Employee Relations Administrator

Somerset Council; Taunton; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 28,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

28 days annual leave

LGPS pension

Flexible and hybrid working

Health and wellbeing support

Volunteering opportunities

Job summary

Somerset Council is seeking an Employee Relations Administrator based at County Hall, Taunton. The role supports the Employee Relations Team with specialist administrative tasks across sickness absence management, disciplinary and organisational change processes.

You will coordinate meetings, prepare documentation and maintain accurate records in a fast-paced environment. The ideal candidate will be highly organised, with strong MS 365 skills, experience in confidential handling and excellent

Qualifications

• Good working knowledge of Microsoft 365 applications (Outlook, Excel, Teams, Word).
• Experience in an administrative role within a busy team.
• Experience communicating effectively with employees, managers and the public.
• Experience handling sensitive information with discretion.
• Experience arranging meetings and taking minutes.
• Experience using spreadsheets, databases and SharePoint.
• Excellent organisational skills with attention to detail.
• Ability to follow processes while maintaining customer focus.
• Strong interpersonal skills and relationship-building.

Responsibilities

• Provide high-quality administrative support to the Employee Relations Team.
• Coordinate meetings, hearings and associated admin arrangements.
• Prepare documentation, maintain records and monitor casework.
• Process FOI requests and generate management information.
• Produce reports and presentations using Office 365 and HR systems.
• Support service improvements and HR initiatives.

Skills

Microsoft 365

Admin experience

Communication

Confidentiality

Meeting coordination

SharePoint

Organisational skills

Attention to detail

Interpersonal skills

Data entry

Job description

Select how often (in days) to receive an alert:

Salary: Grade 13 - £25,989 to £28,142 per annum
Contract: Permanent
Hours: 37 hours per week
Closing date: 9th September 2026

Are you organised, approachable and confident working with a wide range of people? Do you enjoy providing high-quality administrative support and helping important processes run smoothly and professionally?

We are looking for an Employee Relations Administrator to join our established Employee Relations Team, which plays an important role in supporting Somerset Council's workforce and helping managers and employees navigate workplace matters effectively.

This varied and rewarding role will provide high-quality, specialist administrative support across a range of employee relations processes, including sickness absence management, disciplinary, grievance, capability and organisational change matters. You will coordinate meetings and hearings, prepare documentation, maintain accurate records and support the monitoring of employee relations casework.

You will also contribute to service improvements and projects, produce retirement and redundancy information, and work with managers, employees and HR colleagues to ensure a professional, responsive and customer-focused service. As a trusted point of contact, you will handle sensitive information with care and discretion while supporting a team committed to making a positive difference to our workforce and communities.

How You'll Make a Difference

Your work will help ensure employee relations processes are delivered efficiently, professionally and with a strong focus on supporting both managers and employees across Somerset Council.

• Demonstrate initiative, organisational and prioritisation skills in providing general and specialist administrative support to the Employee Relations Team.
• Provide basic advice and guidance on standard procedures and enquiries received through team mailboxes.
• Monitor and process FOI requests.
• Provide administrative support across a range of employee relations activities including disciplinary, grievance, capability, attendance management and organisational change processes.
• Manage and produce figures for all flexible retirement, early retirement, ill health retirement and redundancy.
• Maintain trackers to ensure cases are progressed in a timely manner and that actions are completed within agreed timescales.
• Prepare, collate and distribute correspondence, reports, meeting papers and case documentation.
• Co-ordinate diaries, meetings, hearings, consultations and associated administrative arrangements.
• Take minutes and prepare records of meetings and hearings where required.
• Process, monitor and maintain information received through team mailboxes and other service channels.
• Manage sensitive and confidential employee information in accordance with data protection requirements.
• Produce reports, management information and presentations using Microsoft Office and HR systems.
• Work accurately, identifying and correcting errors where appropriate.
• Support service improvement activities, organisational change programmes and HR initiatives.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues and stakeholders to ensure a professional and customer-focused service.

What You'll Bring

We're looking for someone who is highly organised, customer-focused and confident working with sensitive information in a fast-paced environment.

• Good working knowledge of Microsoft 365 applications, including Outlook, Excel, Teams, and Word.
• Experience of working in an administrative role within a busy team environment.
• Experience of communicating effectively with employees, managers, customers or members of the public both verbally and in writing.
• Experience of handling sensitive and confidential information with discretion and professionalism.
• Experience of arranging meetings, taking minutes, maintaining records and managing administrative processes.
• Experience of using spreadsheets, databases and electronic filing systems such as SharePoint.
• Excellent organisational skills with the ability to prioritise competing demands and meet deadlines.
• Strong attention to detail with a commitment to producing accurate, high-quality work.
• Ability to follow processes and procedures accurately and consistently whilst maintaining a customer-focused approach.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build positive working relationships with a wide range of people.

Why Join Us?

At Somerset Council, we're a progressive organisation committed to improving lives and shaping better services for our communities. Based in one of England's most beautiful counties, it's a great place to build your career and enjoy an excellent quality of life.

• 28 days annual leave plus bank holidays, with the option to purchase additional leave.
• Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS), one of the UK's most enhanced and secure pension schemes.
• Flexible and hybrid working arrangements to support work-life balance, where service needs allow.
• Health and wellbeing support, including access to confidential employee assistance services.
• Paid volunteering opportunities, helping you make a difference both inside and outside of work.

The role is based at County Hall, Taunton, and you will be expected to work from the office a minimum of three days per week and be available to attend face-to-face hearings and meetings. During your induction period, you will be required to attend County Hall more frequently to support your onboarding and training.

Unfortunately, we are unable to offer sponsorship for this role. We are only able to proceed with candidates who already have the right to work in the UK without the need for visa sponsorship.

Interviews are likely to take place during the week commencing 28 September. Interview dates will be confirmed for shortlisted applicants. Interviews will be held face to face at County Hall, Taunton.

For an informal chat about the role, you can contact Rachael Butt, Employee Relations Manager, at [e-mail].

We believe diversity makes us stronger and are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels valued and respected. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and experiences, whose unique perspectives help us better serve the people of Somerset.