Employee Relations Advisor

Band: 5

Hours: 37.5 hrs per week

Contract Type: FTC for 1 year

Base Location: Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust Corporate Hub, Block 4000, Lakeside North Harbour, Western Road, Cosham, Portsmouth, PO6 3EN

As the single corporate service will be delivered across both organisations, individuals may be required to undertake business travel between sites.  The frequency and arrangements will be discussed on an individual basis and the staff mobility local agreement will apply.

This vacancy is open to employees of Isle of Wight NHS Trust and Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust only.

Are you a motivated HR professional looking to further develop your employee relations expertise in a supportive, progressive, and high‑performing environment?

We are seeking a proactive and confident Employee Relations Advisor to join our Employee Relations (ER) team, supporting both Isle of Wight NHS Trust and Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust as part of our Single Corporate Services model.  

As part of our single service offer, you will work across both Trusts and may be required to travel between sites depending on service needs. There is flexibility for some home working; however, the role requires a regular on‑site presence to deliver effective support to managers and staff.

About the Role

As an Employee Relations Advisor, you will play a key role in delivering a high‑quality, proactive HR service that supports improved staff experience, effective case management, and positive organisational outcomes. You will:

• Take the lead on managing absence and ill‑health cases, analysing sickness data, producing reports, and supporting managers with proactive attendance management strategies.
• Act as a primary point of contact for staff and managers seeking HR advice, providing guidance on a range of HR policies, terms and conditions, and best practice.
• Support investigations and ER processes, including disciplinary, grievance, capability, and performance management matters.
• Advise and participate in formal hearings for absence and less complex employee relations cases.
• Support organisational change processes and ensure managers understand and apply People Services policies correctly.
• Contribute to training delivery, including management essentials and employment relations learning.
• Support job evaluation processes in line with NHS job evaluation criteria.
• Analyse ER data and key indicators, particularly sickness absence, to support performance reporting.
• Maintain accurate records, support SOP updates, and ensure effective team resourcing across sites.
• Assist with Subject Access Requests (SARs) and Freedom of Information (FOI) responses in line with statutory requirements.

This is an excellent opportunity to gain broad ER experience, contribute to a just and learning culture, and develop your HR career within a large, integrated NHS Employee Relations service.

What We’re Looking For

Essential Requirements

Experience

• Experience in an operational HR role dealing with complex and sensitive issues.
• Experience advising managers on HR matters—particularly absence management.
• Experience supporting policy development and implementation.
• Experience taking minutes in formal hearings.

Knowledge & Skills

• Knowledge of HR policies, processes, and practices, including disciplinary, grievance, absence, and capability procedures.
• Understanding of employment law, data protection, and ACAS codes.
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to influence, negotiate, and build rapport with managers.
• Ability to work autonomously, manage competing priorities, and respond flexibly to changing demands.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, with strong analytical and judgement skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and confidence in using digital systems.
• Sensitivity and professionalism when handling challenging or emotional situations.
• Commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion.

Desirable

• Understanding of NHS terms and conditions (NHS Agenda for Change (AfC) and Medical).
• Training in job evaluation.
• Experience using ER case management systems.

Why Join Us?

• Be part of a supportive ER team working across two innovative NHS Trusts.
• Gain hands-on experience across all aspects of employee relations.
• Opportunities for professional development and career progression.
• Contribute to a culture of fairness, transparency, and continuous improvement.

Please refer to the Job Description for further details:

Qualifications

Essential

• Educated to degree level or equivalent relevant experience.
• CIPD Level 5 qualification or equivalent experience.

Additional Information

As part of the Single Corporate Service, this role is a designated site-based role at Queen Alexandra Hospital, however the post holder will be part of the Corporate Service team which provides a service across both Isle of Wight NHS Trust and Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust.

We welcome the unique contributions that you can bring in terms of your education, opinions, culture, ethnicity, race, sex, gender identity and expression, nation of origin, age, languages spoken, veteran’s status, colour, religion, disability, sexual orientation, and beliefs.

We welcome the unique contributions that you can bring in terms of your education, opinions, culture, ethnicity, race, sex, gender identity and expression, nation of origin, age, languages spoken, veteran’s status, colour, religion, disability, sexual orientation, and beliefs.

About the Company

Our vision for Single Corporate Services  
Isle of Wight NHS Trust (IWT) and Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust (PHU) have a shared vision of a single corporate service across our two organisations, supported by a single set of identical systems and processes, under joint leadership, to drive significant efficiencies, improve employee experience, and return time to patient care. 

This vacancy is part of the Single Corporate Services Division.

The vision for our single corporate services is to:

• Be an employer of choice for corporate talent, attracting and retaining people who share our values for excellence in care and welcome the opportunity to benefit from the broad range of flexible career and development opportunities we can offer.   
• Improve efficiency through simplified and standardised policies, processes, and systems, drawing on the best from both Trusts.  
• Do things once and reduce any duplication on transactional tasks giving corporate staff the ability to focus on higher value and more diverse activities.  
• Co-invest in the latest digital solutions and standardise our approach, meaning we do things once for both organisations. 
• Improve learning and development opportunities and sharing best practice, upskilling both Trusts.  
• Co-locate teams in purpose-built facilities on the Island and in Portsmouth to enable closer working and sharing.  
• Build resilience for individuals and our teams. 

As part of the Single Corporate Service, Employee Relations Team provides a service across both Isle of Wight NHS Trust and Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust and plays a vital role in creating a fair, supportive, and inclusive workplace culture.

Our team mission is to drive the delivery of high-quality employee relations services, provide specialist advice and support to managers, and ensure compliance with employment legislation and Trust policies.

We work closely with managers and staff to resolve issues constructively, promote wellbeing, and ensure consistent application of policies. From managing complex cases to developing people-related policies.

Our responsibilities includes advising line managers on various HR matters such as disciplinary actions, grievance resolutions, performance management, attendance issues, and conflict resolution. A core aspect of your role will be to enhance managerial capabilities and enabling them to address personnel and work environment challenges effectively.