Page 149 - Socially-responsible-restructuring-Effective-strategies-for-supporting-redundant-workers

Socially responsible restructuring
Effective strategies for supporting redundant workers

for training and guidance to aid in their search for new employment. In addition,
Jobcentre Plus offered general advice on job search and benefit entitlement. The
key aspects of the support package put together by the company in cooperation
with the agencies on site included the following:
(a) the company operated a drop-in advice centre and staff was in attendance
for those that need help with the resources available;
(b) all ex-employees were to be contacted early in 2010 to request permission
to retain their details on file and to forward these to any potential employers;
(c) additional website support with password access, allowed the staff who had
left to have online support in terms of access to information and advice;
(d) through the Redundancy Action Scheme (ReAct) employees and former
employees could receive funded training, the latter through their new
employers;
(e) inviting employers on site was a very successful activity that attracted some
employers from the same sub-sector, but others from more general
engineering and some unrelated sectors, such as the police. Several plants
located in different countries, within the broader company group, including
some from the Middle East, were recruiting and one spent a week on site
and secured some workers for overseas.
This combination of measures, delivered in a collaborative atmosphere by the
provider organisations, was felt to provide a comprehensive support package,
effectively combining state aid with that funded by the company.

6.11.5. Impact and effects
The package of measures has provided a choice for the displaced employees.
The comparatively generous financial package on offer meant that over one third
of those facing redundancy chose early retirement and, though the other two
thirds chose to wait, they did not suffer any diminution in their severance package
because of it. Having drop-in facilities on site where workers could access
information and advice from the national careers advice supplier (Careers Wales)
proved to be popular. Anecdotal evidence suggests that a significant number of
employees secured other jobs, which is a very positive outcome in the current
labour market conditions, especially in this part of Wales where unemployment
rates are comparatively high. Around 40 employees were retained on site
throughout 2010 to carry out clearing up duties and their severance terms were
unaffected by the extra few months work they had.

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