Maximising redundancy payout/benefits?
Discussion
My other half has been told her role is at risk of redundancy and she is entering a consultation phase. As it seems the company is aiming to cull about 20% or so of roles (20+ people easily) she has been put in a group and then they had to nominate a representative (whom she has never met).
What kind of questions should she be asking to try and get the best possible outcome in terms of training/redundancy pay etc or do you have to accept you’re just along for the ride and companies can just pay statutory and that's it? Can you usually get any 1-2-1 interaction of does it always need to be through a nominated representative who may not always have your best interest at heart vs their own/their team members who may be in the group.
Any tips appreciated - thanks in advance
What kind of questions should she be asking to try and get the best possible outcome in terms of training/redundancy pay etc or do you have to accept you’re just along for the ride and companies can just pay statutory and that's it? Can you usually get any 1-2-1 interaction of does it always need to be through a nominated representative who may not always have your best interest at heart vs their own/their team members who may be in the group.
Any tips appreciated - thanks in advance
Edited by Kiwi79 on Friday 26th June 17:42
Kiwi79 said:
My other half has been told her role is at risk of redundancy and she is entering a consultation phase. As it seems the company is aiming to cull about 20% or so of roles (20+ people easily) she has been put in a group and then they had to nominate a representative (whom she has never met).
What kind of questions should she be asking to try and get the best possible outcome in terms of training/redundancy pay etc or do you have to accept your just along for the ride and companies can just pay statutory and that's it? Can you usually get any 1-2-1 interaction of does it always need to be through a nominated representative who may not always have your best interest at heart vs their own/their team members who may be in the group.
Any tips appreciated - thanks in advance
I've just gone through it for the 4th time.What kind of questions should she be asking to try and get the best possible outcome in terms of training/redundancy pay etc or do you have to accept your just along for the ride and companies can just pay statutory and that's it? Can you usually get any 1-2-1 interaction of does it always need to be through a nominated representative who may not always have your best interest at heart vs their own/their team members who may be in the group.
Any tips appreciated - thanks in advance
1st time, small company just went in to administration 2 days before payday, didn't get paid, had to claim from NIC's
2nd time, went in to a consultation phase (redundancy amounts not known during process), gardening leave for 3 months, opted not to apply for other roles, left with a month gross for every year
3rd time, went in to consultation phase (redundancy amounts not known during process), opted not to apply for other roles, left with a month gross for every year
4th time, VER was offered to every employee 2.5 weeks for each year served, applied and was accepted.
alistair1234 said:
Kiwi79 said:
My other half has been told her role is at risk of redundancy and she is entering a consultation phase. As it seems the company is aiming to cull about 20% or so of roles (20+ people easily) she has been put in a group and then they had to nominate a representative (whom she has never met).
What kind of questions should she be asking to try and get the best possible outcome in terms of training/redundancy pay etc or do you have to accept your just along for the ride and companies can just pay statutory and that's it? Can you usually get any 1-2-1 interaction of does it always need to be through a nominated representative who may not always have your best interest at heart vs their own/their team members who may be in the group.
Any tips appreciated - thanks in advance
I've just gone through it for the 4th time.What kind of questions should she be asking to try and get the best possible outcome in terms of training/redundancy pay etc or do you have to accept your just along for the ride and companies can just pay statutory and that's it? Can you usually get any 1-2-1 interaction of does it always need to be through a nominated representative who may not always have your best interest at heart vs their own/their team members who may be in the group.
Any tips appreciated - thanks in advance
1st time, small company just went in to administration 2 days before payday, didn't get paid, had to claim from NIC's
2nd time, went in to a consultation phase (redundancy amounts not known during process), gardening leave for 3 months, opted not to apply for other roles, left with a month gross for every year
3rd time, went in to consultation phase (redundancy amounts not known during process), opted not to apply for other roles, left with a month gross for every year
4th time, VER was offered to every employee 2.5 weeks for each year served, applied and was accepted.
At the moment companies are just trying to keep their heads above water, paying more than statutory is almost a breach of their duty as directors. During good times higher payments can be justified as a way of encouraging staff that stay but at present having a job at all is all the encouragement anyone needs.
Kiwi79 said:
alistair1234 said:
Kiwi79 said:
My other half has been told her role is at risk of redundancy and she is entering a consultation phase. As it seems the company is aiming to cull about 20% or so of roles (20+ people easily) she has been put in a group and then they had to nominate a representative (whom she has never met).
What kind of questions should she be asking to try and get the best possible outcome in terms of training/redundancy pay etc or do you have to accept your just along for the ride and companies can just pay statutory and that's it? Can you usually get any 1-2-1 interaction of does it always need to be through a nominated representative who may not always have your best interest at heart vs their own/their team members who may be in the group.
Any tips appreciated - thanks in advance
I've just gone through it for the 4th time.What kind of questions should she be asking to try and get the best possible outcome in terms of training/redundancy pay etc or do you have to accept your just along for the ride and companies can just pay statutory and that's it? Can you usually get any 1-2-1 interaction of does it always need to be through a nominated representative who may not always have your best interest at heart vs their own/their team members who may be in the group.
Any tips appreciated - thanks in advance
1st time, small company just went in to administration 2 days before payday, didn't get paid, had to claim from NIC's
2nd time, went in to a consultation phase (redundancy amounts not known during process), gardening leave for 3 months, opted not to apply for other roles, left with a month gross for every year
3rd time, went in to consultation phase (redundancy amounts not known during process), opted not to apply for other roles, left with a month gross for every year
4th time, VER was offered to every employee 2.5 weeks for each year served, applied and was accepted.
Just been through this (fortunately survived this round). I was not a representative, but to me the rep meetings was just a formality that legally the company had to follow. From the outset they said statutory only and pushed back on most suggestions made by the reps saying they had already considered it and it did not make enough savings.
I think overall the process saved a couple of jobs, but this was only reps pointing out that recent leavers had not been replaced yet.
Possibly manufacturing industries that could take onboard cost saving measures offered by the workforce might have better luck.
So the way it worked was once the consultation with the reps was complete, they scored all those at risk and then moved to 1 2 1 meetings with those identified. But by that stage it was game over for them.
I think overall the process saved a couple of jobs, but this was only reps pointing out that recent leavers had not been replaced yet.
Possibly manufacturing industries that could take onboard cost saving measures offered by the workforce might have better luck.
So the way it worked was once the consultation with the reps was complete, they scored all those at risk and then moved to 1 2 1 meetings with those identified. But by that stage it was game over for them.
Edited by dogbucket on Friday 26th June 16:34
Dixy said:
At the moment companies are just trying to keep their heads above water, paying more than statutory is almost a breach of their duty as directors. During good times higher payments can be justified as a way of encouraging staff that stay but at present having a job at all is all the encouragement anyone needs.
^^This.Director duties trump any sentimentality.
Google luck.
I've been made redundant 3 times, and was put at risk once in another job.
Twice I've been a nominated representative, which I found very stressful.
The "at risk" time turned out to be a procedural thing by the company, who wanted to change our roles but not our T&Cs. Nobody actually lost their job, in fact we were all told "here's what you would get if you went, but you can't have it because I don't want to lose anyone".
Twice I took the voluntary package offered, as did several others, so there were no compulsory redundancies. Decent payouts - 2 weeks per year, 3 months PILON, keep the car (or a cash sum) for 3 months, retraining grant, etc.
One time I had no option (employer lost a big contract), but the payout was still better than statutory. I'd only been there 6 months, got a month in lieu plus a month.
Not a nice situation to be in though, especially right now.
Twice I've been a nominated representative, which I found very stressful.
The "at risk" time turned out to be a procedural thing by the company, who wanted to change our roles but not our T&Cs. Nobody actually lost their job, in fact we were all told "here's what you would get if you went, but you can't have it because I don't want to lose anyone".
Twice I took the voluntary package offered, as did several others, so there were no compulsory redundancies. Decent payouts - 2 weeks per year, 3 months PILON, keep the car (or a cash sum) for 3 months, retraining grant, etc.
One time I had no option (employer lost a big contract), but the payout was still better than statutory. I'd only been there 6 months, got a month in lieu plus a month.
Not a nice situation to be in though, especially right now.
The company is in control of this one in my book, they will have done the numbers, best advice is what does the employment contract say?
I got made redundant back in March 2019 so getting paid out at the end of tax year isn't good, not to mention the company messed it up and HMRC refunded me.
Going into the 1-2-1 meeting with a smile on your face really confuses them.
I got made redundant back in March 2019 so getting paid out at the end of tax year isn't good, not to mention the company messed it up and HMRC refunded me.
Going into the 1-2-1 meeting with a smile on your face really confuses them.
snafu10 said:
What ever resist 1 2 1 meetings [divide and conquer } and all that ,ask if there is a redundancy policy. make sure meetings are minuted ,involve union if member and finally check out ACAS online and best of luck.
The internet. 
I'd say the exact opposite. Involve the unions & inevitably barriers go up. 1 - 2 - 1 are the best as just maybe some human element gets injected.
I've been on both sides many times. It's horrible for everyone.
snafu10 said:
What ever resist 1 2 1 meetings [divide and conquer } and all that ,ask if there is a redundancy policy. make sure meetings are minuted ,involve union if member and finally check out ACAS online and best of luck.
I find it completely a waste of time going through any minuted meetings ETC.Redundancies are just getting rid of people whose face doesn't fit. You basically have to get rid of some people and then you "make up" the criteria to keep those who you want to and get rid of those you don't want around.
In the past I have been made redundant against my counterpart, despite having :
a) more experience in my role
b) much wider product knowledge (IE I knew multiple products and he only knew one)
c) plenty of positive customer reviews
d) roughly similar amount sick leave
Reason I went? it was me or the CEOs son. Even he was apologetic and we both knew it was only ever going to go one way (he's a nice guy).
No redundancy is fair, all you can do is hope your face fits and crack on, very, very very very very very rarely will you get anything over and above the bare minimum which is I think one week salary per year of service plus your contractual notice.
Just going through this myself for the second time in 2 years. First time with a small company that I had been with for over 30 years and got the statutory capped 20 weeks at statutory cap of £485 per week - pathetic.
Now with a multinational IT company and getting 2 weeks plus a week for every complete year so 3 weeks money, so a better deal than previously but still.....
The employee reps are there to put your questions to the management if there are over 20 people being made redundant. To me it's just box ticking so that you can't take them to tribunal. If you're in the pool for redundancy, it's a case of making the rules fit to get rid of the faces that don't fit.
I'm not bitter though.
Now with a multinational IT company and getting 2 weeks plus a week for every complete year so 3 weeks money, so a better deal than previously but still.....
The employee reps are there to put your questions to the management if there are over 20 people being made redundant. To me it's just box ticking so that you can't take them to tribunal. If you're in the pool for redundancy, it's a case of making the rules fit to get rid of the faces that don't fit.
I'm not bitter though.
It is horrible.
I had to make several hundred people redundant in one job I had. It was an "honest" redundancy in as much as our orders had just dried up. Some of the folks I had considered friends for more than ten years.
Several cuddled me and said it must have been tricky.
I got through the whole process as best as I could. Sleepless nights, lost weight etc. Then some geezer I'd never met came & made me redundant.
I had to make several hundred people redundant in one job I had. It was an "honest" redundancy in as much as our orders had just dried up. Some of the folks I had considered friends for more than ten years.
Several cuddled me and said it must have been tricky.
I got through the whole process as best as I could. Sleepless nights, lost weight etc. Then some geezer I'd never met came & made me redundant.
I think it's very hard and in my experience there are very few ways to enhance the offer given. I'd certainly expect most that happen now to be based on statutory payments with no enhancement. I'd also expect the processes to be well run and avoid any process cockups.
So the chances of finding a way to get more money than offered are going to be slim.
I also think that the process itself designed to protect people often elongates it and makes it harder for the people affected.
In the past what I have seen is that if you come back with a solicitor with a claim after the event, employers sometimes agree to pay out to put it to bed. But nowadays, employers are more inclined to play hardball as it's hard and very slow for an employee to get a tribunal.
It's always going to feel unfair as employers are likely to know the good workers that they want to keep and the poor workers they will are going to do without and the scoring will show that.
I've had to oversee this 3 times in what's been a fairly long career (being an old duffer now) and tried to do it fairly.
Bert
So the chances of finding a way to get more money than offered are going to be slim.
I also think that the process itself designed to protect people often elongates it and makes it harder for the people affected.
In the past what I have seen is that if you come back with a solicitor with a claim after the event, employers sometimes agree to pay out to put it to bed. But nowadays, employers are more inclined to play hardball as it's hard and very slow for an employee to get a tribunal.
It's always going to feel unfair as employers are likely to know the good workers that they want to keep and the poor workers they will are going to do without and the scoring will show that.
I've had to oversee this 3 times in what's been a fairly long career (being an old duffer now) and tried to do it fairly.
Bert
Chris32345 said:
Some of you get some right payouts by sounds of it
My firm only offer 1 week for every year over two years service
With a max of 10 weeks
I do not believe that is lawful. My firm only offer 1 week for every year over two years service
With a max of 10 weeks
The amount per week is based on age and goes to 1.5 weeks per year of 41 years of age. There is no 10 year cap. The welly pay cap is based on basic pay and capped at £538 per week gross.
Useful calculator for minimum payments here.
https://www.gov.uk/calculate-your-redundancy-pay/y
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