Caroline Walker, managing director of Cavendish Employment Law Limited, recently contributed towards an article in the Financial Times discussing what employers should do to soften the blow of redundancy.

Caroline Walker mentioned that redundancies can "damage trust and loyalty" in leaders and even lead remaining employees to look for other opportunities, either to "cushion their career" or "seek employment with more job security".

She went on to say "It sends ripples of concern to the remaining employees, who often have relief mixed with insecurity, particularly if they were in the redundancy pool or have reason to believe another round may be around the corner."

Going on to say that “employers should seek to safeguard all employees' mental health, whether they are at risk of redundancy, have survived the restructuring or otherwise need support for unrelated reasons”.

On the topic of fair redundancies, Caroline said “employers should consider inviting employees to apply for voluntary redundancy, as this would potentially achieve a reduction in costs without resorting to compulsory redundancies. 

Also suggesting employers consider offering job shares, salary reductions or part-time work before making any decisions about redundancy.

“If redundancies cannot be avoided, the employer could offer counselling and outplacement support to ensure employees are "as supported as possible", Ms Walker adds.

Read the full article to find out more about how employers can cushion the blow of redundancy.

If you have been the subject of unfair redundancy, you may be entitled to a high-value claim. For immediate expert advice, get in contact with Cavendish Employment Law Limited today.