Redundancy

[Sorryusernamealreadyexists]

Hi all,

It’s looking more and more likely I’ll be made redundant this week as I’m high risk. They have offered another job but due to having to physically be there and current circumstances with schools not going back and zero options for childcare I won’t be able to take it.

Would this be a reason they could decide not to pay me redundancy payment? Or would it be classed as a reasonable reason? Redundancy money would probably tide me over for a couple months and that’s it. Without it I think we will have to claim some form of benefits to be able to buy food etc.

I appreciate that people all over are having this exact problem at the moment but please don’t be harsh on me, I’m hanging on a thread

Hi all, thank you for your invaluable advice. I narrowly escaped redundancy this time. The relief is unbelievably

Unbelievable

So you're still working there? That's good news OP.

[quote prh47bridge]@Moondust001 - Looking at the thread, it reads to me as if NaturalBornWoman's post was aimed at wherestheotherone, not you. She was the immediately preceding poster and NaturalBornWoman agreed with you that this is a redundancy situation. Unless there is history that I am not aware of, I am not clear why you assumed she was having a go at you.[/quote]
I’ve just noticed this exchange having not been back to this thread for several days. @prh47bridge is correct, it did appear to be a redundancy situation and the poster immediately before me was giving incorrect and unhelpful advice. Whilst I am an HR professional, I’m not a generalist or employment law specialist and therefore cannot be certain I’m always 100% up to date, so I pointed the OP to the specialist board as I know there are experts here who are prepared to give advice.
Re the comment on the other thread @Moondust001 there was no spiteful intent, I was just shocked when you wrote that you are a medical doctor as you post so authoritatively and robustly on employment law matters that I had always assumed you were a practising expert.

Desperate for help on my post... mat leave redundancy. I have a phone call with MD at 10 and no idea what I'm supposed to say/ask etc.

Can I ask them how they got to decision of making me redundant?

Yes you can most definitely ask for their rationale!

@zarah21 they have to be able to show that they followed a fair process, no matter the size of the business, so they should consult with you to let you know the reasons and to discuss suitable alternative roles, where possible.

You can ask whatever you want. As you are on maternity leave they must offer you any suitable vacancy even if there are other better applicants.

Thank you. It's a strange one, my managerial role has been given to the FD and they employed a permanent assistant to do the rest so I think covid19 might be the best excuse ever tbh. But let's see, still awaiting call.

You absolutely have the right to turn down the alternative suggested by them. I had a similar situation where my office was closed and they offered me homeworking. As I live in a small flat and didn’t have the space for this to work I declined the offer and they paid me my redundancy. Sorry you are in this situation it’s absolutely horrible 💐

I am currently in this position. I am at risk of redundancy, I have been applying for other jobs internally but no luck. Plus so close to my maternity leave its unlikely someone will take me for any position, knowing in a month or 2 they'll have to advertise again. I haven't been offered another job is this something the company have to do? If I am made redundant I'll only have 4weeks before my daughter's due date. It's scary times at the moment, I'm sure I will manage regardless of the situation.

I haven't been offered another job is this something the company have to do

No, there is no requirement for the company to offer you another job. If there are other roles available you may be offered one of them. However, as you are not on maternity leave, you don't get priority for any such roles. If another employee at risk of redundancy would be a better fit for the role they can be offered it ahead of you.

prh47bridge... I assume you work in HR or had a HR related role. Well being pregnant I have been told by my company I am entitled to a bit more but what that may be I don't know. I would have thought it would have been frowned upon to make pregnant women redundant when there are jobs they are fully capable of doing. One job is my current role but on a different area of the business yet they're making me interview for it. Thank god I'm with a Union they may be able to help explain a bit better

Pregnant women have less protection than women who are on maternity leave. If you are on maternity leave you must be offered any alternative role that is available even if you aren't the best person for the role. You don't have that protection when you are pregnant. However, they cannot use your pregnancy as a reason to make you redundant or turn you down for an alternative role.

In your situation your employer is entitled to interview you for the role. If they think someone else who is at risk of redundancy is a better candidate for this role than you they can offer the job to that person and make you redundant. However, they cannot choose the other candidate just because they aren't pregnant and you are, nor can they recruit someone from outside the business to this role.