Advice on this scenario please. Redundancy related.

[Liltzero]

Four weeks today I expect to be made redundant from my current employer. I've fallen foul to a global restructuring. All along HR have said that their priority is to mitigate against any compulsory redundancies.
I was all set to leave but then late last week, 2 jobs were advertised on the internal job listings for which I believe I have lots of the desired skills and experience. Unfortunately I cannot argue that either role is a 'suitable alternative role'.
My questions:
If I still have job applications progressing, can they still make me redundant on the planned date?
Should I have any priority in the application process over a candidate who is not at risk of redundancy?
Thanks in advance

I am afraid I can't remember the legal position but we would always prioritise someone at risk of redundancy for any vacant role. Obviously, they would need to meet the essential criteria, or at least have the potential to be trained up to meet them, but the priority would be to avoid redundancy wherever possible.

Are you due a redundancy payout? If so, it might be in your interests to get the payout and still apply for the vacant role anyway? Though you wouldn't get any priority in that scenario.

Yes, they can terminate your employment at the end of your notice period even if you are halfway through an internal application for another role. The recruiter needs to pull their finger out if they want to keep you...

On "priority" - there should be a company policy about this, legally there isn't a requirement to prioritise you. However your company may have a policy that says you should be prioritised over another candidate who's not on notice or at risk; it will be cheaper for them to give you another job, than to pay you to leave! Ask to see the policy as all companies will do it differently, some won't prioritise at all; some will only prioritise if 2 candidates are otherwise equal; others will say if someone on notice of redundancy meets the minimum requirement, they should be offered regardless.

Hi @MrsBennetsPoorNerves Thanks for the reply. I am due a redundancy payout but that is conditional on not working for the company for the next 12 months.

Thank you @LordEmsworth . I've asked my HR contact for a meeting to explore all of this. I hope thanks to MN to go in to such a meeting better informed!

Not only that, if you return to the company within 2 years, HMRC will bill you for tax on the tax free bit of your redundancy pay...

Ah, OK. That seems pretty harsh that they could pay out and then demand it back almost a year later if a job came up. But I get why they put this in place.

What's the thinking behind the vacant roles not counting as "suitable alternative employment"? Are they on a different grade or something?

Ah, I didn't know that. (I have been made redundant previously myself but didn't want to go back so never paid much attention to that bit!)

@MrsBennetsPoorNerves The role that is the closest match to what I do now is at a slightly different (lower) grade.