Director, Employee & Labour Relations in London

Your work days are brighter here. We’re obsessed with making hard work pay off, for our people, our customers, and the world around us. As a Fortune 500 company and a leading AI platform for managing people, money, and agents, we’re shaping the future of work so teams can reach their potential and focus on what matters most. Our culture is rooted in integrity, empathy, and shared enthusiasm. We look for curious minds and courageous collaborators who bring sun-drenched optimism and drive.

About The Team

Workday is looking for a Director of Employee & Labour Relations EMEA based in London or Dublin to lead a team of Employee Relations Partners and People Consultants in the EMEA region. This role reports to our Senior Director, Global Employee Relations and is part of our People Consulting, Employee Relations and HR Compliance function. This is an incredible opportunity for an experienced leader with a passion for employee experience and workplace culture to lead a high performing team through our next wave of growth.

About The Role

• Coach, mentor and develop a team using deep subject matter expertise in the areas of employee relations, performance management, conflict resolution, labour relations and HR policy/compliance.
• Build and implement an EMEA Employee and Labour Relations strategy that aligns with the company’s goals and values, partnering closely with key cross functional stakeholders like People Business Partners, Employment Legal, Site Experience, Employee Communications, Workplace and HR Compliance.
• Proactively identify employee relations issues and develop strategies to prevent or mitigate them.
• Analyse case trends, generate data insights and develop solutions to address hot spots, including training managers on employee relations matters, and intervention strategies/programs.
• Support existing and emerging Works Council management needs and create and maintain positive relationships with works council representatives.
• Manage employee relations issues, cases and investigations in EMEA, ensuring they are resolved promptly and in line with company policies and applicable laws.
• Stay current on industry trends, best practices and changes in employment laws to ensure the company remains compliant and maintains a competitive employee and labour relations strategy.
• Ensure effective processes and policies are in place.
• Partner with an international team of experts to drive a global community of employee relations and people consulting practices.
• Complete ad-hoc projects, reporting and tasks as required with cross-functional HR and COE teams.

Business Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in Human Resources or Employee/Labour Relations; preferably also CIPD qualified.
• Solid knowledge of European labour laws, employment regulations and standard processes in employee and labour relations.
• Extensive experience of managing or overseeing relations with Works Councils across Europe, specifically in countries like France, Germany and the Netherlands, and of managing interactions with other social partners such as national level Trade Unions or government labour/employment bodies (e.g. ACAS, WRC etc.).
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive employee information discretely and professionally.
• Experience in conducting investigations and resolving complex issues in a global organization.
• Strong negotiation, communication, and interpersonal skills with the ability to build solid relationships with cross functional partners and to effectively interact with employees at all levels.
• Strong mediation and conflict resolution abilities.
• Ability to influence business partners at every level.
• Cultural awareness and deep experience of navigating distinct labour landscapes across the region.

Other Qualifications

• Multilingual preferred; fluent in English and ideally another European language.
• Strong presentation and training skills.
• Experience with ER case management solutions and/or data analytics.
• Strong organisational and time management abilities with the capacity to balance multiple priorities and meet deadlines.
• Outstanding problem solving and decision making skills.

Our Approach to Flexible Work

With Flex Work, we’re combining the best of both worlds: in‑person time and remote. Our approach enables our teams to deepen connections, maintain a strong community, and do their best work. We know that flexibility can take shape in many ways, so rather than a number of required days in office each week, we simply spend at least half (50%) of our time each quarter in the office or in the field with our customers, prospects, and partners (depending on role). This means you have the freedom to create a flexible schedule that caters to your business, team, and personal needs, while being intentional to make the most of time spent together.