This time of year we are often approached for advice around redundancies as businesses review their budgets for the new financial year.
Ongoing economic uncertainty has meant that businesses are less able to carry staff at the same levels they once could.
When giving advice in this space the first thing we do is acknowledge that it is a really difficult decision. Business owners and managers have often considered every other option available, and sometimes not been paid themselves for a while, before deciding it’s time to initiate a redundancy process.
So what does it look like to work with us?
We understand the entire lifecycle of a redundancy process. We have sat in Fair Work conciliations and hearings and know exactly what members are looking for when assessing whether a process has been fair.
There are strict obligations set out in awards and employment law we need to follow, including:
- Consultation
- Selection
- Notifications
- Payments
There are also plenty of trip hazards along the way and we can help guide you through them.
The benefits of having an employment lawyer involved in the process
- We don’t sit inside your workplace or know the names of the affected employees’ kids so we can do this with a clear head; that outside perspective that helps you make good decisions.
- When you are confident and have the answers, you’re less likely to get your employees any more off-side than is absolutely necessary.
- We have the soft skills to help you navigate the communication within the workplace.
- We are on call for support with scripts, post-meeting de-briefs and those WTF calls when you get a response that you didn’t expect and aren’t sure what to do next.
- If things go off track, we can help negotiate settlements.
Despite your best planning, some employees will find it difficult to accept your decision as a genuine redundancy. In addition to helping you get that communication right, we can also guide any settlements that need to happen. Or alternatively, we can help put together a Fair Work response.
Having worked with us from the beginning of the process means we will already have everything in place that we would want to include in a response.
What our clients say
“Thank you again for all your help in this and for making this process so painless. I appreciate everything you have done and how easy you are to work with.”
– Client feedback
If you’re starting to think about restructuring, get in touch. We can help you plan a clear, compliant and respectful process (before things get messy). Contact Sarah, Bendigo Business Lawyer here.
