Employee Relations Manager

Job Introduction

Selfridges has always been much more than a shop. We’re a social space where everyone is welcome and feels a sense of belonging, a creative playground where culture and commerce collide, and an experimental hub where you can discover the most innovative and sustainable ideas in retail. We’re here to help make the world brighter. And you can be an important part of this. We’ll talk more about the role below, but before we get to that, let’s share with you the good stuff…  

Rewards and benefits 

Life at Selfridges is dynamic, exciting, and always evolving. As well as working with some of the most cutting-edge, iconic and boundary-pushing brands, designers and creatives, we also offer our team members opportunities to help make a positive difference through our network of communities, both within and outside Selfridges. Here are just a few of our rewards and benefits that help make our team experience that bit more extraordinary. 

• Flexible working options to benefit you, your family and your wellbeing that can include part-time, flexi-time, job sharing or hybrid working

• Generous annual leave that increases with length of service 

• Up to five paid volunteering days – from beach cleans to co-ordinating food and clothing donations 

• Family leave that suits your set up including Maternity, Paternity, Adoption, Surrogacy and Shared Parental leave policies 

• Defined pension contribution scheme  

• Generous bonus and/or commission scheme  

• Enviable team member discount including sale previews and double discount days 

• Exclusive local discounts on a range of restaurants, bars, beauticians and entertainment 

• Subsidised gym memberships  

• Annual travel pass and cycle-to-work schemes  

• A sustainable car salary sacrifice scheme 

• Several internal communities to get involved in from our Diversity Board and Green Warriors who are leading the charge on D,E&I and sustainability, to the Wellbeings who are always thinking of new ways to champion healthy minds, bodies and routines for our team members 

• Workplace Options, our confidential team member assistance programme for when life gets tricky or you need a little guidance 

• Access to a wide range of training programmes to help your career development 

Read on to find out how you can play your part in Reinventing Retail… 

Role Responsibility

Working in collaboration with our Managers and Leaders across the organisation, as an ER Manager, you will be a trusted advisor by engaging and providing sound expert ER advice and practical support to key stakeholders.  

You will be responsible for managing ER activity across our Retail Stores and Head Office, supporting complex and high-risk ER cases and coaching management through people processes and policy.  You will have experience of coaching and developing a team of ER Consultants in a fast paced, commercial environment whilst managing your own casework

·Responsibility for the day-to-day team management, development and coaching of ER Consultants.

·Act as point of escalation for ER team on advice, appeals and more complex ER matters, with support of Head of ER where required.

·Proactively maintain and apply current knowledge of employment law, policies and practices to manage ER cases from advice, investigation, support at meetings, documentation through to providing commercial recommendations and solutions, whilst balancing risk to the business.

·Maintain and monitor the ER case tracker to ensure ER cases are dealt with in a timely manner.  Highlighting any significant risks to the Head of ER.  

·Support in the production of ER data and analytics to share with your stakeholders.  Identify strategic and commercial trends which influence future activity and make recommendations to the Head of ER, use opportunities to build knowledge, awareness and skills amongst managers and leaders to address issues at the route causes where possible

·Have responsibility for the ongoing development and refinement of the HR policies, working to ensure consistency of approach and compliance with current employment legislation.

·Ensure regular and effective communication with relevant stakeholders to update on forthcoming legislation and new policy including the production and delivery of training and upskilling of broader HR team where necessary

·Build an effective and  collaborative partnership with the HRBP and HRSS teams, ensuring that communication is regular and

·Support the Head of ER by pro-actively contributing to HR projects, which may include the development, communication of new programs or initiatives that impact employee relations matters.

·Responsibility for managing responses to ACAS Early Conciliation matters and Employment Tribunals, coordinating and collating materials and liaising with legal and other business areas as necessary.

·Participate in reorganisation and restructure activity as necessary, providing guidance and support on collective and individual consultation processes. 

·Have knowledge and experience of TUPE and be able to support and advise stakeholders to navigate end to end TUPE transfer’s.   

·Act as an ambassador for wellbeing activity and initiatives, supporting the Head of ER to develop partnerships and events to drive the wellbeing agenda

·Understand the overall Selfridges Diversity, Equity & Inclusion strategy and ensure alignment through ER best practice.

The Ideal Candidate

·Experience of working in an employee relations, case management and policy focused role, including strong knowledge of employment law and practical interpretation and application of providing commercial solutions.

·Experience of working at management level and effectively managing a small team

·Proven stakeholder management experience as a commercial, credible and assertive subject matter expert with ability to influence at all levels

·Experience of portraying complex issues and problem-solving initiatives in a 'user friendly' format, together with supporting processes and procedures

·Experience of training, coaching and developing HR and business stakeholders on ER matters, to share your knowledge and increase their capability

·Experience of conducting complete reviews of policies, practices, and terms and conditions, effective problem solving and successful implementation and smooth running of solutions

·Approachable, resilient and able to juggle multiple competing priorities

About the Company

Everyone is welcome 

Selfridges is a place where we want everyone to feel a sense of belonging. We embrace every self and are committed to cultivating a diverse and inclusive working culture. We are leading with purpose to not only increase the visibility and recognition of under-represented talent within our organisation, but the wider industry too. Here at Selfridges, everyone is welcome – irrespective of race, gender, ethnicity, sexuality, age or disability, we stand by equal opportunities for all.   

Our awards cabinet  

We’re not ones to brag, but since you asked...Selfridges has won the award for The World’s Best Department Store an unprecedented four times at the IGDS awards, with an additional award for the Best Sustainability Campaign. We were also recognised as a ‘Best 25 Big Company to Work For 2020’ as awarded by The Sunday Times. 

Selfridges