What Questions should I ask if my position is put at risk of redundancy?

If you have been put at risk of redundancy, these are the sorts of questions you should be asking:

1. Why is my position at risk of redundancy?  – An obvious question, but one that employers do not always find easy to answer.
2. What will happen to the role I currently carry out?  – It may be that they are (say) going down from four to three accountants, or that they are stripping out a layer of management. If however there is no material change to the role, but they are giving it to someone else with a different job title and for less money, the definition of redundancy may not be satisfied.
3. Who else has been put at risk of redundancy? – You might be one of several people doing the same job, but the only person put at risk. If so that suggests that the redundancy may not be unfair.
4. What criteria are you relying on to select people for redundancy?  – If (say) you are one of four people at risk of redundancy, the employer might apply a redundancy scoring matrix to select redundancies. As far as possible, those redundancy scoring criteria should be objective and fair.  You might wish to challenge the redundancy scoring criteria if you feel they are not fair.
5. What thought has been given to alternatives to redundancy?  – There might be other things that can be done to avoid the need to make redundancies. If you have any proposals, let them know.
6. If my position is made redundant, are there other positions available that I can apply for? – Your employer should give you the opportunity to apply for any other suitable positions that may arise. They are not however obliged to slot you into that role.
7. What financial terms will you offer me if I am made redundant?  Some employers will only offer notice and a statutory redundancy payment (if you have over 2 years’ service). Other employers will offer enhanced terms on redundancy subject to a Settlement Agreement.

Please see our article on What Redundancy Means. You may also find our redundancy payment calculator helpful or the ACAS page on redundancy. Call us today on 0207 118 0950 to discuss your situation further.