John McMullen discusses some recent decisions in the courts on compulsory redundancy in the wake of COVID-19
- The selection pool & suitable alternative employment.
- Redundancy procedures and trust and confidence.
- Disappearing need for employees, though the job is still there.
- Collective redundancies and information and consultation.
There are many reasons why employers may take the difficult decision to make redundancies, ranging from the impossible to predict 2020/21 COVID-19 global pandemic to the inherent economic cycle or technological evolution.
Redundancy has a profound effect on employee security, both those who may lose their employment and those who stay. As disruptive as it may be for the displaced individual, the opportunity arises for the employer to restructure in a way that can actually turn a negative into a positive and allow it to prosper in the future.
Advice should be given on the counselling or outplacement of employees to be made redundant and the support to be given to the envoys of the redundancy message, as well as motivating those members
