This one-day course provides guidance to Staff Representatives and Employee Reps on redundancy situations.  It explains the underpinning legislation, explores their duties when representing and supporting staff and demonstrates a range of skills to help them carry out their duties more effectively.

Fortunately, within any given employer, redundancy situations remain relatively rare, the downside being; Employee Representatives are often unfamiliar with the governing legislation and how they can represent and support their colleagues effectively. 

The course strikes a balance between essential technical and soft skills. It is for those representatives who have been elected by the workforce to represent them and now need to have and equally importantly, to be seen to have, the skills and training needed to be effective in their role.  A caring well though through and planned approach to redundancy reduces worry and suffering for all and helps improve effectiveness.

For Whom
This workshop is designed for elected employee representatives from all business types and sectors.

Course Aims and Objectives
This workshop aims to improve the employee representatives’ knowledge of redundancy legislation and good practice the develop their skills and confidence in a way that improves their effectiveness and positive contribution throughout the redundancy process

CONTENT

1. General Role and Duties of the Effective Employee Representative
   This short session introductory session reviews the overarching role, duties and behaviours of effective Employee representatives and set the scene on the staff representatives’ role in redundancy situations.

• Representing the view of their colleagues
• Cascade information relating to organisation policy and change
• Championing and contribute to organisational success
• Partaking in consolations and negotiations where required by Law
• Consultation Vs Negotiation and the right or managers to manage
• Advocacy type duties

2. Redundancy and The Law – Key Points

• Notification
  • Employers Duty to Inform
  • Employers Duty to Consult

• Selection Process
  • Unfair Selection
  • Appeals, Tribunals
    • Options, Pros and Cons
    • Alternatives
  • Consultation/s
    • Collective and Individual
    • Fair, Reasonable, Frequency and Time Scales
  • Options
    • Short Term Layoffs, Sabbaticals and Volunteer working
    • Changes to Pay and Benefits
    • Early Retirement
    • Voluntary Redundancy
    • Alternative Roles and Trial Periods
    • Refusing Offers
    • Job Hunting and Time Off Work
  • Redundancy Pay
    • Notice Periods and Payments in Lieu
    • Statutory Redundancy Pay Rates
    • Holiday Pay, Unpaid Wages, Benefits, Tax and NI
    • Redundancy Service payments

3. The Employee Representatives Role and Duties

• Consultation VS Negotiation – a reminder
• Clarifying and Confirming Process with Employers
• Analysing Policies and Approach
  • Legal compliance
  • Exploring Alternative Solutions and Options (as above)
  • Championing and Representing Employees Views Fairly
    • Impartial, Group, Individual
    • Handling conflicts with own personal views
  • Cascading the Message and Giving Information
    • Group Meetings and Public Speaking
    • One To One Meetings
    • Other ways to cascade and share information
    • Co-operating with Managers and the managers right to manage
    • Sign Posting other sources of help and advice

4. Sign Posting Support Options

• Internal
  • Individual Consultation Lead
  • Other Organisation specific approaches where applicable
• External
  • Universal Credit and Benefit Calculators
  • Job Centre Plus Rapid Response Service
    • CV support
    • Help with any costs of finding new work
    • Benefit information
    • Re-Training
    • Work Trials
  • Other Options – Charities, Money Advice Services, Citizens Advice

5. Skills Awareness
   Session 5 highlight in overview the typical skills required to be effective in role and acts as an introductory session to the afternoon session on “Skills for Success”

• Empathy, sympathy and professional conduct
• Handling difficult conversations, Assertiveness, Influencing and Persuasion
• Communication, Active Listening and Questioning
• Making Meetings More Effective
• Public Speaking

6. Skills for Success
   Session 6 last 3 hours. It explores the personal skills and behaviours that help employee representatives be more successful in role.  It includes a raft of hints tips and guidance on good practice, which are fully transferable to other situations.

• Counselling and Support
  How different staff may feel during redundancy situations. This session provides guidance on how reps should adjust their personal styles to suit, remembering the need to remain professional.
  • Empathy, Sympathy and Professionalism
  • Upset Colleagues
  • Anxious or nervous colleagues
  • Angry, Confused and rambling colleagues
  • Shy and diffident colleagues
    
    
• Communication, Listening and Questioning
  • active listening
  • observational skills
  • body language: posture, gestures, tone, voice, use of words
  • closed, open, supplementary, probing, hypothetical
    
    
• Influencing others
  • Assertive – Aggressive – Passive – Passive/Aggressive Behaviour
  • Six techniques to deal with difficult situations
    
    
• Meetings
  • Hints and tips on how to perform well during meetings
  • Meetings with management, staff and individuals
  • Meetings with individuals
    
    
• Reporting Back and Public Speaking
  Combines the foregoing skills and other fresh topics around the theme of public speaking