Ben Watson

Background

About Ben Watson

Senior Employee & Labour Relations leader operating at the intersection of people management and employment law. I design ER strategies, resolve high‑stakes issues, and build manager capability across complex, multi‑country EMEA environments. Recent focus areas include: works council & union engagement (NL/DE/FR), collective consultation and restructuring, investigations (misconduct, harassment, discrimination, fraud), sickness/absence management, and modernising policy frameworks that scale across jurisdictions. My approach is pragmatic, risk‑aware and data‑driven: equip managers early, reduce escalations, protect brand and psychological safety, and maintain compliance while enabling performance. I’m known as a trusted advisor to regional leadership and a coach to distributed ER teams. Previously a Senior Associate at leading global law firm Herbert Smith Freehills; today I translate legal precision into practical, business‑centric ER outcomes.