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AcasCollective redundancyCoronavirusPersonnel TodayEmployee relations

Acas: Redundancy related enquiries surge 160%

by Jo Faragher 5 Aug 2020
by Jo Faragher 5 Aug 2020 Pic: Shutterstock
Pic: Shutterstock

Conciliation service Acas has experienced a marked increase in calls to its helpline on the subject of redundancy during the coronavirus pandemic.

Acas said redundancy related calls shot up by 160% over the past two months when compared to the same period in 2019.

It has issued updated advice for employers that may be considering making roles redundant, encouraging them to consider alternatives such as more flexible ways of working, compressed hours or job shares.

Redundancy and furlough

Furloughed employees must receive redundancy in full 

How to carry out redundancies when employees have been furloughed 

Redundancy “should always be a last resort” after other options have been exhausted, Acas said.

Organisations could also consider a recruitment freeze or limits on overtime. Another option could be to move employees into other suitable roles – if another role is suitable and it is not offered, this could be judged as unfair dismissal, the organisation advised.

Its guidance also clarifies new law changes on calculating redundancy and notice pay for furloughed staff.

Legislation that came into force from 31 July means that qualifying employees are now entitled to redundancy pay based on their ‘normal’ salary rather than the rate they received on furlough.

It stipulates that employees with more than two years’ continuous service should receive redundancy pay and statutory notice pay based on their contracted rate, and that basic awards for unfair dismissal cases must also be based on full pay rather than furlough pay.

Acas chief executive Susan Clews said that many employers and staff were “concerned about their future livelihoods” due to the impact of the pandemic. Around a third of calls to Acas focus on redundancy issues, she added.

“Some businesses have found innovative ways to deal with the crisis through restructuring that has allowed them to safeguard jobs in consultation with trade unions,” she said.

“Our advice in this area recommends alternatives to redundancies, which should always be used as a last resort, as well as how to follow the law if it cannot be avoided.”

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Companies to have announced large scale redundancy plans in the past few days include Hays Travel, HSBC, and WH Smith.

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Jo Faragher

Jo Faragher has been an employment and business journalist for 20 years. She regularly contributes to Personnel Today and writes features for a number of national business and membership magazines. Jo is also the author of 'Good Work, Great Technology', published in 2022 by Clink Street Publishing, charting the relationship between effective workplace technology and productive and happy employees. She won the Willis Towers Watson HR journalist of the year award in 2015 and has been highly commended twice.

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