Employment Relations Specialist

Job summary

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is the UK’s largest producer of official statistics, covering a range of key economic, social and demographic topics. These include measuring changes in the value of the UK economy, estimating the size, geographic distribution and characteristics of the population, and providing indicators of price inflation, employment, earnings, crime and migration.

The ONS People and Places Directorate (PPD) facilitates and enables the great people-centered outcomes and is at the forefront of implementing industry-leading, game-changing people practices. Multi-award winning, our commitment to improving people fundamentals is coupled with our drive towards more innovative approaches enabling us to attract, nurture and retain the best. We are committed to the continued development of colleagues in PPD. We are actively aligned to the Government People Function.

Job description

In this role, you will keep our employment policy framework up to date with the latest changes in employment law, best practice, and departmental needs. You will work closely with colleagues in the Government People Group (GPG) to identify emerging trends and introduce new policy products within ONS.

You will lead the review, development, and implementation of employment policies, involving key stakeholders in the process. Keeping the Employment Relations team and HR colleagues informed about legislative developments and best practices will be a key part of your responsibilities.

Building strong relationships with trade unions will be essential. You will lead policy development consultations and contribute to negotiations on contractual issues under our collective bargaining agreement. Your work will ensure that our Employment Relations Framework is effective and future focused.

Reporting to the Head of Employment Relations Policy Team and managing an ER Policy Officer, you will develop and deliver a range of products to complement employment policies and enhance line manager capabilities. Join us in creating a positive and inclusive working environment at ONS.

Key Responsibilities:

• Manage a challenging employment policy portfolio, ensuring policies and procedures are current, legally compliant, future focused and innovative.
• Plan and implement policy launches across the organisation, ensuring that colleagues and managers are well informed and confident in using these policies and their supporting documents.
• Maintain and update the ONS Policy Database, as necessary.
• Stay aware of developments in employment law, case law and best practice and their potential impact on ONS.
• Use people, data, and insights to inform product development.
• Engage positively with departmental trade unions, diversity networks, senior managers, and other key stakeholders.
• Develop an inclusive and positive working environment, modeling good practices across ONS and the HR profession.
• Provide a specialist point of contact for complex employment relations matters.
• Be proactive in using and promoting the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in a range of activities across the team.
• Support Employment Tribunal case management where necessary.
• Support HR Business Partner activity of Transfer of Undertakings Protection (TUPE) and Cabinet Office Statement of Practice (COSoP) activities within UKSA where necessary.
• Work proactively and in collaboration with colleagues within the HR profession and wider PPD directorate in the development of people solutions.
• Practice ongoing continuous professional development.

Please note that this role is open to full time, part time and flexible working. It is preferable that two of the working days are a Thursday and Friday.

Person specification

Essential Criteria:

• Employment Law: Excellent understanding of current and potential future developments in employment and data protection legislation and best practice, and its practical application.
• Professional Experience: Relevant experience of successfully working in a progressive and complex HR environment.
• Problem Solving: A proactive, practical, and analytical approach to problem solving, with a drive to work innovatively.
• Stakeholder engagement:Excellent stakeholder management skills with the ability to engage positively with a wide range of groups and receive feedback constructively.
• Communication Skills: Excellent communication skills with the ability to articulate advice, coach and influence others. The ability to distill complex and contentious messages concisely to a wide and varied audience. Experience of effectively drafting policies, procedures, reports, briefings, and business cases.
• Prioritisation: Ability to work to deadlines and prioritise own work, and the work of others.
• Line Management: Ability to effectively line manage and develop others, building and maintaining a supportive and inclusive team culture.

Qualifications

CIPD level 5 or willingness to work towards.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Changing and Improving
• Managing a Quality Service
• Communicating and Influencing

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £41,985, Office for National Statistics contributes £12,163 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

The Office for National Statistics is part of the Civil Service, and as such we share a number of key benefits with other departments, whilst also having our own unique offerings to support our valued colleagues across the organisation.

Whether you are hearing about us for the first time or already know a bit about our organisation, we hope that our careers site will give you a great insight into the benefits and facilities available to our colleagues, and our fantastic working culture.

Inclusion & Accessibility

At ONS we are always looking to attract the very best people from the widest possible talent pool, and we are proud to be an inclusive, equal opportunities employer. As a Disability Confident Leader we’re committed to ensuring that all candidates are treated fairly throughout the recruitment process.

As part of our application process, you will be prompted to provide details of any reasonable adjustments to our recruitment process that you need. If you would like to discuss any reasonable adjustments before applying, please contact the recruitment team in the first instance.

If you would like an accessible version of any of the attachments or recruitment documents below or linked to in this advert, please contact the recruitment team who will be happy to assist.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject t