OUt of order or just unpleasant?

[chairfrog]

I am upset and fragile, but may just have to suck this up, so please be gentle :)
I have been made redundant. First notified in January and Dday was today. Have come to terms with it, no reason to contest it, it's an individual consultation and I have a unique position, so fairly clear cut.
At my second meeting, I was given an outline of the financial package I could expect if I were to be made redundant as I said that this would help me make decisions (I asked for this information). This was then confirmed in a letter and included PILON. As I have served 11 years, this was quite a nice chunk.
At my termination meeting yesterday, I was told that I would have to work my notice. As you can imagine, this was a bit of a shock and I perhaps betrayed this in my face and shaky voice. I was "told off" (for want of a better phrase, although it was certainly very rude) for expecting to be paid for nothing after all the company had done by employing me for 11 years, and that I should demonstrate loyalty by remaining focused and hardworking through the notice period so that a reference would reflect that and I needed to think about my futur.
Is it really completely acceptable to treat people like this? A colleague has suggested I seek legal advice, but I don't know if I am being oversensitive (hence disclaimer above; I am feeling emotional!) I see that there can't really be any legal guides to how people behave, but I am left feeling very vulnerable, in a considerably weaker financial position to go forwards after such a long time in one place and "stuck" for the next couple of months or get absolutely nothing for 11 years of my life. And upset, naturally, but that will pass.
Any thoughts?

[CheddarGorgeous]

If they previously told you that you would not have to work notice then why have they changed.

I would speak to ACAS about this.

Even without PILON you will still get a redundancy package, no?

I've been through redundancy, it's not nice, but it passes

[chairfrog]

Thanks for the flowers :) oh, and the reminder about ACAS, worth a try!
Yes, will still get redundancy, only stat, but you're right, not nothing. I think it's the shock of having to carry on working - I'd got ideas about doing school pick up, going to the gym, meeting friends for coffee etc etc for a couple of weeks before knuckling down and looking out there at new opportunities, and now it seems like I have work double hard plus fit in job searching - maybe I just have to adjust my expectations!
They are withdrawing it because...well because they can I suppose. And there's still stuff to do. which there will be even after the 12 weeks because simply saying the job doesn't exist isn't exactly the same as tasks disappearing!
relations were strained anyway...

[flowery]

It's a bit rubbish but as I'm sure you realise, you are not entitled to not have to work your notice period.

They have to give you reasonable time off for job hunting and I would also be asking for assurances that if you find something else and the new job want you to start sooner, your employer will release you, as it is quite a long notice period.

[starfishmummy]

I see that cheddar has already suggested acas.
Sometimes time for job hunting/interviews etc is built in ti a redundancy package. I think I can guess the answer, but is this in yours?

[Andro]

They displayed a lack of sensitivity (with respect to your reactions) at a time when they had to know you would feel vulnerable...that does not reflect well on them! If I'm reading your posts correctly, you were given to believe you would not have to work your notice? Changing that at the last minute also suggests a lack of organisation and professionalism, expecting you not to react to a significant change in what you had expected (and using blackmail when you did) is very poor management of the situation.

Do you have accrued holidays? Can you take these as part of your notice period and escape earlier?

[flowery]

Time for job hunting is a legal requirement starfishmummy- it doesn't need to be built into a package.

[chairfrog]

Thanks for your further comments. Andro - exactly: it felt mean. I realise this sounds a bit like we were in the playground . Lack of organisation, professionalism and poor management is very much par for the course however.
We did discuss time off for interviews etc and I was told that that was all OK and of course (why would I think otherwise?) they would be reasonable about this and flexible etc. I have read that there is a limit to how much they legally have to pay me for time off incurred for job searching (could it be 2 days?) so I will of course be on the alert for that and will give away as little as possible about what I am doing when.
Our holiday year is Jan-Dec so won't go very far to making a dent into the time I'm afraid. But it is a lifeline. I do very much hope that I am in a position to want to negotiate an earlier exit because of a new job - presumably I am in their hands here?

[chairfrog]

Oh, and thanks all for not making me feel like I was acting all entitled!

[EATmum]

Is it worth gently enquiring whether the role is genuinely redundant? If they had thought that you'd be able to go without working your notice, and have now worked out that they need someone to cover your workload, it sounds a bit like they've not thought about this with enough care - focusing on the saving of your salary, rather than the reason why they needed you in the first place. Might alter the way they think about your notice period?