UK
managers are ill-equipped to handle job cuts, according to a Work Foundation
survey.
The
survey – Managing Redundancy – found that 48 per cent of responding
organisations provide no training to help managers handle potentially sensitive
situations.
Nick
Isles, at The Work Foundation, said: “Although employment levels are high, the
economic downturn is forcing many employers to cut costs. Almost 150,000
manufacturing jobs were lost in the last three months of last year alone.
“Companies
know that badly-handled redundancy programmes are bad for the business, but may
be unsure of how to improve the process. How employees respond may depend
largely on the way the workforce is treated before, during and after the
changes. Recognising and preparing managers to break the news, be available to
provide advice, information and emotional support, as well as help the process
move forward, should be an integral part of any organisational restructuring.”
Of
the organisations that do or plan to provide training for their managers, most
popular is training in how to let people know there will be redundancies (65
per cent), how to listen (60 per cent), the legal processes/pitfalls (59 per
cent) and how to deal with the strong emotions of their team (46 per cent).
Just over a quarter (27 per cent) provide training in how to build morale, and
24 per cent on how to cope with feelings of guilt.
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