Page 113 - Socially-responsible-restructuring-Effective-strategies-for-supporting-redundant-workers

Socially responsible restructuring
Effective strategies for supporting redundant workers

During these phases of restructuring the company has not engaged in any
follow-up activity with supplier organisations that might be affected by the
changes in the company, though external agencies will be providing support
where needed to these employers in the region.

6.4.3. Restructuring practices and processes
The disappointing, though not unexpected, call for volunteers for redundancy
meant that a programme of compulsory redundancies had to be implemented
and this invoked the company’s selection scoring procedure. This involves an
individual appraisal according to an established set of criteria: skills held and
demonstrated over the past four years; training and development received;
potential for adaptation to the company’s needs; and HR aspects, such as,
capability, absence record and length of service. Should the individual be
dissatisfied, there is a post-dismissal appeals procedure involving the HRM and
Plant Director. The system is tried and tested and is seen by all sides as
transparent, aiming to balance the company’s needs with those of the individual
employee. It is also a time-consuming activity focused on individual assessment
and discussion.
Once the redundancies were finalised and individuals informed, the next stage
was to implement the company’s support for those who would be leaving. There
were three strands to this: outplacement consultants, Jobcentre Plus, and
regional ESF support. These external sources were in addition to the normal HR
services provided by the company.

6.4.4. Cooperation and external capacity
The company engaged and paid for the services of a specialist external agency
for outplacement – Career Management Consultants Ltd (CMC) – to deliver
individual information, advice and guidance on site. CMC is an independent
provider of career management services and specialises in firms going through
restructuring.
CMC offered an information, advice and guidance (IAG) package to all
employees being made redundant; even though take-up was voluntary, only
around 10% chose not to use the service. A resource centre was established on
site with activities concentrated in the final two weeks prior to termination. It
provided individual counselling sessions and group work on job search methods
(important for those long-service employees who had been out of the jobs market
for some time). For those considering self-employment it offered guidance on
where to go for further support. A firm objective of all this activity was to ensure

107