Carina Lapenda

Ontario HR Generalist with 8+ years supporting unionized and non-unionized workplaces across employee relations, disability management, legislative compliance, and workforce training with a consistent focus on building fair, structured, and inclusive workplaces. Brings firsthand understanding of immigrant workforce realities and a commitment to workplaces where people are genuinely supported.

HR Generalist at Archaeological Services Inc. (ASI) (2025-01 – 2026-04)

Unionized environment, ~150 employees

• Restructured onboarding process, cutting completion delays by ~30% and improving new hire compliance readiness from day one.
• Owned end-to-end employee relations — workplace investigations, progressive discipline, and terminations — supporting consistent and defensible CBA application across employee relations matters.
• Managed WSIB claims including complex long-term and psychological cases; coordinated with WSIB, medical providers, and union reps to drive timely RTW outcomes and improve employer risk profile.
• Built absenteeism tracking program from scratch, establishing workforce-wide visibility and supporting 2 simultaneous long-term accommodation cases.
• Ensured ESA/OHSA compliance; supported JHSC operations and implemented CBA-aligned HR policies reducing policy ambiguity across frontline management.

HR & Safety Coordinator at Triumph RSM Ltd. (2022-03 – 2024-12)

Unionized environment, ~1,000 employees across multiple divisions

• Standardized onboarding and orientation processes for a multi-division, multi-site workforce of ~1,000 — reducing time-to-productivity from two weeks to day one and ensuring consistent legislative compliance.
• Provided HR support to a predominantly immigrant workforce — navigating work permit renewals, LMIA coordination, and multilingual employee communication alongside day-to-day HR operations.
• Managed complex ER cases across a diverse frontline workforce — including conflict, harassment, substance use, and accommodation — with a structured and empathetic approach.
• Developed corporate safety and HR policies; achieved 95% on an external audit and renewed IHSA COR 2020 certification for three years.
• Led HR and systems integration (BambooHR; Salus) for ~200 employees at Primeline Inc. post-acquisition — building HR infrastructure from scratch and aligning documentation, procedures, and training to group standards.
• Administered WSIB claims and RTW coordination; led driver safety investigations and progressive discipline for 150+ drivers, implementing a mandatory training program that improved safety controls and supported better insurance terms.

HR & Administrative Manager at All 2B Safe (2017-05 – 2022-02)

• Built HR infrastructure from the ground up — policies, onboarding systems, and legislative compliance frameworks — with no prior structure in place.
• Launched online training initiatives during the pandemic; designed and delivered interactive modules within a constrained budget — drove a 3× increase in program reach and supported organizational sustainability.
• Developed compliance training content (ESA, OHSA), reducing knowledge gaps across community employers.

Training & Development Consultant at Videxa (2022-10 – Present)

Freelance engagement, part-time, concurrent with full-time employment

• Partnered with business leaders to assess training needs, design curriculum, and deliver programs across in-person and e-learning formats — managing scope, budget, and quality within a lean consulting model.

Diploma in Human Resource Management – Durham College

Diploma in Occupational Health & Safety – Durham College (2025)

Bachelor of Science in Education – Universidade Nove de Julho (2013)