Senior Employee Relations Specialist

Private Advertiser; Bayan Lepas; On-site; MYR 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading HR consultancy in Malaysia is seeking a Senior Employee Relations Specialist to manage complex workplace issues and foster a positive culture. The role involves advising management on employee matters, ensuring compliance with laws, and developing HR policies. The ideal candidate should possess a Bachelor's degree in a related field and have a minimum of 7 years of HR/ER experience with strong knowledge of labor relations. This position offers opportunities for impactful work within an organization committed to engagement and compliance.

Qualifications

• Minimum 7 years of progressive HR/ER experience, with at least 3 years in a senior or specialist role.
• Proven ability to handle sensitive and confidential information with discretion.

Responsibilities

• Leads and resolves complex employee relations cases, including grievances and misconduct.
• Provides expert guidance to managers on handling sensitive employee matters.
• Tracks and analyzes employee relations metrics for continuous improvement.

Skills

Employment law knowledge

Negotiation skills

Conflict resolution

Analytical mindset

Interpersonal skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Law, or related field

Job description

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The Senior Employee Relations Specialist acts as a trusted advisor to management and employees, ensuring fair, consistent, and legally compliant handling of workplace issues. This role manages complex employee relations cases, drives a positive workplace culture, and supports organizational policies and practices to foster engagement and compliance.

Employee Relations Case Management

Leads and resolves complex employee relations cases, including grievances, misconduct, and performance issues. The role involves conducting thorough and unbiased investigations, preparing detailed reports with actionable recommendations, and ensuring compliance with labor laws, company policies, and ethical standards. Maintain accurate and confidential records of investigations, disciplinary actions, and performance evaluations.

Policy & Compliance

Develops, interprets, and applies HR policies, labor regulations, and employment law. It recommends policy updates to reflect best practices and legal changes and ensures consistent application of policies across all departments. The specialist also enforces Responsible Business Alliance (RBA) standards.

Advisory & Coaching

Provides expert guidance to managers on handling sensitive employee matters and coaches leaders on conflict resolution, disciplinary actions, and performance management. Partner closely with HR Business Partners to align employee relations strategies with organizational goals.

Culture & Engagement

The role supports initiatives that foster a respectful, inclusive, and high-performance workplace. It coordinates employee engagement activities, communication sessions, dialogue sessions, prepares meeting summaries, and ensures timely communication of outcomes. Additionally, the specialist acts as the company liaison for Industrial Relations matters and represents the organization in labor disputes.

Reporting & Analytics

Tracks and analyzes employee relations metrics, including case volume, resolution time, absenteeism, attrition, and disciplinary actions. It presents insights and trends for continuous improvement and maintains accurate documentation for audits and compliance reviews.

Delivers training and refresher sessions for managers and employees on employee relations policies, performance management, and compliance, and shares knowledge through communication channels.

Other Duties

Performs other duties as required or assigned by the manager.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Law, or related field
• Minimum 7 years of progressive HR/ER experience, with at least 3 years in a senior or specialist role.
• Strong knowledge of employment law, labor relations, and HR best practices.
• Proven ability to handle sensitive and confidential information with discretion.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and conflict-resolution skills.
• Analytical mindset with ability to identify trends and recommend solutions.

Core Competencies

• Integrity and ethical judgment
• Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills
• Problem-solving and decision-making ability
• Resilience under pressure
• Strategic thinking with operational execution