If your job has ever been put 'at risk'...

[Laleloola]

did you keep your job in the end or were you made redundant?

Just a quick poll to see what the likely outcome of a 'job at risk' situation is.

[AnythingNotEverything]

I was at risk and made redundant.

I think your poll is rather unscientific though - it depends on a huge number of variables.

[Hoolit]

I did but 3 years later its still kind of hanging over us. Not nice but I needed to stay for personal reasons but I'm keeping an eye open for other opportunities now.

Good luck.

[Portofino]

Dh and I were both put in the pool for redundancy once. He got a job abroad with the same company. Strangely, I found myself no longer in the pool for redundancy but they were going to get me a job in the new location. They didn't. They were still pissing about with it even after he moved. I was in UK with half a house and a 2 year old and they kept putting me off. I had to resign in the end and lost £30,000 of redundancy pay. I am not still bitter about this, oh no

[TensionWheelsCoolHeels]

I'm at risk, and applying for another position. No idea if I'll survive/avoid redundancy but my position is redundant as the work I do is moving elsewhere.

[NickNacks]

Business was at risk and yes I was one of 30,000 who lost our jobs!

[Portofino]

Actually, others in the pool kept their jobs for years, it wasn't immediate.

[pointythings]

I was at risk and was made redundant. So was another colleague on the same team - they actually left an available position unfilled because neither of us were considered good enough. They then spent £megabucks hiring short term contractors for the post, employed two people who both resigned after 6 months saying the job was impossible, rewrote the job description and gave it to my colleague - who had been happily bimbling along doing bank work following her humongous redundancy payout. Meanwhile I walked away with a slightly less humongous payout - fewer years, one grade lower, part time - and found my current dream job immediately. The only losers were the organisation.

[SuperiorCat]

All our team were put at risk - there were 5 of us, we were told the team would be reduced to 3 and we were to re-apply for our jobs. I asked to take voluntary redundancy as DS' disability was becoming more difficult for us to manage. They agreed, so that was one down, another colleague found another job elsewhere in the company, so the rest were safe.

Company then got taken over.

[BitchyHen]

Yes, mine was at risk twice in two years due to a programme of restructuring in my local authority. I kept my job, but my day to day duties have changed and I work at a different site. I still don't feel secure in my job though.

[LadyGoodman]

Yes twice in the last 3 years due to restructures and survived both times

[flowery]

Your poll won't help you work out your own "likely outcome" as it depends on the reasons your role is at risk, how many are at risk with you and the other circumstances involved.

[gintastic]

3 times in 5 years. Survived every time, and am now working my notice to go to a better job. As I rather suspect another round is imminent and I just can't go through it again...

[EBearhug]

I was - we lost 3 in a team of 5 due to cutbacks.

On ours, the 5 roles were more or less the same, and we were assessed on length of service, formal qualifications, last annual reviews, knowledge of role/tasks, and a couple of other things. As soon as we were shown the forms on which we got assessed, I knew I didn't stand a chance of being paid to leave, and when I asked about voluntary, they said, "You're welcome to ask, but if it doesn't fit with our assessment, then it won't be accepted." Ours was just about cost cutting. Someone very high up had decided we needed to lose X staff from this division, and someone at the top of the division shared out the number between the different departments, and so it filtered down to our team.

But that may not fit what's happening in your situation at all. I know others who were made redundant because the direction of business was changing, and they were just getting rid of an entire department, and it wasn't possible to find alternative roles for the majority of those. In a different area of the business there are currently some redundancies in the offing, because two divisions have been amalgamated, so there is duplication of roles in some areas.

It's not necessarily a bad thing. I know people who have gone from strength to strength after redundancy, as it's pushed them to take a step they would otherwise have dithered about and maybe never got round to, or because it's given them a sufficient cash injection to start up on their own, or go back to college or something. Being made redundant can be a great opportunity, and whatever happens, you won't be wasting your time if the possibility of it means you assess your CV, update it, review your current skills and possible skills gaps, and which direction you're going in, what training or other experience you want to gain. That's a good exercise to go through, even if you don't end up being made redundant.

[GrendelsMum]

My friend was notified that her job was at risk, the organisation faffed around for 3 years not making any decisions, and the final outcome was that she was promoted to manager.

[WeAllHaveWings]

Worked in a struggling manufacturing company for 25 years and was at risk and under consultation 4 times over last 12 years, first 3 times secured another role (twice was for less money). 4th time they were making 2/3rds of us redundant and there was no suitable role left for me and I was made compulsory redundant and left exactly a year ago tomorrow!

[CommanderShepard]

I'm at risk at the moment (though not really as I have a new job lined up) - around 50 of us going down to 6.5 staff. In theory most will be redeployed into other parts of the business as we're in the midst of an epic restructure but some will almost certainly be made redundant.

[tazmo]

I was at risk but kept on - 5 out of 21 lost their jobs.

[LindaMcCartneySausage]

I was told i was "at risk" and I was made redundant. I knew it would be me as I (and practically everyone else made redundant at the same time) were women in senior positions on the (naturally unexpressed, but definite) basis that we were both expensive to employ and deemed a maternity risk.

[BikeRunSki]

DH - yes and yes
Me - yes and no

[RalphGnu]

Out of fortyish staff, three were actually made redundant, one person successfully appealed. Almost three quarters of the staff ended up taking the voluntary redundancy option, myself included, due to the ridiculously insulting change in contract that was being offered. Entertainment/leisure industry.

[Raggydoll]

I kept my job and was transferred into the company that bought us hth

[INeedSomeHelp]

It's happened to me twice. The first time I was in a pool and I kept my job - actually I think everyone in the pool either kept their job or found something else in the organisation.
It happened again this year and I choose to take voluntary redundancy - finished at the end of September.

[TensionSquealsGhoulsHeels]

I've just had confirmation that I've been successful in getting a new job so I'm no longer under the threat of redundancy. Looking back over 20 odd years, this is the closest I've been to redundancy, been through mergers/takeovers/'downsizing' etc. 7 times waiting to find out if I was at risk of redundancy but not been this close. The sense of relief is huge

[BikeRunSki]

Wow, well done you!

[MTBMummy]

I have been at risk and kept my job, but have also been at risk and lost my job, so it goes both ways