Employee relations advisor

Employee relations advisors are concerned with establishing and maintaining good relationships in the workplace between employers and employees. They are involved in discussions and negotiations with individuals and groups, including trade unions. They deal with issues such as managing conflict and work-life balance.

Also known as:

Industrial relations officer

Work activities

Employee relations advisors (ERAs) maintain good relationships in the workplace. They help to promote and create a positive work environment. They develop, monitor, interpret and update employee relations policies for their organisation. For many, employee relations forms part of a wider human resources role. There is also scope and demand for professionals to specialise.

ERAs deal with a wide range of issues. For example, they advise on methods of improving:

Employee commitment.
Communicating with employees.
Performance and reward.
Work-life balance.
Complying with employment law.
Preparing for changes in the organisation.

Employee relations advisors play a part in the preparation and processes of grievance handling, redundancy programmes and disciplinary proceedings. They deal with policies, negotiations and disputes involving areas such as:

Wages and salaries.
Working hours.
Long-term sickness absence.
Unfair dismissal.
Discrimination or harassment.
Bullying.
Health and safety.

ERAs might also keep other managers up to date with changes to employment law and train them in employee relations techniques. Handling redundancies requires a lot of preparation, planning and consultation, and usually involves discussions with affected members of staff and sometimes trade union officials. Employee relations advisors might have to represent their organisation at an employment tribunal if an employee thinks they have been dismissed unfairly or discriminated against. Day-to-day duties include writing reports and dealing with correspondence and data. Employee relations officers keep, update and analyse statistics. ERAs might help to develop and maintain an equal opportunities policy and staff handbooks.

It is essential that ERAs fully understand the company’s viewpoint and realise the implications and financial consequences of the agreements they negotiate. They might be involved in supervising postal or workplace ballots of workers to decide workplace issues. Some employee relations advisors are on-call in case disputes need urgent attention. Some travelling and short periods away from home might be required.

Being able to read, write and speak Welsh may be an advantage when you’re looking for work in Wales.

Personal qualities and skills

As an employee relations advisor, you’ll need:

Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Strong listening skills, and the ability to appreciate other people’s points of view.
To be able to handle difficult situations sensitively.
To build good relationships and gain people’s trust and respect.
To be patient and able to stay calm under pressure.
To remain fair and objective when dealing with disputes, although you also need to be firm if someone’s demands are seen as unreasonable.
Strong negotiating and mediating skills.
Tact, diplomacy and sound judgement.
An analytical, practical and creative approach to solving problems.
To be capable of making presentations and leading discussions.
Planning and time-management skills.
A respect for confidentiality.

Pay and opportunities

Salary levels for employee relations advisors (ERAs) vary depending on the size of company and the range of responsibility. Typically, those working in human resources can expect to earn £18,000 to £40,000. They usually work 38 to 40 hours per week.

However, at key stages in negotiations, extra hours in the evenings and at weekends might be required.

Where could I work?

Employers throughout the UK are firms in industry and commerce and public sector organisations. Some professional bodies and trade unions employ ERAs. Some work with firms of business consultants. Opportunities for ERAs occur in some towns and cities throughout the UK. There are more vacancies for generalist human resources officers whose duties include employee relations, than there are for specialist employee relations advisors.

Where are vacancies advertised?

Vacancies are advertised in professional journals/websites such as People Management and Personnel Today, on job boards, in local/national newspapers, and on the Government’s Find a Job service.

Entry routes and training

Employee relations advisors usually hold a senior position in an organisation. Some might have had previous experience in human resources or in other areas, such as management. A-levels in subjects such as English, law, business studies and psychology could help candidates to enter professional human resource management courses, although other A-levels are acceptable. Graduates in any subject can enter employee relations work, although subjects such as human resource management, business studies, law and psychology are particularly relevant.

There are postgraduate courses in human resources management, some of which are combined with employment relations or industrial relations. Entry can also be possible for holders of HNDs/HNCs. Foundation degrees are available in human resource management.

Colleges and universities offer courses in employee relations, usually combined with Human Resources or Business and Human Resources.

A level 3 (advanced) apprenticeship in HR support provides an entry route into human resources, from which you could specialise in employee relations.

Membership of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), although not essential for entry, is generally looked on as an asset by employers in this competitive area. The CIPD offers awards, certificates and diplomas at Foundation, Intermediate and Advanced levels, leading to Associate, Chartered Member and Chartered Fellow membership. Courses are available part-time, on a block-release basis, and through supported distance learning or flexible learning. Most students study part-time while employed. The CIPD also runs short courses in subjects such as how to prepare for an employment tribunal.

Employee relations specialists can progress to senior management posts after further training and experience.

Qualifications

Many entrants are graduates. The usual academic entry requirements for a degree in any subject are:

Two to three A-levels.
GCSEs at grades 9-4 in 2/3 other subjects.

Alternatives to A-levels include:

Edexcel (BTEC) level 3 National qualifications
International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma.

However, course requirements vary so check prospectuses carefully.

Adult opportunities

Age limits: It is illegal for any organisation to set age limits for entry to employment, education or training, unless they can show there is a real need to have these limits.

Access courses: If you don’t have the qualifications needed to enter your chosen degree or HND course, a college or university Access course (for example, Access to Business) could be the way in. These courses are designed for people who have not followed the usual routes into higher education. No formal qualifications are usually needed, but you should check this with individual colleges.

Distance learning: The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) offers distance learning and flexible study programmes for its qualifications. All of its qualifications are available to study part-time. Candidates who have skills, but not formal qualifications in personnel and management, might be assessed against the CIPD’s standards, leading to membership. A few postgraduate qualifications in human resource management are available by distance learning. Most include an employment relations module. For information about which are currently accredited, contact the CIPD.

Related careers

Equality and diversity officer
Human resources manager
Trade union officer