Employee Relations Specialist

Overview

Join McKesson, a Fortune 10 company dedicated to enhancing healthcare accessibility and affordability. At McKesson, we prioritize the health, well-being, and growth of our employees and the communities we serve. We cultivate an environment encouraging innovation and impact that shapes the future of healthcare.

Role Summary

As an Employee Relations Specialist based in Cork, Ireland, you will provide expert labor and employee relations guidance along with workforce compliance support for our Ireland teams. Your key functions include handling employee relations issues, leading investigations of moderate complexity, advising on policy application, and upholding equitable employment practices aligned with Irish legislation. Partnering closely with Human Resources, Legal, Compliance, and business leaders, you will manage escalated or complex situations appropriately.

Key Responsibilities

• Offer consultation on employee and labor relations plus compliance support to managers and HR teams for Ireland-based employees.
• Conduct thorough investigations into employee relations issues including disciplinary actions, grievances, workplace conduct, and dignity-at-work concerns.
• Assess and address employee complaints ensuring alignment with local laws and internal policies.
• Advise and coach leaders on managing employee behavior, performance, documentation, and disciplinary procedures respecting Irish regulations.
• Collaborate with Legal and senior ER resources on escalated matters such as complaints to the Workplace Relations Commission and Labour Court proceedings.
• Assist in labor relations initiatives including employee representative engagement and trade union-related activities.
• Apply comprehensive knowledge of EU and Irish employment laws touching on unfair dismissal, equality, working time, and safety standards.
• Provide guidance on regulatory compliance including statutory leave, working hours, accommodations, and other local workforce obligations.
• Develop and deliver training sessions for managers and HR partners on topics related to employee and labor relations and compliance for the Ireland workforce.
• Keep detailed documentation for all cases within the management system, encompassing intake, investigation notes, findings, and summaries.
• Detect recurring issues and compliance risks, and report trends along with corrective action recommendations.

Required Knowledge and Competencies

• Proficient understanding of Irish employment legislation and employee relations practices.
• Experienced in conducting employee relations investigations.
• Familiarity with labor relations and employee representative engagement.
• Skilled at compliance risk identification and escalation.
• Strong conflict resolution and issue management skills.
• Effective stakeholder communication and relationship management capabilities.
• Attention to details in quality documentation and reporting.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Analytical problem-solving abilities.
• Willingness to travel up to 15-20% as necessary.

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree mandatory, preferably in HR, Business, Industrial Relations, Law, or related disciplines.
• At least 4 to 6 years of progressive experience in employee relations including investigation expertise.
• Prior experience supporting employees based in Ireland is highly preferred.
• Strong working knowledge of Irish employment law and regulatory frameworks is essential.
• Familiarity with handling disciplinary, grievance, dignity at work, or conduct matters is advantageous.
• Exposure to Workplace Relations Commission, Labour Court cases, or employment litigation processes is desirable.
• Experience managing workforce compliance related to working time, leaves, and accommodations in Ireland is a plus.
• Previous work within multinational or complex matrix environments is preferred.

Compensation and Benefits

The salary will be competitive and in line with Ireland market standards, ranging from approximately €69,000 to €115,000 annually, with possible additional bonus and comprehensive benefits tailored to support employees' physical, mental, and financial health. McKesson emphasizes a total rewards package promoting employee well-being and inclusive of diverse benefits meeting various employee needs.

Additional Information

McKesson cautions against fraudulent recruitment activity. Genuine McKesson recruitment agents will never request money or credit card details during application processes and do not use informal communication channels like free email providers or chatrooms. Be vigilant and apply only through official career channels.