We all hear stories in the news about companies cutting back on staff and making redundancies, it’s becoming a regular occurrence. And it is easy to understand the reasons why such actions are sometimes needed to protect a company’s financial position.
However, whilst there are legal procedures an employer must go through to comply with employment legislation, is there not a moral obligation to do it the right way? We all know, “it’s not what you do in life that counts, but how you do it”.
Mental health is often used as a throw away comment, but do we ever know what is going on in someone’s private life. Providing access to a HR professional with CV training, interview coaching or general careers advice, seem to be something that employers only do when letting large numbers of staff go. But why is that any different when letting smaller numbers go?
With many people working from home either full time or occasionally, there seems to be a trend with some employers hiding behind a Teams or telephone call when delivering bad news. It is never easy to look someone in the eye and tell them bad news, but it can often be the right way to do things. No one is going to thank you and shake your hand, well very unlikely, but taking a compassionate and professional approach to making such difficult decisions, can in the long run hold you and your company in good stead.
Companies talk about teamwork, communities and being such a great place to work. But what if their clients and introducers hear of how they treat their staff, it might not bode well.
We have been providing outstanding employment advice for generations and ‘doing the right thing’ is something we advise clients to do. In a world of review sites, social media rants and general bad mouthing, getting this wrong can cost more that the salary saving you are trying to make.
Ellisons are here for you and the generations to come. We are partner-led, rooted in our communities, and trusted by our clients, business owners, senior management teams, individuals, and families. We deliver expert legal advice you can count on.
Our Employment and HR team can offer you the advice to be prepared to do the right thing.
Contact us to start a conversation, or if you would like to attend our HR Breakfasts which will provide you with recent examples, advice and a chance to network with like-minded professionals, register your interest at: events@ellisons.com.
