A Compassionate Approach to Restructuring, Redeployment and Redundancies
- Robinson Grace HR
- Aug 9, 2023
- 6 min read
Updated: Nov 6
The current business climate has forced many organisations to make difficult decisions regarding redundancies and restructures. It can be a challenging time for those involved, so it’s essential to approach the process with sensitivity and compassion.
Understanding the Impact of Redundancies and Restructures
Restructuring, redeployment, and potential redundancies will inevitably cause a great deal of stress, anxiety, and uncertainty among employees, which can negatively affect their morale and overall well-being. Therefore, adopting a compassionate approach throughout the process is vital.
Taking the time to listen and validate an employee’s concerns will not only help them feel heard and understood but will also enable you to gain valuable insights into their experiences. This understanding can help guide your decision-making process and ensure that you approach the situation with sensitivity.
Communicating with Employees
One of the most important aspects of managing redundancies and restructures is effective communication with your employees. It is essential to approach these conversations with empathy and compassion, as they can be highly distressing and uncertain for those involved.
Start by being open and transparent about the reasons behind the redundancies or restructures – the ‘why’. Clearly explain the business objectives and the need for change. Use simple and jargon-free language to ensure everyone understands the situation.
When delivering the news, be honest and straightforward. It is important to be sympathetic to the emotional impact this may have on employees, while still maintaining professionalism. Acknowledge their feelings, listen attentively, and provide support by checking in, encouraging two-way discussion, and responding to questions in a timely manner.
By approaching communication with empathy, you can help ease the anxiety and stress associated with redundancies and restructures. Your employees will feel supported and valued, which can ultimately contribute to a smoother and more positive transition.
Offering Support to Affected Employees
During a restructure, it’s important to recognise the impact this can have on your employees. Not only are they facing potential job loss or a significant change in their role, but they may also experience a range of emotions such as anxiety, stress, and sadness.
Where redeployment or redundancies are required, it is important to support your employees during this time. Provide information about your Employee Assistance Programme if you have one, consider offering career counselling services, assist with job searches, provide opportunities for training and development opportunities, and offer flexible working to allow time for interviews.
By offering support to affected employees, you not only demonstrate compassion and empathy but also potentially help mitigate any negative effects on your remaining employees and overall company culture.
Providing Clear and Fair Selection Criteria
Clear selection criteria means having a set of defined factors that will be used to determine who will be selected for redundancy or redeployment. These factors should be communicated to all employees in a transparent manner. It is important to be specific and avoid any ambiguity to ensure everyone understands the basis on which decisions will be made.
Fair selection criteria means that the factors chosen should be objective, non-discriminatory, and relevant to the business needs. Factors such as skills, qualifications, performance, and experience should be considered. It is vital to avoid any personal bias during the selection process.
Providing clear and fair selection criteria and treating employees with respect and fairness during the difficult process of restructuring can help maintain trust, minimize the risk of legal disputes, and ultimately lead to a smoother transition for everyone involved.
Avoiding Unconscious Bias in Selection
Unconscious bias can inadvertently influence decision-making and result in discrimination of employees. To avoid this, it is important to take proactive steps to eliminate bias from the selection process by involving multiple decision-makers. This can help prevent individual biases from influencing the outcome. By having a diverse panel of decision-makers, different perspectives and viewpoints can be considered, including external subject matter experts, leading to a more objective and fair decision-making process.
Considering Alternative Employment Options
It’s essential to consider alternative employment options for employees affected by redundancies or restructures. Not only does it demonstrate that you value their contribution and skills, but it also increases the chances of retaining good talent within your organisation and meets the employer’s responsibility to mitigate redundancies whenever possible.
Alternative employment options could include exploring job-sharing arrangements, secondments, or flexible working arrangements that could help retain employees in different roles or areas of the business, or wider group.
Dealing with Notice Periods and Pay
One of the critical aspects of managing redundancies and restructures sympathetically is handling notice periods and pay. This is a sensitive area that requires careful consideration to ensure fairness and respect for the affected employees.
First and foremost, it is essential to be transparent and communicate clearly with employees about their notice period and the pay they are entitled to receive. Provide detailed information about the notice period length and explain the calculation of pay, including any accrued holiday or outstanding benefits.
Ensure that the payment process is efficient and timely. This will help alleviate any financial burdens that employees may be facing as a result of the redundancy or restructuring and enable them to budget and plan for their financial future.
Managing Remaining Employees
While your focus during a redundancy or restructuring process will inevitably be on those who are affected, it's important to also consider how you will communicate and manage those who are remaining within the business. They may have experienced a significant level of disruption, and they will likely be looking for reassurance and stability going forward.
Be aware that the process of redundancy and restructuring can lead to a level of uncertainty and anxiety among all employees, including those not directly affected. Make sure to provide regular updates and be available to answer any questions or concerns they may have. If there is a possibility of future changes, be transparent and honest about what the business may face and how it will affect staff.
Reviewing the Process
it is important to take the time to listen to feedback and review the entire process. This step is crucial to assess the effectiveness of the approach taken and to identify any areas for improvement.
Assess the overall impact of the redundancies and restructures on the organisation. Has the intended outcome been achieved? Are the remaining employees feeling secure and motivated? Consider conducting employee surveys or holding feedback sessions to gather insights on the overall effectiveness of the process.
By thoroughly reviewing the process, organisations can learn from their experiences and continually improve their approach to managing redundancies and restructures in a structured and compassionate manner.
If you need advice or support in managing restructures and redundancies, get in touch via clientservices@robinsongracehr.com or call us on 01793 311937.
Frequently Asked Questions:
1. What does a compassionate redundancy process look like?
Answer: A compassionate redundancy or restructure process combines legal compliance with empathy and transparency. It starts by clearly communicating the why — the business rationale behind the restructure — using simple, jargon-free language. It involves listening to employee concerns, validating their feelings, and maintaining open two-way communication throughout.
You’ll need to set up fair and transparent selection criteria, avoid unconscious bias (for example by using a panel or multiple decision-makers), offer alternative employment or redeployment where possible, provide support (such as career counselling or Employee Assistance Programmes), and ensure notice periods and redundancy pay are handled respectfully and promptly.
By putting people at the heart of the process, you help maintain morale, reduce legal risk, and preserve trust with both impacted and remaining staff.
2. How should selection criteria be designed to ensure fairness and avoid bias?
Answer: Designing clear, fair selection criteria is crucial when managing redundancies or restructures. Start by specifying objective factors such as skills, performance, qualifications, length of service, or experience. Explain these clearly to all those affected so they understand how decisions will be made.
To mitigate unconscious bias, involve more than one decision-maker or assemble a diversity of stakeholders on the panel. Ensure criteria do not indirectly discriminate (for example, age, gender, disability, or maternity-related absence must not be unfairly weighted). Provide employees with an opportunity to see or challenge their assessment where possible. Document how you applied each criterion to each role to maintain transparency and reduce the risk of unfair-dismissal claims.
3. What support should employers offer affected employees during restructuring or redundancy?
Answer: Support for employees going through restructure or redundancy should be practical, timely, and empathetic. Examples of compassionate support include:
Access to an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) or counselling services
Career or outplacement counselling (CV writing, job-search coaching, interview prep)
Training or upskilling opportunities to improve redeployment chances
Flexible working or time off during the notice period to attend interviews or job-search activities
Clear guidance about notice period, redundancy pay, and how accrued benefits (holiday etc.) will be settled
Additionally, remain mindful of the remaining workforce: keep ongoing communication, provide reassurance about the future, and invite feedback on how the process has been handled. This helps protect company culture and morale after the restructure.
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The content of our blogs is intended for general information only and does not replace legal or other professional advice.
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