Head of Employee Relations Strategy (Senior Director)

McDonald's - Chicago, IL

Full-time - Senior

Chicago, IL

Food Services and Drinking Places

About the position

As the Head of Employee Relations Strategy at McDonald's, you will be instrumental in shaping the strategies, practices, and policies that foster a harmonious and compliant workplace across our global enterprise. This role requires a strategic mindset to develop a comprehensive global employee relations strategy that aligns with McDonald's organizational goals and values. You will oversee the quality of employee relations strategies, ensuring they are effectively implemented and maintained across all markets. Your responsibilities will include leading the design and implementation of a robust compliance and risk management strategy, identifying potential risks, and proactively mitigating them. You will also oversee concerns management and investigations, ensuring that employee grievances, conflicts, and misconduct issues are resolved promptly and equitably. This will involve developing a global service delivery model that includes consistent organizational design, performance metrics, and operating models across various markets. In addition, you will be responsible for developing global leave and absence policies that comply with relevant employment laws while balancing the needs of the organization and the well-being of employees. You will also create policies for employee separations that uphold legal requirements and organizational values, ensuring dignity for employees while minimizing risks. Monitoring and analyzing employee relations metrics will be crucial for deriving actionable insights and driving continuous improvement in our strategies and practices. Collaboration with internal stakeholders, including the Workplace Investigations Team, Compliance, Global Impact, Global Business Services, and Human Resources, will be essential to gather input and ensure alignment in executing employee relations policies and practices.

Responsibilities

• Develop Global Employee Relations Strategy: Formulate a comprehensive strategy and approach for managing employee relations issues worldwide.
• Compliance and Risk Management: Lead the design and implementation of a robust compliance and risk management strategy.
• Concerns Management and Investigations: Oversee the development of a thorough concerns management and investigations strategy.
• Leave & Absence Management: Develop global leave & absence policies and procedures ensuring compliance with relevant laws.
• Employee Separations Strategy: Develop policies for employee separations that uphold legal requirements and organizational values.
• Metrics Monitoring and Analysis: Monitor and evaluate employee relations metrics and trends for actionable insights.
• Stakeholder Collaboration: Collaborate closely with internal stakeholders to ensure alignment and successful execution of policies.

Requirements

• Proven ability to think strategically and develop long-term approaches to complex employee relations challenges.
• Demonstrated expertise in employment laws, regulations, and industry best practices related to employee relations.
• Success in leading teams and coaching talent to drive top performance.
• Familiarity with labor relations principles and practices, with experience in unionized environments preferred.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build effective relationships with stakeholders at all levels.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to articulate complex concepts clearly.
• Ability to influence and engage senior leadership, presenting insights and recommendations confidently.
• Proficiency in conflict resolution techniques, with a track record of managing employee disputes effectively.
• Experience setting strategy and policies for hourly front line employees.

Benefits

• Sabbatical program
• Tuition assistance
• Flexible work arrangements