job advice please

Mischa8

Hi - would like some general advice please.

I have been working as a Legal Secretary for about 20 months now for a very small company.

I got the job through a family friend who also works 2 or 3 days a week as a Legal Secretary in a big city.

I've generally got on quite well in my current job - a few teething problems with certain people (small company etc with tendency to gossip both in and out of work and criticise) but generally I think things are going quite well.

I heard on the grapevine family friend Legal Secretary may be made redundant soon. She has also temped for our company (on her days off) and is *very friendly* with my boss and another colleague of mine (another legal secretary). In fact, I'm sure she'd grab my job if she could do so.

Anyway - would I have to be there 24 months (eg 2 years) to be *safe* and what other ways could they *get rid of me*?

I intend to look for another job anyway as I have lots of other skills and have worked for many years. Just seen too many horror stories on this board and wanted to *arm myself* of any cunning plans they may have. :eek:

McKneff

Stop worrying, to be honest I think youre being parnoid, she probably hasnt even given it a thought.
I dont knwo whether the legisltion is in or not about it being 2 years at the moment.

Stop worrying.

Mischa8

McKneff wrote: »

Stop worrying, to be honest I think youre being parnoid, she probably hasnt even given it a thought.
I dont knwo whether the legisltion is in or not about it being 2 years at the moment.

Stop worrying.

I think there may be an element of paranoia but she does know my boss and colleagues really well. When she temps with us she always waxes lyrical about how nice the area is, the shops, how convenient it is for her to travel to (it is A LOT nearer than her current job).

I just know how crafty some people can be. Hopefully she won't be made redundant and I won't have to worry but I was told by my colleague today (after I just made a friendly enquiry about the lady) that yes, it was possible X would be made redundant.

Having said that though, she is 60 (was set to retire this year), I don't know whether she wants to carry on working and for how long etc. I can just see from her POV that my job would be a very easy number even though mine is full time and her's is part time.

EconomicsGirl

If she was set to retire this year I really wouldn't worry - often people close to retirement (depending on personal circumstances) are happy to get a redundancy payout so they can retire early esp. if they get a large redundancy payment - redundancy payments are also tax free to £30k and you don't have expenses of working.

SarEl

You've had some good advice - and unless something actually happens it won't get any better! There is a point to start worrying. It is when something happens! We couldn't honestly tell you what to do about something that hasn't happened...

McKneff

EconomicsGirl wrote: »

If she was set to retire this year I really wouldn't worry - often people close to retirement (depending on personal circumstances) are happy to get a redundancy payout so they can retire early esp. if they get a large redundancy payment - redundancy payments are also tax free to £30k and you don't have expenses of working.

I was like this, I was made redundant out of the blue, 3 of us in the office, one lady ended up with nothing to do and my job was shared between 2 of them. She should have been made redundant, no doubt, there was no consultation, no nothing, I had earlier thought
retireing as I am now 62, but this came out of the blue, so to speak.
I had worked for them 25 years, was I bothered, was I 'eck, I walked away with a cheque instead of retirement. and getting nothing.

I could take them to a tribunal but what the heck, hopeflly the other lady will do the same.
Good luck and stop worrying, Its very unlikely to happen.