Employee Relations Manager at Equity Bank Kenya

Job description

ROLE PROFILE:

Job Purpose:

The purpose of this role is to develop and maintain a conducive employee relations environment through providing business with guidance on labour laws and practices, discipline and grievance issues as well as involvement in maintaining positive relationships. The role is responsible for developing and ensuring consistent application of employee relations policies and procedures as well as monitoring of staff motivation levels with a view of promoting employee satisfaction.

The role is the centre of expertise in matters relating to employment legislation and driving industrial harmony in the Bank.

Job Responsibilities/ Accountabilities:

• Employee and Labour Relations
  • Provide expert advice to Line Managers & Human Resources Business Partners on Legal implications of disciplinary actions as they relate to the Country’s Labour Laws.
  • Monitor on a regular basis changes in Labour Laws and keep Line Managers informed.
  • Provide clear analysis and insights on ER issues that support delivery of an employee value proposition aligned to the delivery of the EBKL brand.
  • Support ER projects and proactively work with HR colleagues in development of integrated solutions.
  • Facilitate building of capability of management staff on employee relations.
•  Discipline & Grievance Handling
  • Liaise with Line Managers to ensure consistency of disciplinary procedures across the Bank.
  • Study reported cases of disciplinary action and forward recommendations to GM-HR.
  • Communicate disciplinary decisions to Line Managers and ensure proper implementation of actions.
  • Investigate and respond to all queries raised by the Line Managers on staff discipline matters.
  • Conduct investigations on harassment, discrimination, bullying and other workplace complaints.
  • Co-ordinate and represent the Bank in liaison with Bank Advocates, all litigation cases for staff, ex-staff and industrial-related matters.
  • Coaching and training of managers to handle disciplinary issues and devolution of disciplinary handling to line managers to ensure compliance to labour and government regulations relating to staff issues.
• HR Compliance
  • Review and continuously update and align the HR policies and procedures to ensure alignment with the Employment Laws and Regulations.Review all employment contracts, HR vendor contracts and letters to ensure that they safeguard the interests of Staff and the Bank.
  • Champion Compliance and Risk within the Department.
  • Interpret policies and procedures and assess compliance by all Staff within the business units

Additional Responsibilities:

• On request, participate in Group wide HR and business initiatives and provide expert advice on HR/legal matters including any other matter that may be assigned by the Supervisor from time to time.

Essential Knowledge

• Excellent knowledge of local Employment and Labour Laws including regulations thereof
• Knowledge of HR Practices
• Knowledge of best practice employee involvement, employee relations and industrial relations
• Knowledge and effective application of all relevant banking policies, processes, procedures and guidelines to consistently achieve required compliance standards or benchmarks.

Key Critical Competencies

• High personal standards and goal oriented
• Strong research skills
• Good conflict resolution skills
• Strong coaching skills
• Attention to details and follow through on assignments
• Good awareness of the internal and external industrial environment
• Strong negotiation and persuasion skills to effectively influence others in a way that results in acceptance, agreement or behavior change.
• Strong planning and organization skills to effectively managed ER processes and projects to achieve TAT and project delivery as scheduled.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills for effective presentations, facilitation and report writing purposes.
• Strong problem solving and analytical skills to facilitate systematic and rational judgments based on relevant information.
• Counseling skills to effectively handle grievance issues and employees with unique personal or job related issues.
• Flexibility to successfully adapt to changing demands and conditions of ER landscape.

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s Degree preferably in the fields of either social sciences, business or law
• Postgraduate Diploma in Law – Kenya School of Law
• Masters of Business Administration in Human Resources Management OR
• Postgraduate Diploma in Human Resources Management
• 6 years’ experience with preferably 3 years practicing Law with a bias towards Labour Relations and 4 years working experience in a busy/ commercial HR environment
• Member of IHRM.
• Proficiency in MS Office tools.