STRATEGIC REDUNDANCY IMPLEMENTATION Redundancy, restructuring, downsizing. There are few, if any, other manage- ment books on this important topic, and yet the pace of redundancies has only accelerated in recent years. Coupled with this, many companies that imple- ment redundancies as a cost-cutting exercise often fail to achieve their goal. Whilst viewed as an uncomfortable topic by many, guidance on how to implement a redundancy programme that is fair, proportionate and ultimately leads to improved organisational performance, has never been more needed. This book fills this important gap. It takes the reader through a redundancy implementation strategy – Re-Focus, Re-Organise and Re-Build – that incorpo- rates the key aspects of planning and analysis, fairness and justice, and prepares management for redundancy implementation through training. What will your communications include? What will be your strategy for implementation? What training does your management need? Various helpful template exam- ples are included for employee consultation, communication and training. The book will be invaluable for business managers, HR professionals, employee representatives and HR students. Madeleine Stevens is a senior lecturer in Human Resource Management at Liverpool John Moores University. She has published a number of arti- cles for the CIPD on redundancy implementation and how to mitigate the negative impact of redundancies for individuals and organisations. Prior to joining academia, Dr. Stevens worked as a HR practitioner for over 20 years, holding various roles internationally with extensive experience in business restructuring and improvement. She has won several awards for her research and innovative teaching from the Academy of Management and Association of Business Psychologists. Dr. Stevens is a Fellow member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (FCIPD), Higher Education Academy (FHEA) and Paralegal Society (Specialist Employment Law). She is also a Chartered member of the British Psychological Society. “Madeleine Stevens has produced an important book for teachers, learners and professional practitioners of HR. The book provides an original and comprehensive guide on all aspects of redundancies, and supplements this with practical examples and templates of associated documents. This is in my view an unmissable resource for everyone with an interest and role in managing redundancies.” Professor Jim Stewart, Professor of Human Resource Development, Liverpool Business School “Restructures and redundancies are often an unavoidable part of a HR professional’s working life, but knowing how to carry them out with compassion is vital. Madeleine is an expert on limiting the negative effects of such programmes and brings a fresh perspective on the impact on all individuals involved in the process. This book is sure to be a must-read for HR professionals.” Katie Jacobs, Senior Stakeholder Lead, CIPD and business journalist “Dr. Madeleine Stevens’ book offers a fresh and much-needed rethink on the issues around how companies approach and implement redundancies. It explores positive alternatives to redundancies that limit the emotional impact on employees and the detrimental effect redundancies can have on businesses.” Colin Gosling, Senior Unite Rep and European Siemens representative, Siemens ITS Poole “At last a book about this difficult topic that is both practical about the process but also deals with the emotional rollercoaster for all participants. Maddy Stevens’ compassionate approach is no soft touch, and has the authenticity of hard-won experience.” Toby Peyton-Jones, OBE, Former HR Director Siemens UK and Northwest Europe STRATEGIC REDUNDANCY IMPLEMENTATION Re-Focus, Re-Organise and Re-Build Madeleine Stevens Cover image: © Matthias Kulka / Getty Images First published 2022 by Routledge 4 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN and by Routledge 605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2022 Madeleine Stevens The right of Madeleine Stevens to be identified as author of this work has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data A catalog record has been requested for this book ISBN: 978-0-367-46570-4 (hbk) ISBN: 978-1-032-17052-7 (pbk) ISBN: 978-1-003-03041-6 (ebk) DOI: 10.4324/9781003030416 Typeset in Joanna by codeMantra This book is dedicated to: Dave Pickles – the smiling assassin of redundancies Ke’ala and Kai – my children who put the purpose of life into context Ron and Betsie Stevens – my ‘oracles’ Ronnelie Nieuwenhuis – a superhero, always there to make things better CONTENTS List of figures ix List of tables x List of abbreviations xi About the author xiii Acknowledgements xv Preface xvi Part I Re-Focus: Understanding the challenge 1 1 The redundancy phenomenon 3 2 Success of redundancies as a business strategy 16 3 The negative impact of redundancies on the workforce 28 4 Limiting redundancies – alternative strategies 49 5 The legal aspects of redundancies 64 Part II Re-Organise: Redundancy implementation: Planning and strategy 105 viii Contents 6 A review of redundancy-incorporating strategies 107 7 Strategic redundancy implementation 117 8 Communication strategy 225 9 Employee representatives: adding value to redundancy implementation 262 10 Organisational support for victims, survivors, semi-survivors and redundancy envoys 327 PART III Re-Build: Re-building the organisation 345 11 Re-building the organisation post-redundancy implementation 347 Index 357 FIGURES 3.1 Redundancy victim’s experience of change 31 7.1 Redundancy implementation strategy: Re-Focus, Re-Organise and Re-Build 118 7.2 Eight stages of redundancy implementation 119 7.3 RRR strategy stage 1: defining the organisational goals 120 7.4. RRR strategy stage 2: cost containment 122 7.5. RRR strategy stage 5: people impact strategy overview 131 7.6 RRR strategy stage 5: people impact strategy process map 133 8.1 RRR strategy stage 6: communications strategy for redundancy implementation 228 8.2 Redundancy communications channels 231 8.3 Redundancy intranet dashboard example 233 9.1 Key competencies for employee representatives 266 9.2 Employee representative committee structure 268 10.1 CV writing skills workshop content 330 10.2 Interview skills workshop content 331 10.3 Self-employment workshop content 331 10.4 Retirement workshop content 332