Employee Relations Advisor

James Andrews Recruitment Solutions Ltd; Nuneaton; Hybrid; GBP 25,000 - 36,000; Full time

Job summary

An education provider based in Nuneaton is recruiting an ER Advisor on a temporary contract until Christmas. The role offers hybrid working with two days from home and an hourly rate of circa £22 via Umbrella.

We are seeking an experienced employee relations adviser comfortable handling high-volume absence, long-term sickness and welfare casework, and advising managers on employment legislation, policies and procedures in a policy-led environment.

Qualifications

• Experience in a People/HR advisory role supporting managers with employee relations casework.
• Strong experience managing sickness absence, long-term sickness and welfare cases.
• Up-to-date knowledge of employment legislation and HR policies.

Responsibilities

• Manage a caseload of 20–30 ER cases focusing on absence and welfare.
• Provide legally compliant ER advice to managers across the organisation.
• Support managers through formal and informal absence processes, sickness reviews and returns-to-work discussions.
• Prepare and review case documentation and letters with accurate records.
• Liaise with Occupational Health, trade unions and internal stakeholders to progress cases and reduce risk.

Skills

Employee relations

Absence management

Welfare casework

Employment legislation

HR policies

Job description

We are currently working with a education provider based in Nuneaton, who are recruiting for an ER Advisor on a temporary contract until Christmas. The position is due to start as soon as possible, with hybrid working available, including two days working from home. The hourly rate of pay is circa £22 per hour via an Umbrella company.

The ideal candidate will have strong employee relations advisory experience, with confidence managing high-volume absence, long-term sickness and welfare casework. They will be comfortable advising managers on employment legislation, policies and procedures within a complex, policy-led environment.

Duties will include:

• Managing a varied ER caseload of approximately 20–30 active cases, with a strong focus on absence management, long-term sickness and welfare matters
• Providing clear, pragmatic and legally compliant employee relations advice to managers across the organisation
• Supporting managers through formal and informal absence processes, including sickness review meetings, return-to-work discussions and reasonable adjustment considerations
• Preparing and reviewing case documentation, correspondence and outcome letters, ensuring records are accurate, timely and compliant
• Liaising with Occupational Health, trade unions and internal stakeholders where required to progress cases effectively and minimise organisational risk

Experience required:

• Experience working in a People/HR advisory role, supporting managers with employee relations casework
• Strong experience managing sickness absence, long-term sickness and welfare cases
• Previous experience within the education or further education sector would be highly advantageous
• Up-to-date working knowledge of employment legislation, HR policies and employee relations best practice

Working hours:

• 37 hours per week
• Monday – Friday, 8:30am – 4:30pm

Please note that you require recent employee relations advisory experience to apply for this role.