When companies must make some of the employees redundant, it is not a decision made lightly. It is often the case that without letting some of their employees go, the business will go under, and to protect everyone’s jobs, it is best if some people are allowed to go and given a fair redundancy package. It can be challenging for a business when this happens, and it can create a division between employees and management.
When you plan to make people redundant, you will also need to ensure you comply with the law to avoid being taken to an employment tribunal. Below are some of the factors you will need to consider before starting the redundancy process and, unfortunately, letting employees go.
Before You Do Anything, Get Expert Advice
Before you make any rash decisions about making people redundant, you should first seek specialist legal advice on the matter. Many specialists offer UK business redundancy support that can help you avoid making mistakes and potentially opening your company up to a tribunal. There is a charge for these services, but you can get a lot of information free online. The service can save your company losing even more money in the event that you lose an employment tribunal. Find a reputable company that you can talk to about the situation, and they can help make your options much clearer, so you make the correct decisions and safeguard your business.
Create A Redundancy Policy For Your Business
The next step of the process is to ensure that your company has a fair redundancy policy and adheres to the laws in place to protect employees. There are legal companies you can use to help you draft this policy, and there are also places you can get free templates online that you can use. However, if you are using a free policy template you found online, once drafted, you will need to have it checked out by a legal professional to ensure it is legally binding and will stand up to scrutiny. Once you have this in place, you will need to share the policy with your employees, warn them of the situation, and work out who you will make redundant.
Deciding Who To Make Redundant
When you are deciding which employees you are going to make redundant, you need to leave your heart out of the equation and use your head to make the decision. You will need to consider many things when deciding on the pool of employees who are potentially facing redundancy. It is often best to get legal advice from employment law consultancy UK has as they can advise you on the best ways to do this, and you may need to allow employees to change their roles within your company. Once you have decided which jobs are at risk, you can use the following criteria to help you determine which employees are at risk.
- Skills
- Work Experience
- Attendance
- Disciplinary Record
- Standard Of Work Performance
- Aptitude
You should now be able to decide from your pool of employees who risk losing their jobs and start working through the process. Making people redundant is not a pleasant experience for anyone involved, but you need to ensure you stick to the law and prevent it from getting even worse when you are taken to a tribunal.