Head, Employee Relations, Southern Africa at Standard Chartered Bank

The Role Responsibilities

Strategy

• To work closely with HR business partners and HR Legal to up-skill line managers in effectively dealing with ER related matters.
• To work closely with HR Business partners to deal with ER related issues and directly managing specific cases as agreed with Head of ER.
• To develop and maintain key internal relationships with stakeholders.
• End to End management ER cases, including Disciplinary, Grievance, Restructures, Poor Performance Management, and Mutual Separation Agreements.

Business

• Partner with stakeholders/business representatives to guide, advise and coach on the full range of ER related matters including disciplinary, grievances, redundancies; restructuring, performance matters, entry and exit issues for senior staff, other staff terminations and contracts/agreements.
• Lead and support the development of effective employee relations strategies that are aligned to business objectives across Region/Country and influencing Group policies and practices.

Processes
End to end case management of grievance cases

• Work with the HRBP, business and Regional AME ER Head to outline approach in line with country process (e.g., agree the Grievance representative/s to investigate and hear the Grievance and make arrangements for Grievance Hearing including issuing hearing invite/statement of complaint).
• Conduct the Grievance process or provide support to conduct the grievance.
• Complete analysis of data/facts and provide support to the decision maker of the Grievance to help them reach a fair and consistent resolution/conclusion which minimises the risk to the Bank.
• Update ERCMS at the initiation and conclusion of Grievance.
• Update relevant stakeholders with key findings including any disciplinary actions recommended.

 End to end case management of disciplinary cases (including complex cases)

• Level of investigations involvement and support to be agreed with regional Head AME ER and based on case nature and complexity.
• Conduct fact finding and investigatory interviews including as appropriate preparation of witness statements and investigation report.
• Manage case in line with appropriate Policy/Procedures, providing appropriate support to management.
• Complete analysis of data/facts and provide support to the decision maker(s) of the Disciplinary Grievance to help them reach a fair and consistent conclusion which minimises the risk to the Bank.
• Update relevant stakeholders with key findings and any relevant information, including any recommendations.
• Regularly update ERCMS including upon conclusion of disciplinary and/or appeal (where appropriate).
• Update HRBP and/or PRC team in case of a disciplinary action so that it could be highlighted for any potential MyPerformance impact.

Management of Restructure and Redundancies:

• Supporting the Business and HR stakeholders in the execution of Restructures and Redundancies.

Management of challenging Poor Performance cases:

• Supporting PLs in managing challenging poor performance cases.

Management of Mutual Separation Agreements:

• Supporting Business and HR stakeholders in the management of MSAs.

People and Talent

• In partnership with learning, proactively support, advise, update, educate and train HRBPs, people managers and others as needed across the ER product areas and enable them to deal with critical ER related issues.

Risk Management

• Manage employee-related risk across the country/region
• Provide commentary re ER MI and escalate country ER risks based on trends or any new findings/issues.
• Understand current local employment and other ER related legislation (e.g., discrimination)/best practice and be able to anticipate implications for the Bank.
• Create and implement suitable actions to mitigate identified risks
• Work with HR Legal and external counsel re data disclosure requests, litigation cases and preparation for/ appearance at any applicable formal jurisdiction including Labour Court/Employment

Governance

• Awareness and understanding of the regulatory framework in which the group operates and the regulatory requirements and expectations relevant to the role. Provide support and guidance on ER related regulatory issues.
• Responsible for ensuring local ER related controls are in place, effective and provide testing support as required and managed effectively with limited exceptions.
• Where applicable, provide input to and maintain as appropriate the HR Obligations Register as it pertains to ER.
• Support the Regional Head AME ER in ensuring that the ER related Policies, Procedures and Department Operation Instructions (DOIs) are up to date and in line with relevant local laws and best practice.

Collective ER Management

• Develop and manage the Bank's relationships with employee representative bodies (Trade Unions, Works Councils, Employee Councils, etc.) in order to support employee engagement, business performance and the Bank's broader social responsibility priorities.
• Ensure appropriate collective agreements are implemented where appropriate and that negotiations (including pay) are concluded effectively.
• Manage collective disputes, diffuse business disruptions and ensure that appropriate business contingency plans are in place.
• Undertake collective consultation as required (e.g., collective redundancies, outsourcing, M&A, etc.).

Regulatory & Business conduct

• Display exemplary conduct and live by the Group's Values and Code of Conduct.
• Take personal responsibility for embedding the highest standards of ethics, including regulatory and business conduct, across Standard Chartered Bank. This includes understanding and ensuring compliance with, in letter and spirit, all applicable laws, regulations, guidelines and the Group Code of Conduct.
• Support the Southern Africa country ER teams to achieve the outcomes set out in the Bank's Conduct Principles; Financial Crime Compliance; the Right Environment.
• Effectively and collaboratively identify, escalate, mitigate and resolve risk, conduct and compliance matters, as it relates to employee relations.
• Build external networks (e.g., ER Forums, Employee Associations, etc) and remain up to date with ER and legislative change/developments and be viewed both internally and externally as an expert in the ER field.
• Collaborate with HR Legal and Compliance and/or external legal counsel for advice on interpretation of local laws and regulations and ER policies, procedures, cases in-country.
• Support Regional Head ER AME in the collaboration with relevant government bodies including Labour Ministries re development and application of government policy.

Key Stakeholders
Internal

• Country/Business Management Groups -across Southern Africa
• Global ER team
• Country HRBPs/ Country Head of HR- across Southern Africa
• HR Legal -AME
• Compliance- Southern Africa
• SIS- Southern Africa
• Country Financial Crime Risk- Southern Africa
• Country PRB (Performance, Reward and Benefits)- Southern Africa

External

• Employee Representative Bodies / Unions
• Legal firms
• Labour Ministries
• Employer Associations
• ER Forums
• Outplacement services

Our Ideal Candidate

• Employee Relations Specialist or qualified employment lawyer with approximately of 5-6 years' work experience.
• Proven track record and in-depth experience of ER investigations and case management.
• Strong understanding of the local legislative and regulatory landscape
• Experience in an international professional services/ banking environment.
• Proven experience in working in a complex matrix, with demanding and fast paced client groups.
• Experience of ER product & policy development.
• Involvement in collective ER issues e.g., collective communication & consultation in non-unionised environments, TU/Works Council stakeholder management, collective bargaining, etc