The Road Back….. A Guide To Tackling Redundancy

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If you’re reading this, chances are you’ve heard the ‘R’ word being mentioned at work and could soon be (or already are) out of a job. Fear not, there is hope. The first thing to do is to ensure you do not panic. :eek:

I’m 31 years old and I’ve just been informed by my current employer that due to a downturn in revenue my position is to be made redundant. This will be the third time in my career that I have been made redundant. :mad:

Rather than wallow in self pity, I’d like to use my experience from this process to help others. I’ll be creating a step by step guide from my own perspective in how to cover yourself financially whilst sharing ways of finding new employment. Along with this I’ll be documenting a live diary on my personal progress. And of course, the redundancy process is likely to be different for everyone and despite having gone through the process twice before, I am still finding new issues this time around which are new to me so I may also find myself seeking advice. Collectively I hope to bring support and advice to those of you who find yourselves in a similar situation.

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A Personal Background

I’m a 31 year old guy who has worked for over 13 years in the graphic design industry. During that time, I have been employed full-time by 5 different companies - 3 of these I have been made redundant from. I have been an employee at my current (soon to be past) place of work for 3 and a half years.

I own my own mortgaged 2 bedroom flat and live with my fiance! - we are getting married in 3 months (great timing huh?) We also have a honeymoon booked for March 2015. We share a car.

My fianc!e is currently self employed as the owner/manager of a local children’s day nursery. We currently have no children though would like to start a family in the near future.

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Step 1 - Protecting Your Mortgage Payments

If you’ve used your head, you would have protected your mortgage against redundancy by paying a small monthly premium. It is imperative that before anything else, you notify your mortgage lender of your situation and that you’ll need to claim on your PPI (payment protection insurance). In most cases the payments are retrospective so although it tends to take several weeks for your claim to be processed, your first payment will be back dated to the day after the termination of your employment - just ensure that all of this is communicated to your mortgage lender at every possible opportunity so that they have a record of dates. If your mortgage lender chooses to post the claim form to you, it will typically take 2-4 weeks for your to receive this. Once it is received, do not delay, fill it out and send back as soon as possible.

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Step 2 - Protecting Your Loan Payments

Similarly to your mortgage, if you have any loans, you would have done the sensible thing and taken PPI to protect your payments. As before, ensure you notify your loan provider as soon as possible. The claim process will work in the same way. Once you receive the claim form, fill it out and get it back to them as soon as possible.

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Step 3 - Signing On At The Job Centre

Whilst you are waiting for your PPI claims to be processed, it is recommended that you contact the Job Centre to notify them of your situation. In order for you to be able to claim PPI on your mortgage and any loans you may have, you will need to sign on at the job centre. In doing this, you will receive JSA (job seekers allowance), your stamp for NI (national insurance) will be paid and you’ll get help from the Job Centre advisors to aid you in finding new work. In addition to this, if you have a mortgage and have your payments protected against redundancy, they will provide you with an ABI1 form on a monthly basis which will confirm to your mortgage lender that you wish to claim on your PPI for your mortgage.
Before your mortgage and loan claims can be accepted, you will need to provide written confirmation from the Job Centre that you have signed on. This written confirmation will need to be posted along with your claim forms.

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Step 4 - Contact A Solicitor If Necessary

It is advised, particularly if your employer is willing to cover the cost, to seek advice from a solicitor. Depending on your redundancy process, you may be offered options of taking a settlement package or appealing against the termination of your employment. In either case, a solicitor will be able to advise on your situation. With regards to a settlement package it is always worth negotiating and naturally if there are any clauses that you are not happy with, a solicitor should help to contest any discrepancies.

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Step 5 - Update Your CV

Without a CV, you cannot apply for any jobs so it is important to get yours updated as soon as possible. If you're unsure on the content you should use or how to find the best way of selling yourself on paper, you can find plenty of information and help online. Alternatively, advisors at the Job Centre should be more than happy to help.
From my point of view, the most important section on a CV is your work experience, but of course this does depend on how much experience you have. If you've just come of of college or university then you will have little to no work experience and so in that situation, the education section will be the most important.
Be sure to highlight key skills, perhaps write a small profile about yourself, highlight your career objectives and if you feel it's relevant, it's also sometimes worthwhile pointing out your interests.

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Step 6 - Create a Cover Letter

Depending on the field of work you are applying for work in, you may need to produce a cover letter for your job applications - particularly if they are online.
Industries such as retail tend to have their own placation forms for you to fill out. However, it certainly won't do any harm attaching a cover letter to this as it will show how enthusiastically and seriously you are taking the application.
In the cover letter be sure to note the position you are applying for, a summary of your background and experience (don't go into too much detail as this should be covered in your CV) and your current availability.
Similarly to the CV, if you're having trouble getting it just right, help can be found online or at your Job Centre.