Morning all

Just wondered if anyone who frequents the forum is up on emplyment law (primarily redundancy)

The company I work for have just initiated the consultation process before making redundancies. I beilieve I'm right in they must show that they have done everything possible to reduce costs in other ways before any redundancies are made.

However they've already made the shortlist of names to be considered made known therefore completely removing option such as percentage pay reduction for workforce across the board as who in there right mind who isn't on the list is going to voluntarily take a pay cut?

Anyone more clued up on what employers can and can't do?

Thanks
Nigel

No but I sympathize. Time to start actively looking though. Sorry I can't help more. It is demoralizing.

I don't know the answer, but this page (from a company of solicitors) seems reasonably convincing.

http://www.roydens.co.uk/content37.htm

If they have 19 names on the list it's pretty clear they've got legal advice.

Good luck!

Edit: Harsh though it might sound dropping everyones wages to protect colleagues rarely works. They just go and make people redundant a few months down the line anyway and save double.

[Edited on 29/1/09 by iank]

There are redundancies going on at my place and they've done the same thing, except dribbled out the information very slowly. They've taken legal advice and made all the plans. It seems very clear that the whole thing was done and dusted before we were told.

Due to a big problem of our supplier's making, all the people in my team are safe but people in the same office are waiting to see if the axe falls on them. Redundancies are fairly easy to manipulate to do whatever you want. There are a few legal hoops to jump through bur are plenty of ways and means for them to get their own way.

My place held three meetings.

The first to tell us there could be redundancies, the second to tell us how many, and the third to hand out the paperwork.

Since there are only four of us that are employees and there was to be four redundancies that was it really.

They do have the right to make you work your notice and that's what I'm doing now.
Ten weeks to go. That makes it Good Friday. A bit of irony there.

All the best Nigel, and good luck.


Paul G