Employee Relations Executive

Merlin Entertainments - People Hub; Basingstoke; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

LEGO discount 40%

Merlin Magic Pass

25% Merlin shops & restaurants

Staff discount codes for Merlin Annual

Pension scheme

Life assurance

Employee assistance programme

Perks at Work

Ongoing training & development

Job summary

Merlin Entertainments is seeking an Employee Relations Executive to manage a varied ER caseload across the UK and partner with managers to deliver consistent, policy-aligned outcomes.

You’ll provide practical guidance, coaching and documentation support while contributing to policy development and manager capability. A strong knowledge of employment law and HR best practices is essential.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in an Employee Relations, HR Advisory or similar employee-focused role.
• Experience managing a high volume of complex employee relations casework from start to resolution.
• Strong knowledge of UK employment law, ACAS guidance and HR best practice.
• Ability to provide confident, practical advice and coaching to managers at all levels.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills, with the ability to influence and collaborate effectively.
• Strong analytical thinking, sound judgement and attention to detail.
• Ability to remain calm, professional and solution-focused when managing sensitive situations.
• A commitment to fairness, consistency, confidentiality and delivering a positive colleague experience.
• Experience using HR systems and case management platforms such as ServiceNow would be advantageous.
• Experience working in a shared services, matrix or unionised environment would be beneficial.

Responsibilities

• Manage a varied caseload of employee relations cases from start to finish.
• Provide expert guidance on employee relations matters to managers across the UK.
• Coach and support managers through formal ER processes and documentation.
• Identify trends and contribute to policy development and manager capability.
• Support on-call ER guidance during key operational periods.

Skills

Employee relations

HR advisory

UK employment law

coaching managers

communication

relationship building

analytical thinking

stakeholder management

attention to detail

ServiceNow

Tools

ServiceNow

Job description

What you'll bring to the team

Employee Relations Executive

Location: The Basingstoke Hub (Chineham Business Park, RG24 8WG)

Contract Type: Fixed Term Contract, until 31st December 2026

Ready to join the team behind some of the world's favourite places to play? At Merlin, every great day of play starts with great people behind the scenes! As our Employee Relations Executive, you will play a vital role in helping us create a positive, fair and supportive workplace for colleagues across the UK. Working as part of our UK Hub People Team, you will be a trusted partner to managers, providing expert guidance on a range of employee relations matters while helping to deliver an outstanding colleague experience.

You will manage a varied caseload of employee relations cases from start to finish, including disciplinary, grievance, absence, capability and performance matters. With a strong understanding of employment legislation and best practice, you will ensure cases are handled consistently, professionally and in line with company policies, legal requirements and service standards.

Working closely with People Business Partners, managers, legal colleagues and the wider People Shared Services team, you'll provide coaching and practical support throughout formal employee relations processes. From preparing documentation and guiding conversations to helping managers navigate complex situations, you'll support solutions that are both commercially balanced and people focused.

You will also help us continuously improve the way we work by identifying trends, contributing to policy development and supporting initiatives that build manager capability across the business. Where higher-risk or complex matters arise, you'll work alongside senior stakeholders and specialist teams to ensure the right outcomes for our colleagues and the business.

As part of a business that operates seven days a week, you'll also contribute to an on-call support rota, helping managers access employee relations guidance when they need it most during key operational periods.

Qualifications & Experience

• Proven experience in an Employee Relations, HR Advisory or similar employee-focused role.
• Experience managing a high volume of complex employee relations casework from start to resolution.
• Strong knowledge of UK employment law, ACAS guidance and HR best practice.
• Ability to provide confident, practical advice and coaching to managers at all levels.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills, with the ability to influence and collaborate effectively.
• Strong analytical thinking, sound judgement and attention to detail.
• Ability to remain calm, professional and solution-focused when managing sensitive situations.
• A commitment to fairness, consistency, confidentiality and delivering a positive colleague experience.
• Experience using HR systems and case management platforms such as ServiceNow would be advantageous.
• Experience working in a shared services, matrix or unionised environment would be beneficial.
• A collaborative mindset and a genuine passion for helping people thrive and succeed together.

Benefits

• 40% discount off LEGO® sets and products on the online LEGO Store!

• Merlin Magic Pass: 20 free tickets for you, your family and friends to enjoy all of our Merlin Attractions across the world!
• 25% discount in Merlin retail shops and restaurants (a brilliant extra treat when you’re using your Magic Pass to visit!)
• Staff discount codes for Merlin Annual Passes to gift to loved ones!

• Private pension scheme
• Life assurance scheme
• Employee assistance programme
• Access to Perks at Work which 30,000+ national & local employee discounts
• Ongoing training & development

About Merlin

A job with Merlin isn’t like a job anywhere else. With attractions around the world, from rollercoasters to wax figures, we don’t trade in suits, handshakes or briefcases. We trade in fun. In smiles, shrieks and spine-tingles. In Memories. In magic. But there are no tricks behind our magic. Instead, there are people like you. Passionate, dedicated people who are committed to making sure our worldwide attractions and guests’ experiences are the best they can be.

If you have any questions or if you require any reasonable adjustments, because of a disability or medical condition, please contact us by email [e-mail] one of the team will get back to you as soon as possible.

Pay Range

Competitive