Ministry of Justice

MoJ CSHR Casework is the biggest of four suppliers of Civil Service HR Casework.

We're an award winning team:

Gold at the BOC awards for the 'HR Team of the year' category 20202017 - winners in Best Coaching and Mentoring Initiative at the CIPD Awards.

2017 - achieved Investors in People (IIP) Silver accreditation.

2017 - finalist in Best HR/L&D Supplier category at the CIPD Awards.

2018 - winners in Recruitment and Retention at the BOC HR Brilliance Awards.

2019 - gold winners in the HR team of the year category at the BOC HR Brilliance Awards.

We have continued to grow and secure new customers and we now support 41 client departments/agencies.

Our success is solely down to the inspirational team we have throughout the country. This is due to their talent and the fact the team feel it is a great place to work. Our recent engagement survey indicated that 98% of our team are interested in the work they do and feel trusted to carry it out. We believe our supportive culture, which allows substantial autonomy, will see us go on from strength to strength in the future.

In your new HR Case Manager role, as part of a nationwide team, you'll provide both remote and face to face HR casework support to a wide range of managers across the civil service. You'll deal with a variety of employee relations issues. You will guide, coach and assist managers through their queries around issues such as attendance management, grievances, disciplinaries, probation, poor performance and employment law. You'll manage casework through various escalations and go to tribunal where required. You will have your own caseload and this will involve some travel to these meetings, the extent of the travel will depend upon your location.

You will also support access to the service which is via a manager's advice line and functional mail box. This includes access for both employees and managers to our early resolution line for advice and coaching regarding conflict they are experiencing at work. Outcomes include giving the caller strategies to resolve the issue and the recommendation of mediation.

What you'll need to succeed

You'll have experience in working at HR Advisor or employment law advisor level. You will have CIPD qualifications or be willing to work towards them and pass the qualification in a time-frame agreed with your line manager. You'll have sound knowledge of employment law, enjoy employee relations and be able to confidently articulate policy and legislation to managers and employees.

As an HR Case Manager, you will work a 37 hour week. Pay will be offered from the following salary ranges, dependent on location and experience (the salary ranges include the relevant location allowance):

£24,002 - £31,973

Crewe

Durham

Rochester

Stafford

Wakefield

£26,553 - £34,105

Birmingham

£28,597 - £36,772

Croydon

If you're already a civil servant your starting pay will be the better of promotion terms (10% or the new band minimum), transfer terms or the band minimum. Exceptionally, you may be considered for appointment at a salary higher than the above (depending on skills, knowledge, experience and qualifications). Applicants new to the civil service may be also considered for appointment at a salary higher than the starting point indicated above subject to the same criteria.

• 25 days annual holiday (rising to 30 days after 5 years of service)
• Paid time off for public holidays and 1 extra privilege day
• Civil Service pension of up to 20% of your salary
• Flexible working with the option of some home working
• Generous policies such as enhanced maternity/paternity leave
• Childcare vouchers, cycle to work scheme, travel loans and other benefits
• Reward and recognition schemes

How did you get into a career in employee relations?

I qualified as an Employment Law solicitor back in 2010 and I found that the aspect of the role I loved most was building ongoing relationships with my business clients and advising on the HR-type matters such as the ACAS Code, investigations, disciplinary processes, risks of dismissal etc. After almost five years practising law, I began to think that a career which was more 'in-house' and client-focussed might be suited to me, and applied for my current role in the Civil Service HR Casework Team, making the move from Employment Law into HR - and I haven't looked back!

What are the key responsibilities in your role?

My role involves supporting up to 40 different government departments in complex HR and policy issues. As HR Case Managers, we are assigned cases (rather than providing 'general' advice), and we support the manager 'from cradle to grave' in relation to how to manage the issues and problems that have arisen. These can be anything from managing a long term sickness to a complex disciplinary investigation, assisting in management of poor performance, addressing employee grievances, supporting the Government's Legal Department with gathering information for Employment Tribunal cases to providing witness orientation sessions in order to guide witnesses on what might be involved during a Tribunal process.

Describe a typical day.

Typically, I will start the day by reviewing my emails - with emails being the preferred method of communication these days, we provide a lot of advice by email. I might then leave the office to attend a meeting in order to support a manager at a formal hearing, during which I will provide advice to that manager on the benefits, risks and implications of different options available to them and assist the manager in drafting any relevant outcome letter. My afternoon usually involves dealing with phone calls and providing further advice to managers on various issues that arise during the life of a case. As part of this, I might review a department's policy to check a specific point or provide advice on interpretation. I also undertake some project work - for example, developing and delivering in-house training for new Case Managers in relation to employment law. We have a lot of flexibility in how we manage our diaries, which means you can structure your day in a way which works for you.

What skills do you need for this role?

Many employee relations issues present themselves as a puzzle or issue which needs to be solved by weighing up the needs of both the business and the employee. As such, problem-solving abilities are definitely required. I'd also say that an ability to draw together and analyse different arguments is a real benefit, as is being able to confidently, coherently and succinctly advise - both in written format and verbally - so as to provide the managers the information they need to make well-informed decisions.

What challenges do you face in this role?

Dealing with Employee Relations often involves a lot of conflict, which can be challenging for both us as Case Managers and the managers we support.

What keeps you motivated to go into work every day?

When you get to the end of a case and a manager says “Thank you - I couldn't have managed that issue without your support” it really brings home the value we add. In addition, the role is incredibly interesting; no two cases are ever the same, and given the areas of Government we work within, some cases can potentially be very high-profile. The inherent challenges these cases raise can give you a real opportunity for professional development.

What advice would you give someone considering a career in employee relations?

I would say that if you are seeking a challenging, varied, and fascinating role in a niche area of HR which looks to make a real difference in addressing issues at an individual level, then Employee Relations is one hundred percent an area worth considering.

Examples of current clients

• Cabinet Office
• HM Prison and Probation Service
• Home Office
• Ministry of Justice
• Department for Transport
• Department for Education
• Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs
• Government Legal Department
• Food Standards Agency
• Department of Health & Social Care

Customer Testimonials

Feedback from our customers helps to emphasise the high quality HR services that we provide. Please view our testimonials from a variety of departments and agencies.