Employment Law - Handed In Notice, Team Made Redundant
Discussion
Need some help!
Essentially, my wife handed in her notice on 19/01/2026. Her team, including her immediate line manager, were called into a meeting today (22/01/2026) and told that their positions at the company were no longer viable. This is a large, international company with approximately 80,000 employees. The company has said that they're going to try and find other roles for her colleagues. However, her colleagues work in a department that is based in the UK with no similar team in any other country. As such, her colleagues are confused as to what other roles they would be suitable for, considering their very specific skillset.
My wife's role is not being made redundant. However, I feel I should give you some context over the happenings of the last 12 months. My wife's role was essentially made redundant in every way except for the headcount actually being removed in June 2025. 90% of her duties were transferred over to a regional team, which left my wife feeling hopeless about continuing with the company. She asked repeatedly to be made redundant as she had no work or projects. The company continued to tow the line that the role is viable and she would not be made redundant. The entire situation (amongst other things such as ill treatment that I wont elaborate on) has wreaked havoc on my wife's mental, and therefore physical health. She spoke with an employment solicitor in October, and was told because 3 months had passed since the major changes, she wouldn't have a case regarding constructive dismissal. Her only option was to hand in her resignation.
Now that these changes are occurring, she feels like they've only kept her headcount in this restructure so as to not have to pay her a redundancy.
Does she have any rights or options in this situation? If anyone has any other information or has been in this situation who can offer advice, it would be greatly appreciated.
Essentially, my wife handed in her notice on 19/01/2026. Her team, including her immediate line manager, were called into a meeting today (22/01/2026) and told that their positions at the company were no longer viable. This is a large, international company with approximately 80,000 employees. The company has said that they're going to try and find other roles for her colleagues. However, her colleagues work in a department that is based in the UK with no similar team in any other country. As such, her colleagues are confused as to what other roles they would be suitable for, considering their very specific skillset.
My wife's role is not being made redundant. However, I feel I should give you some context over the happenings of the last 12 months. My wife's role was essentially made redundant in every way except for the headcount actually being removed in June 2025. 90% of her duties were transferred over to a regional team, which left my wife feeling hopeless about continuing with the company. She asked repeatedly to be made redundant as she had no work or projects. The company continued to tow the line that the role is viable and she would not be made redundant. The entire situation (amongst other things such as ill treatment that I wont elaborate on) has wreaked havoc on my wife's mental, and therefore physical health. She spoke with an employment solicitor in October, and was told because 3 months had passed since the major changes, she wouldn't have a case regarding constructive dismissal. Her only option was to hand in her resignation.
Now that these changes are occurring, she feels like they've only kept her headcount in this restructure so as to not have to pay her a redundancy.
Does she have any rights or options in this situation? If anyone has any other information or has been in this situation who can offer advice, it would be greatly appreciated.
I don’t think she has a case. Even if they had included the role in the positions cuts, she wouldn’t qualify for redundancy.
Ie positions are cut, people are redundant. If the person in a role has resigned, the company need not pay redundancy.
I agree the previous context makes it annoying. Especially if she had asked to be made redundant.
They've given notice of starting redundancy process, your wife has already handed notice in so it doesn't apply to her. Plus they are saying she wouldn't have been included anyway. I don't see any way she can get redundancy but given the potential amount of money on the table you could try an employment solicitor, but chances are she's had it.
Easternlight said:
Sounds like they've play things perfectly to not be paying her any money.
Sorry
Sounds exactly like the sort of thing I would do. I once left a company 2 months before it sold and the "worthless" nominal shares everyone had been given were suddenly worth more than a years salary.Sorry
I am 52 and I am sticking this job out to the end, either until I get made redundant or I retire. This is why you see so many older people who hate their job hanging on for dear life in the hope they get that redundency payout.
ozzuk said:
your wife has already handed notice in so it doesn't apply to her.
This - unfortunate timing, but not incredibly unusual - It happened to a not very good colleague of mine many years ago - He handed in his notice in the am only to discover that in the pm, he would have been made redundant with 13 months of payout.....bugger... Firstly, your wife should have taken better advice in my view, there are ways and means, not to mention constructive dismissal claims have been for events greater than five months.. The facts matter, but an event can usually be created or perhaps there was a particular event that arose in January (read up on last straw doctrine)
Secondly, she has resigned and as such will not be eligible for a redundancy payment.
Secondly, she has resigned and as such will not be eligible for a redundancy payment.
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