HAR-013510 – Senior HR Employee Relations Advisor (Sickness Lead) in London

The Senior HR Employee Relations Advisor (Sickness Lead) is responsible for leading and delivering effective sickness absence management across the Council. This role provides specialist advice and support to reduce sickness absence levels, implement preventative measures, and ensure consistent application of absence policies and procedures. This role also covers all areas of HR remit including high risk and complex HR issues. The postholder will demonstrate behaviours and competencies to transform the HR service, ensuring it delivers highly effective outcome-focused and proactive support to customers. The Senior HR Employee Relations Advisor (Sickness Lead) will operate within a fast-paced and dynamic environment, supporting the Council’s people initiatives and programme. They will act independently and proactively to ensure knowledge is kept up to date with the latest policy changes and best practice.

Job Context (Key outputs of team/role)

• Lead on reducing sickness absence across the Council through development and delivery of targeted action plans.
• Casework including complex casework, organisational change, and other HR&OD initiatives within the Human Resources remit are successfully concluded within deadlines, KPIs and in line with existing Employee Relations SLA.
• Service objectives are developed and delivered as agreed with line management.
• Expert advice on absence management is provided to customers, maintaining consistent quality of HR service.
• Proactively identify and implement service improvements in absence management.

Main Duties / Accountabilities

• Lead the Council’s approach to managing both short and long-term sickness absence, developing strategies to reduce absence levels.
• Provide specialist advice to managers on complex absence cases, including long-term health conditions, disability-related absence, and stress management as well as complex ER cases.
• Build excellent working relationships with stakeholders including occupational health providers, managers, and Trade Union officials.
• Manage complex absence cases to conclusion, including supporting formal procedures, hearings, and appeals.
• Provide meaningful monthly, quarterly and annual KPI’s / metrics (dashboard) data and reports for the DMTs typically relating to case management records, sickness absence levels (short / long term), head count, turnover etc, identifying trends and patterns with proposed improvement action plans to work towards the relevant performance indicators.
• Design and deliver training programs to enhance manager capabilities in absence management.
• Maintain accurate absence records and documentation, ensuring data protection compliance.
• Collaborate with HR colleagues to share expertise and best practices.
• Lead on developing reasonable adjustment processes and support for employees with health conditions.
• Provide monthly KPIs/metrics on absence levels, identifying trends and proposing improvement actions.
• Review and develop absence policies and procedures.
• Supervise junior staff members in absence management.
• Obtain regular feedback from stakeholders to improve service delivery.
• Support wider HR initiatives and organisational change programs as required.

Selection Criteria

• Demonstrable record of achievement in employee relations, specifically sickness absence casework, TUPE, and strategic and operational human resources projects.
• Experience of successfully managing employee relations issues in a timely and consistent way in a large organisation.
• Experience of report writing and communicating complex issues to a broad range of audiences.
• Experience in dealing with a range of complex and contentious matters requiring a consistently high degree of support, persuasion and advocacy and an awareness of major policy objectives, employment legislation and regulations.
• An exceptional communicator able to operate and empathise with stakeholders and senior managers, influencing and gaining commitment to objectives and deadlines.
• Excellent planning and organisational skills coupled with a strong focus on the delivery of the objective.
• Creative and innovative in finding solutions to complex problems.
• Ability to lead on multiple and wide-ranging programmes and manage competing demands.
• Knowledge, awareness and understanding of the public sector, including understanding the key drivers for change.
• Able to demonstrate financial acumen and commercial awareness.
• Clear understanding in the current thinking about people leadership, people management and organisational change.
• To have the flexibility to work hours as required for the needs of the role.

The above profile is intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by employees in this role. It is not intended to be a detailed list of all duties and responsibilities which may be required. The postholder is required to undertake other reasonable duties consistent with the grade and level of the post.

Qualifications

• Evidence of CPD.
• Degree and/or CIPD or equivalent professional body qualified or relevant work experience.