Page 143 - Socially-responsible-restructuring-Effective-strategies-for-supporting-redundant-workers

Socially responsible restructuring
Effective strategies for supporting redundant workers

invited to take part in a 3.5-day outplacement training, as well as to make the
most of other job and training opportunities. It is expected that a sustainable
solution can be found within the first three months, including re-employment at
TSF, termination of the job contract, training leave or retirement. Within the pool,
each manager is responsible for mentoring and coaching about 40-60
employees. The first meetings help clarify the person’s profile and screen his/her
competences. An individual action plan is developed and jointly signed within one
month. Training activities and individual solutions are agreed jointly.
Since its establishment, the pool has gathered about 100 to 200 employees at
any point in time. Employees transferred to the pool maintain their employment
contract with TSF; their previous tasks are terminated and they become legally
attached to the pool, with a new line manager. The pool is a defined geographical
space within the company. Employees can decide to move their office there, or
they may decide to stay physically in their previous unit. The only requirement is
to be physically present at work three days a week. The pool offers a variety of
services which employees can make use of, such as change coaching, training
courses, development dialogues, support for career planning, and competence
inventory possibilities, through self-assessment or joint review. Social and health
support can also be accessed anonymously, either within the firm or through an
external service provider.
Re-employment at TSF is considered a serious option. Pool employees are
helped to find new positions within the company. Employees transferring to fixed-
term positions retain their current salary and benefits. When the fixed-term
employment terminates, the employee returns to the competence pool unless an
alternative has been found. If a new permanent position is found during the first
month, the employee is granted an extra one-week paid holiday.
The rules applied to severance packages were amended at the beginning of
2008 to increase the incentives to find a solution within the first three months.
While maintenance in the pool was of unlimited duration before that, the new
rules foresee that the extra payment from TSF (typically an additional four- or six-
month wage, depending on the seniority, given in addition to the legal severance
payment) will start to decrease every day by a two-day payment once the first
three months have passed. When the extra pay has run out, the employment is
terminated and the ‘extra’ severance package is no longer available.
The pool has become TSF’s largest training unit, with about 100 people in
training for new jobs either on a fixed-term basis or through on-the-job training. In
addition to the training available for all TSF’s personnel, pool employees have
access to training more tailored to their needs and mostly provided by outside
consultants. For those people seeking re-employment within or outside the firm,

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