Employee Relations Advisor

The Methodist Church in Britain; West Alvington; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust is seeking an Employee Relations Advisor to support line managers across divisions. The role focuses on advising on ER cases, sickness absence, performance and conduct, and related HR policy and procedures.

The post sits in the HR team and follows a CIPD pathway towards Level 5 qualification, with priority given to staff at risk. The successful candidate will coach managers in meetings, liaise with unions, and contribute to policy development while

Qualifications

• Part qualified or working towards CIPD level 5
• Certificate in Personnel Practice
• Proven evidence of CPD

Responsibilities

• Advise line managers on ER issues, employment law and terms and conditions
• Advise on sickness absence and agree management actions
• Support on performance and conduct, grievance and bullying cases including investigations
• Attend meetings/hearings to coach managers on ER cases and redeployment
• Advise on management of change proposals
• Advise employees on HR policy, procedure and terms and conditions
• Apply HR policies consistently across the Trust and foster trust and involvement
• Escalate complex cases to Senior ER Advisor or HR Manager
• Work with Trade Unions to resolve cases informally where possible
• Support development and implementation of HR policies and guidelines
• Promote e-HR system use and provide training and support with Organisational Development
• Maintain HR Portal content and support annual staff survey process

Skills

HR policy & practice

Interpersonal skills

Communication across levels

IT skills (MS Office)

Organisational skills

Law & ACAS knowledge

Education

CIPD Level 5 (in progress)

Certificate in Personnel Practice

CPD evidence

Job description

This Employee Relations Advisor post sits in the HR team at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust, applying the Business Partner approach across all divisions. The work centres on advising line managers on ER cases, including sickness absence, performance, grievance and bullying and harassment. The post runs under Annex 21 for applicants not yet qualified, with CIPD level 5 to be worked towards, and internal and Priority or At Risk staff are preferred.

What the job involves

• Advise line managers on ER issues, employment law, best practice and Agenda for Change terms and conditions
• Advise on sickness absence cases and agree management actions
• Advise and support on performance and conduct, grievance and bullying and harassment cases, including investigations
• Attend meetings and hearings to coach managers on ER cases, including redeployment
• Advise on management of change proposals
• Advise employees on HR policy, procedure and terms and conditions
• Apply HR policies consistently across the Trust and build a culture of trust, co-operation and involvement
• Escalate complex cases to the Senior ER Advisor or HR Manager, consulting the HR Business Partner
• Work with Trade Unions to resolve cases informally where possible
• Support development and implementation of HR policies, procedures and guidelines, and take part in ER working groups and training
• Promote e-HR system use and provide training and support on it with Organisational Development
• Maintain HR Portal content and support the annual staff survey process

Qualifications

• Part qualified or working towards CIPD level 5
• Certificate in Personnel Practice
• Proven evidence of CPD

Experience

• Significant demonstrable experience of HR issues in a large complex organisation, including sickness absence, employment law and performance management

Skills & knowledge

• Thorough understanding of HR practice, including ACAS and employment law
• Proven knowledge of equality and diversity legislation
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Good IT skills, including Microsoft Office and other systems as required
• Excellent organisational skills and the ability to prioritise
• Ability to communicate with staff at all levels

Other

• Ability to work flexibly to respond to changing service priorities
• Confidence to take decisions at the appropriate level

Nice to have

• Associate CIPD
• Knowledge of key NHS issues, including national and local policy drivers

What’s offered

• Career development opportunities
• Flexible working requests considered for less than full-time roles