Strategic Employee Relations Advisor (UK) in Peterborough

At CDW, we make it happen, together. Trust, connection, and commitment are at the heart of how we work together to deliver for our customers. It’s why we’re coworkers, not just employees. Coworkers who genuinely believe in supporting our customers and one another.

The Employee Relations Advisor role exists to provide 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 supports business objectives by enabling confident people management, reducing employee relations risk, minimising disruption, and promoting a positive and productive employee experience.

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.

Success in this role is demonstrated through the timely, consistent, and high-quality management of employee relations matters, with strong outcomes for coworkers and the business. This includes:

• Meeting 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.
• Supporting in change management processes such as TUPE, redundancy and restructures.
• Delivering against strategic ER priorities including reducing repeat ER issues, improving manager capability through coaching and guidance, and supporting organisational change initiatives.

Key deliverables include effective case management for discipline, grievance, absence, performance, and appeals with clear, risk-based recommendations, legally compliant outcomes and insightful data and reporting along with contributing to continuous improvement of ER processes, procedures, templates and toolkits, and guidance.

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.

No direct line management responsibility, but expected to demonstrate professional leadership, role modelling best practice, and mentoring less experienced colleagues where required.

Required experience includes proven hands-on management of complex employee relations cases within a fast-paced environment and strong working knowledge of UK employment law. CIPD Level 5 qualification (or equivalent experience) is required, CIPD Level 7 is desirable.

Skills required:

• 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 by combining ER knowledge, practical experience, and strong interpersonal skills.

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

CDW is committed to being an AI-fluent organization. We’re looking for people who bring curiosity, a learner’s mindset, and a willingness to engage with ever-evolving technology and tools. We value adopting AI as a partner, openness to experimentation, and a shared interest in learning together on AI.

About Us: CDW is a Fortune 500 technology solutions provider that helps businesses, government, education, and healthcare organizations achieve what’s possible through technology. What makes CDW different isn’t just what we do—it’s how we do it. At CDW we act as one—building trust, speaking candidly, and working together to achieve more.

CDW is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regards to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other basis prohibited by state and local law.