Just a bit of general guidance please...

When the whole company returns in the New Year we will be told that dispite making redundancies last year the company has still continued to suffer and is therefore making further redundancies (Happy New Year!).

I really feel that our small HR department (1 part time manager, and myself a full time administrator) will be affected, as my HR manager has dropped hints without actually saying............. She has asked, casually, if I would be prepared to take on a role within another section of the Company, if, as they believe they will not have enough administrators apply for it (they are changing the roles in that dept to work 8am - 5:30pm cover on a shift basis).

I currently only work 9:15am - 5pm. I drop my daughter to school in the morning and then have a 40min journey to work, so couldn't start any earlier, and they know that my husband is a HGV driver working nights and so can start any time from 6pm onwards so I normally can't stay later than 5pm.

If the inevitable did happen and they were happy for me to go across on the same hours I suppose I have a few questions that I would like a bit of light shone on for me please,

a) Would/could they offer me the job on less money and benefits (i.e. holiday)?, and

b) As the role would be an accounts based role, could/would this be offered on a probation period?

If the answer to 'a' is yes, would I have to take the postion or if I refuse would I be technically signing my resignation letter?

If the answer to 'b' is yes and either I don't get on with the role as I'm not really into accounts, or they don't think I'm up to the job, at the end of the probation period could they then still make me redundant?
Also thinking about it if a position did become available and they
would only offer me on the said shift hours above (8 - 5:30), because I couldn't take the job would I technically be resigning??????

I don't have 2 years service as I joined Aug 2008 so I'm not after the redundancy I would just like to know my options, to be forewarned is to be forearmed, as my mother always says.

Many Thanks

Jo

Many thanks for your question.

If you are going to be made redundant you should be treated fairly and there are certain steps they have to take.

If your role is to be made redundant then your employer is obliged to consider and offer any available suitable alternative employment to you. Whether a job is 'suitable alternative employment' depends on several things including the pay, status, hours and location of the job.

a) Would/could they offer me the job on less money and benefits (i.e. holiday)

Your employer can offer employment on less pay although you could refuse the offer on the grounds that it is not suitable alternative. As you don't qualify for redundancy pay you won't be eligilbe for redundancy pay though if you refused this. Your employer could consider other alternative employment


b) As the role would be an accounts based role, could/would this be offered on a probation period?

You would be entitled to a statutory 4 week trial period which could be extended. This period is to help you decide if the job is a suitable alternative, and for your employer to decide if you are suitable. If you need training for the new job, the four-week period can be extended with written agreement. If at the end of the period your employer decides that the employment is not suitable for you then you should revert back to your consultation period where other alternatives can be considered. If there are no alternatives, then the redundancy notice would be served.

If you don't take the job then you aren't resigning, however, unless the redundancy can be avoided or other alternative employment is found for you, then redundancy may be made.

to avoid redundancy i think you should look for another job than staying in that company. there are still lots of good companies out there.