Pitfalls of Redundancy

This note is a reminder of the principles involved and alternatives to consider. It is not intended to cover all issues which can be quite complex and it always will be preferable to seek expert advice available from us. The penalty to getting it wrong can result in costly tribunal awards running into several thousand pounds above what you may already have paid out.

Preliminary considerations :

1 Are there alternatives?

2 Short time working or lay off should be considered before any move to the permanent loss of employees.

3 A clear mobility clause in an employee’s contract may be involved saving the need to jump to redundancy.

4 For short time working or lay off you will need to consider carefully what rights exist in contracts or employment and, for those members who conform, the effect of engineering national agreements.

5 Depending on possible numbers the time frame involved can vary dramatically. Get it wrong and again there is the risk of substantial awards.

Redundancy:

A checklist from our guide “Handling Redundancies” is available to download. It provides the basic issues to be considered. More detailed information is provided in the guide itself and from our Employment Guide 2008 which is available on line. Our advisers, whether duty line or your nominated executive, are also here to help.

Employment guide - Redundancy

Handling Redundancy Guide