Employee Relations Manager

Discovery is at the centre of everything we do. Wherever you find us around the world, if you can think of a product, you can probably find it in our stores. We are part of the TJX Family which includes TK Maxx, and Homesense in Europe and the UK and across the rest of the world you will find us as TJ Maxx, Marshalls, HomeGoods, Sierra and variety comes plenty of surprises—our environment is ever-changing, and that’s just how we like it. Every day is an opportunity to discover something new about our business, our partnerships and even something exciting about yourself. Are you ready to Discover Different?

The Employee Relations Manager in Netherlands is part of the European Employee Relations (‘ER’) Centre of Expertise team, supporting the delivery of ER strategy and specialist services. You will provide a comprehensive commercial employee relations service to multiple business partners in the Netherlands, as well as those based in other countries who have associates in the Netherlands. You will ensure compliance and consist advice with the applicable Collective Bargaining Agreement (‘CBA’), employment legislation, Company policies, business objectives and TJX culture. In close collaboration with the HR Business Partners for the Netherlands, you will coach and advise line managers and Country Manager on all people management related issues. This role will require a moderate level of travel within the Netherlands and to other geographies covered within TJX Europe.

• Provide commercial ER advice to managers of all levels compliant with the CBA, employment legislation and HR policies/procedures, ensuring alignment with business objectives, TJX values and culture

• Provide advice in high risk case management; such as dismissal/ settlements, disciplinary, grievance, investigations, harassment, discrimination and long term and complicated sickness

• Coach and advise HR Service Centre through more complex case queries ensuring a robust and consistent approach. Referring to the Manager of ER (Europe)/ HRBP as appropriate

• Escalate appropriately any issues that have potential financial or reputational risk

• Maintain and update own knowledge of HR best practice, employment legislation and CBA provisions as well as developments impacting our business areas. Keeping abreast of upcoming development and advise on any required changes to policy and practice

• Provide SME advice role to other Centre of Expertise teams if local knowledge and/ or language capability is required

Work Council Management

• Employer representative board member; work council negations, draft requests of consent and advice

• Provide support in preparing for work council meetings, including meeting arrangements, coordination and circulation of information

• Provide support and advice to business and work council to ensure compliancy

• Provide support and advice on work council elections

JOB DESCRIPTION

Development of others

• Work with HR Service Centre Team Leaders to keep Advisors up to date with upcoming changes to CBA, legislation, case law and policies

• Identify learning opportunities for HR Service Centre on key themes / learnings to support improvement of ER capability, including new team members

• Provide employment law updates and knowledge sharing opportunities across the wider HR function ( HR Fundamentals, ER upskilling training)

Policy and Contract of Employment Development

• Monitor market trends and compliance with policy and legal requirements, advising on areas in need of improvement and providing ad hoc reports and presentation material as required.

• Review and update all Netherlands ER policies & procedures and contracts of employment in line with the ER strategy:

o Write, review and update policies, supporting toolkits, contract and letter templates as required, ensuring CBA and legal compliance

o Support implementation and communication plans as required, including Work Council agreement

o Create and maintain version control for all policies and contract templates

Tribunal Cases / Litigation

• Manage and coordinate all ER claims and consult our external legal providers if required:

o Gather all relevant information / documents to enable a response to the claim

o Handle claim and correspondence with legal advisor of counter party, first point of contact for legal advisor of counter party

o Negotiations with counter party

o Collaborate with or escalate to external legal provider if appropriate

• Tribunal cases

o Manage and coordinate all ER claims internally and with our external legal providers:

o Gather all relevant information / documents to enable a response to the claim

o Coordinate / gather bundle documentation

o Assist with queries from legal provider on policy / procedure points relating to the claim and response / witness statements

o Assist with coordinating internal disclosure process

• Keep log of claims for Netherlands and key dates / actions

Projects

• Lead on projects as required ( legislation changes, CBA requirements etc.)

o Coordinate collaboration with other stakeholders (typically HRSC, HRIS, ECSO/Kronos Reward, Payroll and third parties)

o Ensure Project plan is launched and maintained to PMO requirements

o Update project members as required

o Ensure stakeholders understand requirements and deadlines and deliver accordingly

o Support stakeholders to identify solutions as required

• Represent ER on projects as required

• Provide SME role to and advise other Centre of Expertise teams if local knowledge and/ or language capability is required

• ER country lead Netherlands for pan-European or Global projects

Other

• First point of contact for TJX Confidential Advisor for support and advice, inform and advise business and monitor process

• Maintain external supplier relationships ( lawyers, occupational health provider and reintegration suppliers) and escalate any issues identified appropriately

• Work with the central ER team in the development, roll-out and communication of new Associate Relations initiatives, including initiatives specific to the Netherlands as well as pan-European or Global initiatives

• Provide support on ad hoc data requests / data gathering on ER topics for Europe

• Alongside the Senior Specialist – Compliance and the Manager of ER (Europe), provide an advisory service for immigration / right to work / posted workers queries for Netherlands and supporting expiry / dismissal cases

• Develop the ER Coordinator to support in administrative tasks

Key Skills, Knowledge & Experience

• Strong ER knowledge and experience for the Netherlands ( case management, HR policy, legal compliance)

• Experience working with works councils

• Confident personal style but flexible and open to alternative solutions

• Excellent influencing, relationship building and communication skills (both verbal and written)

• Ability to stay connected across dispersed organisational and geographic boundaries

• Resourceful self-starter able to work independently across multiple sites

• Enthusiastic individual who can demonstrate that they’re able to build relationships and engage with a range of cross functional stakeholders to get results

• A creative problem solver and team builder

• Can deal effectively with ambiguity

• High degree of integrity

• Well-developed IT skills with experience of analysing and presenting data

• Keen attention to detail, data accuracy and ability to interpret data

• Experience of working within a retail or similar fast paced, multi-site environment highly desirable

• Proficiency in both Dutch and English

• Willingness to travel frequently to other countries

Come and Discover Different at TJX. From opportunity and teamwork to growth, we think you’ll find that it’s so much more than a job. When you’re a part of our global TJX family, you have the full support of a diverse, close-knit group of people dedicated to finding the greatest deals and fantastic style. Best of all? They have a lot of fun doing it.

We care about our culture, but we also prioritise the important things like competitive salaries, solid benefits and plenty of room to grow in your role. It’s our way of empowering you to make your career here.

We consider all applicants for employment without regard to age, disability, gender, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnerships, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief and/or sexual orientation.