Employee Relations Manager

Department: Business Partnering

Location: Head Office, Chelsea House

Description

The Employee Relations Manager will lead on employee relations across the organisation, ensuring a fair, consistent, and legally compliant approach to managing employee issues. The role provides expert guidance to leaders and HR colleagues, manages complex and high-risk cases, and supports the organisation in preparing for and implementing pending and emerging UK employment legislation.

The role plays a key part in strengthening manager capability, reducing organisational risk, and fostering a positive colleagues experience across a large, fast-paced retail environment, across multiple sites.

Key Responsibilities
Employee Relations Leadership

• Lead the employee relations framework across the organisation.
• Manage complex, sensitive, and high-risk ER cases including grievances, disciplinaries, performance management, investigations, dismissals, and organisational change matters; in partnership with the relevant Business Partner
• Act as the escalation point for senior leaders and HR colleagues on ER issues.
• Ensure consistent and fair application of policies and procedures across all locations.

Legislation Readiness and Implementation

• Monitor and interpret pending and emerging UK and Irish employment legislation and assess potential impact on the organisation.
• Lead the implementation of legislative changes into policies, procedures, and HR practices; partnering with the wider HR team.
• Translate legal requirements into clear and practical guidance for managers and HR teams.
• Proactively identify organisational risks associated with legislative change and recommend mitigation strategies.

Strategic Advisory and Risk Management

• Show up as the technical expert; providing expert advice to senior leaders on complex employee relations matters and legal risk, in partnership with relevant BP.

Partner with internal or external legal advisors on high-risk or litigious cases.

Support organisational change initiatives, leading the programme management of any large scale changes ensuring all legal requirements are met.

Policy and Governance

• Develop, review, and maintain employee relations policies and procedures to ensure compliance with UK and Irish employment law.
• Lead consultation processes related to policy changes and organisational initiatives where required.
• Support the management of employment tribunal claims, ACAS Early Conciliation cases, and other formal disputes.

Manager Capability and Development

• Design and deliver training for managers on employee relations best practice, including investigations, disciplinaries, grievances, and performance management.
• Coach managers and HR colleagues to build confidence and capability in managing people issues effectively and fairly.
• Upskill HR team on upcoming employment law changes but also cases of interest that may influence how we work moving forwards.

Data, Insights, and Continuous Improvement

• Track and analyse employee relations data and trends to identify recurring issues and areas of organisational risk.
• Use insights to recommend improvements to policies, processes, and manager capability.
• Contribute to broader people strategy initiatives related to engagement, retention, and workplace culture.
• Acts as the central collation point for all ER activity, particularly when reporting on litigation risk.

Stakeholder Management

• Build strong relationships with HR colleagues, and senior stakeholders.
• Engage with trade unions or employee representatives where applicable.
• Act as a trusted and impartial advisor on employee relations matters.

Skills and Experience

• Significant experience in employee relations or HR with a strong focus on ER.

Strong knowledge of employment law and employee relations best practice.

Proven experience managing complex and high-risk ER cases end-to-end.

Experience advising senior stakeholders on people-related risk and decision-making.

Excellent investigation, analytical, and report-writing skills.

Strong communication and influencing capability.

Experience working in a fast paced, multi-site environment.

Ability to travel across our retail estate

Personal Attributes

• Credible, objective, and professional in approach.
• Strong judgement and decision-making ability.
• Resilient and able to operate in a fast-paced environment.
• Pragmatic and solutions-focused.
• Committed to fairness, consistency, and positive employee outcomes
  
  

About Us

We’re a much-loved brand with an exciting future. Our Islanders are a diverse bunch of bright, talented people who love working together – and are proud of the work they do. Progression here can take you in all kinds of directions. This is what a career at River Island is like. And this is where yours starts.

This role is based at our Head Office in West London. Check us out here on a map.

What we can offer you:

💰 Generous 50% staff discount so you can treat yourself to the latest products, and a bargain staff shop on site!

🛒 Reducing Islanders everyday expenses through discounts, benefits, financial advice, wellbeing solutions and more through the Retail Trust.

🎉 A free onsite gym, subsidised restaurant & café to fill you needs. Various social events to socialise throughout the year.

🤎 Every family is unique, we support Islanders with all different family setups enhanced maternity, paternity, adoption & fertility treatment. We also work closely with the Retail Trust to create dedicated support for all our Islanders!

💻 Flexible working is a given, on top of payday and summer early finish Fridays.

💕 Give as you earn scheme, a ‘Giver Island’ day each year and receive matched funding.

🎓 Support with upskilling through on the job training and qualifications. A succession plan if you want to progress.

💰

A generous bonus scheme & private pension plan.

🩺 The choice to opt in for healthcare through our provider AXA.

🚗 An allowance supporting your commute to work.

☀️ 25 days paid holiday, exclusive of Bank Holidays. With the added option to purchase additional holiday twice a year for whatever the need!

Keeping You Safe

At River Island we are committed to the safeguarding of all of our employees regardless of age or job role. We will fulfil our obligation under the Prevent duty which seeks to stop extremism and extremist views from materialising in our business. We promote and encourage the belief in British Values- including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs. To find out more, please visit www.gov.uk.

Our Island is made up of a diverse community, where we all belong and feel part of something bigger. We are committed to equality of opportunity and welcome applications from individuals, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, socio-economic background, religion and/or belief. We will consider flexible working requests for all roles unless operational requirements prevent otherwise. To find out more about this interview process, check out our hiring process below.