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Posted 05 August, 2026

Employee Relations Lead

Hays
Newbury, ENG, GB Full Time

Job Description

Join a leading telecommunications company as an Employee Relations Lead, supporting the delivery of expert employee relations guidance during a key period of organisational transition.

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As an Employee Relations Lead, you will act as a trusted advisor on a broad range of employee relations matters, working autonomously to handle escalated and high-risk cases while building strong relationships with senior stakeholders across the organisation. The successful candidate will be comfortable operating in ambiguity, bringing a pragmatic approach and the confidence to add value from day one.

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Contract Details

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  • Day Rate: £600 per day (inside IR35)
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  • Contract Length: Until January 2027 (with visibility to extend)
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  • Location: Newbury (hybrid – twice per week on-site)
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Key Responsibilities

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  • Lead and manage complex employee relations cases, providing expert guidance on disciplinary, grievance, performance management and redundancy matters.
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  • Advise on settlement agreements and contractual exits, ensuring compliance with UK employment legislation and company policies.
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  • Partner with HR Business Partners, Centres of Excellence and business leaders to deliver effective ER solutions.
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  • Build credible relationships with senior stakeholders, providing pragmatic advice on sensitive and high-risk employee matters.
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  • Support organisational change activity, restructures and consultation processes where required.
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  • Ensure accurate maintenance of ER systems, case documentation and employee records.
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  • Identify opportunities to improve ER processes, reduce risk and enhance the employee experience.
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Key Requirements

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  • Proven experience in a specialist Employee Relations role, managing complex and high-risk ER cases independently.
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  • Strong expertise in UK employment law, including disciplinary, grievance, redundancy and settlement agreement processes.
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  • Demonstrable experience influencing and advising senior stakeholders at Head of HR, Director or equivalent level.
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  • Ability to work autonomously in a fast-paced environment with minimal supervision.
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  • Strong commercial judgement, resilience and the ability to assess and manage organisational risk effectively.
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  • CIPD Level 7 and/or relevant legal qualifications are desirable, but extensive senior-level ER experience is considered more important.
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Start Date: ASAP

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