, individual/group transfers, disability management practices, and other related matters
- Collaborate with Occupational Health and Safety, providing services to employees that require injury, medical, and/or rehabilitation support
- Assess and facilitate return-to-work plans for all employees
- Assess employees’ fitness for work based on bona fide medical and functional information
- Develop, in collaboration with the employee and their care providers, individualized plans that facilitate an injured or ill employee’s return to work or stay at work that meets the employee’s functional ability
- Promote best practices in disability management through communication, provision of expert advice, and training of employees, people leaders, union representatives, HR, and others
- Maintain accurate and up-to-date records of all employees in the disability management program

**What you bring**:

- An appropriate university degree along with a minimum of four years of experience providing employee and labour relations advice, disability management advice and services in a unionized environment or an acceptable combination of education and experience.
- Degree in Law would be considered an asset.
- Must have excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Must be proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Powerpoint and Outlook).
- Experience working in a human resources business partner service delivery model, is an asset. A high degree of initiative, good judgment, and interpersonal and communications skills are required. Must possess tact, diplomacy and the ability to maintain confidentiality. Must have the ability to communicate effectively with all employees and have a developed business acumen to problem-solve and achieve mutually gainful solutions. Must exhibit a strong orientation towards customer service and be highly motivated to work both independently and in a team environment.

**What we offer**:

- Market-competitive base salaries and variable incentive plan
- Generous and inclusive benefits offering including retirement benefits plan
- Flexible remote work program
- Earned time off program
- Paid vacation and personal care leave
- Learning, development, and advancement opportunities
- Onsite gym with towel service in a national landmark in the heart of Vancouver’s waterfront
- Friendly, unique, and respectful workplace