Real life MMD: Should I take the redundancy money?

avaroe

Making yourself voluntarily reundant can affect your redundancy payment as technically it is you handing in your notice. So it will be up to the employer if they want to give it or not.

More seriously from April the right to go to employment tribunal if something goes wrong increases from having to be with your employer from 1 year to 2 (except for certain cases like discrimination). So if you have worked with your current employer for more than a year (as you are offered a redundancy payment i am assuming you have) you have some very good rights, whereas your new employer could get rid of you for any reason under 2 years.

So the question is, if something goes wrong in the new job what will you do?

I stand corrected by Jotorr, taken from citizens adviceguide

'Where jobs are to disappear, an employer may ask for employees to volunteer for redundancy. Even if you take voluntary redundancy, it will still count as a dismissal and your employer must still follow the proper procedures. You won't lose any right you may have to redudancy pay.
If you volunteer for redundancy, it is up to your employer whether they actually select you.
Get expert advice about whether it's worth choosing voluntarily redundancy.'

What i will say that in the above is when they offer voluntary redundancy, from your info you are asking for vol red not being offered. So your payment may still be affected also from goverment website:

'If you have been selected for redundancy you may find a new job elsewhere before your redundancy notice period has finished. If you leave the job you are being made redundant from before your notice period has finished, you may lose your rights to a statutory redundancy payment'

What amazes me is that a lot of the reponses are to take the money, the situation is never that simple. What happens if the payment is affected, what happens if you dont like the job, what happens if the new business has problems? To take the money and run when you are in a secure job (from the info given) seems a bit worrisom without asking more questions. Seek advice before asking! You can get this from ACAS or a CAB or if you have the money an employment solicitor,

cuba2008

I don't see a problem with taking the money - if the company are saying either voluntary or compulsory redundancies what's the difference? Even though you believe your own job is safe, it could well be that the company has other ideas and criteria for choosing who to make redundant. I can actually think of one particular large multi national company near our home who made redundancies - people were given the option of volunteering before it became compulsory and many people with long service took it. They all got a very nice pay off thank you very much and the company then took quite a few of them back on a new long term temporary contract, so they got the pay out and kept their jobs. Many of those who didn't stay had other jobs already lined up.

jotorr

Having been through redundancy myself last year and acting as an employee rep during the consultation period I feel confident in disagreeing with the earlier comment that volunteering equates to handing in your notice - not true - you are simply asking to be considered for redundancy (and may be rejected) and it won't alter your entitlement to a payout.
Back to the original question - definitely take it - you will be saving the job of someone who may not be able to afford to lose it.

smcqis

No brainer im as honest as they come and if you voluntarily make yourself redundant you are entitled to the money regardless if you have another job lned up. At end of the day its your reward for the time you have out in at the company and your reward for letting someone else keep their job

19lottie82

Take the money. It's only 2k, not like 20.

If anyone told me they wouldn't I'd think they were mad, or a liar.

Evilbadger

Take the money. If your VS is accepted, then you will likely be saving a compulsory redundancy elsewhere. I'd make sure your offer was watertight before handing in your request though!

Ebenezer_Screwj

This is not a lot of money to gamble with on a job offer you are just "expecting". You have a good history with your present employer and probably have better long term prospects than going elsewhere. There is no ethical dilemma here in accepting redundancy money, anyway it's none of your colleague's business is it ?

bennett2kuk

Our company went through redundancy recently. Redundancy is your no matter what but if they pay you PILON (Payment in lieu of notice) and you join a similar company within a set period of time this was repayable I think. There was a lot of hoo haa about it and to be honest I don't know how many people were affected as I didn't get made redundant in the end.
I would just wait until this new job offer is confirmed, then of course I'd take the redundancy.

jamespir

if you want to leave the job cause you have another thats your choice those being made redundant dont have that choice therefore you should not take the money

N.I.M

Take it and run, assuming this job offer is solid. Companies have no loyalty to employees anymore, why the heck should employees be loyal to them. Business ethics are VERY different to real world morals and ethics.