Help please - legal and HR advice desperately needed!!

[MABS]

I'll keep it brief...The co I work for was taken over 2 wks ago by a rival and all at Head Office were told we would be made redundant and get our termination dates on 4 Aug. Yeserday we all duly went into the office and all my full time colleages were told that they were required until 27 Aug. But i was told that 'as i was part time' I could go immediately.

I went mad and accused them of discrimination, 2 hrs later their HR manager called me back in and said they had made a big mistake and would like me to stay with all the others until 27 Aug.

I am very , very angry upset etc but is there any sort of case here? i feel that as they reversed the original decision so quickly, there is nothing I can do.

I have told them i will let them know tomorrow which end date i'm accepting. And all this after over 10 years service.... Thank guys.

Not too sure about them reversing the decision, although they should be doing individual consultations with you, have they done this? Also, doesn't sound to me like they are following TUPE (transfer of undertakings protection of employment) guidlines, have any of you contacted ACAS or the DTI?

also, how have they come to the decision that you should all be made redundant over "their" original staff? this is covered under TUPE laws too. Plus, have they not asked any of you if you would consider redeployment in to alternative roles?

they asked us all to relocate to their current head office. One or two may go but the office is in Wales and we are in Brighton so it'a a bit far...

I know I've said this before, but the ACAS helpline is v good on advice re: any employment issues 08457 47 47 47

Oh Mabs, that's awful - especially, as you say, after such a long time with the company. I'm not sure if there is much you can do on the legal front - provided the company pay up the redundancy and notice pay. You are entitled to one weeks notice for each complete year of service up to a maximum of twelve weeks notice if the constract stipulates less than this amount of notice then the law supercedes whatever is in the contract. In other words, the contract can give you more than the legal minimum but not less.

I assume they are closing your workplace down and as they offered employment in the Welsh office, I'm not sure that there is much more they can do to avoid redundancy, but do go and see an employment lawyer (check with the law society for a list of local employment lawyers near you) for the usual half an hours free advice.

Sorry, forgot to add that you are also entitled to holiday pay up to the date your employment would have ended if they had given you proper notice.