HR types - 5300 job cuts planned. How Do They Choose?

[OrangeKnickers]

I just wondered if anyone could shed light on the process, or does it vary completely from company to company? I am in IT in an Investment Bank at CW, I work four days a week and wonder if this makes me more or less vunerable.

Is there a points system? Or is it fairly random? Do they ask the manager or just tell the manager?

By the time they make the annoucement they already have the list of people for the chop?

Any info very gratefully recieved.

This is a very detailed link but contains everything you need to know.

How they select will be up to them, but it must be fair, and with this number of redundancies they must consult with unions and/or employee representatives and part of that consultation will be about how to decide - they mustn't have already decided before consultation begins, as consultation should be able to influence decisions/propose alternatives.

Frequently some kind of matrix or scoring system taking into account skills, experience, disciplinary record, attendance record or similar. Also depends on what their needs are - obviously if whole departments are going to be shut down, that's fairly straightforward, but if it's a case of reducing headcount in each department it will probably be selecting from 'pools' of employees, and might involve applying for jobs.

And age.

Some companies have pension schemes where one can start claiming at an earlier age, for instance at 55. For some, this will make a huge difference and go voluntarily.

In any case, you shouldn't be discriminated against due to caring for a child, if this is why you are doing 4 days a week.

And you are more than entitled to ask H/R what the criteria will be

How do you mean and age ilove? They can't use age as a criteria if that's what you mean...

No, but some pension schemes allow the employee to start collecting at 55. So, if the company has a policy of asking for volunteers first, it could be that those who would be entitled to take their pension and are offered a redundancy payment, may be the ones to leave on a voluntary basis.

Of course age isn't a criteria for selection, but just wanted to point out that some may want to leave, and forced redundancy may not happen....

Oh I see. Yes if they ask for voluntary redundancies older employees might be more likely to go.

Banks won't ask for voluntary redundancies though in my experience - they don't want everyone to go. .

Hmmm - now that the banks are nationalized

thanks all - how do I go about asking HR for the critea? Just email them?

To clarify, I don't think my whole team will go as we support one of the few areas still making money.

FB - Thanks for the link, I am reading it now.

Orange, I really don't think you should be asking for Criteria at this stage. With 5500, they'll be coming to you/the various teams with information on how they're planning to do it and they'll be doing it soon.

I think I know who you work for and we were just saying here that they've done a very good job of controlling communication externally, so I'd guess they'll be onto the internal stuff pretty smartly to stop rumours.

No point emailing HR asking for criteria. With that number there will be extensive consultation and that will involve agreeing the criteria, so they won't know yet. I know it's hard, but give HR a wee bit of space for the moment if you can.

fair enough - I shall just be patient.

next stupid question, with that many will there be one huge cull or more likely to be several rounds?

I hate rounds, I have always survived them but it's hard to do any work when that's hanging over you. Then when it's all over you have to work like billy-o to catch up.

Can I ask another question related to this ? DH is always trotting out a story about a company he knew where they got rid of people by choosing those that had the most sick leave over the previous year. I'm assuming this is illegal ?

No, basing a decision on attendance is perfectly legal and normal. Only thing to be careful of is disability discrimination, so if sickness absence was disability-related, that would be different.

Orangeknickers your question about one cull or several rounds, impossible to answer generically, it will depend on how they choose to manage this situation and what their business needs are over the coming months.

Rookie it would be more usual, fair, reasonable and sensible from a business point of view to base a decision on a number of factors possibly including attendance. But using attendance as a criteria is fine.

For that number, they should have said. Again, if it's who I think it is, they said 50% by Christmas and then rest by the end of H1 2009.

blinglovin, yes I think you might know who it is!

rookiemater - good question, one of my colleagues just had almost six weeks off sick - good for me, not for them

Though if mat leave is included I won't be laughing

Mat leave definitely can't be included.

My DH is in IT with another investment bank and their redundancies were based purely on performance. Those with the lowest scores on their performance reviews went, it was as simple as that.