Where is my letter confirming redundancy?

[Wedgie]

Hi, I was made redundant yesterday and was under the impression I would receive a letter at the meeting, stating the details of the package (PILON, holiday pay, pension arrangements etc). Though I was told that my employment ceased on Thursday (yesterday) I didn't receive a letter in today's post (Friday). My key fob and company credit card were taken off me at the meeting so there is no doubt it's final.

Anyone know if they're allowed to do that? I am still in limbo not knowing what they are going to pay me, which is a bit off, as it will be minimum 36 hours after I was told of redundancy that I will find out the details (assuming I receive it in tomorrow's post)....

I wouldn't have thought it's best practice in a sensitive redundancy situation.

[Aeschylus]

did they not tell you at the meeting what payments you were getting?

[Wedgie]

No! Nothing at all! They just said everything will be in the letter.

Everything they've sent to me so far has been sent recorded delivery so I doubt it's gone missing in the post.

[flowerybeanbag]

No it's not good practice. When you didn't receive the letter you had been led to believe would be given in the meeting, did they actually say it would be in today's post? Just thinking that if the letter had been ready yesterday to post to get to you today, they would probably have been in a position to give it to you in the meeting, so it's not hugely surprising you didn't get it today. It will probably arrive tomorrow I suspect. Obviously if it hasn't arrived by Monday morning you need to get on the phone.

You do need to receive a letter confirming all the relevant details, including a statement of your redundancy pay, but as long as they followed a fair procedure during the whole process in terms of consultation and selection, a day or two delay for a final confirmation letter to arrive isn't the end of the world. You've got no reason to think they're not going to send you a letter or anything, just that irritatingly they haven't managed to get themselves together enough to either give you it at the meeting or have it in the post the same day.

[Wedgie]

Thanks Flowery, glad you are back!

The trouble is they haven't followed fair procedure at all throughout the process, especially selection. I think this was covered in an earlier post of mine but they didn't use a selection criteria at all. My case is hugely complicated, but anyway, the tribunal application is filed and we are awaiting their response.

Also want to ask you, firstly, what's your opinion of the fact that there was a letter on the noticeboards at work informing everyone of the redundancy, BEFORE I received my letter (which was today.) Isn't that unfair?

And, secondly, as I have the right to appeal against the decision, shouldn't they have waited to announce it to everyone when the appeal process was completed? Makes the whole appeal process seem a complete sham.

Thanks for your feedback

[flowerybeanbag]

Putting information on the noticeboard about redundancy doesn't make it 'unfair', as in 'unfair dismissal', necessarily, no.

Was there any information put on the noticeboard before you had your letter that you didn't already know? If it was just saying that you have been made redundant, which you already knew, I can't see any problem with that really. Not my preferred method of communication with team members, but it's not unfair.

And it certainly wouldn't be reasonable to expect them not to mention the situation to people pending a possible appeal, that just wouldn't be practical.

Often redundancies are on a tight timescale, and if there are other people potentially affected, they need to be told that they are safe, for example. Similarly, if people have been made redundant, how else are the employer supposed to explain their sudden absence from work? Best practice during a redundancy situation is to keep everyone as informed as possible. Rumours only start anyway and that's never good.

So no, they don't need to wait until you have submitted your appeal and had it heard before telling people, and no, unless they were telling people via the noticeboard things that you didn't know already, there's not a problem with that either.

Do you realise that you need to go through the appeal process before submitting a tribunal claim for unfair dismissal? You mention having filed the claim already, even though you were only dismissed on Thursday, is that right? The tribunal are likely to send it straight back and tell you to appeal the decision first I expect.

Focus your appeal on things that were unfair about the procedure, particularly in terms of selection. Don't muddy the waters by complaining about not receiving written confirmation until two days later, or information being posted on the noticeboard. If the decision was unfair, focus on that.

[Wedgie]

Hi Flowery

No, the existing application is about sex discrim. Went through grievance and appeal on that first before submitting the form which has been accepted.

The unfair dismissal one is separate.

When I said 'unfair' I meant 'not fair', not with regard to unfair dismissal!

[flowerybeanbag]

I see, ok then.

Even if you didn't mean 'unfair' in the sense of unfair dismissal, I still don't think putting information on the noticeboard is in anyway unfair to you particularly, unless as I say it was information you did not yet know.