What To Do If You’re Facing Redundancy
A growing number of people in the UK are facing uncertainty over their jobs as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. Many firms have already announced redundancies and others are expected to follow suit in the coming days and weeks.
If you are facing redundancy due to the unprecedented situation the country is experiencing, what should you do?
An article for the Sun recently explained some of the options, as well as running through what government support is available at such times.
It spoke to Citizens Advice, which explained that there always needs to be a fair reason for an employer dismissing you. In the current situation, the most likely reason will be that the business is downsizing or going into administration. If this is the case, you will be entitled to a redundancy payout if you’ve been working for your current employer for two years or more.
Statutory redundancy pay is half a week’s pay for every full year you’ve worked while you were under 22 years old, one week’s pay for each full year you were working while aged between 22 and 41, and one and a half week’s pay for each full year you worked at the company and were 41 or older.
Don’t panic if you haven’t worked for your current employer for two years or more though, as there is still a small amount of support available.
You will be entitled to statutory lay-off pay if you’ve worked for a business continuously for one month, not refused work and were not laid off due to industrial action. This allows you to claim up to £29 per day for up to five days in any three-month period. That’s a total of £145.
This typically applies in situations where your employer asks you to take unpaid leave or reduce your hours if there isn’t enough work for you.
The news provider also explained that, if you’ve lost your job because the business you work for has gone under, you’ll need to apply for redundancy pay and any unpaid wages via the Gov.uk website.
It’s possible to challenge a redundancy decision, provided you’ve worked for a business for at least two years. If you feel that you’ve been unfairly selected for redundancy this is an avenue open to you.
If you’re not sure what your options are or where you stand with your employer, it’s certainly worth speaking to redundancy solicitors about your specific situation.
An article for Dealer Support earlier this month offered some advice about how to deal with some of the stress and anxiety that can be caused by redundancy. It advised talking to your friends, family and other loved ones to ensure you don’t feel alone.
The news provider noted that shock is a common emotion to feel at times like this, particularly if there was no reason to suspect you would be laid off before the coronavirus pandemic took hold.
In the current climate, many people are in a similar situation and there is a lot of support out there. Making sure that you’re eating as healthily as possible and still exercising can also help improve your mood.