Redundancy - negotiating package

[sweetmelody]

Hello HR/employment law expert Mumsnetters. Can you help me with some expert advice?? I've agreed to take redundancy from my current job. Mixed feelings as there was a time when I was pretty happy there. But, the upshot is that I am delighted to have the opportunity of a new start with a potential change of career

Its a senior management position and I have been there for 4 years. Officially, redundancy terms are 'statutory', but unofficially its whatever you can negotiate.

Having never been made redundant before, I dont know where to start. However, I do know that the former company secretary, who was at a similar level of seniority and would have been on a similar salary/package, recently went with a very attractive deal. His redundancy would have been as a result of the compnay being taken from public (plc) to private (so no need for a company secretary). My redundancy is the result of a restructure of the Finance team (I'm one of two divisional Finance Directors and both positions are going).

If they try to offer me less, could I argue discrimination (sex/race)?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts on this

If it's a compulsory redundancy what would you be negotiating over? What are you offering them in return for a higher package? Difficult to see much of a bargaining position tbh.

They should be writing to you outlining what pay you will get in terms of redundancy pay and notice pay and anything else. On what basis would you be asking for more? Packages others have received would certainly be important.

See what they propose to give you, if it's less than your colleague received previously, obviously make that argument. If two positions are going now, you should both get the same obviously, so ensure you liaise with your colleague.

Hi Flowery - thanks for replying. Obviously the job is going and that is non-negotiable, but I just wanted to understand my position if the offer they made me was not attractive and whether it was reasonable to suggest to them that it should be comparable to offers made to others in a redundancy situation

Thanks

No, there is no right to a comparable package to other people unless there's an actual enhanced redundancy scheme unfortunately. It's all about what you can negotiate and what claims you may have that they want to 'pay off'. Unofficially, it's sometimes also about how much they valued you (if the budget will stretch to a show of emotions!).

You can certainly suggest to them that it should be comparable to others, and if it were the case that they always pay x amount, then you could make the argument that it's a contractual redundancy package, but it sounds as though amounts vary, is that right?