Redundancies

Redundancies

From a business point of view redundancies can be difficult to manage and in a small to medium sized business they can be stressful for the owner/manager.
The owner/manager might have to consider making somebody redundant who has made a major contribution to the business, somebody whose personal circumstances are well known and somebody who depends totally on their salary to make ends meet.

Redundancy is another word for dismissal and there are clear guidelines when it comes to making somebody redundant. Just a few of the questions an owner/manager has to find the right answers to are:

What's the point of putting somebody's job at risk when I know I'm going to have to make them redundant?
Do I have to observe the LIFO (Last In First Out) guidelines?
Even if somebody isn't entitled to redundancy pay do I have to consult them about redundancy?
What's the point of a consultancy period?
What alternatives to redundancy could I consider?
Do I have to compile a consultancy matrix and show it to everybody?
How much notice do I have to give people?
Can I offer an alternative job?
How can somebody claim they were unfairly selected for redundancy if I'm trying to save my business?

Because redundancy is another name for dismissal care must be taken to get the right answers to the above questions and then manage the redundancy process professionally and with some compassion and if you haven't done it before seek professional help - as soon as possible.

Have you been made redundant or told your job is at risk?

Losing your job or being told your job is at risk can be very stressful. These things happen particularly when the world economies are in turmoil and when people are first told that they may lose their job their mind often goes in a spin as they think about:

How am I going to pay the mortgage or rent?
How do I tell the family I could soon be out of work?
Will I have to sell the car?
How am I going to pay my credit cards?
How am I going to pay the school fees?

And how easy will it be to get another job?

Perhaps the last thing you want to do is question if somebody else should have been selected for redundancy instead of you. But the reality is that even with the best will sometimes employers get it wrong as well and may have selected somebody else for redundancy so you need answers to the following questions:

Was the correct redundancy procedure followed?
What was the selection procedure?
Have I received accurate information?
Can I appeal?
Can I claim compensation?
Can I claim unfair dismissal (selection for redundancy)?

You need professional help - help from somebody who has managed hundreds of redundancies and helped people claim compensation. But there is only a small window of opportunity to appeal against redundancy and/or claim compensation.

Call me today on 07743 870980 or send me an e-mail at: mike@heal2000.fsnet.co.uk and find out what your rights are.