Redundancy Sagas Again

[bednobs]

hi, five months ago instead of redundancy which was on the cards, i received a contract extension of six months doing something completely different in order to give me a bit more time to find another job. the contract extension was presented to me as i had to do it or leave with no redundancy money (although later i found out that it was not classed as suitable alternative employment and i could have turned it down and still received redundancy) Never mind, it was a nice opportunity to temporarily do something different, whilst still retaining redundancy rights if there was no suitable alternative employment at the end.
Anyway i am now 5 months and 1 week into the extension, and HR are being strangely (!) quiet on what will happen in 3 weeks time, despite me having reminded them at 3 months to go that if i wasn't being extended again, they would need to give me notice of redundancy, reminding them at 2 months to go that i hadn't heard from them, and reminding them last week i was in the last month.
Any hr knowledgable people know: if they are to make me redundant (no jobs have come up in the meantime) how much notice should they give me?
if the temporary job i'm doing isn't finished, can they make me redundant out of a job that still exists? what am i going to do if i continue not to hear from anybody about anything?

[factor-fiction]

They still need to give you your notice period which I assume is 3 months.

I was in a similar position. I'd been in a technical/management role but after 25 years' service my role went and as my finish date approached I was given a 3 month temp role which actually lasted nearly a year. Fortunately my employers were very good and let me choose when to go (I already had a teaching place lined up), and still paid me my full redundancy (which was by then greater as I had another year's service).
Do you enjoy the role? If they are maintaining your pay at least it allows you to wait for other roles to come up. Or are you keen to get your redundancy pot?

[bednobs]

i think for me it would be 10 weeks notice (perhaps 11?) The job still exists and despite the fact that someone thought it might take 6 months to complete, will actually take 5 of us around 2 years to complete (my estimation)
Factor, i can't decide what i want to do - the job is nothing like my previous job, and is completely soul sucking. I have to spend my days writing and receiving grumpy letters to/from solicitors, and trying to placate people who ring up cross because they applied over a year ago, and haven't heard anything from us yet, whilst at the same time trying to make "i know you've waited a year, but you are probably going to have to wait 2 more" sound good
on the plus side i am employed, getting paid good money, and retain all the benefits of being employed (pension, sick pay, mat pay and so on).
Ho hum, i have no idea!

[bednobs]

if they suddenly wake up and realise they are going to make me redundant, can they give me PILON?

[factor-fiction]

PILON is really good because it's tax free and you save on your travelling/work costs. However I can't see them doing that unless they desperately want you out of the way- which certainly doesn't seem the case here.
I wasn't enjoying my work either, but because the pay was so good ( 3 times my teaching salary) I wish I'd hung on for another 6-12 months, but at the I was worried that if I stayed too long they might, as rumoured, withdraw the generous redundancy packages.
Will they not chat to you about your options? They know it's not really equivalent work and may strike a deal- e.g. finish March 2014

[bednobs]

the thought of extending for 6 months doesn't sound so bad - the thought of extending for a year sounds suicidal, but i (and you) know the grass is not always hreener - generous redundancy is ok, but if you just have to spend it all on living costs, not much point

[bednobs]

ps thanks factor - did they get rid of the redundancy after all?

[buildersmate]

The answer to the notice question is the longer of your contractual notice period or the statutory notice, which is one week per completed year of employment.
Just sit tight and wait for the organization to contact you. Your previous postings have already indicated the complete ineptitude of this organization to handle HE issues. Yes, you could in theory be offered PILON but an organization with any wit, having made a mistake once, would surely just extend the contract to the end of the notice period. Perhaps HR has been outsourced to the BBC

[bednobs]

Thanks BM - it has been outsourced (not to the BBC tho - i wish, i might get a REALLY generous package if so)