Should I Stay Or Should I Go?

Pross

50% of my office got made redundant this morning with me being one of the lucky ones. My Directors insist they want to keep the office which now has only 3 staff but I'm feeling understandably insecure. However, I have been here more or less since the company started and have a fairly niche position which I feel gives me a reasonably strong position (expensive to get rid of even if they don't want me!). I feel like I should be looking around but then if I was to move elsewhere I would be in a position of relative weakness at the new company if they are to find themselves in a similar position, which is likely given the industry outlook (consulting engineering in the construction sector). Anyone got any thought? I'm tending to err on the side of caution and stay put despite my instincts!

GiantMike

Sounds like you want to stay where you are. If you walk you'll get nothing. If you stay you'll keep your job and get a redundancy payment if they get rid of you?

Was it a surprise about the redundancies? I thought companies had to consult to see if anybody wanted voluntary redun first before they went for compulsory redun.

nweststeyn

Stay put but, if necessary, become a bit more frugal and put a little extra money away every month just incase.

Cleat Eastwood

You're in a position of weakness now - you can be sacked anytime. Look around, see what skills are needed for other jobs and have fun filling those gaps in your knowledge. Then become a trotskyite buddhist - it's the future.

Yellow Peril

Pross wrote:

50% of my office got made redundant this morning with me being one of the lucky ones. My Directors insist they want to keep the office which now has only 3 staff but I'm feeling understandably insecure. However, I have been here more or less since the company started and have a fairly niche position which I feel gives me a reasonably strong position (expensive to get rid of even if they don't want me!). I feel like I should be looking around but then if I was to move elsewhere I would be in a position of relative weakness at the new company if they are to find themselves in a similar position, which is likely given the industry outlook (consulting engineering in the construction sector). Anyone got any thought? I'm tending to err on the side of caution and stay put despite my instincts!

Glad to hear that you survived the axe Pross. Be wary of thinking that you would be entitled to a big payout. Unless you are a huge earner the statutory max redundancy is 12 weeks pay being one week's pay per year of employment up to 12 years. So if you've been there 20 years don't expect 20 weeks pay unless you have a special deal in your contract.

TBH unless Team Sky are offering you Yatesy's jopb I'd stay put. I would like to think the powers that be in your firm have worked out what and who they need to keep the company moving forward and up until this bombshell I guess you were happy to work there.

laurentian

Always look at your contract.

I am no expert in this but have experience. I was made redundant about 12 years ago when the company decided it could no longer support its higher paid staff. I was "well looked after" as per the conditions of my contract and ended up being paid 6 months salary (as I was on a six month contract) as well as remuneration for my medical insurance, company car etc etc. I had been at the company nearly 20 years. As an aside, one thing that I learned from this was that, in times when the company cannot afford an annual pay rise, you should negotiate and extension to your contract instead (ie increase the notice period - if you have been there a long time, it may be worth trying to have the words "in lieu of notice" removed from your contract too - but check!!)

Shortly after I was made redundant, the company went to the wall and staff who had been there longer than me ended up with the bare minimum - its not always better to hang on. As posted above, the most pragmatic thing to be doing would be squirreling a bit away.

Hope it all works out - not a great situation to be working in.

Pross

Thanks for the comments. I am certainly leaning towards the 'better the devil you know' appraoch at the moment and most of the comments above seem to back this. From what I can tell I would get 3 months notice and 12 weeks statutory redundancy pay whereas if I went elsewhere and the worst happened I would potentially be in a probationary period and get next to nothing. It was a surprise as things appeared to be slightly on the up, officially it is still consultation period for those who have been notified but I can't see anything changing.

Anonymous

Always look around. See what you are worth, who would have you etc. You might be worth more to someone else, you might actually be worth more to your current company, but they pay you what they can get away with.

You don't have to accept anything new, but at least you've also done some research on the competition, perhaps had some interview practise and are ready should something bad happen?

schlepcycling

Pross wrote:

Thanks for the comments. I am certainly leaning towards the 'better the devil you know' appraoch at the moment and most of the comments above seem to back this. From what I can tell I would get 3 months notice and 12 weeks statutory redundancy pay whereas if I went elsewhere and the worst happened I would potentially be in a probationary period and get next to nothing. It was a surprise as things appeared to be slightly on the up, officially it is still consultation period for those who have been notified but I can't see anything changing.

Here's a handy statutory redundancy calculator https://www.gov.uk/calculate-your-redundancy-pay also you can claim your statutory redundancy pay from the insolvency service even if your employer goes bust.

daviesee

If you are happy - Stay put.


Until you become unhappy.

capt_slog

I'd say stay until you're pushed, you have little to lose, but keep looking around and put the feelers out. You might see a better job in the meantime, but certainly don't jump into nothing.

I've been made redundant twice. The first time was voluntary, they were asking for people to go and the terms were excellent so I went.

The second time i was re-deployed, so still getting paid but the new post was awful (or so I thought), I then made a really bad move as I was desperate to find the work I was doing before the re-deployment and spent a disastrous THREE FECKING YEARS working for a dreadful place. Take care.

mr_goo

Hi Pross.
My advice stick it out. I was considering leaving my job earlier in the year as it was getting me down. But thought that I should wait a while as their was likely to be redundancies later on. Sure enough come September I am put on consultation and now on 3 months garden leave. I now leave the company with some cash in the back pocket. Now have to find a job though.
I note that you are an in construction industry for consulting engineers. It was my job to visit them and the feeling is that this sector is still in for a hard time.

Gizmodo

If you still like the job, stay put. If you move you have no protection for the first couple of years - you need to have worked for a company for 2 years before they have to pay you redundancy. So moving to a new company might make your position even less secure.

ddraver

There's nothing to say that staying put does nt mean searching for possibilities, doing a bit of networking/schmoozing and just generally putting the feelers out...

dw300

Don't leave. A best case scenario would be to be made redundant and walk almost straight into another job. So if you have some connections at other companies it might be an idea to start lining something up in the meantime.

It wouldn't be a bad idea to cut back a little on spending, allowing you to clear any credit cards, debts etc, and then plan so that if the time came, you could cut right back and will have a good buffer while looking for another job.

I was a technician in a Civils Consultancy .. got made redundant, and was unemployed for 18 months, and now somewhat coincidentally I am an Employment Service Advisor, so if worst comes to the worst I might be able to give you a few pointers on getting by on a budget. Fingers crossed you wont need that though.

andy40man

Start looking around, I look around all the time and 'jump ship' whenever a better deal is available elsewhere.
Those at your office, not so fortunate as yourself, learned a valuable lesson, Every employer will drop you whenever they feel the need, anyone with an ounce of self-respect should feel comfortable with switching employers when it suits - remember you owe them NOTHING and they are lucky to have your skills.