At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead employee relations and performance management across Great Britain.
- Company: Join a leading premium drinks company with a vibrant culture.
- Benefits: Enjoy flexible working, health insurance, gym access, and generous vacation days.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in a dynamic environment while developing your career.
- Qualifications: Strong knowledge of employment law and experience in employee relations.
- Other info: Collaborate with passionate teams and embrace diversity in the workplace.
The predicted salary is between 36000 - 60000 £ per year.
The Employee Relations Manager is accountable for delivering consistent, fair, and legally compliant employee relations support across Great Britain (England, Scotland, and Wales). The role enables a strong performance culture, leads GB Speak Up investigations, and manages ER matters for a predominantly field-based Sales and Quality Technical workforce. The role operates autonomously on standard and moderately complex matters and partners with the Global ER and Internal Legal Teams on complex, high-risk, or non-standard cases, in line with the governance and legal triage principles. Engagement with external legal advisors is managed exclusively through Global ER / Legal, Employment Law, Policy & Governance.
ER Policy & Legal
- Apply global and GB-specific ER policies and guidance consistently across the GB organisation.
- Maintain strong, up-to-date knowledge of GB employment law and relevant case law, translating legal requirements into practical business guidance.
- Partner with Global ER/ Internal Legal Counsel on employment claims and pre-litigation matters, including case preparation and evidence management.
- Mitigate legal and reputational risk through early, well-governed ER interventions and appropriate escalation.
Performance Enablement & Manager Coaching
- Enable a consistent and commercially appropriate performance culture across GB, with specific focus on field-based Sales and Quality Technical populations.
- Coach and advise line managers—many operating remotely—on performance, capability, conduct, and attendance management.
- Provide expert guidance on GB performance management processes, including informal interventions and formal Performance Improvement Plans (PIPs), in line with Global and GB policies and templates.
- Ensure consistent handling of performance cases across geographically dispersed teams, with appropriate documentation, governance, and risk awareness.
- Partner with HR Business Partners to drive early intervention and build sustainable manager capability.
- Raise complex, high-risk, or precedent-setting performance cases to the Global ER team for alignment and guidance.
Employee Relations & Health-Related Case Management
- Manage ER aspects of disciplinary, grievance, conduct, absence, sickness, long-term ill-health, and work-related accident cases.
- In sickness absence, ill-health, workplace accident, or health-related capability cases, engage the Global Occupational Health team to obtain expert advice on fitness for work, reasonable adjustments, return-to-work planning, and risk mitigation.
- Ensure health-related cases are managed in line with GB legal requirements (including Equality Act considerations), internal policy, and Occupational Health guidance.
Speak Up Investigations
- Lead and manage Speak Up investigations for GB, including cases arising within field-based and remote teams.
- Conduct investigations in standard and moderately complex cases, ensuring confidentiality, independence, and adherence to Speak Up protocols.
- Partner with the Global ER team on complex, sensitive, or high-risk Speak Up matters where escalation or shared ownership is required under the governance.
- Contribute to the sharing of Speak Up trends, insights, and takeaways with Global ER to support GB-wide consistency and continuous improvement.
Policy Application, Change & Continuous Improvement
- Operationalize global and GB-specific ER and performance enablement policies across office-based and field-based populations.
- Provide targeted feedback to Global ER on recurring issues, risk trends, and policy or guidance gaps identified within the GB workforce.
- Support implementation of GB policy and legislative changes in partnership with Global ER, including readiness and communication activity.
Partnerships
- Act as a trusted ER advisor to line managers, Sales and Technical leaders, and HR BPs.
- Provide pragmatic, commercially balanced advice aligned with customer-facing and regulated operating environments.
- Collaborate closely with the Global ER team to ensure insight sharing and strong ER governance.
Core Competencies
- Employment Law Expertise: In-depth knowledge and application of employment law.
- Risk Management: Skilled in identifying issues and managing risks with commercial insight.
- Strategic Problem Solving: Ability to solve problems strategically for positive impact.
- Employee Relations Leadership: Proven track record in delivering effective employee relations strategies.
- Policy Development: Competent in drafting employment policies with global applicability.
- Change Management & Stakeholder Engagement: Demonstrated experience leading change initiatives and engaging partners effectively.
- Relationship Building: Excellent at influencing and building trusted relationships across all levels.
- Complex Investigations & Reporting: Experienced in conducting investigations and thematic data analysis.
- Business Insight & Adaptability: Strong business understanding; thrives in dynamic environments with an openness to innovation.
Working with Us
Flexibility is key to success. From part-time and compressed hours to different locations, our people work flexibly in ways to suit them. Talk to us about what flexibility means to you and we’ll work together so that you’re supported from day one.
Company Culture
With over 200 brands sold in nearly 180 countries, we’re the world’s leading premium drinks company. Bring your passion and use your curiosity as you explore, collaborate, and innovate to build brands consumers love. Together with passionate people from all over the world, you’ll test new ideas, learn and grow, and unlock a brighter, more exciting future. Join us to create a career worth celebrating.
Our Purpose & Inclusivity
Our purpose is to celebrate life, every day, everywhere. We embrace diversity in the broadest possible sense—welcoming and celebrating people of different gender, ethnicity, ability, age, sexual orientation, social class, educational backgrounds, and experiences. We aim to create the best performing, most trusted, and respected consumer products companies in the world.
Rewards & Benefits
- Contemporary work-life balance policies and wellbeing activities
- On-site gym or subsidised gym membership
- Contributory pension scheme
- Comprehensive health insurance for you and your family
- On-site nursery or vouchers
- Annual bonus of circa 15% of your base salary (dependent on performance)
- Share options
- 28 days’ vacation per annum
GB ER Manager in City of Westminster employer: Diageo
Contact Detail:
Diageo Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land GB ER Manager in City of Westminster
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to people in your industry on LinkedIn or at events. A friendly chat can lead to opportunities that aren’t even advertised.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the company and its culture. Tailor your answers to show how you can contribute to their goals, especially in employee relations.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your responses to common interview questions. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your answers and highlight your experience.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to follow up after interviews! A quick thank-you email can keep you top of mind and show your enthusiasm for the role. And remember, apply through our website for the best chance!
We think you need these skills to ace GB ER Manager in City of Westminster
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter to highlight your experience in employee relations and performance management. We want to see how your skills align with the role of GB ER Manager, so don’t hold back on showcasing your relevant achievements!
Showcase Your Legal Knowledge: Since this role involves a strong understanding of GB employment law, be sure to mention any relevant qualifications or experiences you have. We’re looking for someone who can translate legal requirements into practical guidance, so give us examples of how you've done this before.
Highlight Your Coaching Skills: As a key part of the role is coaching line managers, share specific instances where you’ve successfully guided others in performance management or conflict resolution. We love seeing how you’ve enabled a positive performance culture in previous roles!
Apply Through Our Website: Don’t forget to submit your application through our website! It’s the best way for us to keep track of your application and ensure it gets the attention it deserves. Plus, it shows you’re keen to join our team at StudySmarter!
How to prepare for a job interview at Diageo
✨Know Your Employment Law
Make sure you brush up on GB employment law and relevant case law before the interview. Being able to discuss how legal requirements translate into practical business guidance will show that you’re not just knowledgeable but also ready to apply that knowledge in real-world scenarios.
✨Demonstrate Your Coaching Skills
Since the role involves coaching line managers, prepare examples of how you've successfully guided others in performance management or employee relations. Highlight your ability to handle complex situations and provide pragmatic advice, especially in remote settings.
✨Showcase Your Investigation Experience
Be ready to talk about your experience with investigations, particularly in sensitive or high-risk cases. Discuss your approach to maintaining confidentiality and independence, and how you ensure adherence to protocols—this will be crucial for the Speak Up investigations aspect of the role.
✨Emphasise Relationship Building
This role requires strong partnerships with various stakeholders. Prepare to share specific examples of how you've built trusted relationships across different levels in an organisation. Highlight your strategic problem-solving skills and how they’ve positively impacted employee relations.