Senior Employee Relations Advisor

Job Introduction

We’re looking for a Senior Employee Relations Advisor to join our People Centre team based in Salford. We’re looking for someone with excellent organisation, time management and prioritisation skills and a solution orientated mindset.

You’ll work as part of the ER Services team to provide a responsive and compliant ER advisory service to Sodexo’s nationwide sites, in line with Company / Segment specific policies and legislation. You’ll support Line Managers with full case management and administrative support on ER issues including suspensions, investigations, disciplinary, grievance and absence.

This would be a great role for a qualified or in progress CIPD level 5 HR professional to gain exposure to complex ER cases in a global business.

Role Responsibility

• Support line managers remotely with general advice, ensuring all advice complies with legislation and is in line with Company/ Segment specific policies and processes
• Resolve and respond to ER related queries escalated from HR Services Team, ensuring query resolution is captured on the CSM system managing service requests in a timely manner
• Provide practical advice and guidance to line managers on how to manage ER issues in line with the Company policy. Escalate any serious or final stage ER issues to ER Specialists or ER Services Manager
• Ensure line managers are clear on how to conduct meetings, including advice on meeting preparation and how meetings should be chaired and concluded
• Undertake ER administrative activities required to support ER case management, ensuring invite and outcome letters are accurate, and where necessary, checked by an ER Specialist before distribution
• Provide advice and administrative support to the business on TUPE activity, ensuring you liaise with the wider team to ensure smooth management of the TUPE transfer process
• Provide mediation support to the business by facilitating mediation sessions when requested
• Proactively monitor cases involving suspensions, through collaborative working with ER Services Team members to ensure cases are prioritised and support is provided to Managers as soon as possible, with breaches communicated to ER Specialists or HRBPs
• Undertake redundancy calculations and necessary administration upon request
• Keep up to date with legislative changes and segment specific knowledge which influence ER issues
• Provide hands on support to other HR Services Teams when required e.g. during absences, peak times and on ad hoc projects
• Ensure all hard and soft copy personnel records are maintained and secure, complying with obligations under the Data Protection Act and segment specific requirements
• Complete special projects and miscellaneous assignments as required

The Ideal Candidate

What’s essential:

• Demonstrable experience to providing ER support to nationwide client base
• CIPD level 5 qualified or working towards
• Experience of providing HR advice in line with relevant policies and legislation
• Well organised with the ability to plan, prioritise and manage high volume of case work and queries to meet deadlines. Able to work collaborating with the wider team and provide support as and when required.
• Excellent verbal and written skills with the ability to write a clear, understandable and concise manner
• Understanding of customer requirements and is able to take ownership of problems or issues and recommend practical HR solutions
• Pro-active and practical approach to problem solving
• Proficient in Microsoft Office programmes

Where we can be flexible:

• Experience of working within a Shared Service environment or busy modern HR Department
• Understanding of HR systems/technology / SAP HR / CRM
• Experience of unionised environments, settlement agreements and Employment Tribunals
• Understanding of restructuring, mobilisation and TUPE transfers

Package Description

Senior Employee Relations Advisor

Salford, Manchester with flexible working options available

£25,000 - 27,500 per annum plus benefits

About the Company

In the UK and Ireland, Sodexo employs some 36,000 employees to deliver integrated facilities management services to clients at over 2,000 locations in the energy, corporate, healthcare, education, leisure, defence and justice sectors. With an annual turnover of over £1bn, we provide everything from catering, cleaning and reception to security, laboratory and grounds maintenance services, enabling our clients to focus on their core business

At Sodexo we are committed to a leading role in promoting equality opportunities and valuing diversity and inclusion. We seek to create a work environment based on mutual respect for all individuals, building a culture that appreciates and values the experiences and skills brought by each person to benefit our organisation and work hard to ensure that all people, whatever their age, disability, gender, transgender, marital or family status, race or ethnicity, religious belief of sexual orientation are welcome to and included within our business.

We are building on our support to the Armed Forces community through the development of specific pathways within our recruitment process to  support ex-forces personnel and reservists, those applying for jobs with us who meet the ideal candidate criteria for the role advertised are guaranteed to progress to the selection process