With continuing news of yet more redundancies, business closures and cost cutting activities, these are difficult, if not unprecedented, times for organisations. However, it’s important to manage the negative impact of downsizing/cost-cutting activities on both the staff and the business.

Of course, no matter how necessary, laying people off or announcing a redundancy programme is always unpleasant. But ensuring that individuals are treated fairly and with respect, and that the reputation of the business remains intact is as important as the financial benefits gained through these activities to keep the business in good health and on track.

A redundancy programme or business closure handled badly, however, can have financial implications with additional claims in the form of legal lawsuits from employees. Ongoing publicity generated by such events can also make daily business operations and subsequent recovery more difficult that it needs to be.

Supporting you through the difficult times
ER Consultants has a range of pragmatic and practical interventions to help organisations manage any negative impact that may arise from any restructuring / downsizing activity. These interventions range from facilitating senior management meetings that determine how to address the downturn – e.g. improvements in productivity, de-layering, gainsharing schemes to replace pay increases – through to supporting downsizing activity, and handling any department/business unit closures.

Though a combination of engaging experienced professionals from a range of relevant professions – e.g. organisational design, employment law, industrial relations, PR and communications – we offer a level of support that meets client needs, and deliver outcomes that engage and support employees, complement management capability, whilst helping to maintain the organisation’s brand image and reputation.

We can also provide the following support:

Facilitating executive meetings in order to determine cost cutting measures;

•    Exploring the opportunities to improve performance at no cost through the introduction of gain-sharing schemes;

•    Developing and delivering all of the assessment mechanisms in order to select candidates for redundancy situations;

•    Providing legal advice and guidance throughout a redundancy activity through one of the UK’s best employment law firms;

•    Supporting and/or conducting consultations and negotiations with recognised trade unions/staff representative groups;

•    Creating and managing the internal communications environment;

•    Creating and managing the impact of external communications / PR through a leading public relations and media organisation;

•    Providing counselling and support to remaining employees through the changes pre- and postredundancy and reorganisation;

•    Organisational effectiveness reviews – achieving more with less, post reorganisation;

•    Job redesign following downsizing.

Speeding up the recovery process
ER Consultants’ delivery style ranges from ‘lighttouch’-participative – i.e. providing advice, guidance and support to internal professionals – through to directing and delivering employee/TU representative consultations, redundancy selection criteria, legal support and career counselling to organisations with minimal HR capability.

With more than 25 years’ experience in employment relations, ER Consultants demonstrates that facilitation can help to achieve a successful and acceptable improvement/reduction programme with minimal disruption, and maintain business as usual. External facilitation helps to not only get employee buy-in to a new programme, but also speeds up the recovery process to get your business back on track quicker.


For more information, contact:Chris.Legge@erconsultants.co.uk

© er consultants Topics Issue 1, 2009