Employee Relations Manager

JR United Kingdom; Wolverhampton; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company is seeking an Employee Relations Manager to enhance their HR strategy. This role involves delivering expert guidance on employee relations, improving HR processes, and supporting a progressive people strategy. Ideal candidates should possess Chartered CIPD membership and significant experience in union environments.

Qualifications

• Significant experience advising managers in a unionised environment.
• Strong understanding of employment law and HR best practices.
• Experience in managing complex ER casework.

Responsibilities

• Deliver a high-quality, customer-focused ER service.
• Oversee casework including attendance management and grievances.
• Review, develop, and implement HR policies and procedures.

Skills

Employee Relations

Conflict Resolution

Organizational Development

Employment Law

HR Best Practices

Education

Chartered CIPD membership

Job description

Position: Employee Relations Manager

Location: Kingston Upon Thames

Type: Permanent

The Role

Are you an experienced HR professional with a passion for employee relations and driving forward a fair, consistent, and people-focused approach to workforce matters? We’re seeking a skilled Employee Relations Manager to join our friendly and supportive HR & OD team.

In this role, you’ll be responsible for delivering a high-quality, customer-focused ER service, providing clear, professional advice on a wide range of employee relations matters including disciplinary, grievance, and attendance management. You’ll play a key part in simplifying and improving HR policies and practices across our partner organisations, helping to shape a modern and consistent approach to people management.

You’ll work closely with a Senior HR Advisor and HR & OD Apprentice, and collaborate with legal and other external partners where needed, to support effective service delivery. This is a great opportunity to influence change, support culture development, and contribute to a progressive People & OD strategy.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

• Work with our employment policies and approach to casework management.
• Facilitate informal resolution, where possible and appropriate.
• Influence delivery from our shared service operations to and for RBK requirements in a planned way.
• Adhere to agreed procedures to maintain effective governance and central management of terms and conditions and contracts, including policy version control.
• Oversee and undertake casework, including attending hearings to demonstrate responsive action to workforce issues for 2024/25, including sickness absence, mental health, and wellbeing concerns.
• Highlight risks of ET claims and financial exposure.
• Ensure investigation timelines are monitored and escalated when delays occur, providing mitigating actions to reduce negative impact.
• Support the improvement of service delivery, provide visible and proactive training for policy and culture, empower managers, support good union relations, and enhance outcomes for staff.
• Review, develop, and implement HR policies and procedures, transactional and operational processes, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and customer focus.
• Provide specialist policy and procedural advice to all areas of HR and OD and service management.
• Make recommendations to managers, identifying risks and opportunities to facilitate early resolution.
• Oversee the management of HR formal casework, including the constitution of panels and representation.

Skills & Experience

• Chartered CIPD membership or equivalent knowledge and experience.
• Significant experience advising managers and working in a unionised environment.
• Strong understanding of employment law, HR best practices, and organizational development.
• Confidence in managing complex ER casework and supporting organizational change.
• A collaborative, solutions-focused, and professional approach.

The role may occasionally require working irregular hours (with reasonable notice) to attend events and meetings. The post holder should be willing to work flexibly during these periods.