Advice on redundancy

[Mimipo]

I’m a manager at a small company and we don’t gave an in house HR team

We are making an individual on the team redundant - it was between this person and another

In terms of letting them know, should I tell him first he is being made redundant over the other individual? Or let the individual staying on know first?

I have only 20 mins each for each meeting. It’s my first time doing something like this and I think if I let the person staying on know first, I can spend longer with the person being made redundant if needed.

Also if it goes badly, I don’t want to be in a sad / bad mood for the team member who is staying on.

Thoughts welcome as to best practice.

Personally, if you can I would tell them both at the same time. Do you have a deputy manager who can tell the team member that is staying while you impart the bad news. You can personally speak to that team member later/next day.

If not, I assume they are expecting it as they know one of their jobs is at risk and out of respect, I would tell the one who is leaving first and give them as much time as they do/don't want to talk without limit, it is likely they wont want to talk about it. Have hankies handy. Let them leave work for the day if they want to go home and process it.

It is normal to feel sad, you have just turned someones life upside down at a difficult time. Your employee who is staying will understand, they would think you a monster if you didnt, they will feel sad for them too as well as relief it wasn't them. Don't expect them to feel enthused/grateful about staying in a company where redundancies are happening, it isn't a time to congratulate them on keeping their job. Once they have both had time to absorb the news you can talk about the future plans for the remaining role.

Suggest you check here: www.acas.org.uk/redundancy first.
Before doing anything else, make sure you've applied the rules correctly and fairly.

You absolutely need to tell the person being made redundant first.

This is not the law, but it is accepted good practice. It eliminates any risk of somebody finding out on the grapevine. I can always remember a senior HR person saying to me that the worst possible scenario would be if X were the last person to know they were being made redundant.

Go the the meeting with some useful resources like phone numbers for the redundant person. If they do need time with you, then the other one can wait, I think you should be a little more generous with your time for somebody that you are making redundant. Your twenty minute time limit is cold.

Anywhere I have worked it's those affected that know first- so the redundant individual would hand their meeting first.

I would suggest be factual and empathetic but avoid being condescending. Be clear on what support can be offered ie are there other roles available to apply for/any internal or external resources available with well-being or CV preparation that you can signpost.

You need to carry out a short consultation to avoid an unfair dismissal, claim. Get all the possible impacted people together and explain the business reason why one role has to go and how you are going to choose (last in first out, performance, go through interviews/assessment process), timescales and redundancy payment terms, and then 121 meetings with individuals to hear their thoughts - on the process or alternatives to redundancy (eg: they all volunteer to drop a day a week). Consider their input and then 121 meetings to let them know outcome.