What should I be asking in an individual consultation meeting?

are you the employer or the employee?

My experience is the employer is expected to explain the reason for the meeting, explain why there is a risk of redundancy and any internal process etc. The employee is then invited to make suggestions as to how redundancy could be avoided.

I suspect 9/10 such meetings are a waste of time as the decisions have already been made and this is a formality to keep the process above board.

as per poly – employers are doing this because they have to be seen to go through a process and if they don’t then a wrongful dismissal case looms large.

from your perspective it’s an opportunity to say why they shoudl keep you if it comes to a choice bewtween you and another and also, potentially, to negotiate on notice periods etc (paricularly if they want you to stay on for any length of time to ‘hand over’ – I’d look for some sort of extra payment if other people are leaving sooner and competing for the same jobs)

Employee. Thanks – that’s pretty much what I thought (though there are some new jobs going). I have a list of things I’m asking but just wanted to check I’m not missing something fundamental.

It depends on whether you want to stay?

If its obvious that they are getting rid, make sure you get the best deal to go ‘quietly’.

Otherwise, say nothing until they’ve done the talking. And then you can still say nothing, and ask for a 2nd meeting.

No negotiation on the deal to go – we do pretty well anyway.

What exactly do I gain by not saying anything rather than asking relevant questions (I have quite a list)?

Just ask your questions you have nothing to gain by saying nothing they are there to answer your questions so ask them ignore the advice above

then you can still say nothing, and ask for a 2nd meeting.

WTF is this as advice? Why not just ask the questions and get the answers ?