Acas, CBI and TUC have published a joint statement on handling redundancies which recognises that Coronavirus (COVID-19) is having a devastating impact on many businesses leading many employers to consider redundancy as the only survival option. Their message, however, is that employers should exhaust all possible alternatives before making redundancies. These often emerge from effective consultation with workers and trade unions. The organisations urge all employers considering redundancies to work with their trade unions and employees and get the process right by following 5 principles: 1. Do it openly – the sooner people understand the situation, the better for everyone; 2. Do it thoroughly by providing information and guidance; 3. Do it genuinely by consulting, listening to people’s views and providing feedback; 4. Do it fairly by ensuring the redundancy procedure is conducted fairly and without any form of discrimination; and 5. Do it with dignity as the way you let people go says a lot about your organisation’s values.
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