Human Resources Officer

We have an exciting opportunity for a proactive, people‑focused Human Resource Officer to join our HR Advisory Team. As a key member of the team, you’ll play a vital role in supporting managers and staff in the effective management of attendance, contributing to a high‑quality, compassionate and efficient HR service across the organisation.

This is a full‑time (37.5 hours per week) hybrid role based at our Withington site and home working.

As the first point of contact for advice on attendance management, you will work closely with line managers, Occupational Health and the wider HR team. You’ll help ensure that policies are applied fairly and consistently, provide confident guidance on attendance processes, and support managers to develop their skills in people management.

This is a fantastic opportunity for someone who enjoys problem solving, building relationships, and working in a fast‑paced HR environment. You will be trusted to manage sensitive information with professionalism, maintain accurate HR records, and take initiative in driving improvements across the service. If you’re passionate about making an impact on staff wellbeing and organisational performance, we’d love to hear from you.

• Act as a first point of contact for managers and staff (non‑medical) providing HR advice and guidance on absence management.
• Communicate and consider sensitive information from Occupational Health reports at sickness absence meetings using tact and persuasion to ensure that managers act in accordance with the Management of Attendance Policy.
• Escalate unresolved or complex absence queries to the HR Advisor as appropriate, and provide advice to managers on the management of attendance policy.
• Support managers with non‑complex management of attendance cases.
• Work alongside managers to ensure that sickness absence is managed proactively and robustly across the Division, seeking to reduce the absence rate of the Division.
• Escalate any localised patterns and concerns to the HR Business Partner.
• Liaise with and utilise the Occupational Health service to seek expert advice to underpin the effective, fair and proactive resolution of sickness absence cases.
• Support managers to draft sensitive and confidential letters to a professional standard regarding management of attendance.
• Utilise ESR and other Digital systems to ensure that all relevant HR metrics are captured, analysed and reported upon to aid action and planning.
• Coordinate multi‑disciplinary Stage 3 Hearings and undertake project work to improve attendance across Divisions, liaising with managers, Occupational Health and the Engagement team.
• Delegate administrative tasks to the HR Assistant where appropriate and with instruction and support.
• Signpost staff to access to work and support managers with process.
• Support managers to identify staff who have met absence triggers and require a stage meeting in line with policy.
• Identify patterns of short‑term absence.
• Identify staff that require long‑term sickness absence reviews in line with the Management of Attendance policy.
• Attend absence meetings / reviews with managers.
• Escalate to HR Advisor for attendance at more complex absence reviews.
• Assist with the production and review of letters and reports.
• Offer ad hoc meetings with managers to discuss overall absence, identify patterns, reasons and overall compliance with the policy.
• Provide advice and support to managers on reasonable adjustments.
• Manage the redeployment process by supporting the manager and staff member, including providing advice to both the releasing manager and receiving manager, escalating to the HR Advisor where appropriate.
• Advise on and manage the injury allowance process, ensuring managers are aware of the process, the correct information is obtained, outcomes to employees are provided and the payroll is actioned by liaising with Workforce Systems Team.
• Respond to queries in the ASK HR inbox, ensuring that all emails are responded to in a timely manner and documents are filed electronically in the correct place and appropriately named.
• Maintain effective office systems and procedures, making maximum use of…