Employee Relations Manager

Employee Relations Manager (Interim) Location: Farringdon (Hybrid working available) Contract: 1‑month interim contract (with possibility of extension) Sector: Local Authority Aatom Recruitment is currently working on behalf of a local authority to appoint an Employee Relations Manager for an initial one‑month contract, with the potential for extension. The Role Reporting to the Lead Employee Relations (ER) Manager, you will provide expert support and guidance to managers and colleagues on all aspects of employee relations casework, including complex matters, within a shared services environment. You will play a key role in ensuring the delivery of a high‑quality, legally compliant and consistent People service across the organisation. Based at the Farringdon office, the role offers hybrid working where appropriate and agreed with your manager. Occasional travel to other locations will be required to support managers and colleagues. You will work closely with the Lead ER Manager, Strategic People Business Partners and the wider People & Culture team, while also providing oversight and support to an ER Advisor. Key Responsibilities * Provide consistent, professional and legally compliant advice to managers and colleagues on all aspects of ER casework, including sickness absence, conduct, capability and grievance. * Manage and advise on complex ER cases, assessing risk and ensuring proportionate outcomes. * Develop trusted relationships with managers, coaching them through appropriate procedures and building long‑term ER capability. * Support and oversee the management of sickness absence cases in partnership with the ER Advisor. * Maintain strong working relationships with recognised trade unions and colleague forums. * Contribute to the development and delivery of line manager upskilling initiatives in collaboration with People & Culture colleagues. * Support the Lead ER Manager and Strategic People Business Partners with performance monitoring, KPIs, case analysis and management reporting, identifying trends and providing insights. * Assist in the preparation of Employment Tribunal cases, including drafting ET3 responses and coordinating documentation within required timeframes. * Manage People‑related project work in collaboration with the People Change team. * Maintain agreed service level agreements (SLAs) for ER case resolution and respond promptly to queries via the shared inbox and Fusion ticket system. * Deputise for the Lead ER Manager as required. Essential Skills & Experience * Extensive experience advising line managers on complex employee relations casework, particularly relating to sickness, conduct, capability and grievance. * Proven experience managing a high‑volume, complex caseload in a fast‑paced environment. * Strong, up‑to‑date knowledge of UK employment legislation and the ability to apply this confidently in practice. * Experience preparing documentation for Employment Tribunals. * CIPD Level 5 qualified or equivalent experience (CIPD Level 7 desirable). * Excellent communication, influencing and stakeholder management skills. * Strong time management skills with the ability to prioritise, multi‑task and meet deadlines. * Ability to handle sensitive, confidential and confrontational situations with professionalism and tact. * Comfortable working autonomously, under pressure, and managing ambiguity. * Experience using ResourceLink is desirable but not essential. Why Apply? This is an excellent interim opportunity to join a collaborative People function, providing impactful ER leadership and support within a local authority environment, with scope to influence service delivery and support organisational capability building