Employee relations managers have enjoyed a 66% rise in their salaries since 2019 – significantly higher than other HR roles – a HR recruiter has found.
Wade Macdonald’s analysis of HR salary data from the past four years also revealed that heads of ER experienced a solid rise in pay (up 42%), while HR directors’ pay rose by 46%.
Almost half (47%) of HR professionals surveyed by the company are spending more time on employee relations than ever before, reflected in the salary hike.
This is not surprising given that HR teams have spent months dealing with strike action, pay negotiations and, in some cases, investigations into bullying and harassment – fuelling the rise in ER issues.
The pandemic also likely played a role, the firm said.
Wade Macdonald’s analysis of pay since 2019 showed that between 2019 and 2020, ER managers took a 9% pay drop, but that quickly recovered with a 25% pay rise between 2020 and 2021, and a 31% pay rise between 2021 and 2022.
HR salaries
The firm also found that issues with mental health and wellbeing were the top reason for increased grievances, cited by 39% of respondents. Mental health issues rose to around 48% of instances during the pandemic, it added.
Chris Goulding, managing director, said: “ER issues were exacerbated by hybrid working, which makes teams more difficult to manage and can leave grievances unchecked.
“And while there is a myriad of tools available to help facilitate this, it takes practice and training for managers to get the balance right.
“On top of this, some managers may be facing a backlog of existing unresolved problems from previous months and or even years that have yet to be dealt with.”
Goulding predicts demand for ER professionals will continue to be high in 2024, with salaries reflecting this.
“We are expecting employee relations to be one of the biggest focuses of HR in 2024, with more generalist HRs receiving training in employee relations specifically.
“Increasing numbers of grievance cases are going to tribunal, with employers now often on the losing side. The solution lies in training all HR professionals to effectively manage employee relations to help to resolve problems before they grow and help create more positive workplace cultures.
“The increased recognition of the value HR, and ER managers specifically, bring to an organisation likely means that pay will continue to rise as HR roles become more challenging.”
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