Acas guidance: How to manage collective redundancies
[ch 11: page 340]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