How do you pick people for redundancies?

[snapD]

are they even redundancies?

Work has dropped off & we need to reduce our staff by 1

How do we pick? Is there a legal way?

One member of staff has declared their intent to leave when she finds a job. It is tempting to pick her even though it would mean her leaving before she finds alternative work, but that seems mean

Is everyone doing the same job? If so the fairest way is to re-interview everyone and appoint to the remaining posts. Alternatively you could write to everyone asking for volunteers for voluntary redundancy - your member of staff planning to leave may take it up. You probably need someone like flowery to advise you further.

You need to be fair. Have a read of this. It is the acas website and is very informative.

Ideally you should draw up a redundancy policy which states your method of choosing people. Known as redundancy criteria. It could be something like this:

Length of service.
Disciplinary history.
Absence record.
Performance (so the worst salesman would go).

Beware becoming emotionally envolved. If your worst salesperson happens to have 6 kids and a huge mortgage it is not your concern. A PG woman would not be an advisable choice though as it can be difficult although not impossible.

I suggest you go with making the announcement and asking for voluntary. If no one comes forward proceed with selecting against the criteria. Obviously there may be positions that you need to protect - if your most recent recruit is the one and only financial accountant then they are crucial to the running of the business and therefore exempt.

If in doubt call acas and their advice line can help answer very specific questions, they won't tell you who to choose but they will guide you further.

Just about to post saying I can't advise you for free as I would employees because you are an employer and I would want you as a client but I see you have had some advice anyway!

You need to select fairly and openly otherwise you are vulnerable to an unfair dismissal claim.

I know when BIL had to make quite a few redundant at his work place he first asked for some to go voluntarily and he was lucky as a few older ones left into early retirement but then he still had to decide about the others. He said it was one of the worst times in his life having to call those men into his office .

Just don't do it like my (ex)employers did and pick the part time women! Because I was on a fixed term contract their reason for choosing me was that - I was part time and on a fixed term contract. They weren't even going to pay me redundancy pay even though I've been on this contract for two years. TBH, having read up a bit on employment law lately, the fact that I was on a fixed term contract in the first place seemed to flout the law since it wasn't to do a job that had a fixed timescale, iyswim. It was just so that they could keep their options open each year about re-employing me or not.

isnt reduncancy technically when the job is no longer there?
you could re-structure to out the person who will leave or last in / first out is fair i suppose
dont envy doing it though..

Maybe that person would happily take the redundancy, if the package is good enough?

If the money is 6 months salary then I would take redundancy, any less and I would not. You have to play safe even if you hate the job.

No-one would get any redundancy money - just notice

All P/T women

It's so stressful

Redundancies are horrible at any time and stressful for those that stay and go. Whilst length of service, performance, and track record are important so is the ongoing success of the business. Which is after all why there have to be redundancies.

It is critical that the staff who remain are those best able to serve the current business need. The people who've been there longest may not be the one who has the most relevant needs and skills to fulfill the requirements of the current clients/ contracts.

In my last company we had a list of 10 assessment criteria and marked each person out of 10 for each so total potential score of 100. These included all the usuals + a few others it was something like:- length of service, sickness, performance, disciplinary, skills bank, business knowledge co. specific, projects currently involved in, fit within the workplace.

Each person was assessed by their line manager and then a weighting was given to each line managers scores so that on average individuals were equatable. We wrote a reference for each employee on the back of the assessment form. The reference was positive so one persons might say John Blogs is a good team player who is punctual and has a low sickness record.

John Smith is a good team leader and player who is punctual and has a low sickness record.

Generally a few instances of good behaviour were also highlighted for each employee. When the redundancies were then conducted employees whether staying or going got a positive performance review and had a ready reference for other jobs. I contacted all the local jobs agencies and produced lists of the contact names, numbers and jobs in the right skill sets. Which were passed to those leaving. Also gave those who were leaving the opportunity for early paid get out subject to handing work over, to minimise disruption on those staying.

Not a nice situation you will get through it. Good luck.

1. Ask for volunteers (maybe offer a payment of a months wages as incentive???)
2. Put together some criteria and score up you emploees (they need to be fair criteria like length of service, last performance review, etc etc and see objectively who is your least worthwhile employee....)

Sorry Flowery

I think you should sweeten it a little and then maybe you'll get a volunteer and won't have to make a choice and be the baddie and lower morale amongst remaining staff.

WHy wouldn't anyone get any redundancy? After certain Length of Service periods, employees are entitled to statutory redundancy - amount depending on a variety of criteria. Or do you mean enhanced redundancy?

All been with me for less than 12 months

Got ya!

Why 'Got me'?

Surely they only get their contractual notice at less than 12 months? - That isn't redundancy is it?

I would give them contractual notice (which is a month) - don't know what else I could do?

I really think you need to read some of the links that have been posted.

I have & I rang ACAS - I know what to do now - I was just questioning HNM2b saying got ya

I think she meant that she now understood why you were saying no-one would get redundancy.

Yes, sorry, was a bit too brief, I meant that I understood why they wouldn't get any redundo!

Sorry for the confusion

Guilty conscious

Sooorrry

No probs, it is a pretty stressful thing you are going through. I have only ever had to lose someone through dismissal rather than redundancy, however having just been made redundant myself, have really sympathised with my ex boss. She has also just had to make two more jobs redundant - ended up ringing me to cry about having to do it. Fortunately for her, (but not for the staff IYSWIM) there were only two roles to lose, and only two people filling the roles. So no choices to make.

What ever you do, I am sure it will all come right in the end. chin up!