Contract Labor Manager - Hospital

1. Job Purpose

To own and manage the end-to-end contract labour ecosystem at Reliance Foundation Hospital, from manpower planning, contractor selection and commercial negotiations to deployment, wage and welfare administration, industrial relations and contractor exit. The role ensures an adequate, skilled and disciplined contract workforce (housekeeping, security, F&B, facility, GDA/PCA and other outsourced services) at optimal cost, maintains harmonious industrial relations, and ensures that contractors submit complete and accurate statutory records for verification by the HR Compliance team, protecting the hospital as Principal Employer.

2. Accountabilities

A. Key Responsibilities: Service

1. Own end-to-end contract labour management (CLM) for all outsourced services across the hospital housekeeping, security, F&B/dietary, facility & engineering, patient care support (GDA/PCA/PTA), front office support and other contracted manpower.

2. Prepare the department-wise contract manpower plan in line with bed occupancy, service levels and approved budgets; track sanctioned vs. deployed headcount daily and close gaps with contractors.

3. Identify, evaluate and empanel manpower contractors / service providers; run RFQ/tender processes with Procurement and recommend vendors on capability, cost and compliance track record.

4. Lead commercial negotiations with contractors manpower rates, service charges, minimum-wage revisions, bonus/leave provisions, SLAs and penalty clauses – and finalise contracts / work orders with Legal and Procurement.

5. Manage contractor onboarding of workers: background and police verification, medical fitness and vaccination, ID cards, induction on hospital policies, infection control, patient safety and code of conduct.

6. Monitor daily deployment, attendance (biometric/CLMS), shift rosters, absenteeism, overtime and replacements; ensure no service disruption to clinical and non-clinical departments.

7. Validate monthly contractor bills against attendance, rates and SLAs before processing; ensure wages are paid by the due date through bank transfer and resolve wage-related grievances.

8. Act as the single point of contact between the hospital, contractors and contract workers for all operational, disciplinary and welfare matters.

9. Handle industrial relations for the contract workforce – grievance redressal, disciplinary issues, domestic enquiries through contractors, and prevention of unrest, work stoppage or unionisation risks.

10. Liaise with the Labour Department, inspectors, local bodies and union representatives as required; represent the hospital in conciliation proceedings with support from Legal.

11. Ensure contractors submit complete statutory records each month (wage register, attendance, PF/ESIC challans, LWF, bonus, licences, insurance) for verification by the HR Compliance team; follow up and close gaps flagged by Compliance within agreed timelines.

12. Ensure the hospital’s CLRA registration (Principal Employer) and contractors’ labour licences are valid, with timely renewals and amendments in coordination with the Compliance team.

13. Manage contractor exits and transitions – handover of manpower, full and final settlement of workers, gratuity/bonus liabilities and return of hospital assets – without service disruption.

14. Maintain contract labour MIS: headcount, cost, attrition, attendance, grievances, compliance status and vendor performance scorecards, shared monthly with Head HR and department heads.

B. Key Responsibilities: Growth

1. Plan and scale contract manpower for new services, wards and commissioning phases of Seven Hills Hospital in line with the expansion roadmap.

2. Build a strong, multi-vendor contractor base to reduce dependency on any single contractor and improve negotiating leverage.

3. Drive implementation and adoption of a digital CLMS (contract labour management system) for attendance, wages and compliance tracking.

C. Key Responsibilities: Quality

1. Define and monitor SLAs and quality parameters for each outsourced service with user departments; conduct periodic vendor performance reviews.

2. Ensure contract staff meet NABH / JCI requirements on training, credentialing, infection prevention, fire safety and patient safety.

3. Conduct periodic site audits / surprise checks on deployment, grooming, uniforms and adherence to hospital SOPs; drive corrective action with contractors.

4. Prepare the hospital for labour inspections and internal / statutory audits with zero adverse observations attributable to contractor management.

D. Key Responsibilities: Finance

1. Prepare and manage the annual contract manpower budget; monitor cost per head and cost per occupied bed against budget.

2. Achieve cost optimisation through rate negotiation, right-sizing of deployment, control of overtime and enforcement of SLA penalties.

3. Ensure accurate and timely bill certification and protect the hospital from statutory liabilities as Principal Employer (unpaid wages, PF/ESIC dues, bonus, gratuity).

E. Key Responsibilities: People

1. Lead and develop a small team of HR / IR executives and time-office staff handling contract workforce operations.

2. Drive welfare initiatives for contract workers – canteen, rest rooms, uniforms, PPE, health check-ups, recognition – in line with statutory and RFH standards.

3. Ensure training calendars for contract staff are executed (induction, soft skills, infection control, BLS where applicable) jointly with Learning & Development.

4. Build effective working relationships with department heads (Nursing, Facility, Housekeeping, Security, F&B), Procurement, Finance and Legal.

F. Key Responsibilities: Innovation & Research

1. Keep abreast of the new Labour Codes and state rules; assess their impact on contract labour cost and processes and recommend changes.

2. Benchmark contract labour practices, rates and models (in-sourcing vs. outsourcing) with leading hospitals and recommend improvements.

3. Introduce process improvements and automation (dashboards, digital wage verification, grievance tracking) to strengthen transparency and control.

3. Competencies

A. Core RFH Values

• Patient First
• Excellence
• Accountability
• Respect
• Teamwork
• Integrity

B. Function-specific Competencies (Technical /Functional)

• Knowledge of CLRA, Labour Codes and allied labour laws (Minimum Wages, PF, ESIC, Bonus, Gratuity, LWF)
• Industrial Relations, grievance handling and union / worker negotiation skills
• Commercial negotiation and contract / vendor management skills
• Manpower planning, deployment and cost control
• Knowledge about JCI & NABH standards relevant to outsourced staff
• Knowledge about Infection prevention and control and Patient Safety
• Working knowledge of HRMS / CLMS, MS Excel and MIS reporting
• Leadership, communication & interpersonal skills

The above is a broad outline on competencies required for the role.

4. Experience & Educational Requirements

EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS:

Necessary:

• MBA / PGDM in HR with specialisation in Industrial Relations, OR Masters in Labour Studies / Personnel Management & IR (MLS / MPM / MIRPM) with MBA

Desirable:

• Diploma in Labour Laws & Labour Welfare (DLL&LW) / LLB
• Certification in labour law compliance or CLMS tools

RELEVANT EXPERIENCE:

Necessary:

• 8 plus years in HR / IR, of which at least 5 years in hands-on end-to-end contract labour management for a large workforce (atleast 500+ contract workers)
• Proven experience in negotiating manpower rates and contracts with contractors / service providers
• Experience handling IR, grievances and labour department liaison

Desirable:

• Experience in a hospital / healthcare, hospitality or large facility-services environment
• Exposure to greenfield / expansion projects and NABH / JCI audits
• Mumbai-based or willing to relocate to Mumbai

5. Scope of Work

A. Financial Scope:

• Contract manpower budget and contractor billing for the hospital, as defined by the Management

B. People Management Scope:

• To be discussed

C. Corporate Coverage:

• Hospital wide

D. Working Conditions

• Office environment with frequent floor / site visits across hospital areas, including shifts and emergencies as required