Employee Relations Specialist

Employee Relations Specialist

Work Type/Location: REMOTE – Montreal, Quebec City, or Ottawa.

Pay Range: $77,193 - $114,247

Who We Are:

As one of the largest for-profit thrift operators in the United States, Canada, and Australia for value priced pre-owned clothing, accessories, and household goods, our mission is to champion reuse and inspire a future where secondhand is second nature. We supply our stores with gently-used, one-of-a-kind items that have been donated by the community to local nonprofit organizations. We purchase these items directly from our nonprofit partners, redirecting billions of pounds of used items away from landfills and on to our store racks and shelves for reuse, and providing our partners with valuable funding for their community-based programs and services. You'll often hear us say that we are "Thrift Proud." It's the millions of loyal customers who visit our 300+ stores and our more than 22,000 team members that make it possible. Learn more about the Savers® family of thrift stores, our impact, and the #ThriftProud movement at savers.com.

Our brands are Savers (in the U.S.), 2nd Ave (in the U.S.), Value Village (in the U.S. and Canada), Unique (in the U.S.), Village des Valeurs (in Quebec) and Savers Australia.

What You Can Expect:

• The opportunity to celebrate uniqueness. We are made up of people from many different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives, all with something special to contribute.
• To work in a purpose-driven company, with a business model that people love for our impact on both the planet and local communities.
• An investment in the career path interests of our people. With our aggressive store expansion plans, we recognize the importance of the continued growth and development of our team members.

What You Get:

Comprehensive onboarding and training from day one.

In-house expertise! Our training department / Savers University develops and delivers robust training to every team member across our organization — from new hires to senior executives. We develop around 90% of our training internally, and partner with a variety of renowned providers to supplement our offerings.

Comprehensive extended health care plans for full-time Team Members

• Company-Paid Life and AD&D Insurance
• A Group Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) with a generous company matching provision to assist you in saving for a secure financial future
• Paid time off from work for leisure or other hobbies
• A range of mental health services to assist you in managing daily life

What You'll Be Working On:

Supports Savers' vision by managing complex Team Member Relations matters across U.S. and Canadian operations. This role conducts investigations, manages workplace accommodations, and supports responses to external legal claims. The TMR Specialist ensures timely, compliant, high-quality case handling, maintains accurate documentation in EthicsPoint (NAVEX), analyzes trends, and coaches field leaders in alignment with applicable employment laws. While supporting North America, the primary focus is Eastern Canada; fluency in English and French is required.

Essential Job Functions:

Investigations & Case Management

• Respond to and manage inbound employee relations concerns in alignment with Savers' open-door procedures.
• Conduct timely, thorough, and unbiased investigations into workplace concerns (e.g., harassment, discrimination, workplace violence), ensuring initial response within 24–48 hours and timely progression to resolution aligned with departmental expectations.
• Apply consistent investigative standards, assess credibility and evidence, and recommend outcomes aligned with company policy and applicable laws.
• Maintain complete, accurate, and audit-ready documentation for all cases in EthicsPoint (NAVEX).
• Conduct investigations and employee relations interactions in both English and French, ensuring clear, accurate, and legally sound communication.
• Identify recurring issues and escalate systemic risks.

Accommodations Management

• Lead the interactive accommodation process, ensuring all requests are completed within established timelines (target: 30 days) and fully compliant with ADA, provincial human rights legislation, and company policy.
• Partner with field leaders to assess accommodation options, balancing team member needs with operational feasibility.
• Document all steps, decisions, and rationale to ensure defensible, consistent outcomes.
• Monitor accommodation activity and identify opportunities to improve consistency, efficiency, and compliance.

Legal Case Management

• Review, assess, and support responses to external legal claims (e.g., human rights, employment standards, or civil matters) in partnership with Legal and TMR leadership.
• Conduct thorough investigations related to legal matters, identifying risks, gaps, and areas of strength.
• Prepare draft summaries, chronologies, fact statements, and response materials for Legal review.
• Ensure all submissions meet legal timelines, documentation standards, and evidentiary requirements.
• Partner closely with Legal and TMR leadership, incorporating feedback and aligning case strategy and risk mitigation.

Training, Reporting & Management Capability

• Deliver structured training and coaching to managers (target: multiple sessions per quarter) to strengthen capability in employee relations, investigations, and accommodations.
• Analyze case data and deliver regular reporting (including regional insights), identifying trends, risks, and proactive action plans.
• Present findings and recommendations to internal stakeholders to improve workplace practices and reduce risk.
• Provide ongoing guidance to field leaders to reinforce appropriate handling of employee relations issues and compliance obligations.
• Utilize AI tools to support case summaries, documentation quality, and trend analysis to improve efficiency and consistency.

Background Checks & Compliance

• Manage pre-employment and promotion-related background check adjudications in compliance with applicable laws and internal standards.
• Ensure timely progression of cases, proactively identifying and escalating delays.
• Maintain complete, accurate, and compliant documentation to support hiring decisions.

General

• Perform other duties as assigned.

What You Have:

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Strong investigative skills, including the ability to assess complaints related to harassment, discrimination, workplace violence, and other policy violations, applying sound judgment aligned with company policy and federal, state, and provincial laws.
• High level of discretion and ability to manage sensitive and confidential information with professionalism, sound judgment, and integrity.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to clearly articulate complex or sensitive information to a wide range of stakeholders.
• Fluency in both English and French (written and verbal), with the ability to conduct investigations, accommodations processes, and employee interactions in both languages effectively and professionally.
• Strong analytical and critical thinking skills, with the ability to assess risk, identify gaps or inconsistencies, and draw well-reasoned, defensible conclusions.
• Superior organizational, prioritization, and time management skills, with the ability to manage multiple complex cases while meeting strict timelines and service expectations.
• Ability to remain composed, objective, and effective when working in high-pressure, emotionally charged, and ambiguous situations.
• Demonstrated ability to influence, coach, and build trust with leaders at all levels while maintaining strong working relationships.
• Strong working knowledge of employment law frameworks across Canada and the United States, or the ability to quickly build this capability.
• Comfortable and adaptable in using technology, including case management systems and AI tools, to improve efficiency, documentation quality, and decision-making.
• Self-directed and able to work independently in a remote environment, while maintaining accountability, responsiveness, and strong communication.
• Demonstrated curiosity and continuous improvement mindset, with a proactive approach to identifying trends, risks, and opportunities to enhance team member relations practices.

Minimum Required Education, Training and Experience:

• Post-secondary degree in Business, Human Resources, or related field, or equivalent work experience.
• 3–5+ years of progressive experience in employee relations within a multi-location organization, including hands-on experience with workplace investigations, accommodations, and complex employee matters