Feedback Form
Home Features Mastermind Forums About Advertise Blog Network Contact Be An Author

The HR Headache of Making People Redundant

The HR Headache of Making People Redundant

For the first time in 20 years, many businesses are finding themselves with a new HR headache – letting people go, rather than struggling to hire enough of them. For many managers making people redundant is a new and unwelcome experience – almost as emotionally difficult for the manager as the employee. In smaller businesses without an HR department to undertake the task for them, managing redundancies can be even harder.

Jane Caven, Director Sagegreen HR Outsourcing, gives her essential tips for managing redundancies and keeping the remaining team motivated

1. Plan of Action
You need to write a plan of action, setting out who you are considering and why. The plan needs to include target dates for each of the key steps.

2. Warning
You then need to give warning to employees that you are considering making redundancies and why it is necessary.

3. Statutory Duties
You need to check if you have a statutory duty under Section 188 of TULR (C) A 1992 to consult appropriate employee representatives. If you do, you must allow a minimum of 30 days consultation. Even if there is no statutory duty, you may consider consultation anyway.
4. Formal Notification
If 20 or more employees are being made redundant, you need to give formal notification to the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform using Form HR1, a copy also goes to the employee


5. Consultation
The aim of consultation is for you to reach agreement on ways of avoiding, or otherwise, such redundancies and to mitigate the consequences of the dismissals.
The things to consider are: alternatives to redundancies such as shorter working hours, reduced overtime, reducing sub-contractors, work-sharing, voluntary redundancies including early retirement, transfers, re-training and wage reductions.

If redundancies are unavoidable, then you need to draw up objective criteria for the job roles selected.

6. Final Selection
Before final selection is made you must consult with individuals, even if you have had collective consultation earlier in the process. You must write to the employees inviting them to a meeting to discuss the potential redundancy. They are entitled to have a representative, official or otherwise, attend the meeting with them. You must consider the representations that are made to you.

7. Write
If redundancy is the only final option, then you must write to your employees and set out their entitlements, including redundancy payment, pay in lieu, holiday pay. The employee may also have a right to appeal, which must be pointed out.

You need to remember that investigations into alternatives to the redundancy must continue right up until the time the employment is terminated.

8. Consider the Notice Requirement
You also need to consider if the employee should work his or her notice period or not. Consider both the employee affected and the impact on the whole team.

9. Handle the Emotion
Employees will react in different ways: they may stay completely silent, be difficult, argue or cry. You need to stay calm whatever the reaction, show you understand, and give them time to respond. Keep a box of tissues handy and let them compose themselves before continuing.

10. Motivate Those Remaining
The remaining team needs to feel motivated, valued and in control. They need time to adjust to the situation and people will respond at different paces – show you understand and be prepared to listen. Be constructive and share information in a constructive way. Understand their anxieties and where you can, remove their fears. Above all take time for your remaining team – they are the bedrock of your future business.


Whilst every care has been taken in compiling this article, Sagegreen cannot be held responsible for any errors or missions; the notes are not intended as a substitute for legal advice.





The HR Headache of Making People Redundant - To learn more about this author, visit Jane Caven's Website.

Like this article? Share it with your friends

Article Feedback
 Article Feedback No article feedback found.
  Leave Your Feedback
article feedback

Article Feedback
Leanne Hoagland-Smith
Are your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales or business success or one of the many who have failed to change? Are you tired of being told you are like everyone else? Then you may find my first book on sales of interest. Be the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits, The Keys to Unlocking Sales available at Amazon or at http://www.processspecialist.com/red-jacket.htm. This book is a reflection of my no-nonsense approach to improving sales to overall business results. If you are truly committed to making sustainable changes, then I can help you secure a positive return on your investment because I focus on executable solutions not telling you the problems you already know you have. From training to corporate (group) coaching to executive one on one coaching, my approach is to assess, create awareness, build a goal driven action plan and then execute. The bottom line question is "Not do you or your employees know it, but do you or they want to do it?" Please call for a free strategy session at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website

Cheryl Matthynssens

Cheryl is a life skills coach, licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor and a 20 year entrepreneur.  Cheryl's dedication to achieving a life of balance led to her expanding her teaching from the simple managing of life's daily challenges to adding financial well being as well.  A direct marketer with DrinkACT, she is gaining ground in the online community with her concepts of making sure business owners, entreprenuers and employees have well rounded life styles.  She opened up a small affiliate site - The Balance Guide-  to help others find resources for mental and emotional well being.  Visit Cheryl's blog to see more of the diversity beyond business she has began offering online at www.thebalanceguide.blogspot.com

- Visit Cheryl Matthynssens's Website

David Acheson
David Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns.  David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website

Linda Richardson
Linda Richardson is the Founder and Executive Chairwoman of Richardson, a global sales training and performance improvement company. As a recognized leader in the industry, she has won the coveted Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sales Excellence and she was identified by Training Industry, Inc. as one of the “Top 20 Most Influential Training Professionals.” Ms. Richardson is credited with the movement to Consultative Selling and is the author of ten books on selling and sales management, including Sales Coaching — Making the Great Leap from Sales Manager to Sales Coach, and Stop Telling, Start Selling. She teaches sales and management at the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton Executive Development Center. Linda is a frequent speaker at industry and client conferences, has been published extensively in industry and training journals, and has been featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Nation’s Business, Selling Power, Success, and The Conference Board Magazine. Learn more about Richardson's sales training and performance improvement solutions at http://www.richardson.com web - Visit Linda Richardson's Website

Anne Barr
Anne Barr has over 26 years experience in sales and marketing, six years as a franchisee. She has assisted over 367 business owners and purchasers to achieve their goals in career change, transition and exit strategy. She holds the designation of Certified Franchise Executive from the International Franchise Association, Certified Business Intermediary from the International Business Brokers Association and Board Certified Broker from the Texas Association of Business Brokers. Anne is active in professional organizations, networking groups and volunteers for non-profit entities. As owner/operator of four successful businesses, Anne has proven people skills and enjoys helping clients find the right "fit" in business ownership. Visit www.FranchiseOpportunitySpecialist.com for more information about me and my company. - Visit Anne Barr's Website

Jeff Foster
WebBizIdeas.com is a Minneapolis website design company founded to help people start an internet business by providing them with website, business, and internet resources that help foster the growth of successful online businesses and develop innovative Internet business ideas.  We specialize in internet consulting & internet marketing
- Visit Jeff Foster's Website

John Brennan
John Brennan Ed.D. Dr. Brennan is President of Interpersonal Development, LLC, a training and development firm. Interpersonal Development has provided sales training and coaching to more than 3,000 sales reps from over 100 companies. A native of Australia, Dr. Brennan received his doctorate from the University of Rochester. His dissertation researched the effectiveness of Behavioral Modeling Technology in training people in interpersonal skills. While he has spent most of his career designing or delivering training, he was also a Vice-President of Sales of a training and development franchise with operations in 25 markets. Dr. Brennan has designed and delivered sales training in North America, Asia, Europe, Australia and the Middle East. He has been a guest speaker at numerous national and regional professional conferences. When Microsoft wanted Best Practices articles on sales for their web site, they called Dr. Brennan. The results are at http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/FX011387391033.aspx His firm’s clients have included Volvo, The Prudential, Merrill Lynch, Eastman Kodak, Gannett, Equifax Europe, the Economist Group and countless small businesses. - Visit John Brennan's Website

Stephanie Robey
Stephanie Robey is President and CoFounder of Pivot Positive, LLC - an Internet marketing business focused on helping people start work at home ventures. Previously, she was employed at The Search Agency with over 20 years experience in graphic design and 10 years experience in online marketing. She was responsible for launching the Conversion Path Optimization (CPO) unit where she and her team have conducted hundreds of optimization tests for online companies across multiple verticals.

She is a successful entrepreneur having started and sold 2 companies and remains on the board of directors of the third, PhotoSpin.com   Stephanie began her career in the direct marketing realm creating and producing direct mail for many of the major cable television companies and directly attributes her understanding of Internet marketing to those early offline experiences.  Stephanie is a graduate of San Diego State University with a BFA in Graphic Arts and also holds an Executive MBA from the Graziadio School of Business and Management at Pepperdine University.

Read Steph's Blog
Meet Steph and Dave
Sign up for our Free 7-Day BootCamp: Self Employed & Rich
- Visit Stephanie Robey's Website


To learn more about the Evan Elite Author Program please contact us.

About The Author


Jane Caven
(Visit Jane's Website) Jane Caven is Director of Sagreen Consulting's highly successful HR Division. Jane has a strong track record in working with businesses to manage and develop their HR strategies. From handling day to day employment and workplace issues, to coaching and mentoring senior executives, Jane has enabled many business, from design consultancies to accountants to manufacturing businesses, to achieve more from their HR programmes. Jane's clients have won national Awards for the quality of their HR strategies.

Jane Caven is a Silver author on EvanCarmichael.com
About The Author

View Author Blog
View Author Blog

View Author Video
View Author Video

Free Downloads


Jane Caven's

Complete
List Of
Human-Resources
Articles

Name
Email
If you enjoyed this article, get Jane Caven's Complete List of Human-Resources Articles For FREE!

More Jane Caven
Alternatives to Redundancy Reviewing the Options
Why Outsourcing HR Makes Sense with Budgets Under Pressure
The HR Headache of Making People Redundant
Free Downloads


 
 
 


Evan Elite Authors
John Alexander  
Staging Diva  
Jay Kubassek  
Evan Elite Authors

Become An Author
Have you written articles that would be of value to entrepreneurs? Become an expert on our site by publishing them! Expose yourself to a wide audience, drive more traffic to your website and get more sales! Click Here for details.
Become An Author

Evan's Latest Video
Modeling the Masters: Learn the true secrets behind Walt Disney's business success factors & grow your company! Video produced by Phanta Media
Evan's Latest Video

Business Opportunities
"Learn straight from Evan how you can Make a Full Time Income (And More) from a Website"

How to Start An Online Business

Click Here To Learn More
Business Opportunities



Evan's Newsletter
Get advice & tips from famous business owners, new articles by entrepreneur experts, my latest website updates, & special sneak peaks at what's to come!
Name:
Email:
Evan`s Newsletter

Free Downloads
Get 'em Good or Get 'em Gone! Icon Get 'em Good or Get 'em Gone!
3 Deadly Traps Icon 3 Deadly Traps
Making Networking Work Icon Making Networking Work
The Evolution Of Networking Icon The Evolution Of Networking
Think Networking Icon Think Networking
Free Downloads - Complete List

Entrepreneur Tools and Guides
Top 50 Debt Blogs
Top 50 Debt Blogs
Learn To Get Out Of Debt
 
Top 50 Productivity Blogs To Watch In 2009
Top 50 Productivity Blogs
Top Blogs To Watch In 2009
 
Entrepreneur Tools and Guides

SEO For Africa
SEO For Africa
Afi Agbedzi Wome, Togo,
Afi Agbedzi
Wome, Togo
SEO For Africa

If I Were A Startup...
Kerry Shapansky, $2.0 to $51 Mil in 5 years
Kerry Shapansky
$2.0 to $51 Mil in 5 years
Erez Zevulunov, $150k to $504k in 2 years
Erez Zevulunov
$150k to $504k in 2 years
If I Were A Startup... - Complete List

Famous Entrepreneurs
Leon Leonwood Bean, L.L. Bean
Fred Smith, Fedex
Famous Entrepreneurs - Complete List

Entrepreneur Advice
Keith Ferrazzi, Never Eat Alone
Keith Ferrazzi
Never Eat Alone
Ask Michael Gerber, Reader Questions
Ask Michael Gerber
Reader Questions
Entrepreneur Advice - Complete List

Popular Articles
(Premium Authors)

     Lessons from the Pink Brigade: 7 Tips to Inspire Going the Extra Mile (or 12 miles!)
By Sandy R. Lawrence
     CHAMPIONING CREATIVITY: HOW TO GET UNSTUCK & GAIN A HEALTHY PACE
By Sandy R. Lawrence
     Lessons from the Vacation: REAL Time Management Insights
By Sandy R. Lawrence

Have A Suggestion?
Toronto Salsa Classes / Toronto Salsa Lessons Email us your ideas on how to make our website more valuable! Thank you Sharon from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for your suggestions to make the newsletter look like the website and profile younger entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez and Sean Combs!
Have A Suggestion?

More Evan Carmichael
More Information