I've just started a new job and now have the possibility of becoming redundant!

[durdur]

I've literally started a new job this month for a local authority and today we had an announcement by the ceo telling us that jobs will go.

I've never worked for a local authority before and wondered how it all works? Not much info available at the moment but how do they choose who to get rid of? Would I need to reapply for my job?!

Is it Croydon?

Sorry realised it would be outing, so don't say. Was reading about their cuts today.

That's shit. Find out which union is recognised there and join straightaway. If it's a LA it could be a long process so I wouldn't panic straight away. Although I say that as someone who has been made redundant 5 times, so I'm usually pretty relaxed about it.

Local authorities have been bearing the brunt of austerity for the last ten years and they’ll all start crumbling in the next year or two.

Roles which are made redundant - they may offer voluntary redundancies first. Then review posts left and, based on service areas, will decide which posts to go. If posts in an area are the same grade/type, they’ll be treated as a pool and if only some are going, you’ll have to interview.

Hopefully you’ll be ok. But local authorities which were mainly funded by central government (not council tax, as they’d have you believe) and been fucked. They’re not able to raise council tax enough to cover the money they’ve had taken away and demand for adult services (basically elderly and disabled adult care) and children’s services have blown up.

It’s such a sorry state.

DianaT1969 no not Croydon. It's oop north.

ArosGartref yup DH has been made redundant around 4 times in the last ten years so we're kind of used to it too! Last redundancy was just a few months ago! I'm not too worried. Whatever happens, happens.

Iggly There's around 8 of us on the same grade / job and so from what you've said if they got rid of a few posts we'd have to interview to keep our job. They had something about "posts displaced" on the tables they were showing us. Does that mean if you were unsuccessful at interview stage you might be moved to another department?! They were quite brief and sort of whizzed through it all with no opportunity for any questions.

If you’re unsuccessful then they should put you on a “redeployment list” where you can get first dibs to apply for jobs elsewhere in the council (apply in the loosest sense!)

Please speak to HR, they’re usually pretty helpful and clued up about this. The unions are also helpful but I’d go to HR first.