Been made redundant, can someone talk me through the offer please?

[Idranktheeasterspirits]

Hi,
was told today i will be made redundant. All other employees are on one month consultancy plus one months pay in lieu of notice at the end of the consultancy.

I have been told that i will have a meeting on monday which will be seen as the end of my consultancy and they are looking at paying me an amount tax free which will be equal to 4 weeks pay plus holiday pay. (2.8 days per month accrued since beginning of Jan.)

I have a fully expensed car which they are saying they want on MOnday, all other employees are keeping their vehicles if appicable until the end of their 4 wks notice.

I have been employed there for 14 months. I am in a different dept to all other employees being made redundant. I am their manager.

Does the above sound right to you? I would ideally like to keep the car for a longer period to allow me to get to interviews and feel it is unfair that i am the only one being singled out as it were.

I have a mahousive tax code which means according to my boss that i will be better of financially if i accept.
I feel pushed though, can i ask for a period of time to consider the offer when they present it on Monday?

Many thanks.

I don't really understand, you are being made redundant or you are being offered voluntary redundancy? I'm sorry I don't understand about 'considering the offer'.

It sounds as though they are planning to pay you in lieu of notice but make other employees work their notice, is that right? Would you rather stay and work your notice? Is there anything in your contract saying that you may be paid in lieu of notice? If there is then that wouldn't be tax free anyway, so is the 4 weeks pay a redundancy payment rather than your notice?

Sorry but it's not very clear.

Sorry, I am being made redundant. It's not voluntary.

I know it's not clear, it's not clear to me either!

The other employees are beig paid in lieu of notice. They are in a consultancy period which is one month. At the ned of that month they will all be paid in lieu of notice as there are no alternative positions.They will be allowed to keep their company vehicle and fuel card for what would have been one months notice.

I am being told i will be "offered" (their words) 4 weeks pay and any holiday due paid as a cash sum so that i will not be taxed on it. Apparently (according to FD) they have an option to do this but it means that my consultancy period will be from today to MOnday. I will then be given a cheque and the car will be taken from me.

I don't want to work my notice, i want to be paid in lieu of notice so that i can keep the car for the notice period to allow me to get to interviews.
I just get the feeling i am being pushed into taking a very quick payoff that will leave me worse off if you see what i mean.

I think you are being treated differently to the other employees because you have less than 2 years service and are therefore not entitled to redundancy pay.

I think they only have to give you a weeks notice if you have less than 2 years service.

Flowery can you confirm?

Being paid in lieu of notice doesn't mean you get to keep your car. The options are you either get paid in lieu of notice, which could include keeping your car, depending on various things, or you work your notice.

I don't think you are in a position to make a decision as you are not clear about what this offer is. I know I'm not!

I think you need to speak to someone and get it clearly set out, in writing, exactly what the terms of this offer is, and what the alternative is.

If you're being made compulsorily redundant you don't normally get to make any decisions, so this is a bit strange, but you shouldn't accept until you are clearer what you are being offered and exactly what will happen if you refuse this offer.

trixy is right that you are not entitled to redundancy pay at this stage. Your statutory notice period is only 1 week, as Trixy says, but if your contractual notice period is more, then that takes precedence.

Aha, ok. So my notice period is one calendar month as per my contract.
I'll email my HR dept this morning and ask for them to confirm my options.

Many thanks for your help.

Sorry, meant to add, there are a few of the other employees who have less service than me.
Which only confuses me more.........