Lost my job today, completely out of the blue

[789pm]

I can't wrap my head around it. Today was a normal work day... I was in the middle of working on various projects I have lined up for this week and I had a call out of the blue from HR. They said they are getting rid of me with immediate effect due to company restructuring. My role is going to be shared out with several colleagues - the colleagues I was asked to run a training session for last week...

I have been put on gardening leave. I was then locked out of my IT accounts. No chance to say bye to anyone. Teams messages and emails left unanswered.

There were no issues with my performance, my manager was in the call and said that it has nothing to do with my performance and the decision was above him. It makes no sense. Work recently paid for me to go on an expensive course, they had work lined up for me.

I cannot make sense of it at all.

Pretty much exactly the same happened to me - same time working, 9 months, passed probation, no hint of anything being wrong from my manager and was made redundant and escorted/ removed from office within 15 mins of the meeting end. i didnt even get to pack my own desk, all my things were returned to me at a meeting held at a swanky hotel a week later.

Sorry you've been treated this way, it really sucks but things will get better.

It happened to me earlier in the year. I came back from holiday to the news. I had continuous service in excess of 20 years.

I took a few months off, but now have a maternity cover contract for 12 months. The difference in work life balance is amazing.

It's the most horrible feeling, I completely understand that you feel betrayed. Unfortunately you were just an easier target being a new person. It's a huge shock. Good luck finding your new job, start tomorrow, get help from agencies.

I was once given notice while I was on holiday! They wanted notice to start immediately rather than wait a week for me to return. I was free lance not employed, in our contract I was owed 4weeks notice but my holidays were unpaid.

That's right - but if the people they want to lose have less than two years and no one with more than two years is going, they can dodge out of the consultation period as the people who leave don't have employment rights (to a fair dismissal). They have the right not to be discriminated against on a protected characteristic, so it's still dodgy as someone could raise a claim with that angle, if they were so inclined. But cowboys like this would just offer a settlement if it went that far, I'd imagine.

PP was right - this will create a very bad reputation for this company and they may find it hard to recruit good people in future particularly if the industry is close-knit, so this will come back to bite them on the arse, but that doesn't help the OP right now

I thought there had to be a consultation process for redundancy- but possibly if your employment is less than a year they don’t need to do that.
worth checking with an employment lawyer.

Sending compassion. Let it not destroy your well being. Just go on and try with another job

A family member had this happen to him recently after 12 years service - but they settled him out straight away with a very big offer - far more than he could get at a tribunal. This is how they get rid of senior people with big salaries (that exceed the maximum tribunal claim for unfair dismissal) although in those situations they get megabucks to leave (multiples of six figures). Still not nice him being called into a a meeting and shown the door, no time to say good bye to anyone or go back to his desk.

They only need to do a consultation period if they're making more than 20 people redundant. It's pretty horrible when this happens, but as others say, get out there on LinkedIn, make connections and you'll find something.

Fucking hell. This is so wrong.

So sorry OP - I get why you feel bewildered - you have been treated terribly.

Give yourself a few days to get over the shock, then go out there and find a new job, with a better company, that treats it's staff like human beings.

I can't believe this is even legal considering that you haven't done anything wrong. So sorry OP... 💐

I am sorry you are in shock. Pretty standard procedure in certain industries so do not take it personal.

Depends on how big the company is. In my current company our managers either get told they have to reduce headcount by end of week or they are given a name, like in your case, due to them having less than 2 years with the company. If they warn you then they get in trouble. It's a very American culture and I've been speaking to a PM in the morning to then notice they aren't available later that day. The people who decide the reduction literally look at spreadsheets and change one number.

She has been there only 9 months so they can just terminate on notice with no consultation.

So sorry OP what a horrible shock x

Anyone who has not worked somewhere for more than 2 years can be given notice.

So sorry OP that sounds so awful and such a shock. I think you need to get some legal and/ or union advice as to whether they can make you redundant in the way they have. When my DH was made redundant I’m sure the advice he got was ‘they make the role redundant not the person’ so the company needs to demonstrate how your role is no longer needed. Everyone who did the similar role had to be assessed and then it had to be demonstrated why my DH’s role was being made redundant but not his colleague. Maybe it is okay for them to split your duties between your colleagues I don’t know. But get advice! Xx

It's a shock but try to think of it as not reflective of what you brought to the role.

The business is a baby and must be fed first. You had your be cut quickly to keep the business alive. Try to get some enjoyment out of gardening leave, I'd go away if I could. Think about what you'd like to do next.

Were you made redundant? Is your pay tax free?

Anyway, start looking for new job right away.

We effectively are consistently under threat of redundancy. Your manager can be as unaware of it coming up as you are. If you work for an Indian or American company you are disposable. I'd always suggest working for a European company instead.

The escort out is pretty standard practice in situations like these - no reflection on you, it is how they protect themselves. I once worked in the central buying office of a major chain, and they got rid of someone but did not do this - let him work to the end of the week. He sent the entire stock of once item to one shop - so that poor shop ended up with thousands of medium beige cardigans or some such. From next year, employment protection will extend to everyone - so I would imagine any firms having a hard time will be looking to downsize now.

Sorry OP. Sounds like very senior management made a decision - I bet your manager did not know until it happened. It is really shitty.

Under 2 years they can use ‘short service dismissal’ as long as it’s not unfair or wrongful (for certain reasons). Some employers wouldn’t use the option of short service dismissal but many would.

I’m sorry OP you sound blindsided and I’m not surprised. It genuinely sounds like it was ‘them not you’ though so hold your head up high. I hope something better is just around the corner.

Sorry, OP - extremely crappy of your employer. Garden leave is better than being PILONed, though - you'll still get pension contributions paid and you'll continue to accrue AL for those two months of notice. Make sure they pay you for any unused AL!

An employee who has been with an employer for less than two years is not covered under the unfair dismissal rights provided by the Employment Rights Act 1996.

As long as they have not been discriminated based on protected characteristics, they can simply be let go.

Awful to go through however as others have said, the gardening leave isn't about you but a protection for the company.

I work for an LA. My contract has a non compete clause for 6 months after I/they have ended my contract. This prevents me working in a similar role or setting up my own business where there maybe an impact on the LA. Unlike gardening leave, there is no payment for this time.