Employee Relations Manager FTC)

Employee Relations Manager - 12 month contract (FTC)

Location: Hybrid / Colchester, UK
job type: Permanent / Full-time
Sector and subsector: Human Resources | Generalist Human Resources
Salary: Competitive salary

Affinia is the UK’s largest purpose-led, purpose-built Accountancy firm, focused on building stronger, more valuable relationships. With over 1,000 colleagues across the East, South East, London and the Midlands, we are dedicated to supporting our clients, colleagues and communities.

We advise businesses, public sector organisations, charities and individuals throughout the UK and internationally across six Service Lines - Accountancy & Advisory, Tax and Planning, Audit & Assurance, Corporate Finance, Payroll and Corporate Recovery. Our team also offer in-depth sector expertise across a number of sectors, ensuring our clients receive the best short to medium and long-term advice, tailored to them. We are committed to delivering excellence in every aspect of our work, adapting to the evolving technology and regulatory landscape while consistently exceeding client expectations.

Our people are our most valuable asset. We are therefore committed to supporting our colleagues throughout their professional development, providing guidance and training at whatever stage of their career they join us.

Working across multiple offices and service lines, the role partners closely with People Business Partners and People Advisors, acting as the first point of escalation within the People team for employee relations matters. The Employee Relations Manager will provide pragmatic, commercially focused advice, ensuring cases are managed consistently, fairly and in accordance with employment legislation, ACAS guidance and company policy.

The Employee Relations Manager is the business's employee relations specialist, responsible for leading on complex employee relations matters and providing expert advice across the organisation.

The role will independently manage a wide range of complex and high-risk employee relations cases, coach managers and People colleagues, identify organisational risk and promote best practice across the business. The Employee Relations Manager will escalate only the most significant or business-critical matters to the People Director.

Employee Relations

• Lead and manage a varied caseload of complex employee relations matters across the business, including disciplinary, grievance, capability, absence management, investigations, appeals, probation, flexible working, organisational change and redundancy.
• Act as the first point of contact for the wider People team on employee relations matters, providing expert advice and guidance before escalation to the People Director where required.
• Partner with People Business Partners and People Advisors to ensure employee relations matters are managed consistently and in line with company policy, employment legislation and best practice.
• Lead and support managers through formal employee relations processes, ensuring fair, consistent and legally compliant outcomes.
• Draft high-quality employee relations documentation including investigation reports, invitation letters, outcome letters, appeal outcomes, settlement correspondence and management recommendations.
• Identify legal, commercial and reputational risks, providing pragmatic recommendations that balance organisational needs with a positive employee experience.
• Support organisational change programmes, including restructures, redundancies, business reorganisations and consultation processes.
• Lead the employee relations aspects of business acquisitions and TUPE transfers, providing expert advice throughout the transfer process and ensuring compliance with the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations.
• Advise managers and the wider People team on TUPE obligations, including due diligence, employee liability information, consultation requirements, measures, changes to terms and conditions, and post-transfer employee relations issues.
• Support consultation meetings relating to acquisitions, TUPE transfers and organisational change, preparing documentation and ensuring legal compliance throughout the process.
• Work closely with integration teams to manage employee relations risks arising from acquisitions, harmonisation activities and business integration programmes.
• Support the preparation of Employment Tribunal responses, ACAS Early Conciliation matters and settlement negotiations…