Redundancy

[Lovebug2020]

My employer sent an email at the 11th hour advising everyone an announcement would be made and a meeting would follow an hour later.

The email was sent giving less than 24 hours notice and a lot of staff on furlough missed the meeting as there not glued to their email. Me included.

I had asked my employer a few days earlier if there was any update on the work situation and they said no so I was not expecting an urgent meeting to land in my mailbox.

I missed the announcement. I emailed employer to ask for a copy of the document given to all the staff and I asked them to confirm if I was at risk.

My employer told me 24 hours later I was at risk and provided me the document. By this point I already knew I was at risk through other staff.

As I’m on furlough with no office equipment I Then elected to do my redundancy consultation in writing tomorrow morning at a set time.

My employer has just emailed a copy of a document which has basic bullet points in it. No sentences included.

The document is one document for all which to be honest is not really satisfactory as some points are totally irrelevant to staff on furlough.

I will not be signing anything to say a consultation has been completed. I’ve only recieved a few bullet points.

Prior to the 11th hour announcement my employer had asked people to book holiday which I did and that would have meant I was out of the country when the redundancy consultation was taking place. I have now had to cancel my holiday.

What did you think to this saga and do you think it is reasonable to barely give 24 hours notice ?

Also what do you think to them telling people to booking holiday people then book it then they get told about redundancy so then have to cancel it - bearing in mind you would loose the cost of your holiday.

I am really

How many are the making redundant?

Sorry should have said 12 people going

50% of staff currently on furlough

Not acceptable no. Consultation in writing is unusual- could you not do it by phone if you don’t have a computer? Video conferencing can be done on most phones as well? You should get a chance to ask questions and consider the answers, and to have input on selection criteria.

Did they say you have to cancel your holiday? Is there some degree of urgency? (Eg business about to collapse).

@flowery

When I was put on furlough the owner of the business took control of my email account and I got blocked out. Because I got blocked out I could not log onto the system to use Microsoft teams. I am also not in the office and had no access to equipment so it had to be either over the phone or in writing.

The reason why it was not over the phone was because I missed the consultation due to insufficient notice and then I decided in writing was my only option due to lateness. Everything is being very very rushed.

I asked my boss to answer some questions. He said he would by 5:30 yesterday and no response.
Today still no response.

I have only recieved a bullet point set of notes of what he was supposed to say to people over the phone/video. There are no explanations or even sentences on the 4 page document.

The company asked people to book holiday and I did on the basis he had told me there was no change in the work situation. The redundancy situation was then sprung on me and I cancelled it because of difficulty doing a meaningful consultation whilst abroad - internet is not always reliable where I was going.

I have been at the company just under one year. I have 2 months notice pay due plus a month odd of holiday plus this months furlough.

By the looks of the document we’re getting told on 25 we’re being made redundant and pay will be 28 August based on the bank holiday weekend but again no confirmation.

I have lost money over cancelling the holiday so I’m narked with the boss for that and causing me financial loss for holiday and furlough.

There was no rotation on furlough so the same set of people are being penalised financially etc

Im not sure they have to follow much in the way of rules for less than 20 redundancies. Ring acas for advice though

If you've been with the company less than two years, they don't have to treat you as "redundant" - they can simply dismiss you for almost any reason that they want. So the consultation is, in respect of you, not even necessary. I am slightly worried by your suggestion that they owe you a months holiday, which is a lot to have in hand. What is your holiday year? You can be forced to take holiday in the notice period. But you also don't have a right to carry leave over, so I hope you haven't done so as a result of cancelling your leave.

If it's a redundancy announcement, notice isn't required and can cause undue anxiety so often itsit's done without warning. But they should then invite you to a separate consultation meeting and give notice of that, plus a copy of the businesscase/rationale. That's the way I do it anyway. There are no hard and fast rules.

In terms of the announcement and consultation we got an email and it just said there would be an announcement and a meeting an hour later. Nothing mentioned about redundancy.

Half the staff missed the initial consultation