Job Summary:

The individual in this position will provide employment legal support for RELX business units in the Philippines, reporting to and supporting the Asia-Pacific Employment Counsel. This role involves working with the HR and other stakeholders with REPH responsibilities. 

Job Accountabilities:

• providing legal advice and services by combining skill in employment law with sound business acumen and knowledge of business goals and objectives of RELX and REPH;

• working closely with HR regarding the day-to-day issues that arise with respect to individual employees; 

• assisting with the promotion and enforcement of global policies, including in conjunction with RELX’s compliance functions;

• ensuring the business is meeting its obligations under anti-sexual harassment legislation;

• overseeing internal investigations involving employment-related issues;

• conducting training regarding employment law issues, as well as special sessions on an as-needed basis for HR and management;

• drafting documents such as employment contracts, settlement agreements, corporate policies, etc.;

• attending to employment-related litigation including attending initial hearings at the Department of Labor and Employment, National Labor Relations Commission, courts of justice, and other government adjudication bodies. 

• overseeing outside counsel with carriage of litigation matters, otherwise supervising and actively directing outside counsel;

• working with HR to assist with implementation of corporate employment-related policies;

• working with HR to ensure compliance with local laws affecting fundamental employment documentation such as contracts and restrictive covenant agreements.

The person in this role will work with a team of employment lawyers based in other countries.

The Individual: 

The successful candidate will have:

• Good commercial awareness and understanding of the needs of internal clients

• Strong organizational and planning skills 

• Capability to deliver training courses and transfer knowledge to key internal clients

• Ability proactively to suggest improvements to processes and ways of working 

• Excellent and diplomatic communication skills

• Ability to advise colleagues at all levels of the business, sensitive to the needs of a broad range of groups 

• Ability to work autonomously as well as part of a team 

• A high degree of a commercial acumen

• Excellent written communication skills, and, in particular, strong plain language legal drafting skills

• Ability to apply sound judgment in decision-making and convey confidence necessary to establish credibility 

• Ability to carry out risk assessments and provide related advice

• Ability to travel when required, including outside the Philippines

Personal characteristics:

• Pragmatic and solutions driven

• Flexible and adaptable

• Excellent communication, presentation and interpersonal skills

• Able to take on responsibility and gain credibility quickly

• Strong commercial acumen and negotiation skills

• Ability to transform legal issues into a workable solution within a business context

Job Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree holder

• Qualified as a lawyer

• Significant expertise in all aspects of Philippine employment laws so that the jobholder can succeed against the requirements noted above from day one. This includes significant experience in: drafting employment documentation (including contracts of employment and internal employment policies); providing day-to-day advice to human resources on employment law issues; overseeing and/or carrying out internal investigations; and conducting employment litigation. 

• The ideal candidate will have exclusively practised as an employment lawyer over the last five years in an employment law team at a major law firm and/or working as employment counsel in-house at a multinational company. Candidates who have not exclusively practised as an employment lawyer but who have had employment law as a majority focus on their practise over this period may also apply.

• Candidates should specifically highlight their employment law experience in their applications. 

• Must be comfortable facilitating trainings internally

• Must have International employment laws experience

• Preferably has People management experience

Why join us?

• Competitive salary with annual increase and incentive

• Career Development Programs

• 24 Paid Time-offs annually, 30 Paid Time-offs in the 5th year

• Comprehensive HMO for you and up to 4 Dependents

• Day 1 Life and Accident Insurance

• Flexible Retirement Plan

• Hybrid Work Set up. IT equipment will be provided.

For your convenience, our entire recruitment process is done virtually.

Please refer to job description.