Criteria Selection - Redundancy

MissLondon

I'm hoping someone can help me, I work for a well known firm that is making a large number of people redundant, the department I work for is looking to reduce costs and has put people forward for redundancy. Because my collegue and I have the same job role we were both put forward and scored against a criteria that my manager and line manager created. I believe the criteria was biased against me, and many questions reflected the same point just worded slightly differently. I am looking at appealing and in my last interview I requested the redundancy policy and details of the appeal process. I have since received an email from the HR man who says that there is not a redundancy policy currently in place and the old one is out of date and no longer valid, I am surprised and wonder if this is not a legally required document?

I have been at the company less than 2 years and they are offering a relatively decent redundancy package concidering I am not entitled to statuatory redundancy.

Has anyone been in a similar position or can advice me of how to tackle the appeal.

ceridwen

Hopefully someone will come along soon who can answer your questions. I dont think "surprised" is the word I would use about H.R. saying they have no redundancy policy in place - I would have thought it was a legal requirement too. I know my own employer has always had one in place - amended at intervals over the years.

It would be very odd indeed for a firm not to have one in place at this time - with the second Depression going on.

LittleVoice

MissLondon wrote: »

. . .I requested the redundancy policy and details of the appeal process. I have since received an email from the HR man who says that there is not a redundancy policy currently in place and the old one is out of date and no longer valid, I am surprised and wonder if this is not a legally required document?

I have been at the company less than 2 years and they are offering a relatively decent redundancy package concidering I am not entitled to statuatory redundancy. . . .

I am not aware of a legal requirement for a Redundancy Policy (unlike an H&S policy) but unless they have formally advised staff that a policy is no longer valid (and individuals have accepted the change to their contracts), then, provided it was in force at the time of your appointment, IMO it would still form part of your T&C of employment. You need to get more information on this part of your contract.

If they are offering a redundancy payment when you don't qualify under the statutory scheme then they must be applying some kind of policy - it's not out of thin air. So there is a policy - and I think you are probably quite lucky that there is.