Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Employee engagementEmployment lawLatest NewsEconomics, government & businessHR strategy

Car makers change work practices to save jobs

by Guy Logan 19 Jan 2009
by Guy Logan 19 Jan 2009

Nissan aims to minimise job losses by implementing flexible working schemes to cut staff hours as the recession grips car manufacturers.

Earlier this month it announced 1,200 jobs would have to go as a result of falling sales worldwide , and the firm is now asking employees to work shorter weeks and reduce the production line to save on costs, to avoid more job cuts.

Staff will be paid the same wages, but they will need to make up the unworked hours when production picks up.

Steve Pallas, training and development manager at Nissan’s Sunderland plant, told Personnel Today that several days each week were also being devoted tocompleting government-funded training programmes that had been accelerated ahead of their multi-year schedules, to prepare employees for the upturn. “Rather than sending staff home, we wanted to use this opportunity to improve skills that would have a direct impact on the shop floor,” he said.

Of the 1,200 jobs that will go, 800 are permanent posts. Pallas said: “We have begun a 90-day consultation [with unions] and are looking at how we can support the 800 to find alternate jobs.”

Nissan is not the only car manufacturer in trouble. In October 2008 Jaguar Land Rover offered staff three-month sabbaticals on 80% pay, which 300 employees accepted. But in November it announced that 850 agency workers were being made redundant, and last week it revealed it was cutting 450 more jobs.

A spokesman told Personnel Today that Jaguar Land Rover was still offering the sabbaticals, and even extending some, to preserve jobs.

Other car makers have tried similar moves to save jobs. Honda announced it would halt production for two months from February, and Vauxhall has begun offering nine-month sabbaticals on 30% pay.

Manufacturing bodies said they support employers doing “whatever it takes” to preserve jobs, but admit that nothing is fool-proof against the economic downturn.

“Employers are using line closures and reduced pay to retain staff, essentially anything that avoids losing vital skills,” a spokeswoman from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders said.

“Employers don’t take redundancies lightly, and they will do everything they can to avoid them.”

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Brown backs Nissan

Prime minister Gordon Brown hailed Nissan’s move to combine short- time work with government-financed training to ride out less busy periods. He said putting aside several days for training like business NVQs would help staff stay in employment, or find new jobs quickly.

Guy Logan

previous post
Training venues: A little sporty number
next post
HR jobs slashed across UK

You may also like

Fire and rehire: the relocation question

22 May 2025

Public sector workers gain pay rises of up...

22 May 2025

UK net migration slashed by half in one...

22 May 2025

How neuroscience can unlock employee recognition

22 May 2025

UK universities fret over fall in international students

22 May 2025

HSBC employees warned of office attendance link to...

22 May 2025

The Law Society: Navigating the new world of...

22 May 2025

Workplace stress: Why it’s time to rebrand resilience

22 May 2025

Restaurant tips should be included in holiday pay

21 May 2025

Fewer workers would comply with a return-to-office mandate

21 May 2025

  • 2025 Employee Communications Report PROMOTED | HR and leadership...Read more
  • The Majority of Employees Have Their Eyes on Their Next Move PROMOTED | A staggering 65%...Read more
  • Prioritising performance management: Strategies for success (webinar) WEBINAR | In today’s fast-paced...Read more
  • Self-Leadership: The Key to Successful Organisations PROMOTED | Eletive is helping businesses...Read more
  • Retaining Female Talent: Four Ways to Reduce Workplace Drop Out PROMOTED | International Women’s Day...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+