Re-deployment of workforce saves jobs in cost-cutting exercise

Nick Hall and the HCR employment team provided advice and understanding when a Northampton-based company wanted to undertake a cost-cutting exercise which required reducing the headcount. The company contacted HCR for redundancy advice to ensure a legally fair process was followed.

With a large proportion of the workforce having long service, the senior management were understandably reluctant to make anyone redundant – but understood the need to cut costs.

Nick and the employment team talked through alternatives to making redundancies. These alternatives included where job shares were feasible in some areas of the business, if part-time working could be offered to some of those at risk or if there were suitable vacancies elsewhere in the business for those at risk of redundancy.

Nick said: “From a practical, non-legal perspective, giving serious consideration and offering alternatives to dismissals not only achieves at least some of the cost-saving required, but also reduces the number of colleagues to be made redundant.”

The company were also advised to invite volunteers for redundancy.

The outcome of Nick and the team’s advice was that the number of colleagues who left the company reduced from the original number through offering part-time working and training in positions elsewhere in the company. Therefore, the company not only made cost savings but also retained those who had the skills and experience they needed.