The axe is looming overhead
 

Well I got my letter today, my position is being considered for redundancy. Therefore I may have to make some sacrifices, the zed maybe a casualty. I have to face facts and say having this will be a luxury. However I will only react when the need arises. Looks like contract work could be on the horizon, anyone do this? I'll miss the works pension mainly as that was pretty good. I could see it coming but when it does it doesn't make it feel any better.

Bummer, they have to follow procedure and issue letters to everyone.

Hopefully your position may be safe, they have to have to talk to you and say why. Then you can put up any reasons that might help you stay in your position, like working less hours, cutting overtime, anything that will save money. Then they have further talks and advise you what they are going to do.

The letter will go out to all that might be at risk.

No takeovers on the cards.

If there are TUPE will apply. and the new owners have to take you on, under the same conditions as your current Contract of Employment.

Hope it all works out OK. Worrying times.

No takeover, family owned business. My role ought to be safe as I am the only one who can run the 3D software, but you never know!

Best of luck with it, I've been in that situation a few times. I work in the paper manufacturing industry, once a good old heavy British industry like the steel works and coal mines, it's dying out at a rate of knots now, in this country anyway. Think we've had three lots of redundancies in the past three years, so far I've been OK, but my time will come.

Fingers crossed for you Mick.

I would repeat what Pete said.

This is the worst point, not knowing.

Hope it works out for you.

Hi Mick,

I have had that T shirt twice and its generally a horrible situation, hopefully your be safe but its not nice. Sometimes the grass can be a little greener mind you.

Redundancy in 2008 put me in a dream job 4 months later and gave me a leg up to setup my own business January 2013, never looked back. Silver lining and all....

hope it sorts itself for you

Been there after only 3 years on the job, thinking that was it...... I got a role change and have been here another 8 years since.

As said still horrible not knowing... and I reckon you can work out a way to keep the ZS you know you'll regret it even if it only comes out a few times a year for the summer show season!

Finger's crossed it doesn't come to that though.

Still waiting! This will be my fourth time so not new to it, however it doesn't get any easier. Just been reading the Gov website to make sure I get what I am entitled to and my rights etc. They seem to be targeting the near retirement ones but more the high earners, both of which are wrong. I guess they don't like my pension contributions! At least I know I am entitled to 8 weeks notice or pay in lieu of notice (8 weeks gardening leave, I prefer garage leave ;)) plus 12 weeks statutory redundancy. However I can't take a job within the notice period or I'll forfeit the redundancy pay. It doesn't stop me going for a permanent role and giving them a notice period pro-rata.

I've worn the hat once, and it was the most awful work-related experience I've had to date.
Good luck mate.

My wife has been through this with a 2 month consoltation period and 4 months notice - as she was in sales and the company closed the department nationwide that meant 6 months gardening leave.

So as not to have the problem of being offered a job before the end of this period she only started looking in the last month. Thankfully she was offered 3 jobs within a month of finishing. My point here is that if you take a bit of time for yourself and then start looking and you are lucky you shouldn't be redundant for too long, and employers expect you to have a notice period so don't expect you to start tommorow.

The job she took was the result of putting herself up on several job sites, definatly worth doing yourself as you have a lot of skills and experience in your field.

I'm already on several sites and have started the ball rolling. What I will do is when I know it's definate I'll change my status on Linked-In and that will spread pretty quickly. I was head-hunted last year but didn't fancy moving to the Witshire area.

Near Thruxton race track!!!!

Not good mick, hope it goes whichever way you want it to in the end!
Still never really a good position to be in, hope it is sorted out soon.

Just had my consultation meeting, nothing new there. I'll be notified by lunchtime tomorrow of the answer. It is between me and my colleague, who used to be my boss. No knowing which way they will play it. I know I am the better bet for future business but he has been here over 16 years, has a disability so that could be his trump card in this for they may fear he might use it against them. The only ball ache I can see ahead is having to work my 8 week notice period so I can finish off projects and handover etc. I can really see that being productive!

You are allowed time off to attend interviews, Just have to book a load of them.

A chap who did get the axe where I used to work did this - in the end he was hardly ever in! We had no clue how to do his job when he left... :D

It's official, I am redundant as of 31st July. However I may seek legal advice as they chose my colleague over me on points scoring apparently, except he has Parkinson's disease and he isn't fit for his duties imo, so believe this to be a the disability card thrown in! He is so **** I took his job when I started here over 8 years ago! :angry:

Really sorry to hear that Mick.hope you get somewhere with the legal side. Positive discrimination is reallly becoming a big problem in this country.I live with the threat of redundancy pretty much constantly and I know it's bloody stressful.but onwards and upwards I think you will find something pretty quickly.all the best mate.

Mick, if you were to take them to tribunal and win, then keep your job etc, would you really still want to work for a company that tried to get you out once before already?

That sucks, tbh it sounds like you've been hung out to dry, but as above if you won your job back in a tribunal, would you really want it.

Cheers. Getting a job with near the same money is the hard part, plenty of jobs but the pay is crap. Looks like contract work will be the option to keep things going when the time times.

I would be seeking damages not wanting to keep my job as cannot trust them.

Not at all now, even if I stayed it would be delaying the inevitable and they look likely to fold. I have asked for voluntary to see if the offer would be improved rather than compulsory.

Be careful with the voluntary redundancy, if you have mortgage payment protection they will want to see the redundancy letter, so it needs to state compulsory, and not voluntary.

I've never taken out those policies as most have a 90 day duration before making a claim and I don't intend on being out of work for that long.

but you could end up with the choice, job back or compensation.!!

I've used the points system when our company was called to a tribunal by the only woman we had working for the company. We made her redundant, did everything right and she went for wrongful dismissal and sexual discrimination.

We got away with the sexual bit, due to my points chart!!! But the tribunal found in her favour as our Area Agent handled the dismissal procedure. The tribunal said it should have been a higher management bod who went to London and sorted it.

Been to a few tribunals and the employee is always on the winning side. Just whats awarded to them as compensation!!!!

Sorry to hear Mick, start looking and get all the time off to attend interviews, that you can.

Other thing to look for is the amount of a weeks pay, there used to be a cap so doesnt matter what you earn they can just pay the government weekly pay. Get the Contract of employment out and check everything.

Worth a read. https://www.gov.uk/staff-redundant/redundancy-pay

https://www.gov.uk/understanding-you...g-out-your-pay

Been through all the websites Pete. Yea capped at £475 per week, I'm trying to negotiate and better payoff.

Sorry to hear this Mick but reading between the lines it sounds like you are better off going now if they are keeping on someone who has a condition that will only get worse.

They can give you what they like or can afford, the redundancy payout is all tax free. Any salary, holiday pay, will be taxable.

Dont know if they will pay anything into your pension fund.

Sorry to hear this Mick, sounds like good advise from others regarding tribunals, go for it and make it work for you! No doubt you will get work soon off your own back but still stress you don't need in the meantime!

Sorry indeed!

Take it from me, but I can't say why you should!!!!!

Firstly, if the point system is objective then you can't argue against it...ie a point for every year of service, you can't have a point for say I like him better than her!
As for employee always winning in tribunal that is very wrong,
Firstly a tribunal is the only justice system in the world where the potential victim has to pay to have their case heard!
Secondly any employer with half a brain can get away with anything in this country employment law is heavily waited in favour of the employer and that is a fact!

Is voluntary redundancy even on offer?

It's going to be a long day as PC not booting up so reverting to phone until the redundant IT specialist turns up or not! Really feel like **** this morning.

You can play the points system by asking the right questions.

Could always ask to see how the points stacked up, first though best to play the game and see what you can get out of them.

Get their backs up, might not be productive.

True Pete. I have drafted a letter based on information ACAS gave me on the phone yesterday, I will leave this over the weekend to mull it over. I'll also get my daughter to read it as she is an HR Administrator. They have offered me £1k over the statutory capped minimum, derisory! Kathy is so angry with all of this. Also found out an employee was apparently spared a letter in case her stress levels were raised as they are on meds.

Sorry to hear that Mick - and sorry to hear that the offer is so 'low' after such long and hard worked service......

Fingers crossed it all works out in the right way for you in the end, and you are able to find some work when all is done and dusted.

It's rubbish being in that position. We were told this time last year at work that we were going to be reviewed and restructured. They wanted to complete it by September 2014. This dragged on and it was only in about May 2015 we were told the new structure.

I got "assimilated" into a new job but it's completely **** and I don't want it - I wanted redundancy. But they wouldn't let me argue that my new role was "different" and wouldn't let me apply for any of the other jobs.

I know it's a ball ache having to look for work but I'm sure you'll be fine finding a new job. Is there any opportunity for relocation or redeployment? Or are there any similar companies near-by who might want to hire?

I'm looking at anything within my skill base but salary will be a tough one as my current deal is pretty good so finding a comparable one is not easy. All I can do is look nearer home and drop the fuel expense required, failing that live away from home all week and return weekends if the job is good enough to take. I need to think about my pension fund and make sure that stays in good health.

If you are brave. jaorten, you could have handed in your resignation and then gone to Tribunal under Constructive Dismissal.

Need to get a paper trial where you informed them that you did not want to change jobs as your contract of employment stated you were employed as a ***** . Then you need to record all discussions, you are allowed to take a "friend" into any interviews. Just make sure they will be happy to go into a tribunal.

They give the impression its just a chat, nope, more like a proper court, with a chairman, member of local commerce and someone on the workers side. I've been up against QC's and can get a bit intense.

Less its changed since I was working 7 years ago, employees always are looked on kindly.

But all a bit of a gamble.

I'm gonna hand in my resignation next week. I've been offered a job elsewhere.

They did go through the process very strictly and I didn't take anyone into the consultations and that's all been recorded.

As far as the job goes, they say that the changes don't equate to more than 20% to warrant a change in role. I challenged it but the new job had been written so it was similar but being completely different.

Like, if one of my duties was "Change a wheel on a car" it has been changed to "Change a wheel on an aeroplane" and it's being passed off as the same task.

Either way, I'm gonna put it behind me. One of the departments that had major changes, 6/9 staff are taking either voluntary or compulsory redundancy because they're that pissed off with the place.

Onwards and upwards!

Good luck to all going through it - sounds tough. Hopefully something I can dodge for a while yet. :(

Unless you are very very unlucky, I find when one door closes another one opens not long after, just make sure you stick in there peeps! :console: