Anybody know anything about redundancy rights?

Jacks_xxx

Hiya, :wave:

My mum has had a part time job for the past three years of 16 hours a week.

On Monday the boss told everyone that business is booming, they're hiring in lots of new people and not to worry about the recession, and today my Mum was told that her job will be done by a piece of software from now on. (She's a purchasing clerk, she phones and emails suppliers and chases up orders.)

She was told that she could continue to do her job if she went full time - but my dad's not too well and she doesn't want to do that.

(They know that already as they are always asking her to do more hours.)

She has had no appraisals, no disciplinaries and no inkling that this was coming. She's really shocked and upset.

She said "So am I being made redundant then?

and they said "Ummmmmmmm....Ye-e-e-s"

as if they hadn't really considered it, and had just expected her to meekly leave when they told her they no longer had a job for her.

I just wondered if anybody knew how things ought to proceed from here as the company is a bit shonky and I don't trust them to do what they should.

Thank you.

Love Jacks xxx

PS As far as we know she is the only "redundancy" although another lady was sacked summarily recently - again with no disciplinaries or any lead up to it.

Mum_of_3_3

I would advise her to contact ACAS, I had to deal with them when I became redundant just before I was due to go on maternity leave last time and my employer wasn't sure about maternity pay etc. They were absolutely fab and answered everything quickly and succinctly.

I didn't know who to contact so I dropped into my local tax office & they told me to call ACAS and then led me to a private room where I called ACAS on their phoneline for free!

Their website is http://www.acas.org.uk/

The helpline number is: 08457 47 47 47 and they're open Monday-Friday 8am to 6pm.

Good luck, I hope your Mum gets what she is entitled to.

M_o_3

LittleVoice

Would the full-time post be different work?

Presumably it is as otherwise she could not be redundant from the current part-time post if it was actually capable of being done full-time!

If the full-time work is indeed different work, then why cannot they have it done by two people? One would be your mother, of course, on a part-time basis and the other could be another (new?) part-timer or someone also employed elsewhere in the organisation.

aah

she cannot be redundant if there is enough work for her to do full time. If she does not want the extra hours then they should employ an additional p/t person or persons to make up the hours.

She cannot be made redundant without there being a statutory redundancy notice submitted - 90 day notice - I think to the DWP.

I guess there is no trade union....... shame

Do contact ACAS, and if she stays, join a union and get others to as well

Jacks_xxx

Thank you everybody, for responding. I really appreciate the help

Fingers crossed I'll have an update for you tonight.

Love Jacks xxx

Jacks_xxx

:wave: Hiya everybody,

Well that's been an education!

My mum went to see the C.A.B. who told her that her employers hadn't really done anything wrong.

But I read up on the C.A.B.'s own website, and your responses and it seemed like she *did* have cause to complain.

http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/n6m/index/life/employment/redundancy.htm#Who_should_be_chosen_for_redundancy

So she paid to see a solicitor who said that she was being discriminated against on grounds of age, sex and her part time status, plus her "redundancy" amounted to unfair dismissal and he'd be happy to take her case.

My parents income is so low that she qualifies for legal aid, but he said when they win the other side would pay all his fees anyway.

My Mum's old school though and she didn't want to take them to court, and she doesn't want to work there any more after this either so she asked them for pay in lieu of notice and the statutory redundancy amount - and got it.

So she doesn't have to go back there, and she's got a little bit of a financial cushion to keep her going for a few weeks while she looks for another job.

I still think they're rotten nasty so and so's though who thought since she's a quietly spoken polite older lady that they could just tell her she's being replaced by a computer and she'd just go meekly like a docile little lamb.

Thanks again everybody for replying.

Love Jacks xxx