Employee Relations Associate

Summary

Join Wealthsimple's growing People Operations Team as an Employee Relations Associate and help operationalize and scale its employee relations function. This 18-month contract role offers a unique opportunity for a newly called lawyer interested in employment law to work in a dynamic role with both legal and operational aspects. You will be instrumental in fostering a fair, compliant, and supportive workplace. This role involves handling employee relations inquiries, collaborating with legal counsel, developing policies, and leading projects to scale the employee relations function. You will gain hands-on experience in legal risk analysis, drafting, and strategic problem-solving while contributing directly to Wealthsimple’s culture and success. The position offers an exceptional chance to apply legal acumen in a practical, in-house setting, developing essential skills as a lawyer.

Requirements

• Active membership in good standing with the Law Society of Ontario
• A demonstrated interest and foundational knowledge in employment law
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to apply legal principles to practical workplace scenarios
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to explain complex legal concepts clearly and empathetically
• A proactive and operational mindset, eager to simplify and improve processes
• Curiosity and an openness to explore and leverage new technologies, including AI, to enhance efficiency in legal and employee relations operations
• A human and approachable demeanour

Responsibilities

• Administer and process employee relations policies and programs, including employee exits, leaves (parental, sick, job-protected), and accommodations
• Serve as a primary point of contact for employee relations inquiries, intake, and assessment, providing support and guidance to employees, human resource business partners, managers, and other stakeholders
• Ensure compliance with relevant employment standards and escalate matters to the Legal Counsel, Employment as appropriate
• Collaborate closely with Legal Counsel, Employment on routine and complex employee relations matters, including terminations, leaves, accommodations, immigration, workplace investigations, and employment litigation matters
• Assist in the preparation of termination documentation, settlement agreements, contracts, employee correspondence, and other documentation and correspondence, ensuring legal compliance
• Contribute to the development, review, and implementation of employee relations policies and procedures, ensuring they are clear, compliant, and reflective of Wealthsimple’s values
• Identify opportunities to simplify, improve, and scale existing processes related to employee relations matters
• Take the lead or support exciting project work aimed at scaling our employee relations function
• Create self-service resources for employees, automate current processes and practices, and explore how AI can enhance our efficiency and effectiveness in managing employee relations
• Analyze trends in employee relations cases to identify opportunities and propose proactive solutions to improve processes and the overall employee experience

Benefits

• Competitive salary
• Retirement savings matching plan using Wealthsimple for Business
• Generous PTO offerings
• A wide variety of peer and company-led Employee Resource Groups (ie. Rainbow, Women of Wealthsimple, Black @ WS)
• We’re a remote-first team, with over 1,000 employees coast to coast in North America