Role at Risk of Redundancy - Advice Needed

Role at Risk of Redundancy - Advice Needed

Author
Discussion

TheGreatDane

Original Poster:

363 posts

77 months

Friday 17th March 2023
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Hi All,

Was informed yesterday my role is at risk of redundancy and have entered the consultation period.

No offers have been made or discussed as of yet.

I did notice they were hiring for the same role in the past few months which raised some eyebrows.

Been told to hire a solicitor and to fight for decent package but I'm still in a state of shock. Never had anything but praise in 2.5 years, most recent review again said I'm performing exceptionally well.

Never had to go through this and was looking for some advice.

Thanks

ZedLeg

12,278 posts

115 months

Friday 17th March 2023
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You'd be as well to wait and see what they offer before lawyering up. Not worth making the process acrimonious if you don't have to.

jgrewal

828 posts

54 months

Friday 17th March 2023
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Wow are they rehiring the role in the same location and grade? Is it just you impacted? This is definitely not ok and could be good grounds for constructive dismissal.

shtu

3,711 posts

153 months

Friday 17th March 2023
quotequote all
TheGreatDane said:
I did notice they were hiring for the same role in the past few months which raised some eyebrows.
Get hold of any evidence you can on that front, it could be vital.

Muzzer79

11,060 posts

194 months

Friday 17th March 2023
quotequote all
TheGreatDane said:
Hi All,

Was informed yesterday my role is at risk of redundancy and have entered the consultation period.

No offers have been made or discussed as of yet.

I did notice they were hiring for the same role in the past few months which raised some eyebrows.

Been told to hire a solicitor and to fight for decent package but I'm still in a state of shock. Never had anything but praise in 2.5 years, most recent review again said I'm performing exceptionally well.

Never had to go through this and was looking for some advice.

Thanks
Have they said why your role is being made redundant?

The hiring of the same role - is it in the same location, work area, grade, etc?

I'd hold back on a solicitor for the moment until you get more info - no point in potentially wasting money.

Finally - don't take this personally - they are making the role redundant, not you. It's not a reflection on your abilities.

Many people see Redundancy as a positive thing. You get paid to get another job and it can often work out that you end up in a better position.


carboy2017

707 posts

85 months

Friday 17th March 2023
quotequote all
OP,pls take it in a positive way and try and negotiate a good deal for you

I was once made redundant back in 2014 in an identical situ to yours as everything was going well and then out of the blue the whole team was told they are at risk and in consultation stage to see if it could be avoided (absolute BS and it just covers them legally),then told that the role is gone

they gave me 2 choices

1) 3 months pay if i leave before 6 months (so that projects can be completed)
2) another 3 months pay as retention bonus if i can stay till the end

I took the latter and collected a cool 6 month pay (tax free, as its redundancy) and also set up a job to start as soon as this ended

You will be fine, just polish up your CV, start networking and something will surely crop up

Jasandjules

70,505 posts

236 months

Friday 17th March 2023
quotequote all
1. Start looking for a new job
2. Wait and see what they say/offer

(Have others been put at risk too?)

Niponeoff

2,411 posts

34 months

Friday 17th March 2023
quotequote all
Take the money and run!

Could be the best thing that ever happens to you.

The lucky ones leave.

Mr E

22,127 posts

266 months

Friday 17th March 2023
quotequote all
carboy2017 said:
I took the latter and collected a cool 6 month pay (tax free, as its redundancy)
Check, but from memory (last time I was ‘released’) only tax free for the first 30k

Scabutz

8,164 posts

87 months

Friday 17th March 2023
quotequote all
I wouldn't bother with a solicitor. The company are either going to pay you the statutory amount, 1 weeks pay per year of service if you are aged between 22 and 41, week and half if you are over the upper limit, or they may decide to offer you more.

A solicitor is unlikely to be able to get you a better offer unless there is some suspicion that you are being made redundant because of discrimination.

I would be wary of the consultation period. They will say its so they can explore other options and look for other roles for you but really once it has got to that point they are going ahead with it and just following the legal process.

As some said above its your role that is being made redundant not you, its not personal.

Worth asking if you can have PILON and leave immediately. No one wants to hang around when they know they are going and it will be easier to find another job if you are available immediately

Niponeoff

2,411 posts

34 months

Friday 17th March 2023
quotequote all
Scabutz said:
I wouldn't bother with a solicitor. The company are either going to pay you the statutory amount, 1 weeks pay per year of service if you are aged between 22 and 41, week and half if you are over the upper limit, or they may decide to offer you more.

A solicitor is unlikely to be able to get you a better offer unless there is some suspicion that you are being made redundant because of discrimination.

I would be wary of the consultation period. They will say its so they can explore other options and look for other roles for you but really once it has got to that point they are going ahead with it and just following the legal process.

As some said above its your role that is being made redundant not you, its not personal.

Worth asking if you can have PILON and leave immediately. No one wants to hang around when they know they are going and it will be easier to find another job if you are available immediately
It could just be a quantity within his role, not necessarily all of them. Unless of course he's the only one.

Alex Z

1,513 posts

83 months

Friday 17th March 2023
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Are you one person in a role that is going, or one of ten in a pool that is being reduced to nine?


TheGreatDane

Original Poster:

363 posts

77 months

Friday 17th March 2023
quotequote all
They've got rid of the UK team (two of us) and are now hiring for the same roles.

Have multiple screenshots.

Muzzer79

11,060 posts

194 months

Friday 17th March 2023
quotequote all
TheGreatDane said:
They've got rid of the UK team (two of us) and are now hiring for the same roles.

Have multiple screenshots.
OK, I struggle with the notion that a company with any form of intelligence will make two people redundant and hire exactly the same roles.

If this is the case, you have a cast iron case to challenge the redundancy.

However, these kinds of situations are usually packaged up in a ‘re-structure’. Do the hiring roles have the same job title?

jules_s

4,547 posts

240 months

Friday 17th March 2023
quotequote all
Just been through this - you have my sympathies OP - mine was in an LA mind you.

A couple of things from mine... after a new director appointed

Clearly the senior management tier was old/stagnant/waiting for retirement. They re-structured the whole department, similar teams but different titles and ring fenced the managers into the new teams. Not one of the managers got re-appointed. They've now either resigned, been offered sideways jobs or retired themselves. New senior management being appointed.

As for the remainder - the good ones are doing the same jobs but slightly different. Mainly they have had their roles aligned more to what they actually did as opposed to what their role profile said. Many were promoted into more senior management roles.

The deadwood have been moved into roles so inappropriate/nasty most simply resigned or self retired.

We were actively recruiting before this too...pretty much everybody has accepted it was/is a manipulation to get rid of unwanted staff and remove staff progression bottlenecks.

GilletteFan

672 posts

38 months

Friday 17th March 2023
quotequote all
Niponeoff said:
Take the money and run!

Could be the best thing that ever happens to you.

The lucky ones leave.
This. Imagine being gifted money to not work. The only string attached is you have to find a new role and routine - great, let's meet some new people and have new experiences.



Jasandjules

70,505 posts

236 months

Saturday 18th March 2023
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Mr E said:
carboy2017 said:
I took the latter and collected a cool 6 month pay (tax free, as its redundancy)
Check, but from memory (last time I was ‘released’) only tax free for the first 30k
Correct. Then ITEPA kicks in I am afraid and it is tax time on the sums above that.

TheGreatDane

Original Poster:

363 posts

77 months

Friday 24th March 2023
quotequote all
Had my first meeting.

Called them out on everything and they went red and were mumbling answers which didn't make much sense.

Regardless their mind is made up this is all a formality.

I was told it would be an enhanced package so there is that.


JQ

6,045 posts

186 months

Friday 24th March 2023
quotequote all
TheGreatDane said:
Had my first meeting.

Called them out on everything and they went red and were mumbling answers which didn't make much sense.

Regardless their mind is made up this is all a formality.

I was told it would be an enhanced package so there is that.
So, did they confirm they're re-hiring for your role? Sounds totally bizarre, but hopefully means the enhanced package will be a very very enhanced package to encourage you not to take action.

55palfers

6,006 posts

171 months

Friday 24th March 2023
quotequote all
TheGreatDane said:
Had my first meeting.

Called them out on everything and they went red and were mumbling answers which didn't make much sense.

Regardless their mind is made up this is all a formality.

I was told it would be an enhanced package so there is that.
Make sure you get an agreed written record of any meetings. Take your notes too.