Changing employees' terms and conditions to avoid redundancies
One route that employers have chosen to take in recessionary times is to change terms and conditions rather than make redundancies. Gagandeep Prasad and Jo Wort at Charles Russell analyse what this means in practice.
- Law in practice: changing employees' terms and conditions Recently, many employers have seen the option of making changes to terms and conditions, either in the short term or permanently, as a way of avoiding redundancies. But how far can an employer go if the employees are unwilling to accept the changes?
Also
How to consider and handle alternatives to redundancy in an economic downturn This guide in the HR & Compliance Centre "how to" section looks at alternatives to redundancy that could achieve the necessary cuts in expenditure, while preserving the viability and marketability of the organisation for the longer term.
Letter seeking agreement to a lay-off or short-time working; letter imposing a lay-off or short-time working in exercise of a contractual power; and letter seeking agreement to reduce an employee’s pay to avoid redundancies Model letters on lay-offs, short-time working and pay reductions to avoid redundancies are available on the HR & Compliance Centre policies and documents service.
Dealing with difficult times: is redundancy the answer?; alternatives to redundancy; checklist for retaining and motivating redundancy survivors; and frequently asked questions The HR & Compliance Centre topic of the week series provides guidance on dealing with difficult times, including suggestions for alternatives to redundancy such as outsourcing, lay-offs, short-time working, reducing bonuses and changing terms and conditions.
