Redundancies and pay rises on the same day

[Purple845]

The initial message was deleted from this topic on 27 April 2018 at 23:27

[The Beaver King]

Purple845 said:

I’m being made redundant, as the company are restructuring the business in order to cut costs (so they say).

However, my redundancy was announced on the same day as pay rises were announced for the rest of the team, with most people getting £2,500 extra. It was a kick in the teeth!

Is this legal? It doesn’t feel like a genuine redundancy. My boss said technically I have a different role, but in our industry/Office there is so much overlap we all have the same skills and ultimate aim. I also outperformed everyone else (so I don’t understand how my ‘role’ can be made redundant) so the whole thing leaves a very sour taste in my mouth.

Couple of points really from the summary you've posted:

1. Not illegal, as far as I'm aware, but certainly lacking in compassion or tact. It may well be that the company are contractually obligated to pay out rises/bonuses based on certain performance or financial targets being achieved. If so, they probably had little choice. It could also be an annual payrise that is always given. That said, I would certainly be registering my distaste at the handling of it.

2. From what you've written I would say that you're potentially being managed out for one reason or another. The company should be offering you alternatives to redundancy where applicable, but if they don't exist, then you'll be made redundant. Are you the only person who does your role or are you in a group that are all at risk? As long as you're fairly grouped and the selection criteria is deemed a fair method, then there is little you can do. It is the role that is being made redundant, not the person. So unfortunately, whomever occupies that role is the one at risk. You may be able to the roles of other people or be better at other roles, but you're selected based on your current role.

I go back to my previous statement that it sounds like they want you out or, at least, they need to lose some people and wish to retain you the least. It happens sometimes. As long as they do it by the book and fairly, there isn't a huge amount you can do. You'll certainly struggle to argue them into keeping you, I've never seen that approach pay off.

Suggest you make your point regarding redundancies and pay rises as being tactless, but start job hunting.

[aka_kerrly]

Similar thing happened to me recently. The company I worked for was bought out & the staff were told the official handover would be 4 weeks time. On the final day before the handover the sales staff were given a letter stating our contracts were transferred to the new company, all our wages/terms etc would be the same and how the new company was welcoming us all.

The first day after the takeover we were told to arrive at 10am, just to be told we were all redundant (15 staff). The real kick in the teeth is if we were told weeks ago we could all have been looking for new jobs instead of being strung along like muppets.

Sadly it appears that the firm made all kinds of promises to my former boss but since nothing is in writing they went ahead an laid off all staff, relocated all the stock to another site, began selling off any left over equipment and successfully managed to cock up all the existing customer orders.

As they say "that's business"

[Jasandjules]

Payrises and redundancies are not "illegal".

However if you consider that "your role" is not in fact redundant, that may be a different question.