Kirsty Craig Associates - Empathy An Essential in the Redundancy Process

Empathy…an essential skill in the redundancy process

It’s never easy is it, talking about redundancies?

Such a sensitive subject can raise all sorts of emotions in both your team and you as a business owner because you care about your people.

So how can you handle redundancies well? How can you deliver the hard facts to your staff and still support them emotionally? How do you make sure you don’t trip up on the legal? And how can you help your outgoing staff for their future success?

Lots of questions to ask yourself we know, but read on…

If you’re facing the prospect of making redundancies, our Redundancy Support for Employers package offers three months of consultation and HR support from our expert team, plus a toolkit containing all the supporting documents that you’ll need.

Managing the communication empathetically…

Companies who handle redundancies well are those who can show how much their people mean to them at every stage of the process and reassure those employees who are remaining with the business.

Try to be aware of the emotional temperature of your teams, so that you can share the hard facts in a way that will be received more positively than it otherwise might have been.

Take the personal, empathetic approach as often as you can, sitting down with your team to discuss their options, and address questions or conflict as it arises.

Don’t get sidetracked…

In the UK, the redundancy process must follow a clear timeframe. These guidelines will help you to do everything by the book to protect the rights of your workers and, at the same time, safeguard you and your business.  It is also helpful to share the details and timings of the process with your team, to help reduce their anxiety during the process.

On a basic level, the stages of the redundancy process are:

  • Consultation — an essential component that needs to be carried out in a timely, compliant and sensitive manner.
  • Your selection matrix for deciding on those roles that are to be made redundant, must be clear, fair and free of personal bias.
  • You must give staff the appropriate notice, depending on how long they’ve worked for the company.
  • There will be notice pay, and in many cases redundancy pay, this being calculated in line with statutory pay rates as a minimum.

Looking after yourself…

We know that the possibility of redundancy can cause stress and anxiety among employees, but it’s an emotionally demanding time for business leaders too. Developing some emotional awareness and resilience-building skills to help you recognise and deal within a positive way, the stresses involved in managing the situation.

Don’t try to carry the entire burden of the redundancy process alone. Make sure you have trusted voices to help guide and support you through both the HR process and the emotional weight.

Where do I begin?

We can work with you through the process. Our Redundancy Support for Employers package will give you access to expert help, HR support and guidance, plus a toolkit containing all you need to handle redundancies the right way.

Want to know if it’s for you? Book a free consultation to see how we can help.


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