Acas recently published “Handling small scale redundancies: a step by step guide”. This guidance is aimed at small firms and larger organisations proposing to make fewer than 20 employees redundant.
The steps set out in the guide include:
- Considering alternatives to redundancy
- Drafting a framework
- Briefing managers
- Talking to staff
- Choosing redundant staff carefully
- Giving redundancy notice and pay
- Remembering notice period rights
- Allowing staff to appeal against their selection for redundancy
- Focussing on the future of the business
Acas has also published a guide on “How to manage collective redundancies” which is relevant to situations where 20 or more employees may lose their jobs within a 90 day period. The guide clarifies the law in relation to collective redundancies for employers, employee representatives and employees and includes a ten point checklist for handling collective redundancies.