To think DHs work could let them know where they stand?

[butterpieify]

DH (and all his workmoates) have been told to either volunteer for redundancy by 4pm or some people (a third of the workforce) will just be told to go home on Monday, and not come back.

They won't tell anyone what would be offered, if anything, if people were to volunteer.

AIBU to think they should tell people the full situation, instead of leaving them to make decisions at work with no access to guidance? (DH texted me from the loos)

I have made a full thread here in employment, but, as a general principle, the least they could do would be to lay cards on the table, surely?

Lol, I did think you had suddenly gone all Marxist mid-post!

Is your DH able to join a union now? From my limited experience think you can just join one and they'll help you straight away.

Ooh, looks like they may have to consult the employees representatives, at least according to my internet research. Who would that be, with no union? Just somebody hastily elected? Or is there a statutory person?

Can he call the CAB from work? How awful for him. Sounds like a crappy company to work for. Would he be best off leaving anyway?

Gah. I called acas. They are allowed to do this. Also Dh asked HR. They know about the 20 people limit and are making sure to stick to the letter of the law to stay under it.

They have apparently said they are now having a consultation period, so it looks like they have actually read up a bit in the meantime.

DH is offering reduced hours, then at least we will have something to rely on, rather than relying on my business, which can be very variable.

Why do the working class have so few rights in this country? Meh.

We have been chucked out of our house (not our fault, the LL got fed up of renting and gave us two months notice) and now DH out of his job potentially, and there is nothing we can do about it.

I don't know anyone (under 40 at least) who has had the same job for more than two years! Everyone is a temp or on a short term contract- that is the way things are these days. Even teachers I know are worried about their jobs and have to renew contracts each year.

Sounds like an awful situation and I really wouldn't advise volunteering for redundancy given that he will be entitled to so little.

Incidentally, people who choose not to join unions until the going gets tough usually find that the union will decline to assist with a current issue. Quite reasonably they work on the premise that it is not their job to assist people who wouldn't otherwise bother to join the union.

My point exactly. Saying that, I'm not in one, but that is because I'm not employed. I keep saying I will join one for general activism purposes though, and I would love to volunteer to advise people on benefits and so on.

In fact, I really MUST get round to ringing the CAB about volunteering, as soon as we know what is going on here.

What happened in the end butterpieify?

If making people redundany you have to consult with them. I am the manager of a small company currently making people redundant so I do know about this.

If you are making 20 or more people redundant you have to consult for a month. If less there is no minimum consultation period, but even if only 1 employee to be made redundant they have to consult. However, could in theory take 1 or 2 days only if less than 20.

They have to consult on the selection procedure for choosing who they will make redundant, anything they can do to avoid compulsory redundancies e.g. ask for voluntary redundancies; and what they can do to make the affects of compulsory redundancies lees bad (called mitigating against affects of redundancies) e.g. offering access to training.

Even if they consult through a union, they still have to consult employees directly.

Statutory redundancy pay only becomes applicable after working somewhere for two years. It is 1 weeks pay for every year you have worked up till a maximum amount (about £400, can't remember exactly as it has just been increased) or one and a half weeks pay for every year if you are aged over 40.

All staff should receive pay in lieu of notice (need to look at contract for notice period) and pay for any holidays due but not taken.

If someone is made redundant they must be told in writing why they are being made redundant (but this can be because of lack of income);how much redundancy pay they will receive and how this has been calculated.

In terms of your situation, I can't imagine they will give anything if he volunteers for redundancy. But they are definetly not following proper processes.

If any workmates are in a union can your OH contact them this weekend and ask them to contact the union, as they are not following legal procedures. You could also contact your regional ACAS office for advice and see if they will intervene. I think they would intervene in this situation but not 100% sure. Should be able to get contact through google.

ACAS will work with any size of firm and their role is to stop claims getting to industrial tribunals - usually through negotiation. But I think they would ring your OH firm and advise them that they are not following legal procedures and what they need to do.

I'm really sorry, I hadn't read all the posts and I see you have already called acas.

They have extended it (after quite a few employees stood up for themselves, including apparentally an amazing paxman-style questioning of the managers by DH) so they have till Monday to volunteer, then the "process" will start on Wednesday, with everyone at risk put on gardening leave until decisions are made.

Which is better, I suppose.

Still, not good for anyone involved :(

I feel for you butterpieify - DH going through the redundancy process at the moment with his work although they are having a consultation period. Pay out will be less than our monthly mortgage payment if he does go

Unions seem quite powerless as far as I can see. Friend of mine being told he has to accept a big pay cut and longer working hours without any consultation.