Employee Relations Advisor

Cole Connections Ltd; Greater London; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 47,000; Full time

Job summary

Cole Connections Ltd is seeking an experienced Employee Relations Advisor for a South West London multi-site role on an initial 3-month contract. The position offers a day rate of £222 and a 36-hour week, with immediate start and travel across different sites in the London area.

You will manage a busy ER caseload, provide practical guidance to managers, and help mitigate risk by addressing issues early in a highly process-driven environment.

Qualifications

• Hands-on Employee Relations experience with a busy caseload.
• Strong knowledge of UK employment law and HR best practices.
• Experience handling sickness absence, performance, disciplinary and grievance cases.
• Experience in a unionised environment would be a significant advantage.
• Experience in education/public sector or multi-site organisations advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Managing a varied caseload of Employee Relations matters
• Advising managers on sickness absence, performance, disciplinary and grievance matters
• Providing practical HR guidance in line with policies and legislation
• Coaching managers to address issues proactively
• Maintaining accurate case records and progress tracking
• Collaborating with HR team across multiple sites

Skills

Employee relations

Case management

Coaching and advising

Stakeholder management

Communication

Education

CIPD Level 5 qualification

Job description

Employee Relations Advisor

South West London Multi-site role

£222 per day 36 hours per week

Initial 3-month contract Immediate start

We are recruiting an experienced Employee Relations Advisor to join a large, multi-site education organisation on an initial 3-month temporary assignment.

This is a hands-on Employee Relations role within a complex, highly process-driven environment. You will manage a varied ER caseload while working closely with Managers across the organisation to provide practical advice, guidance and support.

Importantly, this isn't simply about managing cases once they arise. A key part of the role will be building strong relationships with Managers, helping them identify and address people issues early and providing the right guidance to mitigate risk and prevent situations escalating into formal ER cases wherever possible.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Managing a varied caseload of Employee Relations matters
• Supporting Managers with long and short-term sickness absence, including workplace stress
• Advising on performance, capability, disciplinary and grievance matters
• Coaching and guiding Managers to address people issues proactively and at an early stage
• Providing clear, practical advice in line with HR policies, employment legislation and best practice
• Supporting Managers through complex and sensitive employee situations, including cases involving Trade Union representation
• Helping Managers identify and mitigate potential HR risk
• Maintaining accurate case records and ensuring cases progress appropriately and in line with established procedures
• Working collaboratively as part of the wider HR team, with clear and consistent communication across multiple sites

About you:

You will be an experienced HR professional with strong, hands-on Employee Relations experience who is confident taking ownership of a busy caseload and advising Managers at all levels.

You will ideally have:

• CIPD Level 5 qualification or above
• Strong Employee Relations and case management experience
• Good working knowledge of UK employment law and HR best practice
• Experience managing sickness absence, workplace stress, performance, capability, disciplinary and grievance cases
• Experience working within a unionised environment would be a significant advantage
• Experience working within a highly process-driven environment where policies, procedures and accurate documentation are critical
• The confidence to coach, challenge and advise Managers appropriately
• A proactive approach with the ability to identify and mitigate potential HR risk
• A flexible and tenacious approach with excellent communication and relationship-building skills
• Previous experience within education, the public sector or another complex multi-site organisation would be advantageous

This is a multi-site role requiring regular travel across locations in South West London, therefore you must be a driver and flexible to work across different sites throughout the assignment.

If you're an experienced Employee Relations professional who enjoys working closely with Managers, tackling issues proactively and being part of a collaborative HR team,