Position Overview

The People Engagement Specialist plays a critical role within the People & Culture pillar, ensuring a consistent, values-driven approach to employee experience, labour relations, and workplace culture across assigned divisions.

Grounded in our values - We Care. We Collaborate. We Commit. - this role is responsible for executing and delivering core People & Culture programs and practices that strengthen workforce stability, engagement, and performance, directly contributing to high-quality, person-centred care.

Acting as a trusted partner to operational leaders, the Specialist provides day-to-day guidance, coaching, and hands-on support across the employee lifecycle, ensuring alignment with organizational policies, collective agreements, and regulatory requirements. The role serves as the primary connector between strategy and frontline execution, translating People priorities into consistent, practical application at the divisional level.

While this role collaborates across all People pillars (Rewards, Talent Acquisition, Development, and HR Technology), its core accountability sits within People & Culture, with a focus on:

• Labour and employee relations

• Workplace culture and engagement

• Risk mitigation and compliance

• Workforce wellness and stability

Key Responsibilities

Employee & Labour Relations

• Serve as the primary advisor to leaders on employee and labour relations matters, ensuring fair, consistent, and compliant practices

• Lead and manage grievance processes, including investigation, resolution, and arbitration preparation

• Act as a liaison with union representatives to foster constructive, solution-focused relationships

• Support labour relations strategy, including research and preparation for negotiations

• Ensure consistent interpretation and application of collective agreements across divisions

Workplace Culture, Engagement & Experience

• Drive execution of engagement and culture initiatives aligned with organizational values

• Lead the employee engagement survey process, including analysis, insights, and action planning with leaders

• Support leaders in fostering psychologically safe, inclusive, and high-performing team environments

• Coach leaders on performance management, feedback, and employee experience practices

• Identify trends and root causes of workforce challenges and implement practical solutions

Risk Management, Investigations & Compliance

• Conduct workplace investigations (e.g., harassment, human rights, employee complaints) and recommend resolution strategies

• Provide guidance on complex and high-risk employee matters (e.g., terminations, accommodations, conflict resolution)

• Ensure compliance with legislation (ESA, OHSA, Human Rights Code, AODA, privacy) and internal policies

• Partner with leaders to proactively identify and mitigate workforce risks

• Support health, safety, wellness, and return-to-work programs

Workforce Stability & Operational Support

• Support divisional workforce needs across the employee lifecycle, including onboarding, retention, absenteeism, and performance

• Provide coaching and guidance to leaders to strengthen people management capability

• Partner with Talent Acquisition, Rewards, and Development teams to ensure seamless execution of People programs

• Support immigration and workforce planning coordination where required

People Insights, Systems & Continuous Improvement

Leverage HRIS (e.g., Workday) to support data-informed decision-making at the divisional level

• Track and report on key People metrics (e.g., turnover, absenteeism, engagement)

• Identify opportunities to improve People processes, consistency, and outcomes

• Support change initiatives by providing practical guidance and driving adoption at the frontline

Collaboration Across People Pillars

• Act as a key connector between People & Culture and other pillars:

  • Talent Acquisition (recruitment, onboarding experience)

  • People Rewards & Payroll (policy interpretation, employee inquiries)

  • People Development & Training (performance, leadership capability)

  • People Insights & HR Technology (data, systems adoption)

• Ensure an integrated, seamless experience for leaders and team members

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field

• CHRL designation considered an asset Experience

• 3 - 5+ years of progressive Human Resources experience in a generalist or Human Resources Business Partner-type role

• Strong labour relations experience in a unionized environment

• Experience in healthcare or long-term care strongly preferred

Core Capabilities

• Strong knowledge of employment legislation and collective agreements

• Exceptional judgement in managing complex employee relations matters

• Ability to influence and coach leaders in a practical, solutions-oriented way

• Skilled in conflict resolution, investigation, and risk management

• Data-informed mindset with ability to translate insights into action

• Highly collaborative, adaptable, and resilient in a fast-paced environment

• Proficiency in HRIS systems (Workday preferred) and Microsoft 365

• Ability to communicate in English and Chinese

Impact of the Role

This role is essential to ensuring:

• Consistent, fair, and compliant People practices across the organization

• Strong labour relations and reduced organizational risk

• Engaged, supported, and high-performing teams

• Operational stability and workforce readiness, particularly in a complex LTC environment

Please apply before:

Salary Range:

INTERNAL APPLICANTS: PLEASE APPLY THROUGH THE JOBS HUB

Our people are our greatest strength and the core of our success. We invest in our employees' wellbeing and support their ongoing learning and development. We offer:

• Competitive total compensation package

• Multi-employer pension plan

• Professional development opportunities

• Ongoing learning and development

• Employee education assistance program

• Award winning corporate culture

• Safe, inclusive and supportive work environment