Do you love the casework side of HR?
The tricky disciplinaries. The grievance where you need to unpick what has really happened. The absence case that isn't straightforward. The business owner who calls because they genuinely don't know what to do next.
If you enjoy solving people problems, applying employment law in the real world and giving managers the confidence to deal with difficult situations, this could be a great role for you.
We are a strong team, with over 200 business across the UK who trust us and have all come to us through recommendation - We think that says a lot about how we work. Our clients don't just need someone who knows employment law; they need someone they trust to pick up the phone to when something has gone wrong.
You'll also need to really care about the person at the other end of the phone. Excellent customer service is a huge part of this role – our clients need to feel listened to, supported and confident that you're going to help them find a way forward.
You'll be joining HR Vitals as a full-time HR Advisor, looking after your own clients and casework while working closely with a small, experienced HR team.
Our clients are predominantly small and medium-sized businesses, many within the automotive industry. They do not usually have their own internal HR department, so they rely on us to give them clear, practical and legally sound advice when they need it.
You might start the morning advising a business owner about an employee who has been repeatedly absent, then help another manager prepare for a disciplinary hearing, review the risks around a grievance, and finish the day answering a question about holiday entitlement or a change to someone's working hours.
The role is predominantly working from home, but every Thursday you will work from our St Austell office, spending time with the HR Vitals team, discussing ongoing casework, sharing knowledge and making sure we are giving our clients a consistent and high-quality service.
What you'll be doing
Your main responsibility will be providing employment law and employee relations advice to our clients, including:
- Advising business owners and managers on day-to-day employment law and HR queries
- Supporting disciplinary cases from the initial concern through to hearings and outcomes
- Advising on grievances and workplace complaints
- Managing sickness absence, long-term absence and attendance concerns
- Advising on performance and capability issues
- Supporting probation reviews and difficult conversations
- Helping managers understand the options available to them, including the risks attached to different approaches
- Drafting and reviewing letters and other HR documentation
- Helping clients follow fair and appropriate processes
- Keeping accurate records of advice and ongoing casework
- Working closely with the rest of the HR Vitals team on more complicated or higher-risk cases
Who we're looking for
We are looking for someone who already has good practical HR and employment law knowledge, experience advising managers who are new to HR, advising business owners on best practice, and has a CIPD qualification.
You must be comfortable having conversations with business owners and managers who may be stressed, frustrated or simply unsure what to do next.
We don't want someone who just quotes legislation or tells a client what they can't do. A big part of the role is understanding what the client is trying to achieve, explaining the risks clearly and helping them find a sensible way forward.
You will need:
- Previous experience in an HR Advisor, HR Consultant or similar employee relations role
- Good knowledge of UK employment law
- Practical experience of disciplinary, grievance, absence and performance cases
- Confidence advising managers and business owners directly
- Strong written communication skills
- The ability to explain complicated HR issues in straightforward language
- Good judgement and the confidence to recognise when a case needs to be escalated
- Excellent organisation and case-management skills
- The ability to work independently from home while still being an active part of a small team
A CIPD qualification or equivalent HR/employment law qualification is essential.
Working at HR Vitals
HR Vitals was established in 2018 and provides outsourced HR and employment law support to businesses across the UK, with a particular specialism in the independent automotive industry and a passion for supporting business owners in the southwest.
We are a small team, which means this isn't a corporate HR role where you disappear into a large department. You'll know our clients, understand their businesses and work closely with the rest of the team.
Although you'll work from home for most of the week, Thursdays are an important team day in St Austell. We use the time to discuss casework, share different perspectives, learn from each other and keep everyone connected with what is happening across our client base.
We're looking for someone who enjoys the technical side of HR but also genuinely enjoys helping people solve problems.
Experience in recruitment is desirable, and the ability to recruit successfully with increase the salary available.
Interested?
Please apply with your CV and a short covering note telling us a little about your HR experience and, importantly, the type of employee relations casework you have personally managed.
We would particularly like to hear about your experience advising managers on disciplinaries, grievances, absence and performance issues.
Pay: £32,000.00-£39,000.00 per year
Work Location: Hybrid remote in St. Austell PL25
