Acas guidance: How to manage collective redundancies

In April 2013, Acas released revised guidance aimed at employers: How to manage collective redundancies. It includes a sample redundancy procedure that suggests the following areas for consultation:

• commitment to keep local trade unions/employee reps informed as fully as possible about staffing requirements and any need for redundancies;

• how long consultation is to last;

• who is to be consulted;

• topics for discussion;

• how the consultation should be conducted, focusing on the spirit of the consultation, with a view to reaching agreement, and including a commitment to consider alternative proposals;

• what statutory information must be provided;

• additional areas on which to consult, including:

◊ the effect on earnings, where a transfer or down-grading is accepted to avoid redundancy;

◊ arrangements for travel, removal and related expenses where a new role is on a different site;

◊ arrangements for reasonable time off with pay to look for jobs or arrange training;

◊ help with job hunting;

◊ arrangements to transfer apprenticeships.

• measures to avoid redundancy, including:

◊ natural wastage;

◊ restricting recruitment of permanent staff;

◊ reducing use of agency workers;

◊ filling vacancies from among existing staff;

◊ reducing overtime;

◊ reducing hours e.g. by short-time working;

◊ training, retraining and redeployment.

www.acas.org.uk/media/pdf/h/3/Handling-large-scale-collective-redundancies-advisory-booklet.pdf