Redundancy process

[V8mate]

A friend's employer enacted a restructuring exercise and several positions were made redundant in the revised structure. My friend applied for his own job (went from two positions to one) and another newly created job in his department and was successful in neither. He is a Grade B employee, A being the highest etc.

Redundancy wouldn't be a bad option for him, but the employer has now asked that he fills in a form setting out the jobs (and associated skills) he has had to date (including before this employer) so that they can try and match him to vacancies at Grade C.

Can they do this? I can understand that a good employer may wish to offer redundant employees the opportunity to apply for vacancies at lower grades, but can they force you into one of those roles on the basis that if you don't take it, you are making yourself redundant and are entitled to nothing?

Forcing people into junior poitions smacks to me of constructive dismissal. And as he has a long commute, he says he couldn't really afford to travel such a long way for the remuneration of one of the Grade C jobs.

Any advice?

[V8mate]

But they are effectively ruining his CV. He's currently ABC Manager and would become an XYZ Assistant. To not have the opportunity to take advantage of the redundancy provided by statute he is surely being denied his rights?

I'd be happy if they offered him the option of redundancy or a junior role, but forcing the latter means he can never hold his head up when he goes into work as everyone will know he was forced to be downgraded. As well finding it harder to get a job elsewhere at his previous level.

[V8mate]

He has be with the employer for 12 years and has three roles in that time; all in the same department, working his way up.

The vacancies are similar to the role he had when he first started. So he's more than capable of doing them but taking one will effectively set his career back 12 years.

[V8mate]

Thanks for all your comments.

I had a chat with him this morning (after letting him read through the thread) so that he was prepared for a meeting with his HR department.

The outcome looks somewhat rosier now. They have agreed to keep him in the 'displacement pool' for five months during which time he can apply for any other positions arising in the company. At any time during that five months (or at the end, whichever comes sooner) he can request to be made formally redundant.

Their terms are pretty reasonable too: one month's pay for each full year served, so he now has plenty of options.

Thanks again