Employing new staff after making redundancies

Hi All

I hope you can help.

We made two employees redundant in April 2011 due to a real lack of business. It was the only way the business would survive.

We have managed to secure some new contracts which means that we want to employ 1 or perhaps 2 people. I wondered as a company how long we must wait until we employ again.

The two employees who we made redundant we believe have new jobs. Do we have to offer the positions again to the original employees? If so even they have found alternative employment?

If anyone could help or point me in the right direction that would be great.

Many thanks in advance.

BB

If the redundancies were fair and this is genuine new business then you have nothing to worry about - but broadly speaking the time is three months (the tribunal deadline). You don't have to offer them new employment - but unless you have some reason not to it might be nice to ask if they want to come back - you never know, they might have actually liked working for you!