Senior Manager - Labor Relations and HR Compliance

Sr. Manager - Labor Relations and HR Compliance

Job Description:

RESPONSIBILITIES 

1. Labor Law Compliance & Governance

Ensure full compliance with all applicable labor laws including:

• Shops & Establishments Acts (state-specific)
• Factories Act (where applicable)
• CLRA (Contract Labour Regulation & Abolition Act)
• Industrial Disputes Act
• Statutory legislations (PF, ESI, Gratuity, Bonus, etc.)
• Lead periodic compliance audits (internal & external) and drive closure of observations
• Establish robust compliance dashboards and trackers with 100% statutory adherence

• Ensure timely filings, returns, and maintenance of registers (digital & physical as applicable)

  2. New Wage Code Implementation

• Lead end-to-end implementation of the New Wage Codes (2025) across all entities
• Redesign compensation structures in alignment with definition of wages
• Impact on PF, Gratuity, Bonus, Overtime
• Partner with Finance, Payroll, and Legal to ensure seamless rollout
• Drive updates to all HR policies, SOPs, and employment contracts

• Conduct impact analysis and risk mitigation for cost, compliance, and employee experience

  3. Policy Formulation & Compliance Framework

• Design, review, and update HR policies in line with evolving labor regulations
• Build standardized SOPs, control frameworks, and governance models
• Ensure policy alignment with global standards while maintaining India statutory compliance

• Lead implementation of maker-checker-approver controls for critical HR processes (SOX aligned)

  4. Industrial Relations & Union Management

• Manage relationships with trade unions and worker representatives
• Lead collective bargaining processes, wage settlements, and negotiations
• Ensure proactive grievance handling and dispute resolution mechanisms
• Support plant/site leadership in maintaining a stable IR environment

• Represent the organization in conciliation proceedings and labor authorities, where required

  5. Contract Labor & CLRA Compliance

• Ensure compliance with CLRA provisions including:
  • Contractor licensing and registration
  • Wage payments and statutory benefits for contract workers
• Conduct regular contractor compliance audits
• Implement systems for principal employer liability tracking and mitigation

• Drive digitization of contractor compliance records and documentation

  6. Customer & Statutory Compliance

• Ensure adherence to customer-specific compliance requirements, especially for:
• Audits (client, statutory, third-party)
• Vendor and site compliance certifications
• Act as the central SPOC for compliance documentation and audit readiness

• Maintain zero non-compliance stance for customer-facing operations

  7. Risk Management & Compliance Transformation

• Identify compliance risks and implement preventive controls
• Drive automation and digitalization of compliance processes (Oracle HCM / dashboards / RPA)
• Strengthen data governance, documentation, and audit trails
• Embed a culture of “compliance by design” across HR and operations

Key Deliverables (Success Metrics)

• 100% compliance with statutory laws and zero major audit observations
• Successful implementation of New Wage Codes with no compliance gaps
• Stable industrial relations environment with minimal disputes/escalations
• 100% contractor compliance under CLRA
• Audit readiness for all customer and statutory audits
• Digitized compliance dashboards with real-time tracking

QUALIFICATIONS

• Preferred 10+ years of related work experience.
• Proactive, decisive and able to work independently on a broad variety of subjects.
• Strong detailed orientation and a demonstrated ability to manage multiple tasks.
• Strong interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills, which includes ability to remain objective and use discretion in all situations.
• Highly collaborative and team oriented, able to build relationships at all levels of the organization. 
• Resourceful, with a problem-solving aptitude, and ability to manage and resolve complex and sensitive situations while managing confidential information appropriately and professionally.

EDUCATION AND CERTIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s Degree required (preferably in the fields of Human Resources, Labor Relations, Business, or Law)

Key Skills & Competencies

• Deep expertise in Indian labor laws and statutory frameworks
• Strong negotiation and stakeholder management skills
• High attention to detail with strong compliance orientation
• Ability to influence plant leadership and senior stakeholders
• Analytical mindset with experience in dashboards and compliance tracking tools

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• No Special Physical Requirements

TRAVEL TIME REQUIRED 

• Occasional travel to plants and regional offices

 

Experience Level

Senior Level