Being made redundant.

[Lobby]

In one of my old retail jobs, my colleagues went into work on a normal day to find head office packing up their store and told, 'oh we're shutting you down, you can either leave unpaid or you can help pack up and get paid for the day' The store manager had no idea. I couldn't believe it and got myself a new job a month later.

Anyway, I'm sorry this is happening, it's so awful losing your job and especially with minimal notice. I agree with others, the process doesn't sound right.

 

[it’s not been changed?!]

I got made redundant in June. We were sent an email in the morning telling you that you would get a phone call later that day to be told if you were being made redundant or not! And an explanation why. Well, unfortunately I got the phone call and I was told it was because my job no longer exists anymore... except my colleague is now doing it since I’m no longer there!!! Didn’t bother having a consultation, just wanted to get it over and done with and within 2 weeks I’d had my final pay and redundancy package and was jobless.
I’ve not got any advice, except, don’t let the bastards get you down!!

 

[Paradisefalls]

So this may be a bit of a long one and actually probably not something anyone can offer any insight into but it is really playing on my mind at the moment and hoping you might be able to offer another perspective or if you work in HR be able to advise on how things are worked out.

So I started my job in March just before lockdown and luckily I have worked all the way through. There are 3 on our team. Me, a senior manager and a director (I am lowest level of the 3 of us). The senior manager has been on furlough since April.


I am convinced that we will not go back to a team of 3 as we are contracted into a client who pays a management fee for us and they are currently paying a reduced fee. They have already made mass redundancies across their business so I cannot see them increasing our management fee again now that we have managed for 6 months with just 2 of us.


I have spoken to my boss about my worries that it will be a matter of “last in, first” out but both she and another manager have said they love working with me and they would fight to keep me. But I just don’t know if the business will see it that way? If they let the senior manager go they will have to pay her redundancy and a lengthy noticed period as she has worked there for a long time but for me they just have to give me a week’s notice and no redundancy which they could easily do.

I keep trying to work out if it goes to consultation/notice and they make the decision for the end of furlough then they will have to tell the senior manager her job is at risk within the next 2 weeks (she’s been with them 5 years so would need 5 weeks notice). Is that right? But if they did that I wouldn’t necessarily even know.

I guess I am just trying to prepare myself for the worst but it is massively triggering my anxiety- I’m not sleeping very well and waking up with migraines every day.
Just don’t know if I am better to look for a new role now - be proactive? But I also don’t want to give up on this role as they stuck by me by keeping me on through lockdown....

 

[Italy2]

So this may be a bit of a long one and actually probably not something anyone can offer any insight into but it is really playing on my mind at the moment and hoping you might be able to offer another perspective or if you work in HR be able to advise on how things are worked out.

So I started my job in March just before lockdown and luckily I have worked all the way through. There are 3 on our team. Me, a senior manager and a director (I am lowest level of the 3 of us). The senior manager has been on furlough since April.


I am convinced that we will not go back to a team of 3 as we are contracted into a client who pays a management fee for us and they are currently paying a reduced fee. They have already made mass redundancies across their business so I cannot see them increasing our management fee again now that we have managed for 6 months with just 2 of us.


I have spoken to my boss about my worries that it will be a matter of “last in, first” out but both she and another manager have said they love working with me and they would fight to keep me. But I just don’t know if the business will see it that way? If they let the senior manager go they will have to pay her redundancy and a lengthy noticed period as she has worked there for a long time but for me they just have to give me a week’s notice and no redundancy which they could easily do.

I keep trying to work out if it goes to consultation/notice and they make the decision for the end of furlough then they will have to tell the senior manager her job is at risk within the next 2 weeks (she’s been with them 5 years so would need 5 weeks notice). Is that right? But if they did that I wouldn’t necessarily even know.

I guess I am just trying to prepare myself for the worst but it is massively triggering my anxiety- I’m not sleeping very well and waking up with migraines every day.
Just don’t know if I am better to look for a new role now - be proactive? But I also don’t want to give up on this role as they stuck by me by keeping me on through lockdown....

Sorry that you are in this situation but I don't think it will hurt for you to look for a new role? You could just not take the new opportunity if they offered and stick with your job but if you do get made redundant then you can take up the new opportunity. I don't think you are not being loyal to your job if you are looking out for yourself. No one wants to be jobless and in debt.

 

[Paradisefalls]

Sorry that you are in this situation but I don't think it will hurt for you to look for a new role? You could just not take the new opportunity if they offered and stick with your job but if you do get made redundant then you can take up the new opportunity. I don't think you are not being loyal to your job if you are looking out for yourself. No one wants to be jobless and in debt.

Thank-you for replying and I think you are right - I do need to look out for myself. Business will do what is right for them ultimately so I need to do the same.

 

[Blahblahahaaa77]

Sorry I’ve been super quiet since I started this thread!

Just an update.... they kept 3 out of us 8 of us on and promised to pay us 2 months as a ‘redundancy package’ ... they then said that they couldn’t remember saying that and were giving us nothing (I was furious!), luckily I had recorded the meeting on my phone so I sent it to the CEO and today I got paid the full 2 months and got an apology from the VP of Sales .... it was just a bank transfer and we’ve had no letter or any form of documentation to say we’ve actually been made redundant but I’m just happy with a little bit of money! I’m hoping it’s then end to the chapter!

On a more positive note, the jobs market seems to be much more fruitful than I expected, so if the worst does happen there are many more opportunities out there!

 

[Shestheman22]

The prospect of being made redundant always scares me because I get the feeling my employer doesn’t care who you are or how hard you work, they just do what is best for them. I get that’s how business works but they don’t care about us at all.

I work at head office for a retail business, a couple of years ago they got rid of about 6 managers just like that. They turned up to work on a normal day to be told their job didn’t exist any more. By the end of the day all their access and accounts had been deleted.

Team Leader A was told that a second team leader role was being created on her team. So they moved Team Leader B into this role and A&B worked together for about a month I think. At which point Team Leader A was one of the above that was suddenly made redundant after 20+ years service, most people liked her and she was a great manager. So Team Leader B was clearly sneakily brought in as a replacement, she only had a couple of years service. She’s still in the role now but god knows why, she is known to be lazy and delegates pretty much all of her work to those below her. It was shocking how they treated A.

 

[Hello Kitty]

The prospect of being made redundant always scares me because I get the feeling my employer doesn’t care who you are or how hard you work, they just do what is best for them. I get that’s how business works but they don’t care about us at all.

I work at head office for a retail business, a couple of years ago they got rid of about 6 managers just like that. They turned up to work on a normal day to be told their job didn’t exist any more. By the end of the day all their access and accounts had been deleted.

Team Leader A was told that a second team leader role was being created on her team. So they moved Team Leader B into this role and A&B worked together for about a month I think. At which point Team Leader A was one of the above that was suddenly made redundant after 20+ years service, most people liked her and she was a great manager. So Team Leader B was clearly sneakily brought in as a replacement, she only had a couple of years service. She’s still in the role now but god knows why, she is known to be lazy and delegates pretty much all of her work to those below her. It was shocking how they treated A.

This sounds very similar to my old job, they done everything you have mentioned and more - I won't go into it as it will definitely give my identity away!

 

[OnlyHereForTheLolz]

Sorry I’ve been super quiet since I started this thread!

Just an update.... they kept 3 out of us 8 of us on and promised to pay us 2 months as a ‘redundancy package’ ... they then said that they couldn’t remember saying that and were giving us nothing (I was furious!), luckily I had recorded the meeting on my phone so I sent it to the CEO and today I got paid the full 2 months and got an apology from the VP of Sales .... it was just a bank transfer and we’ve had no letter or any form of documentation to say we’ve actually been made redundant but I’m just happy with a little bit of money! I’m hoping it’s then end to the chapter!

On a more positive note, the jobs market seems to be much more fruitful than I expected, so if the worst does happen there are many more opportunities out there!

I'm so pleased for you! This is why I always say record conversations and be super polite. Because you can use it against them and your' side will be clean!

So this may be a bit of a long one and actually probably not something anyone can offer any insight into but it is really playing on my mind at the moment and hoping you might be able to offer another perspective or if you work in HR be able to advise on how things are worked out.

So I started my job in March just before lockdown and luckily I have worked all the way through. There are 3 on our team. Me, a senior manager and a director (I am lowest level of the 3 of us). The senior manager has been on furlough since April.


I am convinced that we will not go back to a team of 3 as we are contracted into a client who pays a management fee for us and they are currently paying a reduced fee. They have already made mass redundancies across their business so I cannot see them increasing our management fee again now that we have managed for 6 months with just 2 of us.


I have spoken to my boss about my worries that it will be a matter of “last in, first” out but both she and another manager have said they love working with me and they would fight to keep me. But I just don’t know if the business will see it that way? If they let the senior manager go they will have to pay her redundancy and a lengthy noticed period as she has worked there for a long time but for me they just have to give me a week’s notice and no redundancy which they could easily do.

I keep trying to work out if it goes to consultation/notice and they make the decision for the end of furlough then they will have to tell the senior manager her job is at risk within the next 2 weeks (she’s been with them 5 years so would need 5 weeks notice). Is that right? But if they did that I wouldn’t necessarily even know.

I guess I am just trying to prepare myself for the worst but it is massively triggering my anxiety- I’m not sleeping very well and waking up with migraines every day.
Just don’t know if I am better to look for a new role now - be proactive? But I also don’t want to give up on this role as they stuck by me by keeping me on through lockdown....

Tbh with you I think your job will be fine They tend to make cuts from the top most of the time. I have a feeling one of your superiors will get the chop as they are probably earning a lot more than you, and you are doing the same job they are

 

[TheScarletgirl]

A work colleague and I were made redundant on the basis we were most likely to leave soon .. I also found out the boss told the whole office what she was planning to do a month before she told those affected .

Employer's can be so cruel.