Managing Redundancies over Christmas

No-one likes making staff redundant, let alone at Christmas when most of us would prefer to be sending Christmas Cheer rather than a P45.  Sadly, December is a very common time for organisations to be parting with their staff as they gear up to implement their plans for the New Year.

If you are in HR or are a manager needing to make redundancies, then here are some tips to help.

1. Give staff lots of notice about any potential risks to their jobs as early as possible so that it does not come as a complete shock
2. Follow all the legal requirements, including giving consultations, exploring redeployment and ensuring your criteria for redundancy is fair and objective. Any failure to follow due process will only heighten difficulties
3. Preserve the individual’s self-esteem at a time when they are likely to feel wobbly. Thank them for their efforts on behalf of the company, praise their skills and achievements and reassure them that their redundancy reflects what is right for the business rather than being a personal rejection of them
4. Ask whether there will be anyone at home for them to talk to regarding their news. If not, say that you or another appropriate person will ring them to check in to make sure they are okay
5. Offer them support in respect of outplacement as well as access to an employer assistance programme. Knowing that they can access practical job search help and emotional support will be greatly appreciated at a personally very challenging time
6. Discuss with them how they want their exit to be communicated to colleagues and customers so there is agreement as to what will be said and when
7. Ask them to handover wherever possible so they don’t feel their efforts have been wasted and things are organised for the next person to take forward
8. View them as an alumni of the organisation rather than as an ex member of staff. Who knows, in the future, the company could need their services again

Outplacement Support

Providing outplacement shows an organisation’s commitment to support its staff even in difficult circumstances and provides positive PR and practical help at a highly sensitive time.  Outplacement typically includes working with a career coach, job search workshops, access to an online career portal and research services.  These can be provided either on the company’s premises,  via the outplacement company’s office or through via video Skype. Programmes are configured to the organisations needs and budget and typically range anywhere from £250 per head up to £5k for executive level services.

If you are likely to be making staff redundancies over the next few months, then we would be happy to talk with you about our outplacement services.

For more information please contact us on 01753 888995 or fill in our online contact form.

Article by:

Corinne Mills

Article by:

Corinne Mills

Corinne Mills is the Joint Managing Director of Personal Career Management, she is a career coach with 15 years career management experience.

View Articles by Corinne Mills