People Relations Partner

As a People Relations Partner, your main focus will be to support the business by delivering consistent, compliant People Relations practices—managing labor law matters, employee cases, workplace wellbeing, and cross-functional collaboration. You guide leaders with expert advice, enable them through training, and help create a safe, fair, and engaging work environment. This hybrid role reports into our People Relations Manager, based out of our Ecuador Support Office.

A Day in the Life

Working at H&M means no two days are ever the same, but a typical day will include the following responsibilities:

Labor Relations, Compliance & Case Management

• Ensure adherence to local labor laws, regulations, and collective agreements while driving a consistent and compliant approach to People Relations.
• Build, adapt, and continuously improve local People Relations practices, ensuring alignment with global frameworks and full compliance with applicable local labor legislation.
• Lead the Social Work team in Ecuador, ensuring they deliver their legally assigned responsibilities and functions in alignment with the People Relations strategy.
• Ensure respect for freedom of association for all colleagues connected to the business and, where unions or workers’ organizations exist.
• Build and maintain constructive relationships with employee representatives, works councils, and unions to support a collaborative employee relations climate.
• Provide expert advice and guidance on labor law, work environment, wellbeing, and employee case management, ensuring fair and consistent treatment.
• Support the management of individual employee cases, internal investigations, grievances, and disciplinary actions.
• Support Store Managers in handling illness-related cases, including guidance in difficult conversations, and coordinate with case managers to ensure compliance with local legislation (e.g., gatekeeper law).
• Manage and support all labor claims and disputes, including internal, administrative, and judicial matters, ensuring alignment with Ecuadorian labor law and the People Relations strategy.
• Be responsible for the local grievance mechanism, ensuring effective processes and tools are in place to manage employee complaints and concerns in line with local legislation and People Relations standards.
• Be part of change- and strategic initiatives that require PR expertise; advise and enable in transition.

Cross-collaboration & Support

• Partner with business leaders and people to deliver People Relations strategies that balance global direction with local compliance and employee needs.
• Collaborate cross-functionally to secure a safe, healthy, and inclusive work environment that promotes wellbeing and engagement.
• Lead or contribute to local and Sales Market level initiatives to strengthen People Relations capabilities and support organizational change.

Training

• Facilitate training and communication for managers to strengthen knowledge in labor relations, health & safety, and employee engagement.
• Ensure all managers have relevant competence and tools regarding People Relations.
• Coach people leaders on goal setting, performance metrics, and improvement strategies.
• Good understanding and ability to translate business context into needed actions from a PR perspective.

Qualifications

Who You Are:

• University degree in Human Resources, Labor Law, or related field or equivalent work experience.
• At least 5 years of experience in People Relations, Labor Relations, or HR Business Partnering.
• Strong knowledge of Labor Law, collective bargaining, and health & safety regulations.
• Excellent advisory, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
• Proven ability to manage complex employee cases and negotiations.
• Analytical, proactive, and solution-oriented mindset.
• Advanced proficiency in both English and Spanish.

Additional Information

H&M Group is a global company of strong fashion brands and ventures. Our goal is to prove that there is no compromise between exceptional design, affordable prices, and sustainable solutions. We want to liberate fashion for the many, and our customers are at the heart of every decision we make. We are made up of thousands of passionate and talented colleagues united by our shared culture and values. Together, we want to use our power, our scale, and our knowledge to push the fashion industry towards a more inclusive and sustainable future.

WHY YOU’LL LOVE WORKING HERE

At H&M Group, we are proud to be a vibrant and welcoming company. We offer our employees attractive benefits with extensive development opportunities around the globe.

• 25% Staff discount on all our H&M Group brands, both in stores and online (H&M, COS, Weekday, Monki, H&M HOME, & Other Stories and ARKET).
• In addition to our global benefits, our local markets offer different competitive perks and benefits.

We value diverse backgrounds, including but not limited to race, ethnicity, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, and disability.

• We pride ourselves on being a values-driven organization, guided by our 7 unique values that have been part of our success story for over 75 years.
• You’ll have access to our Colleague Resource Groups (CRGs) to find community and networking opportunities among colleagues.
• We are an inclusive company where you’re encouraged to be yourself at work.
• You will have access to a large global talent community, where career growth and aspirations have no limits.
• We believe in supporting your overall wellbeing and offer comprehensive benefits inclusive of health insurance, wellness and family support programs, paid leave programs, and paid time off, including a community day to serve your local community.