Returned from my holiday on Monday and was told in the afternoon that my position has been made redundant with immediate effect. As I've been there less than two years the company is paying my salary in lieu and nothing else.
It's a small company (c 25 FT employees) and I would say the likelihood is that it will not survive long. October's pay was delayed due to cash flow problems, and expenses were paid even later. There are a number of supplies who have ceased supplying due to unpaid bills.
Two weeks before my holiday I had been announced to their one major customer as their new single point of contact - this role will need to continue (as long as they keep that contract).
I was laid off by a new Head of Projects, who had been in the company for only a few months. I was the only senior PM reporting to him, and he always seemed reluctant to let me get on with the new role, taking some of my responsibilities himself and on occasions preventing me doing the job properly, and also . I let that ride to a degree as with a looming holiday I knew some things would have to wait till I got back, and I told him before I went away that once I was back I would start to set up regular meetings etc and really get in the driving seat. I think he saw the writing on the wall, that it was me or him. I kind of feel a bit cheated, but I can't say I really blame him in the current environment.
Anyhow, I thought there was a "at risk" process, or is that just for larger redundancies?
If so, and process has not been followed, what do I do next, and what could be the outcome?
I don't really think I'd want to go back and work for them again, but any money is better than none at the moment. I know there are probably better places to ask this but I think we have one or two here who can give sound advice. The letter says I have 7 days to appeal.
Last edited by: smokie on Thu 18 Nov 10 at 09:37
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Well technically it is the position that is made redundant not the person, of course most companies can engineer changes in job description so that it doesn't loom like someone's just been conveniently given the boot.
I've got a whole bunch of links from when I was in this position a little while back, I'll try and dig them out.
In terms of 'at risk' and consultation periods, I don't think these apply if less than 20 people are being made redundant in a given period.
www.personneltoday.com/articles/2005/09/21/25709/redundancy-consultation-process.html
Good luck!
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Oh jeez Smokie that is really bad luck. I'm no expert on the legalities, others will help you more with that.
As for the future, where do you live and what do you do ? Might be that someone reading this thread knows someone who needs someone....? Got to be worth a try.
Last edited by: Humph D'Bout on Thu 18 Nov 10 at 09:54
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Thanks so far... having read the links they seem to have overlooked a required consultation phase, and invitation to a meeting in writing. That's the procedural bits. The selection seems a bit unfair in my case - I had 18+ months with the company with a proven track record whereas the bloke who binned me has only 3 months. But I don't wish to sound sour grapes over it.
By trade I'm a IT project manager Humph, but have many years experience "in the workplace" so have been doing bits of account management etc over the years and am not too hung up on being a project manager if something else interesting came along :-) Any offers gratefully accepted!
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Sorry to hear that smokie, but forget sour grapes for a while and stop being 'nice' to him!
Pat
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>> Thanks so far... having read the links they seem to have overlooked a required consultation
In that case you could sue for unfair dismissal, and hope to get a litle extra payment assuming they are able to pay.
www.thompsons.law.co.uk/ltext/l1020001.htm
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Been there, seen it done it.
Redundancy pay even if you had done 2 yrs would have been little - typically 2 weeks @ £300+ - the legal minimum so you have not lost a lot of cash.
First things - get yourself organised - all your contacts - customers, competitors, friends, old friends, some not so friendly people and get their details.
Get the CV organised - 2 page maximum - you are unlikely to be printing / posting them out but make them PDF documents - traditional looking and not a Desk Top Publish cartooned CV!
Finances - get everything set down/set out as to what you spend/owe/savings.
Make a budget paying the essentials - rent/mortgage, heat/light, insurances, taxes etc
Apply for job seekers allowance, council tax rebates, etc etc
Look at what can be cut down and what must stay - you do not know how long matters will take - my son was 3 months and he is now in a better job, more money and gets an annual bonus based on his/his departments efforts - so he did well from the bad news 24 months ago. The people that followed him out of the door were not so lucky - 800 employees 6 years ago - he left at 60 ish - now 30 left! He had joined when they were 50 employees 16 years ago!
You have a full-time job(job seeking) now so get up everyday and apply yourself to the full-time job of getting a new job
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Very good advice above from FB.
I'd just add that'd I'd be wary getting bogged down with any claims against the current employer... it can be very distracting from the core issue of finding a new job and add an added layer of negativity to the whole situation. I went through a similar procedure on behalf of Mrs F a few years back and it took months ending up with a box file full of paperwork.
After all you say yourself they were looking dodgy... slow salary payment is a really bad sign so it was probably only a matter of time.
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>> I'd just add that'd I'd be wary getting bogged down with any claims against the
>> current employer... it can be very distracting from the core issue of finding a new
I agree. The reason for posting a link for unfair dismissal claims was to show Smokie how convoluted the process would be and what little extra cash he just might get at the end, and so help him decide that it was a path to go down only if he felt so bitter that he wanted to extract revenge on the new employee (note - not the employer) who got shot of Smokie.
Put it behind you, and look forward.
Didn't Smokie find this job while temping for them after a previous redundancy?
Last edited by: John H on Thu 18 Nov 10 at 10:39
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Good advice FB. Networking is the key. Tell as many people as you can that you are "available". Put as positive a spin on that as you can. Project come to an end, was only ever temporary etc.
Take whatever the old lot are offering and run. If they're stumbling as a business anyway, they might not be around much longer to pay you anything even if you win the moral battle.
As FB suggests, work as many hours a week on finding your next job as you have been working for your employer.
Is there a way of going freelance? With the tax concessions self-employment brings it's often surprising how little you actually need to earn by comparison to achieve the same lifestyle. For example, if you get yourself VAT registered you can claim the VAT back on everything you spend in direct connection with your business, fuel, computers, hotels, travel etc etc.
Good luck ! Start today ! Forget the old lot. Let them sort their own mess out.
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Yeah you are all right, as usual. I'm really not harbouring a grudge and didn't intend getting too hung up on the past.
CV is already nearly publishable - good idea to pdf it, looks more professional IMO. I'm undecided whether to stick it up on Monster etc for people to find as well as applying to specific jobs - I used Monster earlier this year as a recruiter and it was handy to be able to browse CVs but I expect the agency sharks will trawl for CVs and end up wasting a lot of my time.
I've already tapped up one or two contacts and have had encouraging feedback but my wings are a bit clipped till my notice period has expired (in that if I contact some of the more likely contacts and the company find out they may decide not to pay me!)
I'm open to perm or temp, and even full or part time - don't need a fortune (but it would be nice!), and freelancing is a definite option - looks like it still pays quite well.
I fully intend to take the job hunting seriously but intend taking it easier for a few weeks - a few jobs around the house to get out of the way, including staying with daughter for a few days to get some decorating done for her in the new house.
Someone mentioned how I got this job in the first place - I was laid off in May 2009 from a 21 year employer, and this bunch were a supplier to us. So that was through contacts - which seems to be the way to go!
Last edited by: smokie on Thu 18 Nov 10 at 10:52
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The trouble with pdfing* is that many job sites insist on text or MSWord format to make searching easier, so I've given up with pdfs apart from my rare direct to employer applications.
One bloomin' agent insisted on completely re-formatting my CV in their company style. This looked like something out of the 1970s! Started with my academic qualifications, it's 30 years since I left college! They also couldn't comprehend that I would be prepared to commute from Christchurch to Pompey. I didn't get the job....
*Is that really a verb?
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>> Is there a way of going freelance? With the tax concessions self-employment brings it's often
>> surprising how little you actually need to earn by comparison to achieve the same lifestyle.
>> For example, if you get yourself VAT registered you can claim the VAT back on
>> everything you spend in direct connection with your business, fuel, computers, hotels, travel etc etc.
I have a friend, own ltd company, 1 employee and he is VAT registered - makes a profit on VAT! He claims nothing on his own company - straight salary, no company car, no expenses - He pays mileage himself unless he can claim from client. Keeps a very tight ship as he often works for 1 company for several months/years and does not want to attempt an IR35 enquiry.
Small company turnover over £70K must register for VAT - he charges 17.5 to clients and sends 12.5% to VAT man - this is VAT scheme to avoid lots of small VAT submissions and checks. So in effect he makes almost 5% on his turnover as a direct profit on the bottom line- why 5%? he has no raw materials, no real expenses - technical knowledge/experience is his only product
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Perhaps you have a very clear idea of what you want to do Smokie but in considering what I do for the next 10yrs I've been alerted to the Directgov Next Step website.
nextstep.direct.gov.uk/Pages/Home.aspx
It has good advice for people at all stages in life/work towards types of jobs, job hunting action plans, CV writing and so on.
In particular I was very impressed by the online Skills Health Check
nextstep.direct.gov.uk/Pages/Home.aspx
It is an intensive online questionaire with a combination of personality profiling and tests of abilities across different areas. Takes 1-2hrs but the end result for me gave great assistance understanding and presenting my core qualities in the format wanted by most modern employers.
However.... I agree contacts and contacts of contacts is often the best way.
Last edited by: Fenlander on Thu 18 Nov 10 at 10:58
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You have been there one year, so you have the right not to be unfairly dismissed.
In terms of unfair dismissal, look at your household insurance policy, you may well have legal insurance. However, if correct process has not been followed - and your solicitor will be able to confirm - then you may well have been unfairly dismissed. I am sure somebody will look at it on no fee for initial consultation basis. (Where are you based?) And if your solicitor sends a firmly worded letter to your employer, then you might get sixpence more.
But, you say the company has cashflow problems. So quite possibly no point in suing them. But equally, management may not wish to spend ages fighting an ex-employee if they're fighting for the business's survival, so might just happily settle out of court for a few thousand (which has got to be better than nothing).
Realistically neither you nor your ex-employer wants a court case. This bloke lost and had all his details splashed over the papers:
www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/banksandfinance/7483150/Former-Lloyds-tax-chief-Andrew-Constantine-dishes-dirt-on-bank.html
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>> Anyhow, I thought there was a "at risk" process, or is that just for larger redundancies?
The rule varies based on company size.
I was made redundant last year from a very large company (where I worked more than 2 years).
By law they had to go through 3 months consultation period which became garden leave for me.
Being redundant is always a bad experience but I realized that if this happens, it is much better to be in large organization (over thousands of employees) rather than a small company.
This has more psychological effect than financial effect. In small company, you might alone be made redundant which often turns personal. But in large company, there will be hundreds of similar people so you won't feel that bad. Also in large company, news leaks far ahead and I knew almost 3 months beforehand that I may be made redundant (in fact whole business unit where I worked was closed).
Forget the incident (but learn any lesson if applicable) and look forward for newer life.
Just start applying for new jobs. Usually it takes to apply over 100 jobs before landing in a similar position (salary + location etc. + type of company + job satisfaction etc). If you never done contracting, might be a good time to consider it.
Once you get another job, things will turn normal again.
Good luck.
PS: Unless you can find a strong proof of unfair dismissal, there is not much point in fighting with your (now former) employer.
Last edited by: movilogo on Thu 18 Nov 10 at 11:35
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Smokie, I'm really sorry to hear of this and I hope that you find something very soon.
I was made redundant from the small coach company I worked for just shy of a year ago. They failed to consult the workforce (all six of us!), they failed to invite me to a meeting, they failed to explain their selection process and they failed to give the correct notice. I took them to an employment tribunal and I won my case, though this may be counter-productive in your case if they really are about to go bosoms-up.
I didn't take them to Tribunal to get cash out of them, I went to make the boss realise that he couldn't just do what he wanted without following the correct procedure. Without wishing to sound too pious, I wanted to protect the position of the work-mates I left there, if that makes sense.
Good luck with whatever you decide to do. All the best.
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Smokie
I've nothing positive to add other than commiserations. Having had an identical experience, I can say it stinks - I once returned to work from holiday to find my key didn't fit the lock any more, and on being admitted by one of the other managers was told 'don't take your coat off, your not staying' , which is certainly not due process.
I think you have to grab what you can out of it and move on.
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If they were late paying salaries then you're best out of it. If they can't do that then getting any more money will be a waste of time and effort. Find another job and focus your efforts into that. And avoid spending any money on anything that isn't essential until you find another position. Get down the job centre and see when you can sign on as you may as well claim as much as you can even though it is a pain in the arris. But if you're in rented property then it is worth it as you should get rent or a good chunk of it paid.
Agencies are useless mostly. If you see a job with one then ring them instead of applying online. If they sound vague then it doesn't exist. Of if it's 'just gone' it probably didn't either. Also get yourself onto linked in.
Only half decent agency is Webrecruit as they forward all CVs that match criteria rather than just the first few they get.
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>>
>> Only half decent agency is Webrecruit as they forward all CVs that match criteria rather
>> than just the first few they get.
>>
I update my CV on the major jobsites every week or so, there's definitely an increase in agency calls for the next couple of days after a new CV upload. I only change a couple of words or shuffle a couple of bullet points round each time.
I got my last contract job through Linkedin rather than an agency, so yes I think it's worth expending a bit of effort getting some recommendations etc.
edit: spurious capitalisation edited before iffy noticed ...
Last edited by: spamcan61 on Thu 18 Nov 10 at 13:46
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edit: spurious capitalisation edited before iffy noticed ...
:-D !
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Can't really add anything useful to the above except to wish you luck, Smokie!
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There are loads of IT PM contract jobs around, and plenty of SM temp and perm jobs around (if you have ITIL V3 or good V2 modules)
Mostly in the City/M4 corridor tho.
Don't even think about going for unfair dismissal, it will make you unemployable.
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Yeah I've been browsing Monster and others and there do seem to be a fair few jobs out there, but probably lots of strong competition.
I'm not really thinking of going for unfair dismissal, but I do feel a bit hard done by - but the company was always a crock of poo anyway so glad to be out really.
Spent quite a bit of time n that directgov site someone posted - it's a good resource, thanks.
btw I'm in the M4 corridor so well placed... hopefully!
Last edited by: smokie on Thu 18 Nov 10 at 15:38
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>>btw I'm in the M4 corridor so well placed... hopefully!
Oh dear!
Every time I drive past Swindon I think some poor lost souls must live there.
Seriously. Best of luck with the job hunt. Let us know how it goes.
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>> Oh dear!
>>
>> Every time I drive past Swindon I think some poor lost souls must live there.
>>
M4 corridor ends at Reading. West from there it becomes Wales. :-o
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Ah but you don't have to, Lots of nice Cotswolds towns and villages just on the outskirts.
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Live in Swindon? You could live in the Cotswolds - nearby!
YES, if you have megabucks- even a firly modest 2 bed flat in Cirencester is the £200K+.
I knew of a firm who made Cirencester their home base - getting staff was a nightmare - if you paid the going clerical rate - say £15K the recruits could not do the job and could not afford to rent far less buy nearby.
The same company had another office in "remote part of Britain "- they paid well and kept their excellent staff but they closed it as it was too expensive per head (they paid £30K +- £60K / per employee for their 10 staff) instead of paying peanuts and getting monkeys in Cirencester.
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This is of course one of the reasons why our roads are so congested. People commuting. My employers would prefer that I lived in London, ideally fairly centrally. I have a pleasant enough house in Cheshire, not by any means the cheapest area but on a totally different scale to London prices. Even if they gave me a substantial pay increase I simply couldn't buy anything approaching the standard of house I'd want my family to live in. So, I work from home when I can and commute when I have to.
I would prefer to work for a local firm but they wouldn't pay as well as the London based one.
Catch 22 anyone ?
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Rotten experience, Smokie, and I'm sorry to hear about it.
I'd like to stick up a little for the agencies, at least in the IT sector. I found them a good source of contacts and leads, and I'd encourage you to make it easy for them to find you by getting the good bits of your CV - and I don't mean your O-Levels and Scout badges - right up where they're easiest to see.
I've found two good jobs (including the one I have now) through agencies, and each time it's been the agency that called me first, which I take as an indication that something about my CV caught the eye in the right way. Not that I hadn't been up a lot of blind alleys first, mind - not many walk into the first job they go for!
Best of luck, and I hope - like me - you end up in a better job than the one you're leaving.
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Bad news Smokie, sorry to hear that.
>>
>> Don't even think about going for unfair dismissal, it will make you unemployable.
>>
That is good advice though if you find that you have a case it may give you a strong negotating stance, i.e. notice period, employer paying for consultancy etc.
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Smokie,
Sorry to hear about the job loss.
As others have said, it looks like the company may be in difficulties, so better to go now with a small payout than turn up one morning to find the doors locked.
I'd be wary of falling out with anyone professionally, particularly if they have a senior role.
You never know where these people might turn up, or if they might be of use to you in future.
Also most trades gossip, and while there will be people sympathetic to you, there will be those that are not.
You don't want a reputation for being a troublemaker.
I've left the most important point until last.
It is now of crucial importance your CV is grammatically correct and free of any spelling mistakes.
(Many a true word said in jest.)
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>>
>> It is now of crucial importance your CV is grammatically correct and free of any
>> spelling mistakes.
>>
If only the same could be said for job adverts, I've read 'Principle Engineer' more than once recently!
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>> I'd be wary of falling out with anyone professionally, particularly if they have a senior
>> role.
>>
>> You never know where these people might turn up, or if they might be of
>> use to you in future.
>>
>> Also most trades gossip, and while there will be people sympathetic to you, there will
>> be those that are not.
>>
>> You don't want a reputation for being a troublemaker.
The IT game is pretty incestuous at corporate levels. Everyone knows everyone and all the gossip.
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>> I'd be wary of falling out with anyone professionally, particularly if they have a senior
>> role.
>>
>> You never know where these people might turn up, or if they might be of
>> use to you in future.
>>
A favourite saying of mine is;
'be nice to people on the way up, you never know when you may meet them on the way back down....' (meaning never upset people, even if you can't stand them, you never know when they may be able to help you.)
And another, not so relevant....
'business is like a tree full of monkeys, those at the top look down, and see monkeys, those at the bottom look up, and all they see is a*seholes'
Good luck Smokie, something will come up for you - and will be better than this last one.
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...edit: spurious capitalisation edited before iffy noticed...
Spammers,
Pleased to see you are refusing to succumb to capital letteritis.
I'd rip the shift key out of some folks' computers, that'd stop 'em.
...If only the same could be said for job adverts...
Yes, there's always the possibility the interviewer is grammatically ignorant and will not notice any errors in your CV.
Last edited by: Iffy on Thu 18 Nov 10 at 19:09
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>> ...edit: spurious capitalisation edited before iffy noticed...
>>
>> Spammers,
>>
>> Pleased to see you are refusing to succumb to capital letteritis.
>>
>> I'd rip the shift key out of some folks' computers, that'd stop 'em.
>>
The correct word would've been erroneous rather than spurious, but the latter's easier to spell for me, having used it many times in my day job (when I had one) :-)
>>
>> ...If only the same could be said for job adverts...
>>
>> Yes, there's always the possibility the interviewer is grammatically ignorant and will not notice any
>> errors in your CV.
>>
While I'm subverting smokie's thread into general job hunting based group therapy, there really are an awful lot of poorly written job descriptions out there.
Aforementioned spelling errors.
Errant apostrophes by the lorryload
Job descriptions that are so generic they could apply to anything from nuclear waste re-processing to food production, with no hints as to what they do actually apply to.
Complete failure to understand the difference between 'essential' and 'desirable'
OOOhh that's better, of to listen to some Tori Amos to cheer myself up now ;-)
Last edited by: spamcan61 on Thu 18 Nov 10 at 19:43
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Someone, one of the mods perhaps, needs to get some ASBO's dished out pretty quickly, the pedants are escaping from the pedant penitentiary.
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My favourite job advert of the month is one for a food processing manager, location North Curry. :-)
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>>
>> OOOhh that's better, of to listen to some Tori Amos to cheer myself up now
>> ;-)
>>
hahaha I was just bound to make a typo. somewhere in that rant wasn't I?
Last edited by: spamcan61 on Thu 18 Nov 10 at 20:01
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...OOOhh that's better, of to listen to some Tori Amos to cheer myself up now...hahaha I was just bound to make a typo. somewhere in that rant wasn't I?...
On the off-chance there may be one or two forum members struggling to spot the error, 'of to listen' should be 'off to listen'.
Easily done.
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>> ...OOOhh that's better, of to listen to some Tori Amos to cheer myself up now...hahaha
>> I was just bound to make a typo. somewhere in that rant wasn't I?...
>>
>> On the off-chance there may be one or two forum members struggling to spot the
>> error, 'of to listen' should be 'off to listen'.
>>
>> Easily done.
>>
I sneaked in a quick edit to change 'typo' to 'typo.' as well, hopefully the latter is correct or I'll lose pedant points.
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>> On the off-chance there may be one or two forum members struggling to spot the
>> error,
We are not struggling. We just don't care, or more likely we don't lead such pointless little lives that we feel the need to comment on such minutiae and inflate our overburdened sense of self importance.
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...We are not struggling. We just don't care, or more likely we don't lead such pointless little lives that we feel the need to comment on such minutiae and inflate our overburdened sense of self importance...
Rarely have I read such a load of cobblers Zero, even from you.
So I'm afraid it's 0/10 for content.
On t'other hand, there are no spelling mistakes or grave grammatical errors, so let's say 7/10 for style.
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>> our overburdened sense of self importance...
>>
>> Rarely have I read such a load of cobblers Zero, even from you.
>>
>> So I'm afraid it's 0/10 for content.
>>
This was bang on 10/10, 100%, no cobblers
www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?v=e&t=2918&m=58138
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The question was - Redundancy - any experts out there?
>>
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Thanks, Henry, for the reminder but the moment has passed for me now - I occasionally let myself get wound up about it and started the thread in one of those moments. But I've got a lot of positive stuff from this thread, so thanks all for the help and kind thoughts. One job app in already with the shiny new CV, but I'm really in no rush...
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Smokie,
I can not speak for your industry but in mine the oil industry its the same old faces going round and round and if anyone sued for unfair dismissal everyone would know it instantly and it woudl make me unemployable in the future.
I will give you an example. I was once completely stiched up by a guy and had to quit six months in to a job, the only blot on my CV, on my final day I was toying with walking down the corridor to his office and lumping him. I swallowed my pride and went down there and shook his hand and we both said sorry it didn't work out. I was then a temp for a while and then a plum job came up and I was interviewed for it and my leaving so soon after starting a job was questioned. I explained the circumstances but I could see the guy interviewing me thought I was the problem. By coincidence he was on a course with the guy who had stitched me up the following day and they discussed the matter and this guy said it was an unfortunate episode but I had handled it well. I got the new job.
Sueing revenge mouthing off it all makes you feel good for 10 minutes and then you end up paying for it for years afterwards.
Just my experience.
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>> .............. but I'm really in no rush...
>>
Don't be too complacent. The longer you're unemployed the harder it gets to find another job. After a time potential employers begin to wonder why you've not been offered something else.
Last edited by: L'escargot on Fri 19 Nov 10 at 15:03
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My brother in law left a well-paid job and sat in his backside for a year and a half, living off his savings. Eventually landed on his feet when an old school friend offered the lazy twerp another well-paid job in his company.
Then he tried to get a mortgage and the large gap in his employment history was one of the reasons that the reputable places turned him down.
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OK, OK - I only got the boot on Monday!! :-)
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Smokie,
The retired folk on here need you grafting, it's the only way they'll get their pensions paid.
Take no notice, sit back, enjoy it.
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No advice I can offer Smokie, though recent conversation with a retired Local Authority C/Ex corroborates what others say about the reputational risks inherent in the Tribunal route.
In at 9, redundant at 5 with no payoff, puts my own job insecurity (ie job my go in a year with early access to pension) into perspective though.
Best of luck with your job hunting.
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Sat 20 Nov 10 at 11:29
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So sorry to hear this, Smokie. There's some excellent advice above, as one would expect.
As a recruiter myself (sorry, with a firm of chartered accountants so not in your industry) I can confirm that:
- yes, spelling, grammar etc. do matter, not least because a poorly spelt / expressed / laid-out CV gives an impression of someone who doesn't really care;
- two pages max should normally be enough for most people's CVs: a covering letter should be brief and (particularly) shouldn't wax lyrically and vaguely about a person's finer qualities;
- a few weeks off to collect your thoughts should be fine, but we tend to ask questions if there are lengthy unexplained gaps in a CV;
- having something different on your CV, whether as part of a previous job or through your education or outside interests, give an interviewer something to have a conversation about.
Apologies if you know this already of course, but it's hopefully useful to point out things I can't help noticing as differentiators between a strong and a weak CV.
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Sorry to hear of your redundancy Smokie - it happened to me over a year ago too. Just a few thoughts based on my experience.
Regarding a claim for unfair dismissal I really can't offer any advice - I had a great deal of help from my union rep at the time when I was made redundant who ensured my former employer followed full and proper process.
By all means take some time out to collect your thoughts and plan a future, but don't let yourself get into a rut - it's much easier to get into than out of.
Go to your local Job Centre and get an appointment with an advisor who will help you with any questions you have regarding benefits, job applications, interviews, etc.
If you have a mortgage speak to your mortgage supplier now and explain the situation - they will do their best to help, and there may be assistance available depending on your circumstances.
Don't have a closed mind (I'm sure you don't) about what you want to do - I spent a few weeks as a builder's labourer in the Summer and quite enjoyed it. Not so sure if I'd be enjoying it now though....
Best of luck Smokie - fingers crossed for you.
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Smokie, I'm really sorry to hear you've been made redundant (again). But I seem to recall this job did not pay what you deserved and the company sounds like it could fail. Best to treat it as a new start and I am sure living in the area you do, there are many opportunities around for a good PM or service manager (which you could do). On the Telegraph the other day there was an advert for a PM in your neck of the woods with a starting salary around £45k.
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Sorry, not been following this thread apart from the first few posts,
Wifey says to phone ACAS who will give you expert advice.
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