Employee Relations Partner
CDW Corporation · London, United Kingdom
At CDW, we make it happen, together. Trust, connection, and commitment are at the heart of how we work together to deliver for our customers. It’s why we’re coworkers, not just employees. Coworkers who genuinely believe in supporting our customers and one another. We collectively forge our path forward with a level of commitment that speaks to who we are and where we’re headed. We’re proud to share our story and Make Amazing Happen at CDW.
Job summary
CDW is seeking a senior data-driven proactive Employee Relations Partner to lead and execute the employee relations strategy, operating model and governance aligned with our company values and objectives across UK&I. Reporting to the Head of Shared Services UK&I and operating within a global, matrixed organisation, this pivotal role will be accountable for ER outcomes and will provide expert advice on employee relations issues and risks. The role acts as CDW’s senior ER authority, resolving complex disputes and settling matters, advising senior leaders on TUPE and acquisition, and ensuring best practice and Company policies and procedures. Combining strategic insight, tactical implementation, and relationship building, you will foster an environment characterised by fairness, respect, and inclusion, ensuring employee relations practices are embedded across all tiers of the business.
What you will do
Employee Relations Strategy & Governance
- Lead on the employee relations strategy and accountable for governance of the strategy. Ensuring legal compliance, best practice adoption and alignment with our global corporate values, translating them into operational plans that remain agile to the changing needs and priorities of the business.
- Provide end-to-end advice and support, managing cases and acting as an escalation point for complex employee relations matters including but not limited to disciplinary, grievance, absence management, performance management, probation, capability, misconduct, redundancy, TUPE, flexible working and family leave.
- Manage a team of coworkers to ensure ER tickets and queries are responded to within agreed SLAs (within one working day), progressing cases in line with policy and legal timeframes.
- Manage the Occupational Health process, including tracking referrals and costs, ensuring GDPR compliance for personal information, guiding CWS and managers on the referral procedure, and supporting internal procedures in line with company policy on absence and reasonable adjustments.
- Facilitate mediation between coworkers and management, ensuring balanced outcomes that protect coworkers' rights while safeguarding the company's interests.
- Lead on novel and high-risk organisational change processes such as TUPE, redundancy and restructures, ensuring consistent, people-centred and legally compliant execution.
- Provide strategic advice and structured options to the UK&I HR Leadership Team and senior business leaders, balancing legal risk, coworker experience, commercial priorities and organisational precedent.
- Maintain accurate case documentation and keep case management systems up to date.
- Apply human-centred principles to case handling, ensuring approaches are grounded in empathy, fairness and coworker needs.
- Support with HR shared services tickets as and when required.
Governance, risk management & compliance
- Oversee the highest risk disciplinary, grievance, absence, capability, conduct, whistleblowing, and discrimination matters from strategy through to resolution, including employment tribunal preparations and settlement decisions.
- Monitor and ensure compliance with employment legislation and CDW policies across all departments and levels of the organisation.
- Determine case strategy where precedent is limited, drawing together legal advice, policy, evidence, commercial impact, and ER considerations.
- Anticipate employee relations risks and critical issues, ensuring proactive mitigation and managing cases from inception through to employment tribunal where required.
- Collaborate with the global employee relations team to ensure consistency and compliance in the execution of employee relations practices in a matrixed environment.
- Lead on continuous improvement of ER processes, procedures, templates, toolkits, and guidance, keeping the business informed of legislative changes and mitigating risk.
- Maintain executive visibility of material ER risks and trends; escalate matters with potential financial, regulatory, reputational, or workforce-wide impact.
Stakeholder management & collaboration
- Operate as a trusted adviser to senior and executive leaders, communicating judgement on sensitive matters and influencing decisions across functions.
- Work closely with HR leadership and managers to develop proactive strategies that enhance employee engagement, satisfaction, and retention.
- Design and lead training and workshops for managers, leaders and HR on effective employee relations practices, policy utilisation, conflict resolution, communication and handling sensitive issues.
- Deputise for the Head of Shared Services UK&I when required, acting with authority to make decisions within agreed delegated parameters for ER matters with leadership teams.
- Build key relationships across the business, using your influencing skills to gain buy-in and drive change.
Reporting & data analytics
- Oversee and maintain the employee relations system (EthicsPoint), ensuring the HR department reports on all ER cases promptly and complies with reporting metrics.
- Own the UK&I risk dashboard, define metrics, thresholds and produce weekly, monthly, and quarterly ER case reports for HR and leadership to ensure compliance with policy, process, and procedures.
- Track and analyse employee relations trends, identifying areas for improvement and actions that reduce case volumes, and making data-led recommendations for continuous improvement.
- Maintain effective financial oversight on ER related legal support and other relevant costs and services.
Team leadership & development
- Establish operational objectives, priorities, service standards and resource plans for the ER team.
- Set objectives, manage performance and lead a team of ER specialists/advisers.
- Lead a team of approximately four HR generalists, delivering ER and HR administrative support.
- Focus on team wellbeing, development, and role modelling CDW values.
- Create a high-performance culture, connecting with the team to energise, inspire and motivate.
- Develop and coach your team to enhance capability, ensuring SMART goals are in place for all.
What we expect of you
Essential Skills & Experience
- Minimum of 5 years' experience in employee relations, with a strong focus on conflict resolution and compliance.
- In-depth understanding of UK employment law and legislation, and best practice in managing cases from inception through to employment tribunal.
- Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills, with a proven ability to influence, negotiate and build relationships at all levels.
- Strong analytical and critical thinking skills, with a proven ability to assess complex issues, offer practical solutions and drive improvements.
- Ability to handle sensitive matters with the utmost professionalism, discretion, integrity, and ethical standards.
- Commercial awareness, business acumen, and strategic thinking.
- Ability to manage ambiguity, make sound judgements and adapt style to maintain strong relationships at all levels.
- Strong change management capability, including shaping change plans, managing impacts, and driving adoption.
- Possess a continuous improvement mindset.
- Comfortable operating in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
- Commitment to creating inclusive, engaging experiences that prioritise employee wellbeing and growth.
Preferred skills, experience, and qualities needed
- A degree in Human Resources or a related