Although we first covered this topic in 2009, such is the nature of the current financial climate in the UK that we are receiving calls from veterinary nurses requesting what to do when they have been told they are “At risk of redundancy?”

Being made redundant

If you are going to be made redundant from your job, you should be treated fairly by your practice and there are certain steps that your employers would be expected to follow. You may also be entitled to a redundancy payment.

Selection and notice periods

The practice should use a fair and objective way of selecting people to be made redundant. This means that it should be based on some evidence of skills and abilities, rather than the practice just deciding who they want to give notice to.

In some cases there may be no need for your practice to follow a selection process because the group of employees to be made redundant will be clear – for example, closing down one of the surgeries or a particular section of the practice.

One method the practice could use is to consider which group or section of the workforce the redundancies will be selected from; this is called the selection pool’. After identifying the selection pool, the practice should apply the selection criteria to narrow down the list of affected employees.

The practice should use objective selection criteria which can be applied equally and fairly across the workforce in the pool. Some examples of selection criteria include:

. job knowledge

•   quality of work

•   reliability

•   flexibility

•   initiative.

Your right to consultation

The practice should always consult with employees before making them redundant. There are two ways in which your practice might have to consult you about redundancy:

•   Collectively – consulting the whole group that is being made redundant (normally used for groups of 20 employees or more) or consulting with elected representatives from the group

•   Individually – speaking to each person directly.

Looking for new employment

If you are facing redundancy, you may find new work with a new practice, or the current practice may offer you a different job. There are different issues associated with each.

If the practice is making you redundant, where possible it should attempt to offer you suitable alternative employment within the practice or organisation. Whether it’s suitable depends on the situation and the following should be taken into account:

the terms of the job being offered ■ your skills, abilities and circumstances in relation to the job

•   the pay, status, hours and location of the job.

Any offer for an alternative job from your practice should be made before your old job ends. You should be given enough information about what it involves, so you know how different it is from your old job and you can make a judgement on whether you wish to accept the role.

If the practice offers you alternative employment, you have the right to a four-week trial period in a new job. This helps you to decide if you want to accept the offer and your practice to assess your suitability for the job.

If you decide the new job isn’t suitable, you can give notice during the trial period without affecting your right to a statutory redundancy payment, or your normal employment rights.

If you haven’t given notice by the end of the trial period, your right to statutory redundancy pay ends.

Looking for another job

If you have been continuously employed for two years by the date your notice expires, you are allowed a reasonable amount of paid time off during your notice period to look for another job or arrange training to help you find one.

If you are offered a job at a new firm, to start before your notice expires, then try and negotiate with your employer for early release without losing your redundancy pay.

Redundancy pay

If you are made redundant, you may be entitled to redundancy pay if you have worked for your practice for at least two years. The amount to which you are entitled will be based on your weekly pay (up to a maximum amount set each year by the Government, currently £430), age and continuous employment with your practice.

When your practice tells you that you are “at risk of redundancy”, it must give you a statement showing how your redundancy payment will be calculated. 

For further support with this or any other HR issue BVNA members can call the BVNA IRS Helpline on 01822 870270

Author

Nicky Ackerley BA(Hons)

Nicky Ackerley HR Support is owned by Nicky Ackerley who has been a practising HR manager for over 20 years.

• VOL 27 • April 2012 • Veterinary Nursing Journal