Employer Relations Specialist in Manchester

Employee Relations Specialist (Absence Management) 3-Month Contract | Inside IR35 | £280 per day Hybrid Working - 2 days per week on site in London or Manchester Are you an experienced Employee Relations professional with a strong background in managing complex absence cases? We're seeking an Employee Relations Specialist to join a busy HR team on an initial 3-month contract, supporting managers through a high-volume caseload focused primarily on long-term sickness absence and occupational health management. The position focusses on providing expert ER advice, coaching managers, and ensuring compliance with UK employment legislation and best practice. The Role This is a fast-paced, hands-on ER position where you'll act as a trusted advisor to managers, helping them navigate complex employee relations matters while delivering practical, commercially focused solutions. Your workload will be heavily weighted towards: Managing high volumes of long-term sickness absence cases Coordinating and reviewing occupational health referrals and recommendations Advising managers on absence management processes and best practice Building strong relationships with stakeholders across multiple business areas Coaching managers through sensitive employee conversations and formal processes Ensuring cases are managed compliantly in line with UK employment law and company policies Maintaining accurate documentation and case records Identifying trends and recommending improvements to absence management practices About You We're looking for someone who can hit the ground running and confidently manage a busy ER caseload from day one. You'll ideally have: · Proven experience in Employee Relations or HR Advisory roles · Significant experience managing long-term sickness absence cases · Strong knowledge of UK employment law and HR best practice · Experience working closely with Occupational Health providers · Excellent stakeholder management and relationship-building skills · The ability to balance empathy with a practical, business-focused approach · Strong organisational skills with experience handling high case volumes · CIPD Level 5 qualification (or equivalent experience) preferred What's on Offer? · Competitive rate of £280 per day (Inside IR35) · Initial 3-month contract · Immediate opportunity to add value within an established HR function · High-autonomy role with stakeholder exposure across the business · Supportive and collaborative HR team environment If you're an experienced ER professional with a strong absence management background and are available at short notice, we'd love to hear from you. By applying to this advert you are giving CPS Group (UK) Ltd authority to hold and process your data for this specific role and any other roles we may deem suitable to you over time. We will not pass your data to any third party without your verbal or written permission to do so. All incoming and outgoing calls are recorded for training and compliance purposes. CPS Group (UK) Ltd is acting as an Employment Agency in relation to this vacancy. Our new privacy policy can be found here (url removed) src="(url removed)