Redundancy, your positive tales

I took VR a few weeks ago. Slightly unusual in that the company originally announced 70 redundancies. However after negotiating with the staff association they agreed to increase it to 86. Was all very civilised. Company even had an official drinks exception for those of us leaving.

I jumped at the chance. It was a very good company to work for and I had (well still have) lots of good friends there However after more than 20 years of the same thing I felt it was time for a change. Will mean a big cut in salary but am looking forward to doing something different.

Admittedly everyone’s situation is different and not everyone will welcome it. However I do know loads of folk who have taken VR and can’t think of a single one who says they regret it. Don’t be scared to go for it.

i ended up commuting 128 miles round the M25 to work at another law firm in Croydon. Horrible job and often spent 4 1/2-5 hours a day commuting spending a fortune in fuel.

WTF, Guildford is less than an hour from Croydon by train and about 30 miles to drive. Were you going the wrong way around the M25?!

I got made redundant from being a Transport Planner for regional government 2 years after leaving uni (I have a degree in transport planning). I joined an insurance company because I needed a job. Within 3 years I had doubled my (not previously horrendous) salary, in a succession of jobs I enjoyed far more, with better prospects. Managed to take voluntary redundancy after 5 years there and walk into another role with another 40% pay rise.

Fairly sure I’d still be in exactly the same role if I still worked as a transport planner, if the organisation existed anyway!

OP……a few years ago a friend took redundancy from an office job he didn’t like. Took a job as a postie thinking he’d do it for a few months while he decided what he wanted to do longer term.

Several years later he’s still a postie. Loves being outside, gets on well with all his customers,has lost weight and is super fit. More crucially he’s very happy. Only downside is that their weekly food bill has jumped as he is burning off so many calories he’s eating loads more.

Might be worth thinking about.

I got made redundant in 2012. The key for me was to sulk for a couple of days then make it my full time job to find another job.

Everybody who got fired (and it was a whole factory) that wanted to got another job. Everybody.

4 years later and I’m in a better role at a better company on better money.

The £30+k pay off was nice too 🙂

What the company are doing is looking for the alternative employment they have to offer her. there is no trap in this she just needs to say which other posts in the outfit she has the skills for and would do. Maybe she gets one, maybe not. Hard to say anything more really without knowing more = or are they looking to create another post for her?

Rendundant back in early July. Money ran out this month, now working 150miles away for not enough money to pay the mortgage.

Brexit, the house of Saud, and my former CEOs (yes plural) who took millions in shares/payouts whilst **** over the rest of the company can go suck on it.

Thanks again for all the replies,

Could I ask you guys some advice as you have all been through this?

My wife is in the consultation process as we speak. The employer is asking her to come up with ideas for jobs so she isn’t made redundant. Is this normal, surely they should come up with the ideas as they know the business plan for the future?

We are absolutely getting this, some of the proposals are accepted too. It is a two way process, but very very much weighted in favour of the management, and ultimately this does help them realise if they have left any gaps in their proposed structure. Doesn’t help me as the only alternative I have invokes relocating 200 milks back to where I used to live.

What the company are doing is looking for the alternative employment they have to offer her. there is no trap in this she just needs to say which other posts in the outfit she has the skills for and would do. Maybe she gets one, maybe not. Hard to say anything more really without knowing more = or are they looking to create another post for her?

The other jobs that they have offered are full time 52 weeks a year. Now she does 30 hours a week, term time only as we have small children. The company knows that she can’t do the hours that have been offered and the senior position offered can’t be done on a job share.

Wasn’t made redundant, but was ‘under consultation’ (what a load of meaningless toss that is), but did get a ‘here’s what you could’ve won’ moment. Totalling up the mega bucks payoff to see it wouldn’t cover a month’s mortgage gave me a good kick up the backside/reality check about the ‘security’ of permanent employment.

Went contracting and had significantly more savings banked after 4 weeks than I’d have got sticking around until the next round of redundancies. First contract lasted three months, work wasn’t great (and not what was agreed prior to starting), lots of positive noises about extensions, then nothing. However, it got me started, and I had to work away for the next 5 months to build the savings pot. Now back home on a 12 month job, WFH 2 days a week. No plans to go permie again.

Current job isn’t especially interesting, but the constant change is good. It’s easy to get stuck in a rut and coast along in permiedom.

nmdbasetherevenge

In which case its not “suitable alternative employment” which is what they have to offer her. sometimes these exercises are just box ticking, sometime a genuine attempt to find a post