Director of Employee Relations & Compliance

The Team:

The Human Resources team supports our employee population by providing the structure, care, and development needed for individual employees to be successful in their own careers, which in turn contributes to the overall growth and success of the Company. The Human Resources department is organized in three strategic pillars:

• Compensation and Benefits: payroll, health and welfare benefits, retirement plan services, and immigration.
• Human Resources Business Partners and Talent Acquisition: performance management, employee relations, recruiting and retaining talent, coaching and counseling.
• Talent Development: corporate social responsibility, Diversity, Inclusion & Family, learning and leadership development, internal communications, and employee engagement.
   

The Opportunity:

As the Director of Employee Relations & Compliance, you will lead the employee relations function in the US, ensuring consistent, practical, and compliant outcomes for all escalated employee relations matters.  You will work as a strategic, collaborative, hands on partner to ensure HR-related compliance across the organization. You will identify, investigate, and resolve employee relations issues throughout the organization. You will be responsible for establishing process and procedures for all investigations, as well as training to support other members of the HR team to lead employee relations investigations with consistency. You will partner closely with HR Business Partners, Talent Development, Benefits, Internal Control, Legal, IT/Cybersecurity and Asset Protection. You will ensure consistent awareness of all the current legal and regulatory requirements pertaining to employee matters.  You will identify trends across the organization and propose solutions to rectify identified issues.  This position will be based in our New York corporate office and will require travel as needed for onsite support in our locations across the US.

About the Role: 

• Serves as a strategic leader of matters pertaining to employee relations and compliance.  Provides hands-on employee relations support by maintaining both a physical and virtual presence in Corporate, Service Center, and Retail locations across the US.
• Oversees escalated and complex employee relations matters and recommends appropriate employment action to maintain a productive, positive work environment. 
• Empowers cross-functional partners and business leaders to manage employee disciplinary actions to ensure consistent, uniform, and fair application of company policies and procedures and governmental laws. 
• Implements standardized operating procedures for handling employee relations issues, ensuring consistency and fairness.
• Facilitates effective partnerships with HRBPs, Benefits, Legal, Internal Control, and Asset Protection teams to address issues holistically and proactively, recommends solutions to issues, counsels employees, advises managers on discipline process and facilitates dispute resolution. 
• Leverages expert-level, specialized skills to conduct thorough investigations, mitigating risks and ensuring compliance with legal and regulatory standards.
• Demonstrates a proactive, strategic approach to employee relations by identifying and analyzing ER data/metrics for themes, trends, and root cause identification. Share findings with key partners to develop and deliver an action plan in line with HR strategy. 
• Manages internal whistleblowing systems and annual reporting, identifying trends year over year and recommending actions to counteract the trends.
• Oversees turnover reporting on a quarterly basis. Derives an analysis from the data and translating that into a story, demonstrating an ability to use the data to inform practices and decision making.
• Serves as central owner of information related to compliance, including state-specific onboarding requirements, annual update of Employee Handbook, and implementation of HOP Compliance Program (policy acknowledgment & MyCampus courses), maintaining knowledge of industry best practices and local regulation changes.
• Assists in the development and administration of all other projects, programs, procedures, and guidelines aimed at aligning the workforce with strategic goals of the company.
   

Supervisory Responsibility: 

• NO - This position has no direct supervisory responsibilities but does serve as a coach and mentor for other positions.
   

Budget Responsibility: 

• YES - creates and maintains budget for employee experience and associated systems.
   

Decision Making Responsibility: 

• YES - Employee Relations / Dispute Resolution

About You: 

• 10+ years of experience in an employee relations-related capacity
• Experience establishing & leading ER function in a multi-unit retail environment; high volume, high-traffic, and high-visibility environments preferred.
• Experience establishing an Employee Relations Center of Excellence is required.
• Experience in luxury retail and/or service-oriented organization; direct retail store experience preferred.
• Strong skills in high volume, complex employee relations matters
• Exceptional relationship-building skills to create long-lasting impact to client group.
• Expert in conducting investigations from intake to resolution.
• Expert-level understanding of HR policies and procedures, Federal and State employment laws, compliance and reporting requirements.
• Strong counselling approach and proven ability to influence others and support where needed.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; comfortable with public speaking
• Strong interpersonal skills with a focus on internal customer service; ability to coach and empower others.
• Strong active listening skills
• Demonstrated ability to use technology (i.e., Excel, PowerPoint, Word, HRIS systems) to gather, interpret, organize, and present data.
• Sound judgment and critical thinking skills; successful management of multiple projects and competing priorities while balancing the needs for quality with meeting deadlines.
• Detail oriented with strong organizational skills; evidence of self-motivation; demonstrated ability to plan, schedule and work both independently and in teams within a service-oriented organization.
• Possess business acumen and are operationally sound.
• Kind, but effective leadership style.  Demonstrates humility, compassion, and approachability in all interactions.
• Comfortable with fast paced environment; ability to prioritize effectively and independently.
• Travel required to stores and service centers.

The range for this position is $130,000-$175,000 annually. Actual rates are determined based on the job, location, and individual experience.
 

We are looking for a candidate that has a combination of the above attributes and can perform the key functions of the role with or without reasonable accommodations.
 

Company Overview:

Since 1837, Hermès has remained faithful to its artisan business model and humanist values. We place people at the heart of what we do and aspire to make a positive impact on the world. The freedom to create, the constant search for beautiful materials, the transmission of a savoir-faire of excellence and the aesthetic of functionality define the singularity of Hermès, a house dedicated to making highly-crafted, beautiful objects made to stand the test of time. 
 

An independent, family-owned company, Hermès is dedicated to keeping production in France through its 42 workshops, The Hermès organization is also a truly global community with a network of 310 stores in 49 countries. Hermès employs more than 15,000 people worldwide with over 6,000 of the workforce being Hermès craftspeople engaged in making artisanal products, nurturing a 180+ year tradition of creativity and innovation.
 

At Hermès, our actions for sustainable development and corporate social responsibility are founded in values passed down by generations of humble artisans who have shaped the story of our house and the integrity of our objects. The roots of Hermès’ success and longevity lie in a sense of responsibility; a quest for authenticity and respect for time and preservation of natural resources. All at Hermès wish to leave a positive footprint on the world, a mission that’s at the heart of our commitment to progress. This narrative can be experienced in a series of shorts films “Footsteps Across the World” available on our website. Link here.

Our Commitment:

Family is at the heart of Hermès. At Hermès of Paris, we are committed to being a Maison for All, a home where we make efforts to generate, support and advance the values of diversity, inclusion and family both within our own walls and in the wider world. At Hermès of Paris we look to create a diverse workforce of talented and unique individuals with different backgrounds, skillsets and worldviews that will enrich our Hermès of Paris family. We support our individual team members personal and professional success through a culture that values equality, individuality and fairness and through an environment where individuals can thrive and feel comfortable being their authentic selves. Beyond the walls of our Maison, we advance our DIF values through the work that we do in partnership with our community and non-profit partners.
 

At Hermès of Paris, we are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace. It is the policy of Hermès of Paris, Inc. that applicants for employment are recruited, selected and hired on the basis of individual merit and ability with respect to positions being filled and potential for promotion or transfer which may be expected to develop. Applicants are recruited, selected and hired without discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, citizenship, military or veteran status or any other basis prohibited by applicable law. In addition, personnel procedures and practices with regard to training, promotion, transfer, compensation, demotion, lay off or termination are to be administered with due regard to job performance, experience and qualifications, but without discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, citizenship, military or veteran status or any other basis prohibited by applicable law. Hermès of Paris, Inc. also provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities, in accordance with applicable laws.