What is the usual redeployment process?

[KittensMittensButtons]

Could any HR people help please? I've looked about on here and online and there doesn't seem to be anything which answers my question but I'm sorry if I've missed it.

So after that waffle, what happens when you are redeployed? My husband's employer has noticed a clash of personalities in my husband's team and they've told him he needs to be redeployed. He doesn't mind but we are both worried about the long term outcome.

He will be temporarily moved into another team which he likes but there isn't anything permanant coming up so this is only short term but we don't know how long for or what happens next.

This is the first time the organisation has come accross this and so they are frantically pulling a policy together and won't really answer any questions until they've done that.

My husband was a bit silly agreeing to go along with this without all the facts but he hated the team so I understand why he did it.

They are recruiting to his old post. If he can't be found a new job will he be made redundant?

Thank you.

He needs to ‘un-agree’ to this unless and until the terms and conditions of his redeployment are clarified, including his job security.

Is there any suggestion that the “clash of personalities “ is his fault?

Thank you for replying Flowery.

He has already been moved and recruitment to his post started so I don't think he can un-agree.

If I'm honest I don't think he helped. However the other member of staff is known for having issues with lots of people so I think it was mostly their issue as oppossed to it being his fault.

Nothing has happened to them but my husband is quiet and was happy to be moved.

So there is a risk he could be made redundant even though he's just been moved and there is a need for his real post?

If he does nothing else, get him to ensure they give him PDQ a letter to confirm his new job title and that he maintains continuity of employment (even though in different team/function/dept). The letter should also confirm what, if any, of his employment contract details/ conditions of employment have changed due to the role move. If they refuse or drag their feet too long (eg a month or more) they could be in danger of being in breach of contract.

If he has any concerns that they are trying to ‘manage him out’ in stages, get him to start documenting a log of their actions including this current redeployment, if he doesn’t feel comfortable about how they are managing it, so he builds a record of evidence.

Is he new or a long standing employee? Why did they disrupt his role rather than the other person, what reason did they give him?

Thank you Daisy. I appreciate the time you are taking to help.

He is easier to get rid of than the other person. As I say he's quiet and just wants to do his job and go home. He says the other person is manipulative and in the pocket of one of the senior managers. He says they would never get rid of them because they are scared of them. They didn't say this of course but he was happy to leave so didn't push it.

We think they are trying to either make him leave of his own accord or by managing him out.

Funnily enough he did ask for a new JD but was told because it's a temp placement in a role that doesn't actually exist they can't give him one. I do understand that. They can't commit to a JD for a job which doesn't exist. I don't think they've said his T&C are the same or different but I think they would argue the same thing.

He's been there 6 or 7 years I think. He's been there a while but I'd need to ask exactly how long.

Would they be breaching his contract if they've moved him for no real reason and then effectively sacked him then?

Thank you again.

Would they be breaching his contract if they've moved him for no real reason and then effectively sacked him then?

The employer can create a reason, which becomes their “real reason”. The sky’s the limit in terms of what reason they create.

Breach of contract would entail things like failing to confirm change/s to his job role in a reasonable timeframe; unilateral alterations to his employment Ts and Cs, while being evasive or non-commital towards him, so he isn’t clear about what the changes mean to him, or not giving him any chance for discussion or Q&A.

in terms of your query then effectively sacked him what do you actually mean? If you mean them dismissing him without giving a reason, or suddenly announce to him he no longer has a job, but not giving information that it’s a redundancy situation, and not telling him what his rights are etc, then this would be unfair dismissal and he would have a strong case against them, as he has over 2 years’ service which gives him statutory employment rights.

He really ought to book a meeting with HR and his manager and get them to clarify the situation. If he stays quiet now and doesn’t “push it”, and then nothing gets resolved, the company could argue “well, you didn’t say you were unhappy, so we thought everything was OK”. They have a ‘get out of jail card’ right there.

He needs to take action.