Consultation period question

[Sossige]

Hoping that someone can help clear up a question regarding consultation periods and their minimum length. I have Googled but nothing seems relevant to my scenario.

I work for an IT services company, around 500 people. My team consists of 5 staff, all with different roles (although some overlap between some of us). One of those staff is my manager and two are contractors, allbeit seemingly on a permanent basis.

I have been warned that due to the company struggling financially, they need to severely reduce the number of employees or go out of business.

Given that my role is fairly unique, and the same for each of my colleagues (none of us do exactly the same job) - I guess you could say that my role may be made redundant and my colleagues will take up "the slack" - so I am likely to be 1 role made redundant from a pool of 1.

Given that, what is the minimum consultation period that I can expect?

Cheers,

Soss

[randomuser123456]

If other people can take up the slack and you could take up the slack if they left, then I would argue that your pool was bigger than one.

[CurvaParabolica]

Normal consultation periods are 30 days (starting on the day of the first formal meeting)and at the end of which if you are to leave the company, any contractual notice and benefits will be paid in Lieu.

[Sossige]

CurvaParabolica said:

Normal consultation periods are 30 days (starting on the day of the first formal meeting)and at the end of which if you are to leave the company, any contractual notice and benefits will be paid in Lieu.

Thanks both.

CurvaParabolica - my first formal meeting with both HR and my manager is this afternoon (Tuesday as the first suggested date was not convenient).

Can I assume therefore that regardless of the fact it could be argued it's just me (and could be argued it isn't) - is the 30 day period still the case?

Thanks.

[SHutchinson]

If the company you work for are expecting to make upwards of 100 people redundant the consultation period is 90 days. If less than 100 it's just 30 days.

Presuming you're in the UK that is.

[CurvaParabolica]

Sossige said:

Can I assume therefore that regardless of the fact it could be argued it's just me (and could be argued it isn't) - is the 30 day period still the case?

Thanks.

Yes - everyone is supposed to get a period of consultation regardless of the number of people facing redundancy. The whole point of the consultation period is just that - a chance for the employee to consult with the employers about possible ways to avoid their redundancy and a chance for the employee to look for alternative work whilst still receiving income.

ETA the poster above is correct; I read the OP as if he was the only facing redundacy, but if there is over 100 people facing redundancy then the consultation period is 90 days.

Edited by CurvaParabolica on Thursday 15th March 12:59

[Sossige]

CurvaParabolica said:

Sossige said:

Can I assume therefore that regardless of the fact it could be argued it's just me (and could be argued it isn't) - is the 30 day period still the case?

Thanks.

Yes - everyone is supposed to get a period of consultation regardless of the number of people facing redundancy. The whole point of the consultation period is just that - a chance for the employee to consult with the employers about possible ways to avoid their redundancy and a chance for the employee to look for alternative work whilst still receiving income.

Thank you. I had just read about the differing periods of time based upon the number of roles being considered for redundancy and wanted to see what the periods were for me - as I say, I couldn't find anything obvious that answered my question.

Thanks again.

[Sossige]

SHutchinson said:

If the company you work for are expecting to make upwards of 100 people redundant the consultation period is 90 days. If less than 100 it's just 30 days.

Presuming you're in the UK that is.

Thanks

[IainT]

Are they planning on keeping on the contractors while getting rid of full-time staff?

[DSM2]

Sossige said:

SHutchinson said:

If the company you work for are expecting to make upwards of 100 people redundant the consultation period is 90 days. If less than 100 it's just 30 days.

Presuming you're in the UK that is.

Thanks

That's not right, 30 days is for 20-100 employees. Below 20 there is no set period. You perhaps should take proper advice, this is just the blind leading etc......

[odyssey2200]

Make sure that you are informed of any selection criteria and how you may or may not have been scored and selected.

[Sossige]

DSM2 said:

That's not right, 30 days is for 20-100 employees. Below 20 there is no set period. You perhaps should take proper advice, this is just the blind leading etc......

That concurs with what HR told me today. To be honest, the writing is on the wall and it doesn't look like there are going to be any alternative roles available - so I am best off focussing my energies on something more positive!