We know that sadly many employers are finding they have no choice but to reduce costs and make redundancies in their businesses.

This week saw Punchline-Gloucester.com report on the collapse of Gloucestershire civil engineering firm Complete Utilities, with the loss of 330 jobs. 

It's claimed that the business sent it's staff an email on Monday morning telling them not to turn up for work.

But this is not acceptable, writes Margaret Adewale of HR Dept Gloucester.

A redundancy consultation is a necessary part of any redundancy process. It aims to ensure there is a genuine exchange of views and information between employers and employees with regard to why redundancies are being proposed and whether they can be avoided.

Here is a brief outline of a redundancy consultation:

The consultation will discuss, why the proposed redundancies are necessary, and any steps taken to avoid them, who is likely to be affected, how the business would select staff for redundancies, any concerns employees may have and how they will be supported.

The length of a redundancy consultation will vary depending on how many redundancies an employer is planning to make.

An employee's notice period begins the day after an employer has notified them of their redundancy. This period will vary depending on how long an employee has worked for you or their contractual term.

Employees are not entitled to statutory redundancy pay if their employer offers to keep them on or offers a suitable alternative role that they do not accept without good reason. However, employees do have the right to take reasonable time off to look for a new job or arrange training during this period.

We understand that every situation is different. HR Dept can work with your business to design a solution that effectively manages your redundancy process. 

For more information and advice, contact Margaret Adewale at the HR Dept Gloucester on 01452 405280 or email margaret.adewale@hrdept.co.uk.