Employee Relations Specialist; Crawley; 7-month contract; 350 per day via umbrella; Inside IR35

We currently have a requirement for an experienced ER specialist to provide expert advice on a number of complex cases in line with organisational and current legislative requirements. The role is critical to ensuring fair and consistent application of policy and process through the provision of accurate and timely advice to employees, managers and the wider HR function - either remotely or in person.
The role is intended to support a variety of complex ER casework across all parts of the business in the UK and will be the first point of escalation for ER Advisors.
The role will operate on a hybrid working pattern with 2 days a week required on site, plus quarterly meetings. Our client would also consider someone working from their Glasgow site.
Key Responsibilities and Tasks:
ER Case Management
 ? Provide general ER advice and guidance to employees, managers and the wider HR function
 ? Manage and drive the resolution of a variety of ER cases that are transferred into the ER Team, including:
o Death in Service
o Probation Period failures
o Informal and formal performance management
o Grievance investigations (informal and formal)
o Disciplinary hearings
o Appeal hearings
o Capability dismissals
 ? Deliver expert and pragmatic ER advice to managers using a coaching style that helps to constructively challenge and improve their people management skills and leadership behaviours
 ? Provide proactive and in-depth case management support in important life events for employees relating to Family Leave (Ordinary Paternity Leave, Parental Leave, Maternity Leave, Adoption Leave, Shared Parental Leave). Ensure managers and employees are aware of the relevant policies and that these are implemented in a timely and professional manner with a strong focus on best practice
 ? Provide proactive and in-depth case management for employees who have absences relating to defined criteria, e.g. poor attendance, absences relating to stress or mental health, long term sickness absence.
 ? Work closely and collaboratively with the ER Advisors on Family Leave and absence-related casework to ensure relevant policies and support mechanisms are being used appropriately (such as Permanent Health Insurance, Vocational Rehabilitation, Occupational Health, Employee Assistance Programme, Mental Health First Aiders, Private Medical Insurance)
 ? Work with Lead ER Specialists to identify patterns / trends in the ER casework that may require review or changes to current policies and procedures, or training interventions, and lead the implementation of these
 ? Work collaboratively with other members of the ER Team to ensure a seamless handover of cases where necessary, ensuring the customer is kept informed of progress at all times
 ? Be viewed as an SME within the ER Team on least two ER topics, e.g. Immigration, Mental Health, Absence Management, Performance Management, Redundancies, Acquisitions, TUPE
 ? For SME areas design and maintain a suite of procedural documentation, for internal use within the ER Team to ensure consistent and high-quality case delivery in line with current policies and SLAs
 ? Design and deliver ER training and up-skilling interventions for managers and employees, and the wider HR function
 ? Lead HR policy design, maintenance and review in collaboration with other members of the ER Team, to ensure compliance with best practice and current legislative requirements; take a lead role in drafting policy content relating to SME areas
 ? Communicate and share knowledge on SME areas and policy / procedural updates with other member of the ER Team, HRSS teams and wider HR function as necessary, to ensure understanding and consistent implementation
 ? Act as the first point of escalation for resolution of issues from ER Advisors
 ? Ensure all cases are accurately recorded in the case management system with a good level of detail and coherence in accordance with internal quality monitoring requirements
 ? Demonstrate ability to add value by proactively identifying risk, applying sound judgement and managing risks appropriately, escalating as necessary to relevant members of the ER Team or wider Legal / HR function
 ? Draft documentation for Settlement Agreements in line with the agreed template, and lead on negotiations with the employee and solicitors where required.

Projects
 ? Proactively support the business and HR teams in the implementation of strategic HR change programmes, such as those involving redundancy, restructuring, changes to T&Cs, TUPE and acquisitions
 ? Act in a leading role, designing and implementing appropriate project plans and tools in collaboration with business or function-aligned HR teams and their stakeholders
 ? Visibly take the lead and coordinate delivery of projects against agreed plans in a professional and consistent manner, forging positive working relationships
 ? Apply relevant ER knowledge and expertise, sharing observations and identifying potential risks that may jeopardise the project or compromise employee relations at the company
 ? Support the delivery of strategic ER initiatives across the UK.

Skills & Experience:
Essential
 ? Excellent knowledge of current UK employment legislation and ACAS guidelines, plus proactive maintenance of this knowledge
 ? Previous experience of implementing and advising on a broad spectrum of HR policies with managers and employees
 ? Experience of dealing with a variety of challenging ER cases, maintaining resilience with a pragmatic and positive approach
 ? Confident and able to conduct difficult and sensitive conversations with managers (including senior management), and employees, both face-to-face and over the phone, showing compassion and empathy
 ? Ability to build positive working relationships and establish credibility quickly with a variety of stakeholders including managers, employees and the wider HR function, plus trade union representatives
 ? Previous experience of working with external suppliers and fostering positive relationships that are professional and constructive
 ? Actively listens and explores the root cause of queries from managers and employees, constructively challenging as necessary
 ? Excellent written and verbal communication skills
 ? Strong attention to detail
 ? Ability to work on own initiative and manage own time effectively
 ? Team orientated, flexible and enthusiastic with a can-do approach.
Desirable
 ? Prior experience of:
o working in a complex/matrix engineering or technical organisation
o working in a regional role and covering multiple sites in a virtual team
o working with trade unions
o delivering ER training to managers and employees, and the wider HR community
 ? An understanding of HRSS technology and the use of this during business as usual and periods of change
 ? Policy and procedural document design experience
 ? Practical working knowledge of Microsoft Office tools.

Qualifications:

Essential
Working towards CIPD qualification
Educated to A level standard or equivalent
Good GCSEs in English and Mathematics
Stays appraised of current developments in UK employment legislation and HR best practice through Continuing Professional Development

Desirable
Degree level qualification or equivalent
CIPD qualified

Morson is acting as an employment business in relation to this vacancy
Human Resources; HRBP; CIPD; HR Generalist; ER; Employment Relations; Employee Relations; Employer Relations; Coaching; Resource Planning; Trade Unions; Stakeholder management; People development; Talent Management; Succession Planning; HR Policies; Change Management; Mediation; HR Advisor; HR Specialist; Employment Law; People Management; Learning and Development; Capability Development; Early Careers