Being made Redundant after Interview - Help ?

Fresh_Beginnings

Hi

I was wondering if anyone could offer me any advice please ?

Briefly the company I work for has restructured and combined a Manager and Supervisory role into a new Manager role. There were 14 staff in these roles and we all had to reapply for the new job.

The Interview day was a presentation, writing a letter and an Interview. The Interview itself gave no oppotunity to sell yourself as it was all scenarios and recalling situations. I have 14 years service in the Managers role, no sickness for 8 years and have always tried to be a very commited and loyal employee. I was extremely nervous on the day and probably didn/t come across as well as I could have and I have been told I was unsuccessful for the new role and in fact three of the supervisory staff have been offered the new mangement roles.

I am totally devastated and am worried that one of the reasons I have not been successful is that I am not as popular with my boss as some of the other staff are ? When the jobs were first announced many of the staff were already saying that one person in particular was almost guarenteed a job as they were friendly with the manager. In the Interview day we were told that this person had asked to go first - we were then told that the two staff with children would go first instead of in alphabetical order - the first person would have been first anyway and the staff member that had asked would have been third.... I was third in the end and when I finished this person was still sat in the office waiting for everyone else. i know I cannot make excuses but that pushed my interview to after lunch and i got myself so nervous over lunch !

I am now expected to work for a further few monthes in my role until I am officially made redundant. I feel this is now an intolerable situation as I will mostly be working with staff who are going to be promoted into my role (albeit with a new title) .

I am sorry if I haven/t made things very clear - am just so upset :-(

I suppose what I am asking is

- Is it right that the new job is given purely on that days Interview ?

- Can I ask to finish now and still claim my redunancy ( this makes me very sad as I will not have the oppotunity to say my goodbyes to everyone )


Many Thanks for any advice .

Jarndyce

Sorry to hear your news - this must all have been very stressful for you.

Firstly, I'm afraid that yes the company are entitled to base a redundancy selection on an interview process only, providing of course that this has been carried out fairly and objectively. These are new roles and the employer is entitled to select on the basis of assessing suitability for those future roles, rather than looking back at factors such as seniority (which is potentially discriminatory anyway) and sickness records.

You are entitled to ask to see your own scores from the interview and contest your selection by way of appeal. However this is always going to be difficult as you are not entitled to see the scores of the other candidates. And I'm sorry, but none of the issues you mention surrounding the interview appear to suggest to me that the process was inherently unfair.

The employer is also obliged to consider suitable alternative employment for you during your notice period - if there is a possibility of other work elsewhere in the company coming up during this time you should keep an eye out for anything potentially suitable.

Finally, if you have really had enough and would rather just leave now, the employer may consider a request for you leaving on a Compromise Agreement and/or paying you in lieu of notice - if you are in a union they can ask on your behalf otherwise you would need to raise this yourself.

smileylondongal

I agree with the poster above, I'm afraid. I'd try and work out your notice with your employer if you can and you are entitled for reasonable time off to attend interviews elsewhere in the time you have left.

Fresh_Beginnings

Thanks both of you !

I think I am going to ask to see my own scores just for my own peace of mind and see if the company will let me leave this week :-(

And then I start job Hunting :eek::eek:

daisyf_2

I've recently had a similar situation and was made redundant - the whole team where i worked wasnt put through restructure just myself and my manager and it was really obvious we were not the teams managers favourites. Two posts went down to one and I was so furious about the whole situation that i decided to go for redundancy and not even apply for the one post. Luckily it was accepted.

See your scores and dont take it personally.

I had to work 6 months until I could leave - so I spent the time doing courses, job interviews and also setting my own part time business. i also had to make sure that I technically in my mind left the job so made sure my mind set was at a happy place. I made a mental note of what i wouldnt miss about the place - and it worked.

I know they give you the old rubbish of its the job that is going not you but everyone still takes it personally....

I left last Friday and the first week has been fab - I've gone through three redundancies now - two as voluntary and things are always better on the other side xxxx

Fresh_Beginnings

I feel terrible today - I just don/t know what to do at all. I have to make a decision over the weekend as to whether to try and work until october - having to work with 3 staff who are being promoted into my role in November or ask to go and obviously lose about 3 monthes salary !

I trawled internet job sites yesterday and couldn/t see to find anything that remotely interested me - I am trying to find some positivity but it is so difficult.

I don/t how I am going to continue - I guess they will expect me to handover all of my jobs and things that I have actually created such as a monthly reward scheme , a newsletter and a staff group.

My head is just all over the place

Jarndyce

Fresh_Beginnings wrote: »

I feel terrible today - I just don/t know what to do at all. I have to make a decision over the weekend as to whether to try and work until october - having to work with 3 staff who are being promoted into my role in November or ask to go and obviously lose about 3 monthes salary !

I trawled internet job sites yesterday and couldn/t see to find anything that remotely interested me - I am trying to find some positivity but it is so difficult.

I don/t how I am going to continue - I guess they will expect me to handover all of my jobs and things that I have actually created such as a monthly reward scheme , a newsletter and a staff group.

My head is just all over the place

Nobody suggested that - the option suggested was to seek a Compromise Agreement or PILON so that you still get the money (salary in lieu of notice pay AND your redundancy payment) but get to go early. Whatever you do don't agree to go early for less!

Fresh_Beginnings

Hi

I know - they are just saying I have to either work till the end of October in what I consider to be an impossible situation or go now and only be paid to now :-(

Jarndyce

Fresh_Beginnings wrote: »

Hi

I know - they are just saying I have to either work till the end of October in what I consider to be an impossible situation or go now and only be paid to now :-(

Ah right so you have run the other options by them and they've said no. Well that's their right I'm afraid so yes, you have those two choices.

greenbee

Firstly check your contract for details of your notice period. If they have the option to pay you in lieu of notice, then you can go now and take the money. If they don't have this option then they can either offer you gardening leave (they pay you, you don't go into work but can't work anywhere else and have to be available at reasonable notice if they do want you to go in... So if you want to go on holiday you would have to use annual leave as normal) or offer to pay you to go straight away via a compromise agreement.

Remember, if you do choose to work the next three months you are entitled to use a reasonable amount of time to job hunt... You can use their facilities to do your job search and take time away from the office to shop for interview clothes, research company locations/commuting routes, prepare for interviews, go to interviews etc. But don't accept a job until you've had formal notification that you have been made redundant, otherwise you may be deemed to have quit and not get any redundancy money you are due.

Presumably they have given you details of the proposed package?

But don't worry, every time I've been made redundant I've gone on to something better, so it doesn't have to be as scary as it currently seems!

SarEl

greenbee wrote: »

Firstly check your contract for details of your notice period. If they have the option to pay you in lieu of notice, then you can go now and take the money. No you can't - the option is the employers and not the employees.

If they don't have this option then they can either offer you gardening leave (they pay you, you don't go into work but can't work anywhere else and have to be available at reasonable notice if they do want you to go in... So if you want to go on holiday you would have to use annual leave as normal) or offer to pay you to go straight away via a compromise agreement. But the employer has already refused to shorten the notice period.

Remember, if you do choose to work the next three months you are entitled to use a reasonable amount of time to job hunt... It isn't a choice - the employer can insist, and they have.

You can use their facilities to do your job search and take time away from the office to shop for interview clothes, research company locations/commuting routes, prepare for interviews, go to interviews etc. Reasonable time, not as much time as you want! You make it sound like the OP can sepnd the next three months shopping! If the OP is seen to be taking the !!!! then they can still be disciplined or dismissed!

But don't accept a job until you've had formal notification that you have been made redundant, otherwise you may be deemed to have quit and not get any redundancy money you are due. No. Don't accept another job until you are within the statutory notice period, then serve formal counter-notice - otherwise if they get wind of the job offer they could rescind the redundancy!

Presumably they have given you details of the proposed package?

But don't worry, every time I've been made redundant I've gone on to something better, so it doesn't have to be as scary as it currently seems!

I agree with the last bit - it may be a terrible shock right now, but it may be the start of something new and more exciting for you. Use your time now to plan your strategy for landing that next job.