Employee Relations Partner

Rathbones provides individual investment and wealth management services for private clients, charities, trustees and professional partners. We have been trusted for generations to manage and preserve our clients’ wealth.

Our tradition of investing and acting responsibly has been with us from the beginning and continues to lead us forward. Our ambition is to be recognised as the UK’s most responsible wealth manager.

We see it as our responsibility to invest for everyone’s tomorrow. That means doing the right thing for our clients and for others too. Keeping the future in mind when we make decisions today. Looking beyond the short term for the most sustainable outcome. This is how we build enduring value for our clients, make a wider contribution to society and create a lasting legacy. Thinking, acting and investing responsibly.

Job Title: Employee Relations Partner 

Department: People Function

Location: Glasgow

Contract Type: Perm

Reporting to: Susannah Perry

The Role

To partner with leaders across business functions to shape and deliver ER strategies and solutions that support the company’s People plan, ensuring alignment with business priorities, legal obligations, and a positive employee experience.

Partnering with leaders to provide tailored Employee Relations support, using people insights and management reporting to guide fair, consistent decision-making and help them develop positive, high-performing teams across the business. The role supports the Employee Relations Manager and provides coaching to the ER Advisor(s).

Outcomes of the Role

• Responsible for Employee Relations (ER) issues linked to conduct, performance, capability, employee grievances, long and short-term sickness, Dignity at Work and discrimination issues;
• Caseload management: coach line managers on investigating/resolving ER issues; advise managers/colleagues about ER policies and practices and how to comply; support with the co-ordination with legal providers to ensure that all People colleagues and managers receive the relevant ER training and that all cases are managed in a compliant way.
• Supporting diversity & inclusion: give accurate and appropriate advice, training and support to managers to recognise, respect and enable diversity (including diversity of thought) and inclusion.
• Help to drive individual & organisational performance: advise managers and individuals on Rathbones performance management policy; support individuals and managers to create clear, realistic and measurable objectives to link to reward and performance management approaches (especially in relation to Performance Improvement Plans).
• Supporting policy development: maintains policies so they remain aligned with latest legislation.
• Data & records: Track ER activity against agreed metrics, support with identifying themes on a quarterly basis and recommend areas for improvement/ training etc; maintain appropriate records of ER related events

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

•  Relationship Building & Partnering:
  Build credible, trusted relationships with leaders and stakeholders to proactively influence ER outcomes. Use strong interpersonal skills to enhance leaders capability in managing employee relations effectively and confidently. Navigate complex organisational dynamics while maintaining alignment with employment legislation, culture, and policy.
• Outcome-Driven Delivery:
  Translate ER strategies into practical, legally sound, and business-relevant solutions. Drive the resolution of complex cases and organisational challenges while ensuring consistency and compliance.
• Proactive Initiative:
  Demonstrate autonomy and forward thinking in managing ER matters, with the ability to prioritise competing demands and respond quickly to emerging risks or trends.
• ER Analytics & Insight:
  Use ER data and case trends to identify root causes and areas for improvement. Provide clear, actionable insights that support a fair and risk-aware employee relations environment.
• Effective Communication:
  Deliver clear, calm, concise, confident, and empathetic communication in challenging situations. Adapt messaging to support a range of stakeholders, from entry level colleagues to experienced managers.
• Flexibility & Resilience:
  Remain calm and effective under pressure, managing change, ambiguity, and emotionally charged situations with professionalism and care.
• Sound Judgement:
  Apply a strong understanding of employment law and organisational context to make fair, balanced decisions in complex employee relations matters.
• Leadership Enablement:
  Support leaders in developing their ER capability and confidence through coaching, guidance, and upskilling. Encourage early intervention and a culture of accountability and fairness.

Life at Rathbones

We aim to become an employer of choice for the wealth management sector, to achieve this we are working hard to build a diverse, equal, and inclusive workplace that motivates, develops and embraces the strengths of all our colleagues. Being part of Rathbones means you will join a team of passionate professionals in a successful culture that cares for its people. At Rathbones, we provide meaningful work, opportunities, and a voice to all.

We are committed to building a team that is made up of diverse skills, experiences and abilities and encourage applications from all backgrounds. We welcome individuals who share our values – those that are passionate about client service, operate with the highest levels of integrity and have a strong results focus.

We’re a Level 1 Disability Confident employer under the UK Government scheme. This means we’ve signed up to a set of commitments around how we recruit, retain and develop people with disabilities. Find out more about the Government Scheme online. If you require adjustments to apply for a role at Rathbones, please contact us via recruit@rathbones.com to let us know what adjustments you may need.