Redundancy in school.

onejontwo · 25 February 2019 at 9:22PM

I hope this is the right thread but here goes anyway.......
As a teaching assistant in a school in the Salford area, today they were told that redundancies were to be implemented be it on a voluntarily basis on non- voluntarily basis. Also they were informed that if they took the redundancy that they could no longer apply for a position in a school in the Salford area. Is this correct? As everyone in the school has a career one way or another in education, but if this is correct they will limit their opportunities and have to look outside the area.

lulu650 · 26 February 2019 at 12:38PM

I suspect that there is a misunderstanding.

The redundancy payment will not be paid if the redundant employee takes up a job in another school. There needs to be a break of four clear weeks (plus one day) in order to retain the payment and the new job. This doesn't just apply to Salford schools but across the UK (google "local government modification order" for more info) and I'm making the assumption that the employee does not work in an independent school.

This is the start of the consultation period and for anything that is not clearly understood by the employees at risk, then they should ask.

onejontwo · 26 February 2019 at 9:31PM

Let me see if I've got this correct. So in order to obtain another job in the education department in the Salford area the redundancy package has to be declined, or if taken, a job in the education department will have to be pursued outside the area ?

lulu650 · 27 February 2019 at 12:44AM

No, you've completely misunderstood what I've said.

As I stated, the employee(s) affected need to understand they cannot be in receipt of redundancy pay and take another job in local government without a break in service. That break in service needs to be four weeks and one day. Alternatively, if there is another job in another school that will commence straight after redundancy then continuous service continues and there will be no redundancy pay.

I've directed you toward Google regarding the "local government modification order". Has that information been read at all?

I don't understand why the staff themselves aren't getting clarification from the school or, even better, through their union rather than through you as a third party.

onejontwo · 27 February 2019 at 9:52PM

Hi, thanks for the reply, I have read the "local government modification order" and get the gist of the four weeks and one day break in employment, but the question I'm really asking (but forgive me if it didn't come across very clear) is that they were told that there was an incentive of 12 weeks pay plus redundancy entitlement on offer for 4 weeks BUT if they took this then they can no longer be employed by Salford council for the next five years. and would have to look outside the area for employment in the education department.
The meeting was with the headteacher as a group.
Their union has made an appointment for early next week and can't really give them much advice until then which is why I seem to be chasing around getting as much info as I can.

getmore4less · 28 February 2019 at 9:27AM

I'm really asking (but forgive me if it didn't come across very clear) is that they were told that there was an incentive of 12 weeks pay plus redundancy entitlement on offer for 4 weeks BUT if they took this then they can no longer be employed by Salford council for the next five years. a

not clear! you did not even mention it in the first post.

They can put a clawback/no job clause for the enhanced payment but not the statutory payment unless they offer continuity of employment.

getmore4less · 28 February 2019 at 9:28AM

I would be more concerned as a taxpayer why they are throwing money they don't have to at employees.

lulu650 · 28 February 2019 at 12:36PM

onejontwo wrote: »

........they were told that there was an incentive of 12 weeks pay plus redundancy entitlement on offer for 4 weeks BUT if they took this then they can no longer be employed by Salford council for the next five years.......

So this appears to be an incentive for the staff to take voluntary retirement although I don't understand the rationale and this is unusual for maintained schools.

hyubh · 28 February 2019 at 10:57PM

lulu650 wrote: »

So this appears to be an incentive for the staff to take voluntary retirement

Typo...? Adding the LGPS into the equation would rather complicate matters.

although I don't understand the rationale

Enhanced voluntary redundancy scheme with a payback period of five years...?

lulu650 · 1 March 2019 at 12:12PM

Yes, meant voluntary redundancy.

I don't understand the rationale because I've not come across maintained schools offering enhanced redundancy as they already offer more than the statutory. I appreciate that won't apply to support staff with their lower wages though.

Redundancy in school.

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