002 | Handling redundancies (of less than 20 people) with confidence, with Julie Jones

Do you ever wish you had an employment lawyer sitting next to you, who you could turn to with any questions?

Well - today you have one! In this episode, Fay speaks to employment lawyer, Julie Jones who answers the top 10 questions she is asked by HR teams about getting redundancies right (where fewer than 20 people are losing their roles).

She shares her advice and 'must know' information for anyone faced with arranging redundancies. And even if you don't have any redundancies looming immediately, it's well worth listening to the episode to store away her tips for the future.

Key Points From This Episode

[00:06] How to make handling redundancies feel easier from an emotional perspective.

[00:08] What to do if more people put themselves forward for voluntary redundancy when you have more volunteers than needed, without upsetting anyone.

[00:11] Why team building activities are a good idea for the employees who 'survive' the redundancy process.

[00:13] Can you have a selection pool of one when making redundancies?

[00:13] The five fair reasons for making redundancies.

[00:17] Helpful ideas to protect the organisation from losing in an employment tribunal.

[00:18] How to determine a criteria for selection.

[00:23] Answering the question, "Can employers avoid making redundancies if their employees are on zero hours contracts?"

[00:26] Dealing with individual consultation for someone who is on maternity leave.

[00:28] Rehiring for the same role (but at a later date).

[00:31] Rules around 'bumping'.

[00:35] Important timings to be aware of when an employee is trialling a new/alternative role.

[00:39] Redundancy payment requirements when ending a fixed term contract.

[00:43] Julie's top book recommendation

Rate & Review the Podcast

If you found this episode of HR Coffee Time helpful, I'd be hugely grateful if you would consider rating and reviewing the show on Apple Podcasts, as this helps encourage Apple to show the podcast to more people.

If you are kind enough to give me a review, please do let me know, so that I can say 'thank you'. You can always reach me at: fay@brightskycareercoaching.co.uk

Enjoyed This Episode? Don't Miss the Next One!

Be notified each time a new episode of HR Coffee Time is released and get access to other free career tips, tools and resources by signing up to receive my free weekly HR Coffee Time email.

Useful Links

• Bright Sky Career Coaching website
• Connect with Fay on Linkedin
• Connect with Julie Jones on LinkedIn
• Starford Legal HR’s website
• Julie's book recommendation: "Alchemy - the surprising power of ideas that don't make sense" by Rory Sutherland

Other Bright Sky resources to help with redundancies:

• 9 ways to help employees facing redundancy
• Alternatives to redundancy - things to consider first
• How occupational charities could help during difficult times
• Understanding and supporting staff when making redundancies

Mentioned in this episode:

Kara Connect - Help When It's Needed Most

Menopause, grief, ADHD, relationship breakdown... Every day, employees dealing with these situations are turned away by their EAP because they didn't qualify for counselling. When someone finally asks for help, they deserve better. Visit Kara Connect, where no employee is ever turned away.

Kara Connect

Free Strategic HR Sprint

Join the free Strategic HR Sprint and set yourself up for strategic success. 5 easy-to-implement ideas delivered to your inbox across 5 days.

The Strategic HR Sprint