Labour relations officer

A Labour Relations Officer (LRO) is a human‑resources specialist who manages the relationship between an organisation and its employees’ representatives—typically trade unions or works councils. Their core mission is to foster stable, productive workplace relations by negotiating collective agreements, resolving grievances, interpreting labour legislation, and advising management on fair and lawful employment practices. An effective LRO balances organisational objectives with employee rights, helping to minimise conflict, ensure compliance, and sustain positive workplace culture.

Labour relations officers typically do the following:

• Develop, implement, and update labour‑relations policies and collective bargaining strategies.
• Represent the employer in negotiations for new or renewed collective agreements, including wages, benefits, and working‑time provisions.
• Interpret collective‑agreement clauses and labour legislation, advising managers and supervisors on their practical application.
• Investigate and resolve grievances, disciplinary matters, and arbitration cases, preparing documentation and presenting evidence where required.
• Act as a mediator between management and union representatives to defuse disputes and maintain constructive dialogue.
• Monitor workplace practices to ensure compliance with statutory requirements (health & safety, equal opportunities, working‑time rules).
• Train line managers on labour‑relations best practice, conflict‑resolution techniques, and changes in employment law.
• Compile and maintain accurate records of negotiations, settlements, and disciplinary outcomes for audit and reporting purposes.
• Conduct research on wage trends, arbitration awards, and legislative developments to inform bargaining positions and policy updates.

The following job titles also refer to labour relations officer:

industrial relations officer
labor relations officer
union representative
industrial liaison officer
labour policy officer

Labour Relations Officers usually work in office settings within HR or industrial‑relations departments, but regular site visits and face‑to‑face meetings with union officials are common. The role involves extensive paperwork, data analysis, and prolonged negotiations that may extend beyond normal office hours—especially during collective‑bargaining cycles or labour disputes. Periodic travel to multiple facilities, arbitration hearings, or mediation sessions can be required. The position demands resilience under pressure, diplomacy, and strict confidentiality.

Education: A bachelor’s degree in human resource management, industrial or labour relations, employment law, business administration, or a related discipline is typically required. A master’s degree (e.g., MSc Industrial Relations, MBA with HR focus) or a law degree specialising in employment law can enhance prospects.

Training: Coursework or professional training in labour law, negotiation, conflict resolution, and collective‑bargaining processes is essential.

Experience: Entry‑level roles may require 1–3 years’ HR or industrial‑relations experience; senior positions often demand 5–10 years handling negotiations or grievances. Experience working within unionised environments is highly valued.

Skills & Certifications:

• Strong knowledge of local/national labour legislation and collective‑bargaining frameworks.
• Excellent negotiation, mediation, and interpersonal skills.
• Analytical abilities for interpreting contracts, wage data, and legal texts.
• Certifications such as Chartered Professional in Human Resources (CPHR), SHRM‑CP/SCP, or equivalent industrial‑relations credentials (e.g., CIPD Level 7) are advantageous.

ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:

• the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
• the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
• the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.

Labour relations officer is a Skill level 4 occupation.

These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to labour relations officer.

employment programme coordinator
ombudsman
equality and inclusion manager
international relations officer
recreation policy officer

This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of labour relations officer.

• Government policy implementation: The procedures related to the application of government policies at all levels of public administration.
• Personnel management: The methodologies and procedures involved in the hiring and development of employees in order to ensure value for the organisation, as well as personnel needs, benefits, conflict resolution and ensuring a positive corporate climate.
• Employment law: The law which mediates the relationship between employees and employers. It concerns employees’ rights at work which are binding by the work contract.

These skills are necessary for the role of labour relations officer.

• Apply conflict management: Take ownership of the handling of all complaints and disputes showing empathy and understanding to achieve resolution. To be fully aware of all Social Responsibility protocols and procedures, and to be able to deal with a problem gambling situation in a professional manner with maturity and empathy.
• Advise on personnel management: Advise senior staff in an organisation on methods to improve relations with employees, on improved methods for hiring and training employees and increasing employee satisfaction.
• Represent the organisation: Act as representative of the institution, company or organisation to the outside world.
• Maintain relations with local representatives: Maintain good relations with representatives of the local scientific, economic and civil society.
• Establish collaborative relations: Establish a connection between organisations or individuals which may benefit from communicating with one another in order to facilitate an enduring positive collaborative relationship between both parties.
• Gather feedback from employees: Communicate in an open and positive manner in order to assess levels of satisfaction with employees, their outlook on the work environment, and in order to identify problems and devise solutions.
• Protect employee rights: Assess and handle situations in which the rights set by legislation and corporate policy for employees may be breached and take the appropriate actions in order to protect the employees.
• Advise on conflict management: Advise private or public organisations on monitoring possible conflict risk and development, and on conflict resolution methods specific to the identified conflicts.
• Handle conflicts: Mediate in conflicts and tense situations by acting between parties, such as service users, important others like families, and institutions, striving to effect an agreement, reconciliate, and resolve problems.
• Advise on organisation climate: Advise organisations on their internal culture and work environment as experienced by employees, and the factors which may influence the behaviour of employees.

These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of labour relations officer. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

• Create solutions to problems: Solve problems which arise in planning, prioritising, organising, directing/facilitating action and evaluating performance. Use systematic processes of collecting, analysing, and synthesising information to evaluate current practice and generate new understandings about practice.
• Promote inclusion in organisations: Promote diversity and equal treatment of genders, ethnicities and minority groups in organisations in order to prevent discrimination and ensure inclusion and a positive environment.
• Moderate in negotiations: Oversee negotiations between two parties as a neutral witness to ensure that the negotiations occur in a friendly and productive manner, that a compromise is reached, and that everything is compliant with legal regulations.
• Inspect government policy compliance: Inspect public and private organisations to ensure proper implementation and compliance with government policies which apply to the organisation.
• Maintain relationships with government agencies: Establish and maintain cordial working relationships with peers in different governmental agencies.
• Facilitate official agreement: Facilitate an official agreement between two disputing parties, ensuring that both parties agree on the resolution which has been decided on, as well as writing the necessary documents and ensuring both parties sign it.
• Monitor company policy: Monitor the company’s policy and propose improvements to the company.
• Respond to enquiries: Respond to enquiries and requests for information from other organisations and members of the public.
• Ensure cross-department cooperation: Guarantee communication and cooperation with all the entities and teams in a given organisation, according to the company strategy.
• Advise on government policy compliance: Advise organisations on how they may improve their compliance to the applicable government policies they are required to adhere to, and the necessary steps which need to be taken in order to ensure complete compliance.
• Monitor organisation climate: Monitor the work environment and the behaviour of employees in an organisation to assess how the organisation culture is perceived by the employees and identify the factors which influence behaviour and which may facilitate a positive work environment.
• Manage government policy implementation: Manage the operations of the implementation of new government policies or changes in existing policies on a national or regional level as well as the staff involved in the implementation procedure.

2423 – Personnel and careers professionals

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 References

1. Labour relations officer – ESCO
2. Featured image: Photo by Sora Shimazaki