Page 157 - Socially-responsible-restructuring-Effective-strategies-for-supporting-redundant-workers

Socially responsible restructuring
Effective strategies for supporting redundant workers

because trade union involvement can lead to the early identification of job losses,
so adequate support can be provided as quickly as possible. An initial discussion
between the project officer and the human resources manager is often all that is
needed to convince a company that it would be beneficial for all sides to invite
the project to provide assistance.
Project assistance tends to be structured in two phases. The first phase
involves a series of outplacement sessions held on site and comprises job search
support and career adjustment, including career guidance and retraining.
Jobcentre Plus works alongside the project team offering general advice on
labour market demand and the sorts of jobs that might be available. The
information and advice sessions on site are only the start of more extensive
provision delivered off site, given that some of the staff being made redundant
may not have applied for a job for many years. Where the staff of a company is
dispersed across a wide area, the support may be offered in a range of locations,
through for example, further education colleges. The support offered is
customised to individual need but, at a minimum, comprises:
(a) refinement of the action plan first outlined in the initial counselling session
held in the company;
(b) a skills audit and an assessment of training needs in relation to future job
aspirations;
(c) training delivered by the FE colleges based on their portfolios of courses;
(d) assistance with job search during and after training.
The project team regularly tracks participant progress and college
performance in meeting their contractual conditions.
Among additional opportunities, the Transition to teaching initiative aims to
encourage workers in industry to consider a career in teaching, since skilled
engineers are among the redundancy group and there is a shortage of teachers
in engineering.

6.13.2. Impact and effects
Those facing redundancy should be targeted for assistance before they leave
their employer, otherwise it is difficult to engage with them. In case of mass
redundancies, the three-month notice may seem a long period to develop in-
company support. However, in practice, only towards the end of this period, is it
known who will actually face redundancy, since the statutory notice period is
normally one month. Employers are under increasing pressure from the
recession and often will not have the resources to provide proper support to
those staff being made redundant; an external agency providing access to advice
and support is crucial.

151