Manager Employee Relations

About the role:

The Employee Relations Manager for PES India is an integral part of the HR function, responsible for implementing and continuously improving employee relations strategies, policies, and frameworks that align with the organization’s business objectives and Indian Labour Laws. This role is responsible to manage critical employee matters while enhancing the employee experience through effective policy management. We are looking for a sharp, principled, and people-savvy Employee Relations Manager to own the ER function at PES India end-to-end. This is a standalone, high-ownership role, working closely with our HR, Legal and Compliance functions.

What you will do at PES India:

Case Management & Investigation

• Own the end-to-end lifecycle of employee relations cases – grievances, disciplinary matters, misconduct investigations, and conflict resolution – from intake to resolution

• Conduct fair, thorough, and timely investigations with sound judgement and meticulous documentation; prepare charge sheets, warning letters, and investigation reports, as applicable

• Mediate and facilitate resolution of complex employee disputes, applying strong negotiation and problem-solving skills

• Maintain and continuously improve the ER case management system – ensuring every case is tracked, documented, and closed within defined timelines

Policy Management & Governance

• Own PES India’s ER policy framework – draft, review, and update HR policies to ensure they are fair, compliant

• Localise global HR policies to fit India’s legal and cultural context, while maintaining alignment with corporate standards

• Create, develop and update Code of conduct and related policies and align them with applicable laws.

• Serve as the subject-matter expert on ER best practices – advise the HRBP, people managers, and leadership on policy interpretation and procedural fairness

• Represent HR in disciplinary committees and internal governance forums; ensure decisions are legally sound and consistently applied

Whistleblower Hotline Management

• Maintain and manage whistleblower hotline services

• Handle and address all complaints reported through the hotline as per policy

Statutory Compliance & Labour Law

• Ensure full compliance with applicable Indian labour laws – including Shops & Establishment Act, Minimum Wages, PF, ESI, Gratuity, Bonus, and Standing Orders

• Own POSH compliance end-to-end – support the Internal Committee (IC), conduct inquiries, and drive awareness sessions across the organisation

• Maintain accurate compliance trackers, documentation, and records for internal and external audits

• Stay ahead of regulatory changes and proactively update policies and practices accordingly

Data, Trends & Continuous Improvement

• Maintain secure and organized records of all complaints, evidence and investigation reports

• Establish, track and analyse ER metrics – case volumes, resolution timelines, grievance trends, and repeat patterns – to identify systemic risks before they escalate

• Generate dashboards and reports for HR leadership with data-driven recommendations to improve people policies and ER outcomes

• Conduct periodic ER vulnerability assessments to proactively identify gaps in employee experience or compliance posture

• Drive continuous improvement in ER processes, tools, and frameworks – always asking how we can do this better and faster

Stakeholder Engagement & Capability Building

• Build strong, trust relationships with BU heads, the Legal team, and HR partners to ensure ER issues are resolved with alignment and consistency

• Design and deliver training sessions for managers and employees on ER topics – grievance handling, anti-harassment (POSH), code of conduct, and conflict resolution that help to foster a culture of compliance, professional conduct and ethical practices.

• Coach and upskill the HRBP and people managers on ER best practices so the organisation gets better at handling issues before they escalate formally

What we are looking for:

Must-have

• 8-10 years of progressive HR experience with at least 3-4 years in specifically handling workplace investigations or employee relations.

• Hands-on experience conducting workplace investigations, grievance resolution, and disciplinary processes – independently and with sound judgement

• Strong working knowledge of Indian labour laws and statutory compliance requirements, including POSH

• Experience maintaining and working with an ER case management system

• Exceptional documentation skills – can produce high-quality investigation reports, charge sheets, and policy documents

• Strong analytical ability and attention to detail – comfortable identifying trends in ER data and translating them into actionable recommendations

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills; ability to handle sensitive conversations with discretion, empathy, and firmness in equal measure

Good to have

• Prior experience in a GCC, shared services, or multinational environment

• Exposure to POSH IC proceedings as a member or external expert

• Familiarity with HR compliance audit processes

Education

• MBA/PGDM in HR or Labour Relations (strongly preferred)

• Bachelor’s degree in any discipline / Law (highly preferred)

• Certification in Labour Law or ER-related domain is a plus