Worked a year for free, basically

[Sadandstressed26]

A year ago my employer launched a voluntary severance scheme. The scheme met the number of staff it needed to.

A year later we have voluntary and potentially compulsory redundancies.

If I am made redundant, I will have worked for free, the difference between the voluntary severance and voluntary redundancy is huge. If I am not, there are lots of people in the same boat so it will apply to some.

I take take voluntary redundancy for the same reason I couldn't take voluntary severance.

I'm not sure what I'm asking for really, just want to vent.

To top it off, we haven't been informed of any restructures, but it was published on a shared company drive.

It's confusing because you haven't bothered to provide any detail or proper information. Perhaps you should apologise for that rather than a patronising apology for someone not understanding your extremely brief drip feed posts

It’s clear to me and to other posters who have read carefully. Perhaps you should ponder that rather than posting in such an imperious and unpleasant fashion to someone who is going through a worrying time and is obviously upset. No one appointed you the literary critic of MN, you know.

Being upset or going through a worrying time doesn't excuse the patronising attitude of the OP to other commenters. No one appointed you the comment police of MN, so I will comment my opinion freely, as you have

And I will draw my own conclusions about your personality.

Do have a lovely day.

I sort of know what you mean. My company went through a restructure and you could apply for VR which was favourable to CR.

a few knew their roles would go so applied for and got VR. But there was alot of criticism as a few were retiring a few months later and applied and got VR which looked to us like a fabulous retirement gift! Then you had a number who were CR and devastated.

it was painful for all and I’m pretty sure we’ll go through the same again next year.

I haven't found it confusing at all.

Yes agreed. Suspect the posters who don’t understand just don’t generally understand the idea of VS going to redundancy although OPs idea of working for a year for free was a bit odd

If people were genuinely retiring a few months later (ie given notice) they would’ve been excluded from the scheme. If the were simply retirement age or close, or talking privately about retiring on x date the company cant do anything to exclude them from the process

Whaaaaaat! I’ve never come across this before and I really feel for you. I’ve been made redundant 3 times during my working life and sometimes it’s been a blessing and other times gutted because I’ve been very happy at work. I can’t imagine how you’ve felt with it being dragged out for a year that’s disgusting and the company are taking the absolute piss out of you and the others! Terrible way to treat people and as a company I wouldn’t work for them. Hard as it is, take your power back, walk away and find another job. Everything happens for a reason and hard as it is, it’s time to move on! Yes you’ve wasted a year while they’ve played you all whilst dangling carrots at you all keeping you waiting, playing an awful gamewith people’s lives competing for jobs. You don’t want to work for an employer like that. If you haven’t already, I’d get some free legal advice or run your situation through ACAS bcus it sounds dodgy as fudge! Sending hugs xx kick them into touch, chin up, move on, you will find something else.

I also haven’t found it confusing. DH had a similar decision to make although pension pots played a large role iin it. If he only got another year he would have “worked for free” for that year but two years and he would be much better to stay. These decisions are only easy with hindsight.

Thats the gamble!