Employee Relations Specialist / Partner
Solihull, B91 3QJ (hybrid role – 2 days per week in the Solihull office)
Travelling as required to attend meetings/hearings
Full Time, Permanent (37.5 hour per week)
Competitive salary plus benefits
Are you passionate about employment law and skilled in employment tribunal process and advocacy? If you're seeking an opportunity to join a vibrant team where your contributions will have a tangible impact, then we have an ideal position for you!
Role Overview:
We're in search of a seasoned and well-informed Employee Relations Partner to join our central Employee Relations (ER) department. You'll play a pivotal role in offering expert guidance to people managers across diverse business units on all facets of employment law, with a primary focus on effectively managing Employment Tribunal proceedings within the UK. You'll collaborate closely with internal stakeholders at all organisational levels, while also engaging with external partners such as ACAS, solicitors, and barristers. Your responsibilities will include providing strategic solutions and facilitating training initiatives to proactively uphold and reinforce Serco's ethical standards in employee relations.
Key accountabilities:
- Expert employment guidance: provide comprehensive advice on all aspects of UK employment law to HR, ER, Management, and Leadership teams.
- Efficient tribunal management: devise case management and defence strategies for tribunal claims, including risk identification, and jurisdictional defence. Advise stakeholders on the prospects and risks of each claim. Support our Employment Tribunal Coordinator prepare all necessary documents for tribunal hearings including case management preliminary hearings, judicial mediation, and full merits hearings including remedy if necessary.
- Proactive trend monitoring: monitor trends in ER and employment tribunal activity, identifying emerging issues and guiding the business towards a proactive approach.
- External and internal collaboration: liaise with internal stakeholders and external parties such as ACAS, unions, solicitors, and barristers during the tribunal case management process.
- Settlement agreements: Advise on settlement agreement processes and terms, negotiate with employee's solicitors for expedient and cost-effective exits.
- Complex ER cases and projects: provide advice and guidance on complex ER matters and ad hoc ER related projects.
- Provide advice and guidance to the ER case management team and people managers
- Monitor, measure and report on ER issues, opportunities, lessons learned, achievements through data analysis for informed decision-making.
- Serve as the link connecting the ER team and customers, as well as the broader HR team, regarding all matters pertaining to employment matters.
- Facilitate clear, practical, and commercially oriented advice to ensure effective communication and understanding.
What you'll need to do the role:
- Proven experience of working in a similar role within ER and will ideally be CIPD qualified.
- Educated to a degree level or equivalent qualification in a suitable subject.
- With a minimum of 2 years of experience practicing in employment tribunals within a similar role, demonstrate extensive knowledge of Employment Law and effective management of Employment Tribunal claims, alongside proficiency in employment advocacy.
- Experience of advising on all aspects of Employment Law and providing practical and commercial advice, ideally in an in-house environment.
- Excellent organisational and diary management skills.
- Strong problem-solving and analytical skills.
- Strong negotiation and communication skills, with the ability to build positive and collaborative relationships.
- Strong commercial awareness driving process and operational improvements.
- Commitment to continuous learning and staying current with developments in UK employment law and ethical standards.
Why Serco?
Here at Serco, we partner with governments to provide public services across Defence, Justice & Immigration, Health, Transport, Community Services, and Leisure. We deliver superb services through our dedicated people, supported by effective processes, technology, and management. The nature of our business means that you will be doing interesting work that matters and delivering essential services to make a difference to society.
What we offer:
- 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays.
- Annual leave purchase scheme.
- Up to 6% contributory pension scheme
- Flexible working options.
- Free onsite parking.
- Serco discounts which include cinema, merlin entertainment and online shopping discounts, and discounts on mobile phone plans and leisure centre memberships.
- A range of benefits to support the health and wellbeing of you and your family such as Employee Assistance Programme, Health Cash Plans, free flu jabs and more.
- A wealth of career development training to suit your future aspirations. These range from role specific training, leadership coaching, formal study and much more to support you to build your career with Serco.
- A safe and supportive culture.
- A company passionate about diversity and inclusion.
About Serco
At Serco, not only is the nature of the work we do important, everyone has an important role to play, from caring for vulnerable people to managing complex public services. We are a team of 50,000 people responsible for delivering essential public services around the world in areas including defence, transport, justice, immigration, healthcare and citizen services. We are innovators, committed to redesigning and improving public services for the benefit of everyone.
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Serco is a Disability Confident Employer committed to employing and retaining people with disabilities. Disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the job will be given the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities at an interview. For help with your application please contact .
We see people first and foremost for their performance and potential. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organisation that supports the needs of all. As such we will make reasonable adjustments at interview through to employment for our candidates. We're a proud holder of the Gold Inclusive Employer Standard and we actively encourage applications from females, those with disabilities or from an ethnic minority background.