ER Specialist

M&S is British value-for-money retailer focused on own label businesses, including Food, Clothing & Home and Bank & Services. Today, we operate a family of businesses, selling high-quality, great-value own-brand products in the UK and internationally, from 1,509 stores and over 100 websites globally. Together our 70,000 colleagues across our stores, support centres, warehouses and supply chain serve nearly 30 million customers each year.

We are on our biggest ever transformation programme, with the objective restore the M&S business and brand, to deliver long-term, sustainable, profitable growth for our investors, colleagues and wider communities.

Our Line Manager Advisory Service in looking for an expert ER Specialist (known internally as a Case Manager) to join the team.

You’ll be supporting and coaching line managers and people partners by providing high level advice and direction and ensuring all risk to the business is understood and mitigated with regards to people management, policy and decision making.

A key element of the role will also be to promote a positive Employee Relations environment, developing and coaching managers in delivering a legally compliant and consistent approach.

Key accountabilities:

• Manage an end to end complex case workload in a fast-paced environment (such as gross misconduct, formal grievances, complex absence cases, formal performance cases). This will involve enabling and developing managers to formulate pragmatic and business focused solutions which are balanced with policy application and broader employment legislation by utilising coaching techniques, developing strong relationships, delivering effective people management and drive line management capability
• Partner with our People Partners and provide data insights of key themes and trends based on case management activity within their business area
• Utilise relationships with People Partners to feed into proposals to mitigate risk and improve line manager capability and understanding
• Design, develop and delivery of training through various means
• Risk assess and manage ACAS Early Conciliation claims through to conclusion
• Assist in the preparation and response of Ground of Resistance responses to Employment Tribunal Claims
• Co-ordinate witness attendance for full merits hearings, ensuring availability, and they are fully prepared and confident in their role
• Support with the facilitation of without prejudice conversations, working closely with ACAS and internal business partners to deliver settlement agreements/COT3
• Collaborating with the ER/Policy team in the development and review of people policies and procedures & line manager guides to ensure compliance with legislative updates and continuous improvement changes
• Support all line mangers with business change activity from individual consultation stage including the drafting of training materials and delivery.

Key Skills:

• Experience of working within Employment Relations in a fast paced environment
• Up to date knowledge of Employment Law
• Excellent verbal and written communication
• Strong influencing skills and work with a variety of teams across the business
• Ability to judge and manage risk and foresee potential issues and consequences
• Highly developed planning and organisational skills to meet day-to-day and future business needs
• Capability to establish professional credibility quickly

Key Benefits:

• Flexible working approach, with a balance of being in the office and working from home (one day in the office)
• Travel - Free car parking at our Salford Quays office, ‘cycle to work’ and season ticket loans
• 20% discount on M&S products
• A range of wellbeing support (including free counselling and a virtual GP for you and immediate family)
• 25% off gym memberships, access to online fitness classes and discounts for complementary health services, such as nutrition and lifestyle coaching

M&S is ready to push boundaries to lead the industry into a greener, speedier, more inspiring digital era. That’s why we’re revolutionising how we work and offering our most exciting opportunities yet. There’s never been a better time to be part of our team. Marks & Spencer aims to be an inclusive organisation, trusted and admired by our colleagues, customers and suppliers. Join us and make an immediate impact. We are committed to an active Inclusion, Diversity and Equal Opportunities Policy, which starts with our recruitment and selection process, and we are happy to talk flexible working.

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process. If you consider yourself to have a disability or learning difficulty which means you are unable to complete the application process online, please get in touch either by phone on 0345 300 3725 or by email recruitment.online@marksandspencer.com so we can make alternative arrangements for you.

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