Employment Law Query (Latest Update)

[buffymad]

So my other half has had the meeting (although the person conducting the meeting didn't know too much either and couldn't give many answers!). They've decided they need certain job roles and only one of those is for a handyman. At the moment there's two of them there so am assuming one of them will get the chop. Can they still offer redundancies for the person who doesn't get chosen, seeing as the role still exists and someone will be fulfilling that role? Or can they just sack him because they've decided they want to change their structure?
When you are offered redundancy, can they take into account any sickness you've had off and reduce your payments accordingly? I thought it was a case of a week's pay for every full year you've worked and didn't think any sickness was taken into account - but I may be wrong?
There will be more meetings taking place and other half needs to go back to line manager with any questions he has (I've already told him to ask about job specifications to start off with).
They apparently want all this sorted and new contracts up and running by the end of February - although not sure that gives them enough time to sort anything out knowing them!!
Please feel free to comment on the latest saga ...!!!

[EDDIE51]

I think (not sure) that they first offer voluntary redundancy to all possible candidates and if there are some who agree then that is the problem over. As there are 2 in this case if the other person or your OH accepts voluntary redundancy the problem is solved. Only if there are no volunteers goes it go to compulsory redundancy. Sickness time off does not affect the service time which is used to calculate the amount of the payment.
The last time there were redundancies offered at my last workplace
( I'm retired now) they got too many volunteers and had to select which ones to let go.

[buffymad]

So even though his role will still exist, he could still be made redundant? I thought the job itself had to not exist anymore for that to happen.
Thanks for confirmation on redundancy pay. Thought when that was mentioned it was total poo poo!!

[woofgang]

Yes they can make surplus people redundant if they have more than they need in any job role...so they have two handymen and feel that they only need one, then they can make one redundant. Sickness absence record isn’t taken into account when calculating how much the payment would be but can be taken into account when deciding who to make redundant if there aren’t suffivient volunteers.