Calling All August 2009 Brides!!!

stephk_2

Hi Sammy_Girl,

You don’t have to post the details if you don’t want to but it doesn’t sound like your company has gone through any proper kind of consultation process here. From what I can remember you work in a recruitment agency? Which means you will probably only get statutory redundancy (£350 for every completed year of service) – I have a few friends in recruitment who have been made redundant and they only got statutory. This also means you need 2 years service before you are eligible for redundancy so I am guessing you do otherwise your company might have had a different conversation with you. What should happen is that the company announce to all affected employees that there might be a possibility of redundancies due to x reason and put everyone ‘at risk’ of redundancy. Then you start individual consultation – during the 30 day consultation period, that is when ideas are put forward between employer and individual, such as the possibility of taking a 50% pay cut. This is not viable for you, so in the event that the redundancy is confirmed, this is not voluntary redundancy. A consultation period has taken place and the employment relationship cannot continue but it was the employers decision to make staff cuts. They haven’t done this right and so it could be seen as voluntary redundancy by your insurers and they will use it as an excuse not to pay you so you must ask your employer to go through a proper consultation period (I am happy to speak offline about this if you want to PM me – I work in HR).

Voluntary redundancy can occur when the employer announces that people are at risk and then they invite people to volunteer to be made redundant – it has its pros and cons which I wont go into here. This is not what has happened if I am reading correctly.

You love your job but is it really worth working for 50% of the pay? If I was faced with this decision, I would take the redundancy and sit at home with the insurance payout looking for work. At least you have this insurance and you will be able to plan your wedding and look for another job. The market will pick up again and you will get an even better job. Good luck with your decision.

Sammy_Girl

Thanks Steph and Blonde

Blonde - yes thats pretty much the options. But because my company isnt very big, if I wanted to take redundancy then they would do all the appropriate paperwork and legal stuff so that I can claim on my insurance.

Steph - Thanks for all the detailed knowledge. Theres no doubt that proper procedures aren't being followed, but because it is a smaller company and theres no aminosity involved on either side, I've no bad feelings. I completely understand that its not personal - its just that they cannot afford to pay me! Incidentally, I'm not a recruitment consultant - I think that was Sexki11en!!

I've been quite reflective today. Taking a 50% cut is a huge hit and would take me back to a salary that I was earning 7 years ago - I like to think I've progressed in my career since then! I called my insurers today to check some things about the policy and to cut a long story short my monthly benefit wouldn't be as much as I thought so. Basically, they pay out 125% of my mortgage, and when I took out the policy my mortgage was on a fixed rate of £1040, but now my mortgage is on a tracker and is currently £689. So they would only pay out 125% on the £689 which then comes in less than my 50% paycut. So financially, I would be better off (by about £50 :rolleyes:) taking the pay cut. I think I'm peeved because I'll be doing the same work and the same hours for less than I have been doing it for the past 2 years - must be a psychological thing!

Anyway, as my mum says, it would be better to have a job that pays less than 50% than to not have a job in this current climate. So I think I will stick with it and see how the situation is after the wedding - and hopefully revert back to my usual salary. This week will be my 2 year anniverssary with the company and when we come to remortgage it would be much better for me to have my continuous employment.

At the end of the day, the money will still cover my mortgage, student loan and min payments on my ccs. The wedding and honeymoon is now sorted. It just means that I will have to cut my cloth accordingly and not go shopping and generally fritter my money away. H2B already pays all household bills - so he'll just have to chip in for my lunch money lol.

But I know one thing, I won't be working longer hours or doing loads of work at home. I may be understanding to the company's problems but I'm not stupid lol

Anyway, thanks for listening. I know I've just been rambling but its been good to get it off my chest. At the end of the day, at least I'm still getting a wage, I have a roof over my head and am marrying the love of my life

stephk_2

Thats great, I am glad you have worked it out in your mind. If the company is that small they probably dont know about procedures, also as you say, there is no animosity and they probably feel terrible about what is happening. I am sure it will all be fine soon if you can manage on the lower wage for a while (and the continuous employment will definitely get you a better mortgage deal if you are due to remortgage soon).

val_84

Hey Sammy,

Sorry to hear about the job. I am in a similar situation but I dont really have the option of paycut its just the redundancy for me. At least the wedding isnt affected.
If it were me I wouldtake the paycut but just keep an eye out for a new job as it is easier to find one if your already employed.

Hope everything works out ok

Sammy_Girl

Crikey, found this thread all the way down on page 3 lol. I swear there's a lot more activity on this board than last year. Yay to the moneysaving brides

Thanks Val. I'm feeling a lot better now actually. I've accepted the pay cut and just have to get on with it really - no point moping around. I am thankful for what I do have, and my situation could be a lot worse. And hopefully it will only be temporary. And God love my mum, because she has done something extra special that makes me love her more than ever

So, full steam ahead on the wedding. This Friday wil be 3 MONTHS TO GO FOR AUG 15 BRIDES!!!!!!!!! I cant believe we're down to 3 months already. I must say I'm very impressed with my guests - they're being very good with their RSVPs. Esp as I didn't put RSVP cards in the invites. Deadline is 31 May so I don't think I'll have to chase too many people up :T

The next drama with my hair is this weekend. Take out extensions, give roots a good seeing to, and then new extensions back in. I will get there even if it means spending the whole of days off at the hairdressers lol. And I def need to get the make up sorted. I feel I've made headway as my sister has agreed to get her eyebrows waxed a couple of days before the wedding (shes a BM). We're not blessed with good eyebrow genes and they can get very unruly if not tamed - and my sis is not a girly girl so doesnt normally bother taming them lol.

Ooh, The Apprentice tonight. Thats so my favourite TV programme. Hope Kate gets the flick tonight

blonde36er

Sammy_Girl wrote: »

And God love my mum, because she has done something extra special that makes me love her more than ever

Come on the Sammy, share!

SmlSave

Glad to hear things are going well sammy, thanks for reminding me to get my eyebrows sorted!

sexki11en

Really glad to hear you're getting sorted Sammy_Girl.

Well, i'm not making much headway. I emailed my venue on Monday with suggestions on how to reduce the package and got an auto reply saying she was off Monday. Fair enough, but i'm still waiting to hear back.

In other news, I have just received delivery of my FG headdresses. £2 each from Ebay and I LOVE them. The girls are going to look SO cute.

I also have my hair trial this weekend. I had to wait till I went to visit the folks as my friend who is doing the hair, lives 200 miles away in my hometown of Grimsby. I'm going this weekend as my sister gave birth to my nephew so we're going to see him :j

We still haven't sent the invites although we've had them 2 weeks. I'm still abit hesitant till I know whats going on with the venue tbh.

I also need to decide what we're doing about the florist since mine cancelled. I'm leaning towards ordering from Sarahs flowers because once the ceremony and pics are over, who'se gonna care about flowers?

BM dresses are still a bone of contention. I have friends all over the country checking Primark for the ones JayJay posted about. So far we've checked: Bristol, Birmingham, Oxford St, Bluewater in Kent and Grimsby with no joy. Looks like we'll be shelling out £50 each from Landy, which isn't too bad, but with 4 BM's.....

Aghhhhh, don't mention eyebrows to me. I've been trying to grow mine out so I can have a nicer shape. The right one is growing back, but the left one isn't :eek::rotfl: I look a right state at the moment lol. The things we do eh?

I hope everyone else is getting on well and not having stress. 101 days to go for me :eek:

SK xxx

val_84

Hey Guys,

Hope all is well, god I cant believe its 3months for the aug 15th brides, I will also be on holiday this time in 8 weeks! Cant wait!. lol

Sex Ki11en I will check my Primark in Liverpool for you next time I get chance, Might be weekend after next but will see if can find the dresses for you. What colour did you want them in? Have you also tried ebay to see if anyone else has bought the dress and decided to sell it?

I am still waiting for loads of RSVPs mostly from OHs lot, not sure if thats coz they havent bothered or he just hasnt remembered to tell me but on the plus side he has also FINALLY sorted out his 2 jobs of the hotel room and the DJ

sexki11en

val_84 wrote: »

Sex Ki11en I will check my Primark in Liverpool for you next time I get chance, Might be weekend after next but will see if can find the dresses for you. What colour did you want them in? Have you also tried ebay to see if anyone else has bought the dress and decided to sell it?

Hey Val, what a kind offer, you are a sweetheart. I'd like them in the red, i'll double check sizes but I need on in a 2 in a 14, one in a 16 and probably one in an 18 but those are just guesses. I'll check with my girls and update when I know for sure.

SK x