Employee Relations Advisor in Peterborough

The Employee Relations Advisor role provides consistent, timely, and legally robust employee relations support across the business, ensuring fair treatment of coworkers, compliance with employment legislation, and protection of organisational risk. The role works closely with the Employee Relations Partner, HR Business Partners, HR Shared Services, Payroll, Legal, and other HR centres of expertise to deliver pragmatic advice, manage cases effectively, and ensure ER activity is aligned with business priorities, policies, and values.

Responsibilities

• Meet agreed SLAs such as responding to ER queries within one working day, progressing cases in line with policy and legal timeframes, and maintaining accurate case documentation.
• Support change management processes such as TUPE, redundancy and restructures.
• Deliver on strategic ER priorities including reducing repeat ER issues, improving manager capability through coaching and guidance, and supporting organisational change initiatives.
• Effectively manage cases in discipline, grievance, absence, performance, and appeals with clear, risk‑based recommendations, legally compliant outcomes and insightful data and reporting.
• Provide end‑to‑end advice and support on employee relations matters including disciplinary, grievance, absence management, performance management, probation, capability, misconduct, redundancy, TUPE, flexible working, and family leave.
• Act as a trusted advisor to managers, stakeholders and CWS ensuring decisions are fair, consistent, and legally compliant.
• Manage typical daily tasks such as responding to ER tickets and queries, drafting correspondence, attending hearings, advising on policy application, and updating case management systems.
• Build strong working relationships with managers, HR Business Partners, HRSS team, Payroll, and Legal to ensure coordinated case handling.
• Support investigations, prepare outcome letters and appeal documentation, and contribute to ER reporting and trend analysis.
• Demonstrate professional leadership, role modelling best practice, and mentor less experienced colleagues where required (no direct line management responsibility).

Key Deliverables

• Effective case management for discipline, grievance, absence, performance, and appeals with clear, risk‑based recommendations.
• Legally compliant outcomes and insightful data and reporting.
• Continuous improvement of ER processes, procedures, templates, toolkits, and guidance.

Required Experience

• Proven hands‑on management of complex employee relations cases within a fast‑paced environment.
• Strong working knowledge of UK employment law.
• CIPD Level 5 qualification (or equivalent experience) required; CIPD Level 7 desirable.
• Clear written and verbal communication.
• Active listening.
• Legally sound judgement.
• Analytical thinking.
• Case prioritisation.
• High attention to detail.
• Stakeholder management and influencing.
• Resilience.
• Ability to balance commercial needs with employee wellbeing.

Additional Skills

• Technology proficiency: Familiarity with HRIS systems and tools, including case management platforms, reporting tools, and Microsoft Office Suite. Workday experience preferred.