Redundancy - Notice period

[Mobile Chicane]

I'd offer to work my notice (though being open about the fact that I was looking for other jobs) and go out of my way to minimise the unpleasantness for those who have to pick up the slack.

That includes leaving contact mobile numbers etc for circumstances where a 1 minute phone call would save hours of work.

I was made redundant from my last permanent job in 2003 and I still get tip-offs / recommendations from my former colleagues about freelance roles.

[mathmos]

TheMinel said:

Basically, if he now, for example, makes ME redundant, he's going to get himself in front of an employee tribunal for unfair dismissal. I'm also considering alerting the other potential candidates that if they get made redundant, I'm prepared to testify that the company hasn't followed a fair process and hasn't given employees the opportunity to volunteer. Silly rabbit he is!

Pretty sure companies don't HAVE to offer voluntary, or take up an offer should someone volunteer.

[Plotloss]

They paid me my notice, which is probably wise, otherwise I may well have thrown the out of a window.

[Dupont666]

I got the you now dont need to stay for the rest of the day, so I went back to log off the computer, change all my passwords so that they couldnt use any of my logons to the release management system and change control (only I had authority to do it)... packed up some of my desk to my rucksack....

Went to the pub at 11am

3 months gardening leave
1 month consultation

picked up the rest of my stuff by the end of the week and enjoyed myself.

[James P]

TheMinel said:

I'm currently in an unusual situation. I'm a project manager, been looking for a change for the past couple months and have on the table 1 offer (waiting for the paperwork to come through) and have a final interview on Friday for another position too. Last Friday my company decided they need to make 3 people redundant. They had a conference call where they included me (total of about 8 people involved). First thing they said, if anyone wants to volunteer, now's the time to do it blah blah, let us know by today.

Considering my (favourable) situation, I asked for more info (ie enhanced redundancy package) to my boss (owner of the company) to hear him saying "we'd only offer the std redundancy package" which is the minimum they have to give by law (notice period + 1 week/year worked if over 2 years, and max £380/week tax exempt). I ask him, what's the point in volunteering then? I told him what I'd like to volunteer, he said he'd let me know, which he hasn't. So obviously I'm not volunteering.

I've told him I am in a better situation than others, although haven't told him I'll probably end up with 2 offers by the end of the week, so I would probably save him the hassle/potential legal issues of consultations/selection etc if he offered me a couple months' salary plus notice money to volunteer. I thought I'd been fair, but it looks as if he is being greedy and get rid of others not following a fair process.


Basically, if he now, for example, makes ME redundant, he's going to get himself in front of an employee tribunal for unfair dismissal. I'm also considering alerting the other potential candidates that if they get made redundant, I'm prepared to testify that the company hasn't followed a fair process and hasn't given employees the opportunity to volunteer. Silly rabbit he is!

Good luck with that, your evidence at the tribunal will not doubt be very useful. Probably not useful for you though

[The Trig]

Both times I have been made redundant, it has been over quickly. Just taken into an office and given a letter, sent to collect my kit whilst being supervised and escorted off the premises.

Being made redundant doesn't make you a loser as per option 4, it is more of working for a company where the losers are further up the food chain and the business is going down the swanny.

[condor]

I took voluntary redundancy in 1994 after 14 years working with a company - I got the equivalent of a years pay from them...and left once the paperwork had been signed off. Enjoyed myself for 6 months and then went to work for another employer. Was with them for 12 years, they went bust ( no notice) and I got the minimum allowed via the government/ NI contributions (approx £5.5K). Was employed by another company ( that bought previous employers shops) within a couple of weeks....they too went bust last year,(3 weeks notice that we were to close ) once again I picked up the redundancy pay via the government/NI contributions.

[Justayellowbadge]

The Trig said:

Being made redundant doesn't make you a loser as per option 4, it is more of working for a company where the losers are further up the food chain and the business is going down the swanny.

Oh, I just put that there in the interests of balance. I've given plenty out, after all.

[vxsmithers]

mathmos said:

TheMinel said:

Basically, if he now, for example, makes ME redundant, he's going to get himself in front of an employee tribunal for unfair dismissal. I'm also considering alerting the other potential candidates that if they get made redundant, I'm prepared to testify that the company hasn't followed a fair process and hasn't given employees the opportunity to volunteer. Silly rabbit he is!

Pretty sure companies don't HAVE to offer voluntary, or take up an offer should someone volunteer.

They don't and this wouldn't even reach a tribunal...

tbh it looks like you are being greedy, not the other way round

HTH

[spikeyhead]

first time, three months selection then one months notice, though didn't work much of that.

Second time, suggested I leave straight away but no pressure to do so. Soent an hour chatting with the few in teh company that weren't s and then left. Did go back in for a meeting just to tie a few lose ends up a week or so later. Decent pay off too.

[toast boy]

I had a consultation period that should have been a couple of weeks but ended up being about 5. I then was on gardening leave for a month. All in all I was quite pleased, I got to get paid to get a tan in the back garden and I wanted to be out of the job anyway.

[lenandsons]

10 weeks pay and straight out of the door, Damager even cleared out my desk and brought me what I needed ( car keys etc ) and the rest of the personal stuff was sent via the mail about a week later

[arfur daley]

lenandsons said:

10 weeks pay and straight out of the door, Damager even cleared out my desk and brought me what I needed ( car keys etc ) and the rest of the personal stuff was sent via the mail about a week later

did he keep your porn?

[satans worm]

contango said:

Email came round with 80 staff on the distribution list at 1pm, for a meeting in one of 3 different meeting rooms at 2pm.
Those in one of the meeting rooms stayed, the attendees of the other 2 meeting rooms were culled and were all escorted off of the premises individually over the next 1/2 an hour...happy days!

That wasnt at a Jap bank was it?

We used to go through that about once a month, it was a bit like being on Xfactor

[Mars]

Was at a customer site when the call came. I went straight home, never worked for them again, and handed-in my laptop and other accoutrements when I could be arsed arrange a suitable date with them.

Took a healthy redundancy and spent nearly a year looking for the right job, rather than walking into the first thing that came along. I've been at this new job now for 16 months and still enjoy it.

[sleep envy]

TheMinel said:

I thought I'd been fair, but it looks as if he is being greedy

yep, he's the one being really greedy

[TheMinel]

mathmos said:

TheMinel said:

Basically, if he now, for example, makes ME redundant, he's going to get himself in front of an employee tribunal for unfair dismissal. I'm also considering alerting the other potential candidates that if they get made redundant, I'm prepared to testify that the company hasn't followed a fair process and hasn't given employees the opportunity to volunteer. Silly rabbit he is!

Pretty sure companies don't HAVE to offer voluntary, or take up an offer should someone volunteer.

they don't have to, but they asked for volunteers. Then they never came back to me officially with the terms, only unofficially. I have my request in writing, they never replied to me. This prevented me to make an informed decision on whether to volunteer or not. They now obviously have to go ahead with the consultations, which my boss told me, have started even BEFORE the deadline for potential volunteers was reached. That doesn't sound like a fair process to me.

On top of that, I "may" have evidence of unlawful working conditions and bribing that took place to win some contracts which I'm sure the employee tribunal will also love.

Not sure how many of you guys here have experience with employee tribunals, I have, from both sides of the fence.

A company that makes people redundant for no real reason and fails to follow a fair process does not get looked at favourably.

I personally don't care much about the outcome of this for my own situation. As I said, I'm pretty much sorted either way, I just tried to save someone's job who may not be in a win-win situation like I am on this occasion.

Edited by TheMinel on Wednesday 28th July 19:45

[Bonefish Blues]

TheMinel said:

mathmos said:

TheMinel said:

Basically, if he now, for example, makes ME redundant, he's going to get himself in front of an employee tribunal for unfair dismissal. I'm also considering alerting the other potential candidates that if they get made redundant, I'm prepared to testify that the company hasn't followed a fair process and hasn't given employees the opportunity to volunteer. Silly rabbit he is!

Pretty sure companies don't HAVE to offer voluntary, or take up an offer should someone volunteer.

they don't have to, but they asked for volunteers. Then they never came back to me officially with the terms, only unofficially. I have my request in writing, they never replied to me. This prevented me to make an informed decision on whether to volunteer or not. They now obviously have to go ahead with the consultations, which my boss told me, have started even BEFORE the deadline for potential volunteers was reached. That doesn't sound like a fair process to me.

On top of that, I "may" have evidence of unlawful working conditions and bribing that took place to win some contracts which I'm sure the employee tribunal will also love.

Not sure how many of you guys here have experience with employee tribunals, I have, from both sides of the fence.

A company that makes people redundant for no real reason and fails to follow a fair process does not get looked at favourably.

I personally don't care much about the outcome of this for my own situation. As I said, I'm pretty much sorted either way, I just tried to save someone's job who may not be in a win-win situation like I am on this occasion.

Edited by TheMinel on Wednesday 28th July 19:45

Or, put another way, they were responsible enough to take informal soundings prior to any formal process beginning, but understandably whilst they gave you an informal indication of the terms, wouldn't formalise them at that point. These have proved inconclusive, or perhaps it is already clear that insufficient numbers were interested, and they have begun the formal process. The option for volunteers may still be present, that will come out during the process, as will the terms.

As you said, a Tribunal will concern itself with whether a fair process was followed, and you will have to show how "unlawful working conditions" and "bribing" which in your words you "may" be able to evidence have a bearing on the efficacy of any redundancies.

Keep us posted.

[sleep envy]

Minel, one wonders why they're trying to tin you.

[Justayellowbadge]

sleep envy said:

Minel, one wonders why they're trying to tin you.

Really?