Employment Matters February 2009
Taking Control – Advice for managers dealing with redundancies
It is not a shocking fact that many companies are facing an urgent need to reduce their workforce as clients, customers and suppliers along the supply chain are taking the decision to downsize, or because demand for products and services is continuing to fall.
Redundancies are one answer but you need to ensure that the entire process is carried out in a professional and appropriate way. However, we are finding that in the strange and unpredictable circumstances of this recession, businesses are willing to consider other options.
It is worth considering controlling overheads and limiting resources without permanently reducing the workforce. If you are finding it difficult to plan ahead, some of these ideas might be worth exploring:
• Take steps to eliminate overtime.
• Reduce the working week.
• Reduce working hours each day.
• Freeze or reduce pay for all staff.
• Promote job sharing arrangements.
• Identify and encourage secondment opportunities.
• Agree sabbaticals with senior staff.
• Negotiate reduced benefit packages.
Many of these steps involve changes to terms and conditions of employment and therefore have to be taken carefully, but we are finding that managers are prepared to consider imaginative ways of getting the businesses they work for through the current crisis. The Cobbetts HR Consultancy service is helping to negotiate and implement solutions which work for each of our clients.
If redundancies have to be part of your strategy, you may need extra support and resource from people who have been through it all before. Many small to medium sized organisations have little or no experience of managing a redundancy programme and are concerned about falling foul of the legal requirements. We can help you with this, but also with the practical consequences of a redundancy programme for all concerned.
Whatever stage your business is at we can work with you providing day to day guidance and practical support ensuring breaches of statutory requirements are avoided and helping your business achieve a smooth transition either to a short term change in working arrangements or to a smaller, motivated workforce with the right skills to carry your business forward.
We can offer practical redundancy guidance, tailored directly for your own business including:
• Supporting and guiding you through the consultation process.
• Helping you to construct a redundancy selection matrix.
• Providing guidance and scripts on what to do and say at meetings.
• Supplying redundancy calculations and model letters for all stages of the process.
• Helping you to take simple and cost-effective steps to support the people affected.
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