Redundancy: Telling Employees in Person

Hearing the news that you are being made redundant is never easy to absorb and much like when any relationship ends it is always better to hear the news in person.

But with the invention of the internet and mobile phones it is no longer the case that employers and employees work out of the same office space, or indeed the same town or city.

With an increasing number of employees working off-site it can sometimes be impossible for an employer to relate the news face-to-face.

It is not essential that an employee is made redundant face-to-face, but it is essential employers consult with members of staff in a fair way over any impending redundancies.

When it’s Appropriate to Tell Employees Over the Telephone

Due to an increase in flexible working and firms outsourcing their work off-site, it can sometimes be impractical for managers to be in close contact with their employees when redundancies occur. If you are based on the opposite side of the country to a number of your staff you may wish to delegate out the task of making them redundant to another member of your staff or senior management. You must make sure that any employees you are making redundant are armed with the same information as other employees that are being made redundant face-to-face.

If one member of staff is based far away it should be enough to contact them via the telephone and send them written confirmation of their redundancy, telling them the exact same information that you told the other members of the workforce in person.

If staff are absent due to illness when you are making redundancies you must make an effort to try and meet with the employee and if possible visit them at home, that is off course if they want this.

You must ensure that the redundancy process you have in place is fair and does not discriminate against those who are not in work. All employees should be told at roughly the same time where possible and each given a chance to speak with somebody about the process.

When it is Not Appropriate

Making redundancies is never easy and you could find it tempting to try and avoid the issue or deal with it over the telephone or via email.

But if you work within close proximity of the people you are making redundant you should try your utmost to tell them face-to-face. Not only does telling your employees face-to-face show a sense of respect and camaraderie it also helps avoid any potential issues down the line concerning unfair dismissal.

If you cannot tell your employees face-to-face they may have questions that go unanswered and argue that the redundancy process was not explained clearly enough to them when you carried out the redundancy.

The way in which you make your employees redundant is important, it is not just enough to tell them that they have been made redundant you must also support them and go out of your way to tell them directly where possible. Things can be explained better in person and if there are any questions it is better to speak directly about them rather than decipher what the other is thinking over the telephone or email.