Permanent job threat of redundancy

[spanieleyes22]

Just that really. I was so happy to land a permanent job 1.5 years ago. But have just heard they are making 7 out of 8 of us redundant. We all have to compete for a job. So 1 out of the 8 in my team will be successful. The rest of us will be sacked. I don't even know who will do all the work when we are gone. The workload will be the same. They are talking about hiring new people then. I'm presuming it is all legal as they seem to have it all decided and are just box ticking now. I'm in a union but not sure if they can even help.

I'm in a union but not sure if they can even help.
If you don't ask you won't find out.

If you’ve only been there a year and a half then you don’t have the legal protections which kick in after two years: they can give you your notice and hire somebody else a month later just by saying that they don’t feel you’re working out. This is probably why you don’t have the full picture of the situation: you very possibly won’t be included in redundancy conversations. Start looking for new roles and stop worrying about what the employer is going to do when you’re gone.

You need to be there two years and you haven’t so it’s irrelevant to you, as they don’t need to even pay you redundancy.

Start looking for a new job to give yourself more time.

I have asked!

At the meeting yesterday some people were saying that if they re advertised we would have "first refusal" .

Anyone have any advice if questions I should ask on Tuesday at the meeting. Should I ask what criteria they will use to judge who will get the job. I mean will it automatically go to the person there the longest then

Yes. You should be asking for the meeting to be postponed until you have your union rep present. You should have been advised that you're entitled to have someone with you in the meetings.

I have a union rep coming with me.

The thing is I love the job. They have been very accommodating. I work flexibly. There are the usual niggles but overall it's good. I only moved 1.5 years ago to escape another restructuring nightmare

I'm not very good at interviews and it took me a long time to get this job. I think I failed at 4 before I got this one and I thought I was sorted for the near future. Am so scared I won't get another job in time