Tackling Redundancy and Lay-Offs

By Andrew T Sayers

It wasn't that long ago that being laid off or made redundant carried a certain stigma. It was considered a stain on one's career and resume. The assumption was that if you were made redundant, there must be something wrong with you. You weren't up to the job or worse, were lazy and incompetent. Maybe even a trouble-maker, a bad apple or rotten egg as my kids would say.

Sometimes they were allegations that weren't a million miles off the mark. We can't all be great at everything, or fit in to every organization. Sometimes it can be the kindest thing to let somebody go it they're having a miserable time or just plain can't achieve what's required of them.

How times of changed. It's now virtually impossible to read, view or listen to the news without hearing that an employer, large or small, local or global, is laying off staff. Sometimes these lay-offs are to the tune of thousands at a time.

Today being made redundant is a fact of life. There aren't too many people I meet today that expect any longevity with their current employer and certainly not a job for life. As publicly listed companies become ever more slave like to the stock markets, knee jerk lay-offs after a bad quarter mean it's difficult for many to feel any security on a day-to-day basis.

I had some amazingly fulfilling times in my corporate days. Real high five moments of achievement with my teams. However, nothing compares to the distress of having to have 'the conversation', or as it is now, 'the process'.

No matter how awful it is for the manager or business leader, the emotions felt by an employee being told that they are losing their income are powerful and often overwhelming. As the dust settles there are a number of things that an employee needs to consider.

I need to point out that I'm not a lawyer and that this is my personal opinion, so you need to take it as my personal view, which I thought would be helpful, and nothing more.

• Is this a final 'you're on notice' situation?
• Is this the start of a period of 'consultation' (this doesn't apply to all countries)?
• Have you established your contractual rights?
• Have you received notice of redundancy or pending redundancy in writing?
• If yes, is it equal to or better than your contractual entitlement? If not, you need it ASAP.
• Is the redundancy wide-ranging and happening across the business, or narrow in its impact?
• Are there other open positions that you could apply for at your site?
• Are there other open positions at other sites and is your employer open to helping with travel costs or relocation expenses?
• Are there any business partners or suppliers that your employer could introduce you to and act as a recommender?
• Is this a real redundancy situation or is it being used as an easy exit strategy by the employer?
• If the latter you need to establish some form of reasoning or grounds, prior to asking for evidence.
• Do you have copies or back-ups of important documentation, including appraisals and other feedback from your employer?
• Have you ensured that you have a legitimate copy of your contacts (for networking and job seeking purposes)?
• Have you been offered the use of a pre-paid outplacement service? If you have, use it!

Some tips for exiting your current employment.

• Always try to leave on good terms
• Continue to perform your role to the best of your ability to the end
• Do not become a negative influence in the environment. You'd prefer that people miss you rather than breathe a sigh of relief when you leave!
• Use your notice period to research new options and opportunities.
• Do not be afraid to set up interviews during your notice period.
• Be up front with your employer about time off required to attend interviews
• Network around your existing company, even if this is something you haven't done before
• Ask your manager or colleagues if they will act as employer or character references and do not be offended if colleagues decline.
• Register with relevant recruiters. Get recommendations as many are going to be a waste of your time and money.
• Use the online job boards sparingly. There are many fictitious vacancies designed to help recruiters to build their lists
• Use networking sites such as LinkedIn and do not be afraid to ask for introductions.
• Keep your network warm - It's amazing how many vacancies are filled through word of mouth referrals!
• Use your time wisely. Do not be tempted to have a lie in or go and play golf. Time flies!

Most importantly, use the time to evaluate where you are and where you want to go. This doesn't mean 'in my next job I'd like...'. Examine where you'd like to be in the future. What do you see yourself doing in 2, 3, 5 or even 10 years? This is a much hated interview question but it has merit when asking yourself. What are your goals and what do you need to do to get there.

Goal setting can be challenging at the best of times. With the added rigors of redundancy and the various pressures that can and will arise, it becomes even more difficult to make sound decisions. It's important that you are honest with yourself. Have you been going down the right path. Is this what you set out to do? Are you happy with your life and are you prepared to make changes in order to achieve fulfillment?

All these questions and deliberations serve to help make more informed decisions for the benefit of you and your loved ones. I've been where you are and I learned some of these lessons the hard way.

Ultimately I made a decision to go a different route. I've invested in personal development to help me with clarity of thinking, goal setting and the frame of mind needed to strive for betterment every day.

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