Having to make employees redundant is an unpleasant and scary task which requires employers to tread very carefully

When we hear the word 'redundancy' it is only natural to think of the impact on the person being made redundant, without regard for the difficulties inflicted upon the employer having to make those redundancies.

Redundancy is a difficult time for all parties involved and consequently AllWestSussexJobs offers you some advice to hopefully make the situation a little easier for those on the employer's side of the fence.

Before

Making a redundancy is never a spur of the moment decision and will often involve months of thought and consultation. Informing the employee of a redundancy should not be performed in haste either. There are a number of things to consider before meeting with the employee:

Know the law

Undoubtedly your decision to make a particular employee redundant will have been made in compliance with the legal requirements. It is vital that you have your legal obligations clear in your mind so you can structure your conversation around this. 

Be prepared

Work out exactly what you are going to say. Rehearse it through several times and be prepared to answer any questions that might be asked. This should also help you avoid any 'beating and the bush' which only prolongs the agony for the employee and heightens tension. Ensure that you have any documents you need to support your reasons for a particular employee being made redundant such as attendance records or performance reports. If you are making a number of different employees redundant then ensure you have considered each one individually and tailored your preparation accordingly.

During

Once you are fully prepared to speak with your employee(s) then there are a number of things to consider:

Be objective

People will react in different ways when informed of being made redundant. Some will become tearful, some may become angry whilst some may seem have little reaction at all. Be prepared for these reactions and don't take it personally. Make sure you give them sufficient time to absorb the information to allow them to ask any questions they may have.

Know the reasons

Before engaging in the conversation you should have made sure that you were fully aware of the rationale behind the decision to make them redundant. Keep this firmly in mind and do not deviate into any unnecessary personal comments. If you stick to the established reasons you will hopefully avoid saying anything which could be misconstrued or cause further upset or dispute later on.

Provide support

Where possible make use of any resources available within your company to provide extra practical or emotional support to those being made redundant. Also, have details of other organisations which may be able to help such as the Citizen's Advice Bureau (see resource box below for your nearest one). Don't forget that anything you can do to 'soften the blow' will help your company appear in a more positive light as well as assuaging some of the feelings of guilt you might be left with.

Top Tip: AllWestSussexJobs offers a comprehensive CV Writing Service – you may wish to consider contacting us to work with any employees that are being made redundant.

After

Once the redundancies have been made there are a number of things you can do to help both your employees and yourself. It is a difficult situation and all round so consider the following:

Provide practical help

Ask your employees about what help they might need. It may be that they need help with writing their CV or interview tips. Try asking around your contacts to see if you can find them a potential new job. You should also give them time off to attend interviews and provide them with good quality references.

Take a break

Delivering bad news such as redundancy is bound to impact heavily upon you. If you are having to deliver a number then it might be worth taking a break in between but you should also take a break after. By going for a walk or for a coffee you will be able to clear your mind and be in a better position to offer the support your staff will need. You might also take this time to talk things through with your colleagues.

Try to forget about friendships

If you are friends with your employees it can be difficult to set that aside if you are having to make them redundant. Friendship is likely to mean that an employee is more comfortable in expressing their anger and disappointment in front of you. This in turn may accentuate the negative feelings you are already experiencing. Make sure that you still stick to the rationale behind the redundancy and steer clear of telling them anything in confidence. If you feel that your friendship will prevent you from undertaking the redundancy properly then ask a colleague to sit in or do the talking for you.

Get help

Thousands are other managers are in the same situation but that won't always necessarily make you feel any better. We often become close to the people we work with and making redundancies can feel like a betrayal. If you are finding it difficult to move and are suffering from stress or depression then you may wish to consider speaking to a counsellor (see the resource box below) or an executive coach.

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