Lied to at a redundancy meeting

Ballard

It was no surprise when my company announced last autumn that the office was to close and we were all to be made redundant. We all had individual meetings with the GM and owing to my holiday mine was last. I already knew that the payout was very poor.

When I had my meeting with the GM & HR I asked to record it on my phone which was agreed.

I have been asked to stay until the branch is finally closed (anticipated to be 30th September 2015) and they have agreed to pay me a taxable 'retention bonus' if I don't leave before this date (or if they decide that I'm no longer required).

I was told that everyone is getting statutory redundancy and I specifically asked what I would be offered if I were to leave immediately and was told simply the statutory. I pushed further and asked whether anyone at all was getting more than this and the reply was no. This is on the recording on my phone.

I knew at the time that this was untrue but had no proof. I now have proof because I made a redundancy payment to a colleague which was significantly higher. It didn't include his salary and in fact had a deduction of an outstanding personal loan. This was in my usual daily routine and I haven't snooped. I do, however, know this this is not an isolated case.

I'm thinking of asking my union to query it as I agreed to the 'retention bonus' on the grounds that everything that I was told in the meeting was true.

I've been at this company for 15 years and am disgusted with their handling of this whole thing.

Any advice would be welcomed.

System

I don't understand why you believe that they should divulge other staff payments at your meeting. It may well have changed after our meeting

They took the simple line as it was information you weren't entitled to be told. What did you want them to do? Say Fred is getting x, George is getting y. Or if they had said that different people were getting different amounts then you would have wanted to start digging.

What do you want out of it. You've got a retention bonus.

Grumpygit

You cannot use the information that you have in respect of your colleague - to you it should be numbers on a bit of paper.

Whilst you believe it affects you personally, it doesn't.

It is a payment in your normal course of work (from what you have said).

You could only act on it if your colleague told you directly what they had received - which no doubt they wouldn't.

Any payments made by the company to any other colleague is a matter between the company and them.

Yes, it can be very annoying when you see things and think it's not fair, why can't I get this or that - but that's the nature of your work and you have to accept it.

I see many things in my line of work in connection with colleagues (I am not in HR but Finance) and find them unfair but I can't challenge it as that would then impact on the role I have and I don't want to do that (ok, I am not leaving but the point is still the same)

Don't let it get into your head, it's life and just do your job to the best of your ability until you leave.

Ballard

I'm sorry I may not have made it clear. I didn't ask for specific information about everyone else. I was told that every member of staff was receiving the statutory minimum redundancy. I wanted to see my options had I left there and then but was told that if I did I would not receive anything more than statutory and that this was the same for everyone. This was a lie.

As far as I'm aware they are fully entitled to offer different packages to everyone but I don't feel that it's right to lie. Had she said that everyone had an individual assessment and it was deemed that I was only entitled to the minimum then that would be annoying but nothing more. The fact is that I was blatantly lied to. This formed a large part in my accepting the offer.

Grumpygit

If they had told you that other staff were getting individual packages, that would have made you even more inquisitive about what was on offer.

How do you know that your colleague was given only redundancy, no salary and the loan deduction - was it all split out on the paperwork that you received? If so, then that is very bad of HR, if it wasn't then how do you know what he was given?

Ballard

Grumpygit wrote: »

If they had told you that other staff were getting individual packages, that would have made you even more inquisitive about what was on offer.

How do you know that your colleague was given only redundancy, no salary and the loan deduction - was it all split out on the paperwork that you received? If so, then that is very bad of HR, if it wasn't then how do you know what he was given?

The salary was paid on the usual date with only the redundancy being paid on the last working date. This is the agreed procedure. He is a close personal friend and told me about his loan some time ago. He didn't disclose his redundancy package as that would have contravened the settlement agreement. Without the loan he still received a fair bit more than me and he's been there about half the time as I. He is a 3 or 4 years older but that would have made little difference.Our salaries were similar but both exceed the £464 (I think) cap anyway.

getmore4less

Ballard wrote: »

The salary was paid on the usual date with only the redundancy being paid on the last working date. This is the agreed procedure. He is a close personal friend and told me about his loan some time ago. He didn't disclose his redundancy package as that would have contravened the settlement agreement. Without the loan he still received a fair bit more than me and he's been there about half the time as I. He is a 3 or 4 years older but that would have made little difference.Our salaries were similar but both exceed the £464 (I think) cap anyway.

All bets are off, the company can't tell you either.

Takeaway_Addict

Everyone is getting statutory redundancy...just some are getting some more on top of this.

Ballard

I might ask my union for their opinion anyway. I'm not sure what the downside would be in my querying it. I have the information through the usual course of my work. They can't expect me not to notice but I haven't actually investigated. The fact is that I've been lied to. I don't expect to get any more money but I would like them to know that I'm aware that they've lied.

Ballard

Takeaway_Addict wrote: »

Everyone is getting statutory redundancy...just some are getting some more on top of this.

Yes. This is correct. I don't actually have too much of a problem with it. It's unfair but that's life. What I don't like is being lied to. That is completely wrong in my mind.

jonesMUFCforever

Ballard wrote: »

Yes. This is correct. I don't actually have too much of a problem with it. It's unfair but that's life. What I don't like is being lied to. That is completely wrong in my mind.

This type of thing is why you pay your union subs - use them!