Employee Relations Practitioner

ABOUT THE ROLE

Are you an experienced Employee Relations professional with a strong understanding of South African labour legislation, conflict resolution and workplace wellbeing?

A leading and highly regarded educational institution is seeking an Employee Relations Practitioner (ERP) to join its HR team. This is an opportunity for a skilled HR professional who is passionate about people, fairness and creating a positive workplace environment where employees feel heard, supported and treated consistently.

The successful candidate will play a key role in employee relations, staff wellbeing, policy implementation, labour-law compliance, conflict resolution, training and HR administration, while providing trusted support to both employees and management.

This is a highly people-focused role requiring someone who can balance empathy with objectivity, confidentiality with transparency, and staff support with sound HR governance.

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE

The ideal candidate will have a genuine passion for people, workplace wellbeing and employee relations and will understand that effective Employee Relations is about more than simply managing disciplinary matters.

You will be someone who can listen without judgement, communicate with clarity, facilitate difficult conversations and provide sound, policy-based guidance while maintaining professional boundaries and objectivity.

You will be comfortable working in a sensitive and confidential environment and will have the maturity, integrity and interpersonal skills required to work with employees and management at all levels.

Experience within an educational, professional services or similarly people-focused environment will be advantageous.

The successful candidate will be responsible for:

Employee Relations & Labour Relations

• Provide professional guidance and support on employee relations matters within the parameters of organisational policies and procedures.
• Act as an accessible and approachable point of contact for employees requiring clarification on HR policies, procedures and processes.
• Receive and manage employee grievances and complaints, ensuring that matters are handled fairly, consistently and confidentially.
• Facilitate constructive conversations and assist with conflict resolution in appropriate circumstances.
• Support disciplinary and dismissal processes in accordance with organisational policy and South African labour legislation.
• Provide specialist input and support relating to disciplinary and grievance procedures.
• Liaise effectively between employees, management and relevant stakeholders.
• Support the organisation with CCMA-related matters and labour-relations processes.

Staff Well-being & Development

• Coordinate and support a holistic staff wellness and wellbeing programme.
• Identify opportunities and programmes that contribute to staff development, engagement and personal wellbeing.
• Coordinate team-building and employee engagement initiatives.
• Conduct staff surveys, temperature checks and other employee feedback initiatives.
• Help foster a positive, respectful and inclusive workplace culture.

HR Policy, Compliance & Training

• Educate employees on HR policies, procedures, rules and regulatory requirements.
• Coordinate policy awareness and training and ensure employees remain informed of relevant policies and changes.
• Support the consistent implementation of HR policies and procedures.
• Promote compliance with the regulatory framework applicable to the organisation.
• Develop and facilitate HR-related training, induction and soft-skills programmes.
• Prepare relevant training materials and employee communications.

Employment Equity & Skills Development

• Facilitate Employment Equity training and awareness in conjunction with relevant Heads.
• Participate in the Employment Equity Committee.
• Assist with the development and implementation of the Employment Equity Plan in consultation with the HR Manager.
• Complete and maintain Employment Equity reporting requirements.
• Support compliance with the Skills Development Act and related requirements.

HR Administration & Systems

• Manage employee leave applications and records.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date employee records and HR documentation.
• Update and maintain the HR Engage system and other relevant HR records.
• Conduct employee background checks and verification processes.
• Participate in recruitment, onboarding and orientation activities.
• Conduct and document exit interviews.
• Manage and monitor Workers' Compensation (WCA) claims, ensuring that claims are logged and processed timeously.
• Collect, maintain and analyse relevant employee data and HR metrics.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen HR systems, processes and internal controls.

• Degree in Human Resources Management or a related field.
• Proven experience in Employee Relations / Industrial Relations.
• Strong working knowledge of South African employment and labour legislation, including:
  • Labour Relations Act (LRA)
  • Basic Conditions of Employment Act (BCEA)
  • Employment Equity Act (EEA)
  • Skills Development Act
  • Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA)
  • Unemployment Insurance Act (UIA)
• Demonstrated experience in disciplinary and grievance procedures.
• Practical experience with conflict resolution and workplace mediation.
• Experience dealing with CCMA matters.
• Experience in HR policy implementation, employee counselling and workplace training.
• Experience in Employment Equity processes and reporting will be advantageous.
• Training/facilitation experience, including the development of training materials, induction and soft-skills programmes.

KEY COMPETENCIES

The successful candidate will be:

• Highly approachable, accessible and empathetic
• An excellent listener who makes employees feel heard and respected
• Objective, fair and consistent in dealing with sensitive matters
• Highly articulate with excellent written and verbal communication skills
• A confident facilitator and skilled conflict resolver
• A strong negotiator with the ability to manage difficult conversations professionally
• Trustworthy and able to maintain strict confidentiality
• Emotionally intelligent and able to engage effectively at all levels
• Strongly analytical with excellent attention to detail
• Systems and process orientated, with the ability to identify weaknesses and strengthen controls
• Self-motivated, organised and able to work independently
• A collaborative team player who builds strong relationships with employees and management
• Able to operate confidently within established policies, procedures and legislative frameworks

TBD

This is an exciting opportunity to become an integral part of an established HR function and make a meaningful contribution to staff wellbeing, employee engagement, workplace culture and sound employee-relations practices.

The role offers the opportunity to work within a values-driven environment where fairness, respect, accountability, employee wellbeing and duty of care are central to the organisation's people philosophy.

Kindly submit your application via Pnet or email a comprehensive CV to [email protected]