After a long period of economic downturn, caused by businesses having to close their doors during Lockdown, what is the future for your workforce?
Many businesses including ourselves have had to look at the way we operate, not only to ensure that our workforce is safe but how we can work efficiently during these unusual times. For some, having less ‘work’ has increased the need to make redundancies. This creates a problem in itself; how should redundancies be conducted during this time?
Firstly, even in these extreme circumstances you must ensure that you follow the correct process and everything is documented. An error can be costly with up to 52 weeks gross pay being awarded in cases of unfair dismissal.
Key pitfalls to be wary of include not having the correct selection pools, not consulting early enough, not adhering to consultation timescales and finally, selection criteria which discriminate against anyone with a protected characteristic.
These would be equally relevant during normal times, but what is different right now is how you deliver the news. Many companies have been turning to video calls. There is no legal barrier in doing this, but you need to be mindful of how you use platforms like Zoom.
At this time you need to be mindful of the person you are taking to, and understand that this is a difficult time for all. Video calls can be a very foreign concept to many. Be prepared for questions after the call as people feel more inhibited than if they were being consulted in person. With this in mind we would strongly recommend planning it on a day earlier in the week rather than on a Friday, where they won’t get any answers for a number of days.
You probably already know that video calls can be awkward, so factor this into your approach. There are fewer cues available to pick up on body language than in a face-to-face meeting. Yet it is harder for people to hide if they are upset than during a telephone call. There is also greater potential for embarrassing interruptions, or poorly timed screen freezing or lags.
If you have followed the correct processes it will not be a total surprise when you formally tell them they are being made redundant. Consultation calls exploring the options will have already taken place and this will have given them some chance to process the situation. This should help, but still take care to deliver the news sensitively. Providing outplacement support even if it is just helping to write their CV will make a world of difference to them and make the process less stressful for you.
If redundancies are something you are considering our friendly HR team is more than happy to help and support you through this process.