Recorded 29 October, this webinar focuses on how to adapt to the new employment landscape.
Watch the webinar
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.