Positive redundancy stories?

[Redredredundant]

I don’t know what I am hoping to achieve from this post, I think I am just spiralling.

I’m facing redundancy and am finding it so difficult to put any effort into saving my job. I’ve been through this before with the company and am feeling disillusioned by it all at this point. Deep down I am wondering if I should let the process run it’s course and accept my fate. The only reason I have to fight for this job is that I need part time hours due to childcare, I haven’t seen any PT roles advertised for what I do.

Has anyone got any stories where redundancy turned out to be a good thing?

My place of work have laid people off over the past couple of years. A couple I worked closely with. It took one a few months to find a new job, the other found one almost immediately. Both enjoy their jobs now much more than they did previous.

I have a friend who was laid off from his job after a merger. He'd been there 13 years so had a decent payoff. Within three months they had him back on a temp contract, paying more, because they were struggling. They eventually took him back on with a nice chunk of his mortgage paid off.

If you do receive a payoff I hope it will enable you to take a breath and think about what to do next. Sometimes we get consumed with the task at hand and when it's gone we have room for more clarity.

1st time - my team was outsourced to an offshore call centre. During the wind down my job was to build the training content, deliver it and work with the software devs/UI team to develop the new system. I gained valuable experience that I was able to use to move to a different company and a more senior position.

2nd time - during the consultancy period we had first dibs on interviewing for open roles available in the company. As a result I got a promotion.

3rd time - same thing happened and ended up in a more senior and better paid role, WFH with a lot more flexibility.

Being made redundant is not personal and yet you can’t help but feel like it is, it’s hard going through it but you never know what new doors it will open.
I was made redundant a few years ago, I loved the team, the job, I was feeling comfortable despite the fact it was potentially leading nowhere career wise but the money was good for what I did.
I found a new job straight away and it has been the best turn in my career, I am earning close to six figures now and I love where I am career wise, it wouldn’t have happened if I wasn’t made redundant suddenly and had to leave. Wish you all the best!

Being made redundant gave me the kick up to arse to set up my own consultancy. It is the best thing I have ever done and I am so glad I did.

I had been talking about doing it for 3 years but didn't have the guts to go through with it (until I had to).

Good luck. Onwards and upwards.

3x redundancies for me.

1. Very painful and I took it personally as I was young and inexperienced. Found another job immediately that fitted my skill set better and made a friend for life in a wonderful new colleague.

1. Thought I'd be laid off, actually got a promotion with substantial pay rise.

1. Left the company with an amazing payout and found a better job, again straight away.

That's not to say that any of it was easy. The outcomes have been better than staying in any of the old jobs but the process was draining and stressful each time.

I got made redundant once. I was so upset and had to spend a few months in a low paid temp job, but ultimately I got pushed by a recruiter into a much higher paid job doing something I’d always wanted to try. Had I not been made redundant I wouldn’t have put my cv out there nor had the drive to think fuck it I’ll give it a go!

Every redundancy I've had has led to a better job, having gained additional experience through contracting in between jobs. In one case, it gave me the space to complete a professional qualification which enhanced my cv.

depending on your life circumstances you have a choice of either letting a redundancy get you down or using it to your advantage- when life throws lemons at you, make lemonade, as the saying goes.

Me! I was made redundant in summer last year after 12 years at my company. Like you, redundancies came round every few years and this time I just thought I didn't even want to try and stay.
Its been the best decision I made. I hadn't realised how low my mental health had got, I found work before I'd even had my redundancy confirmed but the dates worked so I still got a payout. I applied for a role advertised as full time but emailed the company first to see if they'd accept part time and they weren't sure. However I was successful, they agreed to part time and I feel like my happy, confident self again. I've got a better work life balance, a better pension and hopefully a job I can stay in for years.
I hope it works out for you too.

OP it sounds like this company is not doing well if it regularly has to go through a redundancy process so at least this will be an opportunity to find a new, more secure role.

My role was made redundant at a big utility company i’d been with for just under 10 years.

I was very quickly able to get a job with another utility company, with a pay rise. My old company wanted to interview me for another internal role but I declined as they did it too late and wouldn’t offer a pay rise.

I also got a good payout because I had been there so long.

I had a 1 year old at the time. I started the new job full time and after 5 months, I asked to drop a day as I was exhausted. My boss was fine with it. She also let me work 8-4 instead of 9-5.

Really really common thing to work 4 compressed days as well even for staff without young kids. But i did actually drop hours.

I’d say apply for full time and then ask to reduce the hours if they offer you the job.

It's a long time ago but I had a friend who was made redundant. He was given a generous financial package, including being allowed to keep his company car.

A couple of days later he was contacted by a company he had done business with, and offered a job paying more than his original salary.

So he ended up with a decent lump sum payoff, a free car, and a better paid job!

These replies have been really helpful, I think I just needed a good shake to remind me there are other opportunities out there.

@RadRad I’m in the same boat, or at least your old boat! My job is well paid, team is great, generally cushty but I am going nowhere career wise.. part of the reason I am wondering if redundancy could be a blessing in disguise.

Thanks @MariaVT65. I have a 1 year old as well and would ideally like to continue part time work until she has funded nursery hours. I am really worried about finding another role that can offer this pattern.

“I’d say apply for full time and then ask to reduce the hours if they offer you the job.”

What do others think about this statement? I have read on other threads this is considered time wasting. However, I have been looking for jobs via recruiters and have been upfront asking if they would consider PT/ condensed hours and have been immediately shut down. I am starting to wonder if I should apply FT and if I am able to win them over and get a job offer, ask for condensed hours.. thoughts?

Just to add that it can also depend on how much the recruiters want you. My manager wanted me as I was the only cadidate to pass the presentation.

I wouldn’t consider asking for part time hours if you get the job ‘time wasting’. At the end of the day, you don’t ask, you don’t get. And you owe these companies absolutely nothing.

I was put at risk for redundancy in October and finished 2 weeks ago. Did a few interviews with no success but just managed to secure a new job with almost a 40% pay rise. I had stayed in my old role for too long as I was part time (30 hr week) and the flexibility suited me. I’m scared starting the new role but hopefully it works out…

This role is full time but I think there might be scope to reduce once I’m in the door - I asked about reduced hours when accepting the offer and they said they are flexible with school picks up etc. so going to try FT and see how it pans out. My dd is 9 though so a different scenario and she does go to an afterschool but just doesn’t want to go every day.
maybe you need to put your child in nursery for more days if it enables you to get a job - and then reduce back if there is the ability when you are working there. Do a bit of research and try find a company that is more family orientated and will more than likely facilitate flexible working - check out reviews on glassdoors etc.

I actually found it easier when my dd was younger to have her in childcare more often - once she liked the place she didn’t mind going in quite a lot. now she’s older and can articulate her feelings it’s hard to ignore them if she’s not happy with a particular arrangement. Obviously that has to work out financially too…

Good luck op - I know it’s hard. Start looking back through all your work while you still have access and start gathering evidence for your STAR stories for interviews while you are going through the consultation.
my company paid for an outsourcing company to help with interviews, CV, LINKedIN etc - which was actually really good. But start on that stuff now too….
going through this process is a good but horrible exercise as it forces you to look at your skill set and see how it matches what is on the market now.

@MariaVT65 That was my initial thoughts too until I had read on here it is considered time wasting. Now I am back to unsure!

To be honest I have been really surprised not to see more jobs being advertised as condensed hours. Having gone from working 5 days a week to 4.5 over 4 days, you really don’t do any less work 😅

Redundant on Christmas Eve 23, last year. Was a sham redundancy, wasn't a real thing, they just wanted to move solely my job up north where it can be done for 1/2 the price. and they treated me really badly, after 4 years, so I was actually quite hurt, and cried a few times about it. I've started a new job very nearby a month ago, in a nice firm.

You will get over it and move on, we all do.

I worked in the same place from age 19 for 24 years. My first FT job. Everyone was young and there was the same core group of people there - we were all close, grew into adulthood together, went to each others weddings, supported the divorces, met each others dcs, supported the difficulties of losing or having eldery parents.

The redundacies hit hard, we were suddenly competing against each other for the jobs that were left. Turned out those who got to stay after the first cull, only had 18 months reprieve before they were also let go.

I was mid 40s, many tears were shed, and I was terrified about working elsewhere with new people, but after several interviews i got a job with an immediate start and was only out of work for 6 weeks!

Hours were better, less stressful, salarly not quite as good. 10 years on I am loving it, I have progressed further than I would have ever in my old company and now earning significantly more. In hindsight the close relationships we had and history we shared held me back.

Redundancy can be an opportunity to reinvent yourself, if you take it.

OP, I know this is old. I’m going through the same thing as you did last year and I want to know how you got on? I also have a nursery age kid.

Sorry @sellotape12, I haven’t logged on here in months!

I applied for a FT role and requested condensed hours when I was offered the position. Thankfully, my new employer is just as flexible and understanding when it comes to childcare as my previous one. The team is fantastic, I’m earning 35% more, and I’ve already advanced further than I would have at my old job. As I suspected, it really turned out to be a blessing in disguise and probably the push I needed. I know how overwhelming it can feel, especially with young kids, but you’ve absolutely got this! I hope everything is going well for you.