SME webinar on planning for the future: business priorities and the employment landscape

Speakers:

• Tom Barrett, Deputy Regional Director, North West, CBI (Chair)
• Eugenia Migliori, Principal Policy Advisor, Employment Law and Employee Relations, CBI
• Susan Raftery, Senior Advisor, ACAS
• Adam Hartley, Head of Employment, UK, DLA Piper

Overview:

Eugenia Migliori:

• The recent government support schemes, such as the Job Retention Scheme and the Winter Economy Plan, will prevent some looming redundancies, but not all
• The CBI’s most recent Employment Trends Survey indicated that nearly 1 in 3 SMEs expects their workforce to be smaller than today, and a further 1 in 3 expect it to remain the same
• Firms, especially SMEs, are reporting more innovative measures being implemented, where possible, to avoid redundancies like reducing hours, cutting down on overtime or reducing bonuses and pay premiums
• Diversity & inclusion has remained high on the business agenda, with nearly 1 in 3 increasing their focus on D&I issues.

Susan Raftery:

• Almost 6 in 10 large firms are likely to make redundancies in the next 12 months
• If redundancy is needed, it’s vital to begin having conversations with affected employees as soon as possible, as they can often suggest solutions that avoid redundancy and job losses
• It’s really important to communicate in a means that will make all parties comfortable, and be open and honest, and explain the process
• There are real opportunities for businesses to drive loyalty amongst staff for when we emerge from lockdowns and other restrictions
• The most important aspect to consider, is that it’s a fellow human on the other end of the conversation and their life will be affected.

Adam Hartley:

• Many firms won’t have had to think about redundancies at a large scale since the end of the 2008 financial crisis
• Staff have had to adapt to new ways of working, and this could impact on other aspects of their life outside of business performance
• When looking at redundancies of less than 20 staff at a particular location, employers will need to:
  • Consult with the staff selected
  • Demonstrate why they were selected whilst avoiding discrimination
  • Consider alternatives to redundancy like redeployment within the business where possible
• Being made redundant in this environment could leave people out of work for a long time, and increases in suicide and mental ill-health are a worrying trend, so it’s vital to consider this with any employees facing redundancy.