Redundancy process - how long?

[Shyandnervous]

My employer advised me on Tuesday morning (6th December) that my job role is being made redundant from 22nd December. I had a consultation meeting this afternoon (my first one) that was carried out by my area manager, who has no HR training and was reading from a script.

The company wants to try and fill vacancies within the organisation with the group of people whose roles are being discontinued. There will be two more consultations, one next Tuesday and one the week leading up to Christmas. It all has to be done and dusted by the 22nd.

Am I right in thinking this is too quick a process? They are saying they don't need to give 30 days for the consultation process as the staff involved work in different locations and each venue is essentially a separate trading entity. The rule on the ACAS website says if there are over 20 employees affected it has to be 30 days for the process but this is how they're getting around that.

I feel I'm being rushed into an important decision as the bosses want it sorted before they go off for Christmas 😞 Can anyone help?

My oh had an interview yesterday back at the company who made his role redundant at the end of October, seems they couldn't do without him after all!

I was made redundant at Christmas 2020 18 of us were. In the past 3 years all but 3 (mine included) jobs have come back up for advert. And they paid out tens of thousands to get rid of some people and then have the cheek to say it wasn't personal. I don't know how the board signed off on the redundancies paying out 40k to one person for stat redundancy only and then have to remploy someone different 11 months later!

Redundancies are toxic to a company, where I was they employed 49 people and 3 years later only 10 of the originals are left as people jump ship when redundancies are announced. Those who can get another job/better job jump quickly.

I know what you mean. I used to work in staff benefits at American Express, they would make a whole team, usually marketing or new products redundant, pay out millions wait six months ( legal limit) then set the team up again and re-employed them. They mostly didn't save anything, same with my OH, he is on GARDEN leave until February so he has basically had a three month paid sabbatical and all other benefits remain in place. They want him to start in Jan, but why work for the money when you don't have to? He's said march works for him!