Redundancy: A self-help guide - Oxford Health
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Healthy Minds Redundancy Being made redundant Redundancy can be a worrying time, but support is available. If you are going to be made redundant from your job, you should be treated fairly by your employer. There are certain steps your employer is expected to follow. You may also be entitled to redundancy pay. You can use the online calculator to work out how much redundancy pay you are entitled to. Understand the redundancy process Take some time to find out about the redundancy process: What are your rights? What are your practical and financial considerations? What do you do if you feel you have been unfairly treated? How do you go about finding a new job? Once an organization has decided to make redundancies, it must inform you and the agreed notice period must be upheld. The law encourages employers to offer alternative work where possible. Any selection must be made on objective criteria such as length of service and experience, skills and qualifications, and performance records. The alternative post should provide similar earnings and status, be within the employee’s capability and not involve unreasonable additional inconvenience. A four week trial is recommended, longer if re-skilling or training is involved and of course equal opportunity must be respected. 2 Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust | www.oxfordhealth.nhs.uk
Information leaflet During your notice period you should be allowed time to job search or attend training courses, but your employer need only pay two fifths of your salary for those days. If you are not satisfied with redundancy procedures, you can speak to your employer, manager or human resource manager and to your union representative, if you have one. If these measures fail, or for more information about the redundancy process, you could consult The Citizen’s Advice Bureau: www.citizensadvice.org.uk For online advice and details of your nearest CAB go to: www.adviceguide.org.uk You could also consult the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) - 08457 474747. ACAS specialise in preventing and resolving employment disputes. You can visit the Gov.uk website which has a lot of information about redundancy, your rights, and how to calculate your entitlement to redundancy pay: http://www.gov.uk/en/employment/ redundancyandleavingyourjob/index.htm www.oxfordhealth.nhs.uk | Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust 3
Healthy Minds Redundancy Your rights if made redundant Your employer has responsibilities to treat you fairly and follow the correct process if they are considering making redundancies. Rights of employees and representatives Employees and employee representatives have certain rights and protections. These allow them to fully take part in the consultation process. Your employer cannot dismiss you or subject you to a detriment (e.g. by not giving you a pay rise or cutting your hours) if you take part in an election to become a representative or for fulfilling your duties as a representative. If you are a representative, your employer is required to allow you appropriate access to the people you represent and to certain facilities, for example a telephone, to allow you to represent them effectively. You also have a right to reasonable paid time off for your representative duties. What is considered ‘reasonable’ will differ in each circumstance. If you are dismissed or suffer detriment for standing for election as a representative, or acting as a representative, then you may be able to make a claim to an Employment Tribunal. 4 Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust | www.oxfordhealth.nhs.uk
Information leaflet Redundancy selections and notice periods Your employer should use a fair and objective way of selecting people to make redundant. This means that it should be evidence based rather than your employer just deciding who they want to make redundant. Normally your job must have disappeared for your employer to make you redundant. However, it can still be a genuine redundancy if someone moves into your job after their job disappears, making you redundant (called bumping). This can be difficult for your employer to justify as fair. If your employer bases your redundancy selection on an unfair reason your redundancy will automatically be unfair and you may be able to make a claim to an Employment Tribunal for unfair dismissal. Redeployment by your employer If your employer is making you redundant they should try to offer you suitable alternative employment within their organisation or an associated company. Your employer should consider any alternatives to making you redundant. You may also have the right to time off for job hunting. www.oxfordhealth.nhs.uk | Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust 5
Healthy Minds Redundancy Redundancy: Your right to consultation Employers should always consult with employees before dismissing them on the grounds of redundancy. There are two ways this might be done through individual or collective consultation. Your employer should always consult with you individually and may have to consult collectively. Workplace consultation Workplace consultation involves your employer talking to you or your representatives about their plans and listening to your ideas. If your employer is thinking about making redundancies, they should consult with any employees that could be affected by their decision. The consultation should aim to provide employees with a way to influence the redundancy process. It should be carried out with the aim of coming to an agreement about any action and should be conducted in a spirit of co- operation. Consultation with individuals Your employer should always consult you individually. This will normally involve: speaking to you directly about why you have been selected looking at any alternatives to redundancy 6 Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust | www.oxfordhealth.nhs.uk
Information leaflet If this doesn't happen, your dismissal for redundancy may be unfair. Collective consultation – 20 or more redundancies If your employer is thinking about making 20 or more employees redundant at one establishment within a 90-day period, they should consult with employee representatives. Only employees are included when counting the number of redundancies, not ‘workers’ without employment status. Who your employer will consult with depends on whether you are represented by a trade union. This process is known as collective consultation. Trade union representatives If you are represented by a recognised trade union in your workplace, then your employer should collectively consult with the trade union representatives (reps). If your employer consults with your trade union they are not required to consult collectively with anybody else. Employee representatives If your employer does not recognise a trade union or you work in a part of the company that isn’t represented by a recognised trade union, then your employer should make arrangements to www.oxfordhealth.nhs.uk | Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust 7
Healthy Minds Redundancy allow you to elect reps. These representatives will take part in the consultation on your behalf. The rep could be an existing rep, for example reps involved in ongoing information and consultation arrangements, or they could be specially elected for this consultation. The reps must have the authority to represent you and must be fit for the task. For example, it would not be appropriate for a committee set up to discuss the operation of a staff canteen to be consulted about redundancies amongst sales staff. If you need to elect representatives for the consultation your employer must: ensure that the elections are fair ensure that, as far as is reasonably practical, votes can be cast secretly and are accurately counted allow for enough representatives to represent the interests of all affected employees set out how long the representatives will be in place for Collective consultation process The consultation must be meaningful. It must be genuine and conducted with a view to reaching an agreement. It must 8 Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust | www.oxfordhealth.nhs.uk
Information leaflet cover: ways to avoid redundancies the reasons for redundancies how to keep the number of dismissals to a minimum how to limit the effects on those dismissed (e.g. by offering retraining) There may be special circumstances where it is not reasonably practical for your employer to consult fully. In these circumstances your employer must do everything they can to ensure that the consultation is as full as possible. Information during consultation To enable reps to make constructive proposals your employer must provide them with enough written information in good time including: reasons for the proposed redundancies number of employees that are proposed to be made redundant different types of employees that are proposed to be made redundant www.oxfordhealth.nhs.uk | Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust 9
Healthy Minds Redundancy how any employees to be made redundant will be selected time period over which any redundancies may be carried out how any redundancy payments will be calculated Consultation period and termination notices A termination notice tells you when the last day of your employment will be, e.g. the day you will be made redundant. Termination notices cannot be issued until after the consultation has been completed, even if the consultation needs to go beyond the minimum period. If the consultation is genuinely completed within the minimum period you may be issued with a termination notice. This cannot take effect until after the minimum consultation period ends unless you agree to leave early, for example by taking pay in lieu of notice. A consultation must begin ‘in good time’ and take as long as is necessary. It should be conducted with a view to reaching agreement, but can end before agreement is reached. Your employer should give your reps a fair opportunity to comment on the proposals and suggest alternatives, to which your employer should give genuine consideration. The final decision rests with your employer. 10 Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust | www.oxfordhealth.nhs.uk
Information leaflet There is no time limit to how long a consultation period may last, but there is a minimum period between the start of the consultation and actual dismissals. The length of the minimum period depends on the number of redundancies that your employer is proposing, if they are proposing: 20 - 99 redundancies, they must start the consultation at least 30 days before any dismissals take effect 100 or more redundancies, the consultation must start at least 90 days before any dismissals take effect Failure to consult You or your rep might be able to make a claim to an Employment Tribunal for a ‘protective award’ if your employer: does not begin consultation early enough ends the consultation early doesn’t consult properly An Employment Tribunal could make a ‘protective award’ of up to 90 days' pay for each affected employee. The amount will be decided by the Employment Tribunal, based on the extent of your employer’s failure and the circumstances. www.oxfordhealth.nhs.uk | Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust 11
Healthy Minds Redundancy Your employer’s duty to notify the government If, within a 90 day period, 20 or more redundancies are proposed, your employer must notify the appropriate Redundancy Payments Office of the proposals before any termination notices are sent to employees. This notification must be at least 30 days before any dismissal takes effect, and if 100 or more redundancies are proposed, at least 90 days before any dismissal takes effect. This is to allow the government to prepare help for those made redundant by alerting the local Job Centre Plus so it can provide advice on retraining or reemployment to affected employees. Notifying is part of the consultation process. Your employer must also provide a copy of the notification to your reps. If your employer does not notify the government correctly then they can be fined. Coping with redundancy Find out about the range of support available to help you cope with redundancy. You can find out your rights, search for work and get practical help when applying for jobs. You can also use the online benefits adviser to find what benefits you and your family may be entitled to. 12 Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust | www.oxfordhealth.nhs.uk
Information leaflet Leaving your job On your last day at work you should receive all the wages you are entitled to, plus payment for any outstanding period of notice that you have not worked. You should receive: accrued holiday pay (payment for holiday owed which has not been taken) Income Tax form P45 redundancy pay a letter stating the date of redundancy Redundancy pay If you’ve worked for this employer for at least 2 years you have the right to receive redundancy pay. Up to £30,000 will be tax free. Exactly how much redundancy pay you are due can be calculated on the Direct Gov website: http://www.gov.uk/en/Employment/ RedundancyAndLeavingYourJob/Redundancy/DG_174330 If you are entitled to statutory redundancy pay the calculation is based on: how long you have been continuously employed www.oxfordhealth.nhs.uk | Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust 13
Healthy Minds Redundancy your age your weekly pay, up to a certain limit (£430 in July 2012) You should check your employment contract to see if your employer offers a more generous redundancy package. More information about redundancy pay is available on page 20. Claiming benefits after redundancy Do you qualify for benefits? This might either be ‘The Contribution-based, Jobseeker’s Allowance’ for those who have been credited with Class 1 National Insurance (NI) contributions, or the ‘Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance’. You can claim online at: http://www.gov.uk/prod_consum_dg/groups/dg_digitalassets/ @dg/@en/documents/digitalasset/dg_200090.html Or ring the Benefits Claim Line on 0800 055 66 88 (8.00am -6.00pm Monday-Friday). You may also qualify for Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI) or Child Tax Credit. You can find out more about which benefits you may be entitled to (and how to claim them) by phoning the Benefits Enquiry Line on 0800 88 22 00, or visiting your local JobCentre Plus. As part of your benefit claim, you may be asked about any redundancy payments you have had from your employer. Your JobCentre Plus adviser will explain whether these payments will 14 Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust | www.oxfordhealth.nhs.uk
Information leaflet have any effect on your claim. You or your partner may get a payment from your employer when your job ends, e.g. final pay, wages if you worked a week in hand, holiday pay. These payments are not taken into account when considering your claim for Jobseeker’s Allowance or Income Support. You can use the online Benefits Adviser to help you find out which benefits you are entitled to: http://www.gov.uk/en/diol1/doitonline/doitonlinebycategory/ dg_172666 Use the benefits adviser to… check which benefits you may be able to get get an estimate of the benefits, tax credits or pension that may be available compare estimates if your situation changes save your answers for up to seven days download/print results for reference www.oxfordhealth.nhs.uk | Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust 15
Healthy Minds Redundancy To answer all the questions you will need information about… savings earnings e.g. pay slips benefit/pension details outgoings, e.g. Council Tax, rent/mortgage, childcare payments if you rent a property from a private landlord, your Local Housing Allowance rate How your retirement might be affected If you are worried or have questions about how saving for your retirement might be affected by redundancy, you can contact the Pensions Advisory Service: www.pensionsadvisoryservice.org.uk or call 0845 601 2923. It is an independent not-for-profit organisation that provides free information and guidance. The service can also help you if you have a problem, complaint or dispute with your occupational or private pension provider. 16 Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust | www.oxfordhealth.nhs.uk
Information leaflet Stay in touch Another important consideration is reducing or changing the terms of any regular financial commitments you have – mortgages, direct debits, credit cards, loans, hire purchase, life and/or health insurance, subscriptions and memberships for example. It is important to stay in touch with your bank and all utilities and service providers, especially if your ability to make payments is going to be affected by your redundancy. Where to get further help Community Legal Advice can provide free help and advice on what your rights are when you are made redundant. You can contact them on 0845 345 4345, or visit the following address: http://www.gov.uk/en/Dl1/Directories/ UsefulContactsByCategory/ Governmentcitizensandrightscontacts/DG_195356 Entitlement to redundancy pay If you are made redundant you may be entitled to statutory redundancy pay if you have worked for your employer for at least two years. The amount you are entitled to will be based on your weekly pay, age and continuous employment with your employer. www.oxfordhealth.nhs.uk | Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust 17
Healthy Minds Redundancy Statutory redundancy pay basics You have the right to a statutory redundancy payment if you are an employee who has worked continuously for your employer for at least two years and you are being made redundant. Statutory redundancy pay is also due when a fixed-term contract of two years or more expires and is not renewed because of redundancy. You do not have to claim statutory redundancy pay from your employer, they should automatically pay it to you. If your employer does not give you statutory redundancy pay when you are entitled to it you should write to them asking for payment. If your employer still refuses to pay you or cannot make the payment you could make an appeal to an Employment Tribunal. How much statutory redundancy pay you will receive depends on: how long you have worked for your employer your age your pay 18 Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust | www.oxfordhealth.nhs.uk
Information leaflet Tax Redundancy pay under £30,000 is not taxable. More information on whether elements of the payment, such as Pay in Lieu of Notice (PILON), is taxable is available from HM Revenue and Customs on the following webpage: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/individuals/redundancy-ee.htm Pay in lieu of notice is money paid to you by your employer as an alternative to being given your full notice. Company redundancy pay Your employer may offer you additional redundancy pay under your employment contract. For example, they may offer you a higher pay rate, or reduce the qualifying criteria so more people are entitled. You should check your employment contract for details about your contractual redundancy pay. Your employer cannot offer you lower than the statutory redundancy pay scheme in your employment contract. Alternative work You are not entitled to a statutory redundancy payment if your employer either: offers to keep you on www.oxfordhealth.nhs.uk | Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust 19
Healthy Minds Redundancy offers you suitable alternative work which you refuse without good reason If you leave your job for a new one before the end of your notice period, your statutory payment might also be affected. Short-term and temporary lay-off of employees Statutory redundancy pay can be claimed from your employer if you have been temporarily laid off for either: more than four weeks in a row more than six non-consecutive weeks in a 13 week period You should write to your employer telling them you intend to claim statutory redundancy pay. This must be done within four weeks of your last non-working day in the four or six week period. Within seven days of receiving your letter, your employer could send you a counter-notice if they believe that your normal work is likely to start within four weeks and continue for at least 13 weeks. If your employer does not reject your claim within seven days of receiving it, then you should write to your employer again giving them your notice. 20 Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust | www.oxfordhealth.nhs.uk
Information leaflet Notice pay As well as a statutory redundancy payment, your employer should pay you through your notice period, or pay you in lieu of notice depending on your circumstances. Payment in lieu of notice is money paid to you by your employer as an alternative to being given your full notice. Details of the notice period will be in your employment contract. Written statement of statutory redundancy pay When you are paid a statutory redundancy payment your employer must give you a written statement showing how your payment has been calculated. If your employer fails to give you a written statement you should write to them asking for one. If they still do not provide one you should seek further advice from ACAS (the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service). Insolvent employers If your employer is declared insolvent or cannot pay your statutory redundancy pay, you can apply for a direct payment from the National Insurance Fund. To do this you must first write to your employer asking for your statutory redundancy pay. If they are still unable to pay you then you should fill out an RP1 form available from the Insolvency Service: call 0845 602 9848, or visit http://www.bis.gov.uk/insolvency www.oxfordhealth.nhs.uk | Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust 21
Healthy Minds Redundancy Employees not entitled to statutory redundancy payments Some employees are not entitled to receive statutory redundancy payments. In some specific situations employees that should normally be entitled to statutory redundancy pay might lose this right with their employer, as outlined below. Finding a new job If you have been selected for redundancy you may find a new job elsewhere before your redundancy notice period has finished. If you leave the job you are being made redundant from before your notice period has finished, you may lose your rights to a statutory redundancy payment. Dismissal on the grounds of misconduct You are not entitled to statutory redundancy pay if you are dismissed for misconduct with either: no notice little notice a statement from your employer saying they would have been entitled to dismiss you without notice However, your employer must still follow fair dismissal procedures otherwise you might be able to make a claim to an 22 Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust | www.oxfordhealth.nhs.uk
Information leaflet Employment Tribunal. This situation is only likely to occur in gross misconduct cases. Strike action during your notice period If you go on strike during your redundancy period then you are still entitled to your redundancy rights. However, your employer might ‘serve a notice of extension’ which is a request that you work the days lost during the strike period at the end of your notice. If you do not agree to work the lost days, then your employer may be able to refuse to make your statutory redundancy payment. Employees not entitled to redundancy payment If you fall into the following categories then you are not entitled to receive statutory redundancy pay: members of the armed forces House of Lords and House of Commons staff some apprentices - although you should check your contract some employees with fixed-term contracts before 1 www.oxfordhealth.nhs.uk | Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust 23
Healthy Minds Redundancy October 2002 – you should check your contract of employment domestic servants working in private homes who are members of the employer’s immediate close family share fishermen paid only by a share in the proceeds of the catch Crown servants or employees in a public office employees of the government of an overseas territory You should check your contract or speak to your employer to see if you have any contractual redundancy entitlements. Finding work: Find out what’s going on It may be some time since you last looked for work so take time to find out about your ‘travel-to-work area’: What businesses have moved in or expanded? What new opportunities exist? Make sure you know about your own job or career: where is the growth and what are the changes? Which new skills should you learn to keep up? 24 Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust | www.oxfordhealth.nhs.uk
Information leaflet Read the local paper, or a professional journal or magazine. Make sure you know where the relevant vacancies are advertised. Finding work Jobcentre Plus has Britain’s largest database of job vacancies. You can use the jobs and skills search to find a job that is suitable for you. You can also get tips on how to fill in application forms and prepare for job interviews online. You can use the Gov.uk website to do an online search: www.jobseekersdirect.gov.uk/homepage You can phone a JobcentrePlus adviser to discuss your job search: 0845 6060 234 Use all your contacts to identify work opportunities Find appropriate recruitment websites which also give you help with writing your CV and interview skills, for example: www.agencycentral.co.uk, and http://www.connexionsbucks.org.uk/cv-creator The National Careers Service are available to give free advice about employment: www.nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk www.oxfordhealth.nhs.uk | Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust 25
Healthy Minds Redundancy Including application forms, cover letters, CV writing, interview skills, job searches, and education and training - over the telephone or face-to-face. They can be contacted on 0800 100 900. Have a look at the helpful advice and information sheets on the Learning Opportunities website: www.learning-opportunities.org.uk. Redundancy: finding work and redeployment If you are facing redundancy, you may find new work with a new employer or your employer may offer you a different job. Find out about the different processes associated with each and how you can get help. Offers of alternative employment If your employer is making you redundant, where possible they should try to offer you 'suitable alternative employment' within their organisation or an associated company. Whether a job is 'suitable alternative employment' depends on several things including: how close the work is to your current job the terms of the job being offered 26 Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust | www.oxfordhealth.nhs.uk
Information leaflet your skills, abilities and circumstances in relation to the job the pay (including benefits), status, hours and location of the job If you are being made redundant because there is not enough work, it might be that work picks up again before your redundancy. Your employer can offer you your own job back as 'suitable alternative work'. Any offer for alternative employment should be made before your old job ends. You should be given enough information about what the new job involves so you know how different it is from your old job. During your redundancy period, you should be told about available job vacancies within the company. If your employer has suitable alternative employment, but does not offer it to you, your redundancy could be an automatically unfair dismissal. Trial periods If your employer offers you alternative employment you have the right to a four week trial period. This period is to help you decide if the job is suitable alternative employment, and for your employer to decide if you are suitable. If you need training for the new job, the four-week period can be extended with written agreement. If you decide the new job isn't suitable, you should tell your www.oxfordhealth.nhs.uk | Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust 27
Healthy Minds Redundancy employer during the trial period. This will not affect your employment rights, including your right to Statutory Redundancy Pay. If you haven't given notice by the end of the trial period, your right to statutory redundancy pay ends. If you refuse an offer If your employer offers you suitable alternative employment and you unreasonably refuse it, you may lose your right to Statutory Redundancy Pay. Disputes about whether employment is suitable, or whether your refusal is unreasonable, can be decided by an Employment Tribunal. They can decide whether you are entitled to redundancy pay. Time off for job hunting If you have been continuously employed for two years by the date your notice expires, you are allowed a reasonable amount of time off during your notice period to: look for another job arrange training to help you find another job How long you can take will depend on your circumstances. If you attend an interview or two and do not take excessive amounts of travelling time, then this is likely to be reasonable. Regardless of the amount of time you take off, your employer 28 Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust | www.oxfordhealth.nhs.uk
Information leaflet only has to pay you up to two-fifths of a week's pay for it. For example, if you work five days a week and you take four days off in total during the whole notice period, your employer only has to pay you for the first two days. Starting a new job before your notice has expired If your new job starts before your redundancy notice expires, try to negotiate with your employer for early release without losing your redundancy pay. Employers are often happy to make these arrangements. If your employer doesn't agree to let you go early you should give them 'a written counter notice' stating when you would like to finish. Your employer should write back to you and say whether or not you can leave early. If you leave early without your employer's permission you run the risk of losing some or all of your redundancy pay. Normally this only becomes an issue if your employer has given you a longer redundancy notice period than the statutory minimum. You can find a lot more information about searching for jobs, writing a CV, and improving your interview skills in the Healthy Minds self-help leaflet ‘Finding Work’. All the contacts within this leaflet (and many more) are available in the Useful Contacts leaflet. www.oxfordhealth.nhs.uk | Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust 29
Healthy Minds Redundancy Notes 30 Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust | www.oxfordhealth.nhs.uk
Information leaflet Notes www.oxfordhealth.nhs.uk | Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust 31
Healthy Minds Redundancy Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust Trust Headquarters 4000 John Smith Drive Oxford Business Park South Oxford OX4 2GX Switchboard 01865 741717 Email enquiries@oxfordhealth.nhs.uk Website www.oxfordhealth.nhs.uk CF 037.13 32 Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust | www.oxfordhealth.nhs.uk
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