Supporting Staff Through Redundancy: 8 Actions You Should Take
Making employees redundant can be daunting for any business owner. Not only is the legal process challenging to go through, but you must do everything you can to support your employee throughout. This guide will give you actions managers and businesses should take to best support their staff’s wellbeing both through redundancy and beyond. You will also learn tools employees can use to gain future employment.
Speak In Person
Breaking the news that you’re going to have to lay off a member of staff can be incredibly daunting to do. However, it’s something that’s best done sooner rather than later. Rather than getting an email together or having a phone call, it’s always best to let your employee know in person. Sure, it may be an awkward conversation to have and there could be tension in the room, but your employee will appreciate you doing this face-to-face. Your staff are bound to have all sorts of questions, so it’s your responsibility to address them and help in any way you can.
Connect Employees with Relevant Networks
When laying off staff, there are actions you can take which can help them gain employment. One of these is learning how to network. If you have industry contacts that are looking for employees, you can point your staff in the right direction. Even if the lead goes nowhere, your staff will appreciate that you tried your best.
Be Authentic and Compassionate
This cannot be stressed enough. You need to be authentic and compassionate while navigating staff through redundancy. You have to remember your team are human beings, not just a number to the business. This means they have the exact same thoughts and feelings as you. If the redundancy is out of your control, the least you can do is show that you care about their wellbeing going forward.
Keep In Touch
No one wants to be notified they’re at risk of redundancy and then find they’re left high and dry as they wait to learn the result. It’s vital you consult with your employees throughout this period, not only for their wellbeing, but for your professionalism and integrity. When an employee is made redundant, this doesn’t mean communication lines have to close. If you’ve formed a strong bond with an employee, it makes sense that you’ll want to keep in touch and give guidance and support wherever you can. Make sure to exchange numbers and stay in contact.
Provide Outplacement Services
Outplacement services are a variety of services provided for employees who are impacted by redundancy. These services can range from assistance with job searching to CV writing, coaching to training provisions, and more. All these facilities can help employees learn and utilise new skills, as well as have ongoing support for their mental wellbeing. Randstad RiseSmart can help you with outplacement services. They are a team dedicated to helping employees who are navigating through redundancy, as well as finding new employment.
Give High-Quality References
When former employees go out into the job-seeking world, they’ll need as much support and backing as possible. If they land an interview, the chances are the employer will ask for references. A good reference can be the difference between an employee getting hired and missing out on the role. Of course, employers aren’t legally mandated to give detailed references. However, providing a reference one can massively improve their chances of securing a new role. Make sure you outline your employees’ strengths, experience, and how they thrived in your company.
Make Sure Management Are Up to Date
Your management team may be handling employees at risk from the start. Whether that involves announcing the process in a formal manner or having one-on-one meetings with them to converse about their risk criteria, you will need to keep your company compliant and the process legal from start to finish. It’s crucial your management team are supported during this process too. This means you should provide more assistance, keep them up to date with the latest legislation, and give them more time before they communicate with employees at risk.
Offer Financial Advice
Your employees have lives outside of work and of course, need money to survive. Financial worries are a huge cause of stress. Therefore, businesses should look into giving staff access to financial advice if they’re facing redundancy. If they haven’t got a job lined up, there will be a whole load of uncertainty. And with the cost of living continuing to rise, your employees are bound to be scared of the unknown. Offering financial advice can help alleviate stress and help your employees understand the financial implications as a result of their redundancy.
It’s a process no company wants to endure. However, redundancies can’t be avoided in every instance. Whatever the reason for laying off staff, being there for them every step of the way is important. This will show employees you valued their hard work and will show your business in a positive light, especially when your employee lands another role.
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