Stitched up? - redundancy

Alison1965

This is a difficult one to explain, so I hope I get it out in one go, and any feedback on my legal position (if I have one) would be appreciated ....

I started employment with a company in Nov 2009 doing job A. (A job I had successfully done for 9 years for this company leaving in 2007 to pursue a different vocation until returning in 2009)

In June 10, I was asked to cover job B where the 2 people completing this job had left and left it in a mess. The company was due a Government audit February 2011 and because I was experienced in this area and the only qualified and competent person within the company to do it, I was asked to do this for 6 months returning to job A thereafter.

The 6 months passed, and Job A was no longer available to me, so we (the company and myself) agreed eventually, I would continue in Job B permanently for 3 days a week, and to help reduce external training costs I would take on training duties 2 days a week, starting January 2011.

The job in question is a specialised position and requires specialist qualifications.

Unfortunately, following a car accident I have been off sick since mid January, with little or no contact from my employer ( I have rang regularly to update on my situation, but my line manager is 'always' on annual leave and never returns my calls) other than to ask for my 'expert' advice and to request my permission for my medical records from my GP. Until Friday, that is, when i received a recorded delivery letter out of the blue saying the 'company was proposing to make my role redundant' ... they(the company) 'consider that they no longer have a requirement for the role I was carrying out' ... and my duties will be absorbed by my line manager and spread amongst existing staff, and that external consultants will be used for the training aspects of my role, as this is more effective.

All this happens to have come soon after the Government audit, that was successful, and following notification of a successful tender for work until 2014 from the Government.

The reason the company is making the redundancy is due to the economic climate.

I am not entitled to redundancy pay as I have not worked for them for 2 years. My query I suppose is ... does this all sound legal/fair, etc? or should I fight for my job?

I must admit, I feel a bit of a mug ... I feel this has been on the cards for a while... I saw the exact same thing happen to another member of staff early last year. Different Government audit, sorted out by an employee who worked hard to get the company into a good position for the audit, only to be made redundant soon after.

I have been invited to the first consultation meeting Friday, I have declined this as I am due to return from sick leave on the Monday, so they can pay me for my time.


Many thanks all

getmore4less

Sounds ok from what you have said.

Might need to fight your corner as part of consultation.

If they are using economic reasons then look to see if they are valid.

Are the training consultants readily availabe?
Have they been using them since you were off?

Another angle is to insist on being pooled with the person that has taken over roll A with a view to "bumping" them.

Alison1965

getmore4less wrote: »

Sounds ok from what you have said.

Might need to fight your corner as part of consultation.

If they are using economic reasons then look to see if they are valid.

Are the training consultants readily availabe?
Have they been using them since you were off?

Another angle is to insist on being pooled with the person that has taken over roll A with a view to "bumping" them.

Thanks, I will keep this in mind.

Re: the training consultants, they were used before I was appointed, unsure what they have done since I have been away. Guess I will find out Monday.