Aware of plan to eliminate my role at end of the year - WWYD

[WinterIsComing2025]

I have become aware that I am imminently going to be made redundant. Can’t reveal too much about how as it’s going to be potentially outing but I have evidence that the company will eliminate my role this year - risk of redundancy has not been communicated to me. I have been working for the company for 4 years.

I’m completely astonished that my employer is careless enough to have let this slip out in this way.

Apart from obviously needing to look for a new role, what would you suggest I do in response to being aware of what’s being planned? Do I respond to the information I have in writing? Or say silent and just wait for the inevitable. What can I start preparing to help myself during the redundancy consultation?

What would you do in my position?

This happened to me in my first job. I was copied into the end of a long email stream that said they were ending my contract. Turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to me. It was not a nice time but it was onwards and upwards from there. I did raise it with my manager, who totally squirmed.

There are no rules as to what the process is. If the role is being made redundant, it's being made redundant. OP's only recourse would be if she could prove discrimination. (IANAL, but I have made people redundant.)

I agree. I think people are possibly labouring under the misapprehension that the employer needs to go into the consultation without a clear plan as to which roles they intend to make redundant. Yes, they need to be open-minded about any alternatives that the employee might put forward, but it's totally normal to identify which roles they plan to delete and likely timescales etc.

In this case, it was very poor form that they allowed the proposals to leak out in this way, as that isn't the right way to tell someone that their role is at risk, but I can't see why people think it might give the OP any leverage to negotiate a higher settlement. I mean, worth a try, I suppose, but I'm not sure that you've got grounds to push for this.

The “consultation” process is really just a box ticking exercise they’re required to follow. I’ve been through redundancy twice and both times it’s been a case of an initial meeting where they let me know it’s happening, say they’ll go away and let me know by the second meeting if there’s any alternative roles available, then come back to the second meeting and let me know there are none and I’ve been selected for redundancy.

One of the redundancies I’d only been there three months when they restructured and got rid of my role. Although I was entitled to sweet fuck all I emphasised in the meetings the distress they had caused by getting me to leave my previous role to leave me on the bones of my arse weeks later and they ended up offering me a settlement and I got a few grand out of it and then managed to find a better paid position within a month so worked out well in the end.

Op says she has seen confirmation her role will be made redundant.

Meaningful consultation means the actual realisation of there being no alternative to redundancy should happen at the end of consultation for it to be a fair and transparent process.

A business case - if thats what op has seen - for redundancy written by someone who knows basic EL would never confirm the decision to make the role redundant has already been made in it.

The words "meaningful", "fair" or "transparent" are irrelevant here. There are no rules for the consultation. All they need to do is call OP in and say it's happening. (They don't even need to do that. There are literally no rules.)

I'm sorry OP, this sucks, especially at this time of year, but I just don't want you to get your hopes up about some big payout because you saw the memo.

I understand the point that you're making, but we don't actually know what the OP has seen. The template that we are asked to fill in (by our large national HR provider) requires details of which posts will be affected, what the timescales are expected to be, what alternatives have been considered and why those alternatives have been rejected etc. It might look like it's a done deal at that point, even though the employer remains open to genuine consultation.

I can totally see why someone might read a business case and assume that it is a done deal. Most employers don't make redundancies lightly and would avoid putting people's jobs at risk unless they were pretty certain that this was the only viable option. That doesn't preclude the employee putting forward alternatives that the employer might not have thought of, but typically, the obvious ideas will have been considered and ruled out before the consultation even starts. Why would you put people through that level of stress and uncertainty unless you were pretty confident that you had no other alternative?

Yes 100% how I feel about this. Thank you @Megifer

what I have seen is not a business case it’s a firm statement that I am going to be gone at end of year - essentially.

I really can’t say more but what I have seen is not a business case, not a template setting out which roles are at risk and not a discussion of alternatives considered. It’s a clear instruction/statement that essentially says Winter will not be employed after the end of the year.

So I am not a lawyer but meaningful consultation does not preclude the company from deciding in advance that they no longer need your role. They can decide that this role is not required and that you would be made redundant and indeed in order to enter into the process I'd expect that various documents would exist that explain what their plan is as they'd need to get this signed off etc.
The consultation with you is to determine if there are other suitable roles, take into account any other factors they may bot have considered and to negotiate the terms of the redundancy. It is not necessarily to negotiate keeping the role.

Having said that, they have acted poorly and clearly it doesn't look good. Personally I'd be updating my CV immediately and looking for other roles and then using their poor behaviour to negotiate a better settlement.

Thank you. I am on the same page. I am not expecting a big payoff as a result of this just to be clear. I just feel the document presents as a fact that I will be gone, before even going through the pretence of a consultation. And that seems wrong if we are to have a genuine consultation and if the possibility of alternative roles is still to be discussed.

Being told in a managed and considered way that your role is at risk of redundancy with information available to cover the why, when etc. is stressful and upsetting. Finding out like this with no information or support is just unacceptable and unbelievably stressful and there needs to be some acceptance and accountability for that.

@WinterIsComing2025 apologies if i missed it. I get its a very upsetting situation to be in but its also a question of perspective.
Fron a financial pov its actually great to have this info early.
What is your ideal outcome here?

A Big Money payout?
The opportunity to stay in another role?
To get out before they can announce?
A sincere apology?

I think it’s a positive that you’ve found out about your redundancy albeit in a crap way! It gives you the extra notice to start looking for something else.
I was recently made redundant; the consultation period (which is nothing but a formality) and notice period was over 4 months so I’ve just started looking for other employment and it’s very daunting as an ‘older’ person! - I wish that I had found out prior, as my redundancy came as such a shock and so unexpected after nearly 20 years service! I wish you well in your job search..,

It completely depends how it’s been written. If it’s marked “subject to consultation”, “proposal” etc. If it’s a document confirming the role is being made redundant before she’s even been put at risk, given the opportunity to put forward counter proposals etc, that’s not correct process.

Just seen this - they have clearly decided you are going without following due process. It’s one thing to put a business case together of a proposal to restructure and consult with employees. It’s quite another to decide pre the process happening that someone will definitely not be employed at the end of it - I presume you have over 2 years service? (sorry if I missed it)

Agree. They have treated you very badly. And hopefully you can use this as leverage.
But in terms of documents presenting the redundancy part as a fait accompli. They may have been budgeting for the redundancy and cant assume you're able to redeploy. It really depends on the nature of the document you've seen and what it specifically says

I wouldn’t of thought so
OP role is going and no doubt there’ll be a business plan/reason for this

when your job is at risk there isn’t automatically an option to redeploy
if there’s no jobs to offer OP then yes she will be gone by Christmas there’s nothing underhand or constructive about that

just because your role has gone they can’t just magic a new one up

Call ACAS for advice.

Don’t show your hand.
see a lawyer.

Decide if you actually want to remain with an organisation that treats people like this.

Join your union if you haven't already.

Ear to the ground - tap up any contacts at work and pay close attention to what's happening and being talked about.

Consider if it world be worth negotiating an attractive redundancy package.

Consult an employment solicitor - find out your rights and whether you might have a grievance.

Polish up your CV - check out suitable job vacancies and even if they're not in your area, ensure the keywords that pop up are in your CV for the recruiters' searches.

Make sure your LinkedIn is bang up to date, and network, post, and comment.

List all your network / contacts who might have news of vacancies at their worklaces and start chatting to them.

Network like mad - go to relevant industry events.

Start your own business, that you can be building as a side hustle - this may become your actual source of income.

Guess how I know ALL this.

All the best.

Yes 4 years service

The whole thing is being poorly managed but the OP is forwarned. I would be inclined to phone ACAS tomorrow and get current advice. I'd then look to the future as it's quite likely that you'll need a reference very soon. I don't think that there's much mileage in trying to win one over on them in the short term. In fact I'd be super nice. I'd also be so calm and composed at any future meetings. This is a horrible situation but you can turn your knowledge to your own advantage.

As someone who has been made redundant 4 times over my working life, I don’t think I could just carry on working whilst knowing what the company has in store. It’s the end f the month this week, so maybe they will have a consultation with you then. Where both my DS’s work, they’ve had quite a few redundancies this year and they’ve all been on a points scoring system, so fewest points people were made redundant, this seems to be the new norm. Employees with less than 5 years service, they were given 3 months pay and those over were given 6 months pay. Myself only one of my redundancies paid more than the statutory pay. There is a redundancy calculator on gov.uk which you should do to see how much compulsory redundancy you will get.

Update your CV and job hunt urgently.
Sort your finances so you know where you stand.

Join a Trade Union (but don’t say you’ve heard about redundancy as they’ll only support new issues).

Ensure you have all your records at home in case you get walked out of the building one day.
Don’t trust anyone in your workplace with this news.

You will probably have a consultation which is not long. BUT you have a heads up now. In these situations you have to accept the inevitable and get the ducks lined up so you can hit the ground running. Absolutely no point letting management aware you know this.

Get the CV & LinkedIn updated, save all important documentation, contacts, payslips etc and get an exit strategy in place.