Voluntary Redundancy

[Justforfun111]

Does anyone have any advice on how to navigate requesting voluntary redundancy in restructure where your job is directly at risk, but you know your employer would rather keep you on and let alternative colleagues go?

I work in Project Management if its relevant?

My employer is currently doing a round of redundancies due to a restructure, there are 7 of us in the team reducing down to 5 newly defined roles. These roles are similar but definitely not the same, I would deem the roles to be more challenging in nature than the current roles.

I would really like the opportunity to take voluntary redundancy, my employer has said this is not being offered as standard but requests will be considered.

I'd like some advice on putting a strong case forward if anyone has any?

Why do you want to take voluntary redundancy?
That's the crux of whatever argument you make.
What's the downside to you staying/upside to you leaving for the employer?
That's the bit you need to explain to persuade them of the benefits to allowing you to take it up.

Have you checked that voluntary redundancy has no downsides for you? - it's not a neutral decision as far as income protection insurance or state benefits are concerned.

I'd like to take VR because I was already actively looking elsewhere, and the redundancy payment would be beneficial financially obviously - but this isn't a good enough justification for my employer to give me VR I know.

I don't have IP and won't be claiming any benefits.

I would go a but further than not good enough and implore you to keep that to yourself, it is no justification at all! I think you might need to go along the lines of feeling that you are not going to be a good fit for the new roles for X reasons.

Truthfully, if I was handling it, and I have handled large redundancies, I would not agree to a voluntary redundancy of a team member that I wan to keep.

Can I ask the kind of reasons that you have accepted in the past?

I'm struggling to deal with the mental load if I'm honest, and moving into a more challenging role I'm just not 100% sure I'm ready for at this stage in my life. I have two young children (2 & 4) and I'm thinking that this could give me some time to take step back to spend some time with them before they start full time school.

My employer is currently doing a round of redundancies due to a restructure, there are 7 of us in the team reducing down to 5 newly defined roles

What's the employer's actual plan for this?

Normally they'd make all seven redundant and have everyone apply for one of the five new posts, In which case you just don't apply. I can't think of a business I know that has recently (or ever) gone the alternative route of redundancy for some and change of contract for the rest.

@DogInATent
We are all being made redundant, and we are all put in a pot for the new roles which we are to be interviewed for. I think because the roles are very similar to our old roles, if I don't apply I would be classed as resigning?

Do you have any information or thoughts on that?

@Aprilx @DogInATent can I ask you both please, if I'm being asked to interview for the new role is this still classed as being "offered alternative employment"?

Everyone in the team is being made redundant, and being asked to put forward expression of interest for the new roles and interview for them. So in this scenario is my employer actually offering me an alternative role?

As I understand it, the redundancy and the interview for the role are separate. You simply state that you accept the redundancy and decline to be considered for the new role. It's not voluntary redundancy, you're just accepting them making you redundant.

I've had this happen to me twice. The first time I applied for the replacement role. The second time I declined to apply for the alternative role they identified.

But FFS get some proper advice. You've confused yourself here with voluntary redundancy - it doesn't sound like it's relevant.
https://www.acas.org.uk/contact

@DogInATent thank you so much for the information. I really appreciate it.

I have never offered a voluntary redundancy option. To be honest, I don’t normally find they are in the company’s interest as the ones that volunteer usually are the ones that you would rather keep and vice versa.

If you are going to try and make a case for this though, you really need to leave out your personal rationale, as valid as that is, that is for you to know, you need to focus on the business. As I said, why you might not be the best fit for the new roles, you could also say it may help avoid difficult situations with other employees that want to stay perhaps. But definitely do not go into why it would be good for you personally.