Check list

SomeBozo

My company helps other companies to streamline costs and make savings.

Part of this process is reducing staff numbers and makeing redundancies.

My business is very busy at the moment and whilst companies like Woolworths and MFI make the headlines, the smaller business don't and involve as much heartbreak.

I am shocked when I work with these companies that they don't often have defined policies for sickness, capability and redundancy.

If you are employee going through the redundancy route, heres a small checklist :

1) Make sure you keep your recent payslips safe. They should detail your annual salary, with tax and NI contributions.

2) Make sure you have a contract! If you have been there more than 6 months with no other circumstances mitigating, you should have one. Informal arrangements are all well and good until work dries up.

3) Know who you line manager is!

4) Know how your role fits into the organisation.

5) If you feel the prospect of redundancy coming, start preparing now. This means a new CV, and applying for jobs. You can always turn down later. When a company makes redundancies, other places are swamped with applications, you need to be first.

6) Take advantage of the employers offer of finding work. We provide telephones, internet connection and letters of paticulars for employees of firms we work for. I am surprised how often they are not used.
On the days leading up to redundancy we can offer employees firm leads and even let them leave with a letter stating their employment dates, salary and position. Try getting them when a company has ceased trading.
We also make sure employees leave with forms and tel numbers for benefits.

7) Build up an emergency fund so that a small period of unemployment can be handled (would suggets 3 months).

8) Make yourself indespensible.

Bozo