COVID redundancy and rehiring

beauty_in_colour

I’d appreciate some thoughts on how I should proceed with this. 

I was furloughed in March along with a number of colleagues a day before the government announced the lockdown. In June a few of my colleagues were asked to return to work and at the beginning of July a small number of us were invited to consultation meetings to be told our jobs were at risk. At the end of July I was given 7 weeks notice and my final redundancy package settled in September. 

Since July the company has been going through some restructuring and has gone on a hiring spree. A number of my colleagues have been asked to return to work. 

I found out a couple of days ago that my position has been replaced due to an increased workload.
Do I have a case for an employment tribunal, Shouldn’t  I have been offered my job back?. 

I think on a moral basis that the government offered the furlough scheme in good faith to help employers retain their employees during a difficult time. I am now seeking JSA and UC whilst some else is doing the job I was doing and which reasonably I would expect to be doing had covid not interrupted the flow.
I’d been working there for nearly 8 years. 

I have to mention following the redundancy   I moved 250 miles away as I had to plan to live with my changed circumstances. This fact was known to my employers but still would it have been reasonable to expect to be offered my job back? 

I’d appreciate your thoughts 
Many thanks 

lincroft1710

Firstly is it definitely the exact same job you were doing? In any case if you have moved 250 miles away, there would be little point in offering you your job back.

Timing is critical, if your job was found to be still needed before your final day of work and you could prove this, then you may have had a case unless of course you had announced you were moving.  

beauty_in_colour

Hi lincroft1710, many thanks for your response. 

Yes it is the same job, doing the same set of tasks and achieving the same set of results. 

I do appreciate your point about timing even though the move was to make sure I did not incur any debt with my private rented accommodation whilst unemployed. 

Of course the onus I imagine would be on me to prove  my job was needed before my final day of work and I did not move before this day as the terms of my notice were very clear that I should still be available for work. Other than being told by my colleagues how busy they were, I have no way of proving anything.

It’s a tricky situation and I don’t want to waste time and money if I don’t have a solid case. 

It’s a shame though as personally I feel many organisations have abused the spirit of the intent of the furlough system. 

C’est la vie... I will move on and seek new opportunities elsewhere.
Many thanks once again. 

Thrugelmir

Having accepted redundancy. There's no rights to being re-employed by the same employer again in the future. 

beauty_in_colour

Thanks Thrugelmir, I hardly accepted redundancy, more like had it thrust upon me but yes I get your point. 

Thanks once again 

Thrugelmir

Don't take it personally. Move on with your life.