Keeping meetings notes in redundancy situations

Redundancy Management Notes (non-collective redundancies)

1. Meeting with employees placed At Risk

You may choose to meet with employees as a group first and then split into 1:1 meetings or alternatively, go straight into 1:1 meetings.

Explain about the possibility and reasons that redundancies may need to be made.

Ensure the employee is aware that their role is being placed at risk of possible redundancy.

Explain that this means redundancy is not a certainty but it has now become a possibility.

This meeting is the start of the consultation process during which time the business will look at ways of trying to avoid redundancies and/or look at other opportunities within the business that may suit the skill set of those placed at risk.

The process is to be carried out in an open, honest and transparent way and a letter/document explaining this process is here for the employee now to take away with them.

The letter also gives a date for an individual consultation meeting in order to discuss their being in the selection pool (and an opportunity to comment on the proposed selection matrix/criteria) and that there will be opportunities for their suggestions to be considered by the business and also to ask any questions.

2. Points to bear in mind:

1. Be clear in the delivery of the message - always refer to possible/potential redundancies and the fact that employees are at risk of potential redundancies.  Sometimes a script can help ensure that the same message is communicated to all.
2. Remain focussed and try not to get side-tracked by emotions.
3. Ensure the employee has understood that they are at risk, that no decisions have been made yet and that a process is to be followed.
4. Think about what needs to be communicated to those employees who are not at risk at this stage.
5. Communicate throughout - not just at the meetings, but send out updates even if it is to say that the process is ongoing and when it is expected to be completed.
6. Support the employees and let them know that support is in place by your actions as well as your words.
7. There are likely to be questions that cannot be answered either because of timing or because the employer just doesn't know.  Be honest just say I don't know the answer or I am unable to answer that question right now, in other words do not 'fudge' things and give an answer that could inadvertently mislead employees.
8. Be visible, do not make the announcement and then not be seen or heard as it could appear that there is no open door policy or that employees are being kept at arms reach.
9. Make sure you have suitable individuals available to undertake the group meeting, 1:1 meetings, scoring (using two scorers and taking an average can work well), termination of employment and appeal.
10. Remember you should use employees of increasing seniority as you progress through the stages and the person holding the appeal should not have been involved in the earlier process.

Mar 2020