Redundancy and re-applying for same job...???

[backscratcher]

Hi all. Wondering if anyone can advise.
I work in management (low level) for a care company. I have just been told as of about an hour ago that my service is closing down/amalgamating with other services and my post is being made redundant.

In another of the services (same company) there is an acting up manager in post. I have been told that I can apply for this job and be interviewed for it. If I were unsuccessful then it would be redundancy. I have been with the company for less than 2 years.
There are no specialist skills required for the other role. My role wasn't unique. All manager's within the company have same job description and terms and conditions, although the services may be different. Managers are often moved to different services to help cover.

My question is...if there is a vacancy for my role within the company (ie someone is only acting up) shouldn't I automatically be moved into that role?
Or is being interviewed standard practice? I believe they intend to advertise the post internally.

Sorry if this doesn't make any sense - majorly panicking just now about how I'm going to manage financially!

[backscratcher]

Shamelessly bumping.

[ChessieFL]

How many others are they interviewing? There could be other managers in same boat who will also be interviewed for the job.

[backscratcher]

Hi, thanks for replying. My service is the only one that is closing down, so I'm the only manager that is affected.
My understanding is that the job is being advertised internally, so myself and the acting up manager can apply for it, as can any other internal staff who decide that they would like to give it a try.

[ChessieFL]

If you are the only manager at risk and this other post has the same job ddescription then it does seem unfair. But I'm not an employment law expert so don't know whether they can do it. Hopefully someone who knows more will come along soon.

[backscratcher]

Thanks Chessie.

[IvyWall]

Here is some useful info re redundancy

www.gov.uk/redundant-your-rights/being-selected-for-redundancy

[backscratcher]

Thanks for that Ivy.
This part of it caught my eye...

"6. Suitable alternative employment
Your employer might offer you ‘suitable alternative employment’ within your organisation or an associated company.

Whether a job is suitable depends on:

how similar the work is to your current job
the terms of the job being offered
your skills, abilities and circumstances in relation to the job
the pay (including benefits), status, hours and location
Your redundancy could be an unfair dismissal if your employer has suitable alternative employment and they don’t offer it to you."

I can't understand why they wouldn't offer me the role which they have someone in an acting up position in.

[BikeRunSki]

Is the acting up manager's substantive post still available to them?

It does strike me that the most obvious solution would be to move you into the post currently filled by acting up manger, and for AUM to return to their substantive post. I can see an argument for interviewing you both aswell though.

[backscratcher]

Thanks for your reply.
Yes, the acting up manager's post is still available to them.

[flowery]

They don't have to move you straight into a post, it's fine to ask you to apply for it and for it to be offered to the most suitable candidate.

Even then, as you have less than two years' service there wouldn't be anything you could do if you felt the decision/process was unfair, unless there was discrimination involved.