Labor Relations Specialists

Legal & Corporate Governance

Level 4457 of 1200 points

Job description

Labor Relations Specialists

Job purpose

To negotiate and interpret collective bargaining agreements, resolve disputes between workers and managers, and coordinate grievance and disciplinary procedures, so that obligations under the organisation's labour agreements are met and employee complaints are settled defensibly.

Skills

Specialist command of labour relations practice — collective bargaining and negotiation, contract interpretation, and grievance and disciplinary procedure — set within the wider personnel and human resources field, and supported by knowledge of labour law, hearing procedure, precedent and government regulation, with the written English needed to draft contract proposals and letters of dispute. Bachelor's degree is the most common qualification, but the field is unusually mixed, with master's, first professional and doctoral degrees, certificates and school-level qualifications also represented, together with several years of related experience and on-the-job training.
Negotiates with union, company and government representatives, presents the position of the company or of the workforce in arbitration, mediates between employer and employee representatives, and gives expert testimony in legal proceedings. Interprets contractual agreements for both sides, advises management on contract administration, discipline and grievance procedure, and trains managers on conditions of employment, safety and equal opportunity practice. The register moves between formal advocacy and informal conciliation, and much of the contact is adversarial.
Investigates and evaluates union complaints to determine whether they are viable, researches case law and previous hearing outcomes, identifies alternatives to proposals put by unions, employees or government agencies, and assesses the risk in bargaining strategies and the impact of union proposals on operations. Precedent gives a framework, but each dispute turns on its own facts and conclusions must withstand challenge in a hearing.
Recommends bargaining strategies and objectives, drafts proposals and counter-proposals, and coordinates the detail of grievance hearings. Determines own tasks and priorities, working to time pressure set by hearing dates, negotiating rounds and reporting deadlines.
Desk and screen work — drafting, research and record-keeping — with attendance at hearings and negotiations. No manual handling or dexterity demands.

Responsibilities

No line management, but substantial influence over individuals: reviews and approves employee disciplinary action, including written reprimands, suspensions and dismissals, and selects the mediators or arbitrators who hear disputes. Trains and advises managers, and coordinates the parties to hearings.
No budget held. Negotiates collective bargaining agreements and reviews employer practice on wages, hours and conditions of employment, so the terms settled carry direct and continuing cost.
No responsibility for stock or plant beyond ordinary care of a workstation and the records systems used.
Owns the labour relations case record: evidence prepared for disciplinary hearings, contract proposals and amendments, correspondence on contract terms, employee satisfaction data, and required governmental returns on equal employment opportunity and minority compensation. The material is confidential, often disclosable in proceedings, and must be exact, since a defect weakens the organisation's position.

Effort required

Close analytical and drafting work in which precise wording carries legal effect, combined with the different demand of live negotiation, where positions must be read and judged as put. Decisions are taken frequently, on incomplete information and under time pressure, and bear on colleagues and company results, alongside heavy contact.
Conflict is intrinsic to the work rather than incidental: disputes are mediated, unwelcome findings given to unions, employees and management, disciplinary outcomes up to dismissal approved, and contact regularly involves people who are unpleasant, angry or discourteous. Impartiality, composure and the ability to hold a defensible position under sustained pressure are required, and the matters handled are personally consequential for those concerned.
Predominantly seated office work, with movement to hearings. No lifting or exertion.

Working conditions

Indoor, environmentally controlled office and hearing-room work, with no hazardous conditions or exposures recorded. The psychological exposure is the substance of the environment: frequent conflict situations, dealing with unpleasant, angry or discourteous people, and contact in which competing interests are contested.
Around three-fifths of incumbents are on a regular established schedule, with a third on irregular patterns and a small seasonal element; weeks split roughly evenly between standard and longer hours. Considerable freedom to make decisions and set own priorities within the bargaining mandate, statutory framework and existing agreements, with frequent decisions of consequence for the organisation and its staff.

Skills

40% · 231 points▾

KnowledgeLevel 4 of 8
72 of 144 points
Factual and theoretical knowledge in broad contexts within a field of work. The job requires a range of thinking and practical knowledge to find solutions to specific problems in the job or study area.
Interpersonal and communication skillsLevel 3 of 5
58 of 96 points
Effective communication and interpersonal relationships. The job holder is required to adapt communication to different audiences and foster trust, cooperation and positive working relationships.
Problem-solving skillsLevel 3 of 5
58 of 96 points
Variable problems. The job involves dealing with different kinds of problems that require careful thinking, research into different options or adjusting existing ways of doing things. Guidance and resources may be limited.
Planning and organisational skillsLevel 3 of 5
43 of 72 points
Moderate organisational skills required. The job requires the organising and prioritising of multiple tasks, with some level of adjustment to plans on the basis of changing circumstances or deadlines.
Physical skillsLevel 0 of 5
0 of 72 points
Not applicable. The job does not require any particular physical skills (although there is likely to be some physical activity).

Responsibility

35% · 116 points▾

PeopleLevel 2 of 5
58 of 144 points
Basic responsibility for people. Provides support, guidance or advice to individuals or small teams. This could include assisting with personal development, providing informal mentoring or guiding others through tasks with minimal decision-making power. It may involve contributing to others' sense of safety and comfort, but with limited decision-making authority or accountability for outcomes.
Goods and equipmentLevel 0 of 5
0 of 84 points
Not applicable. The job does not involve any responsibility for goods or equipment.
InformationLevel 3 of 5
58 of 96 points
Moderate responsibility for information. The job involves managing information to ensure it is accurate, of high quality and secure. The job holder may make decisions about the handling of sensitive data.
Financial resourcesLevel 0 of 5
0 of 96 points
Not applicable. The job does not require any responsibility for financial resources.

Effort

15% · 79 points▾

Mental effortLevel 3 of 5
36 of 60 points
High level of mental effort. The job involves frequent concentration on complex tasks that require considerable mental effort, such as interpreting complex data.
Psychosocial and emotional effortLevel 3 of 5
43 of 72 points
Moderate psychosocial and emotional effort. The job requires the regular management of emotional responses, such as dealing with sensitive or challenging individuals or situations.
Physical effortLevel 0 of 5
0 of 48 points
Not applicable. The job does not require any physical effort.

Working Conditions

10% · 31 points▾

Environment (physical, psychological or emotional)Level 1 of 5
17 of 84 points
Minimal exposure to hazards or stress. The job involves little or no exposure to physical hazards (e.g. chemicals, moving equipment, noise) and minimal emotional or psychological risks (e.g. occasional routine tasks with no emotional burden). There is minor exposure to dust, dirt, fumes, noise, waste, poor lighting, etc.
Organisational environmentLevel 2 of 5
14 of 36 points
Occasional organisational demands. The job may involve occasional irregular hours (e.g. the requirement to work weekends or holidays), minimal travel or limited digital connectivity outside normal working hours.