[tommytwotone]

Thanks everyone for the positive words - just re-read my post from Fri night and realised it's a bit shit and self-pitying...apologies for that, I'd had a few  by the time I wrote it!

It's been a crap few months no doubt about that, but I'm feeling pretty positive about the future - the more I think about the idea of having a few weeks to climb a bit, do some voluntary work and do some job-hunting doesn't seem all that bad.

Oh and Adam, I hope you're right...I'll just be careful I don't buy a month's pass for the Works and get stupidly injured, which is much more my style lately 

[erm, sam]

Yeah, that might just push you over the edge. "Oh, so I moved up to this rainy piss hole, got made redundant, AND NOW I HAVE THE FUCKING COD FINGER" Would be too much for any man.
Good luck negotiating a better leaving package/notice period. I am mid way through sorting mine out... Fingers crossed for us both.

[Scrimps]

just re-read my post from Fri night and realised it's a bit shit and self-pitying

Easily done, I was like that when i had to close my company down two years ago, and my wife kicked me out cos she said i loved climbing more than her....You just have to get a grip on it and climb more! best of luck to you, hope it works out

The problem with self employment is that you don't know if your being made redundant, the phone just stops ringing, anyway i will go back to twiddling my thumbs now.

has the phone rung yet?

[tommytwotone]

A quick update...

So, had my first individual consultation meeting with the bosses last week and it was a joke - literally a box-ticking exercise for HR purposes ( Them: "Do you understand the business reason for the redundancies we're making?" Me: "Yes" - tick).

I got the opportunity to ask some questions, but they couldn't tell me in the event of redundancy how much my payout might be or when my notice would be effective from.

I also wanted to query something on my contract of employment (they've rather foolishly written into it that they'll pay for me to do a qualification that will set them back a couple of grand), and incredibly for a meeting concerning making an employee redundant, they hadn't got a copy...muppets.

I've appealed against my ratings, and the project I'm working on has made a case for me staying on for a month or two but that's the last chance saloon - will find out the final reckoning on Thursday.

[galpinos]

I'm now joining this thread as my firm have just announced 99 redundancies of permanent staff, of which there are 220. HR and finance are unaffected so Engineering are taking the full hit, meaning odds of less than 50/50.

Having been with the company for 5 months, I'm not fancying my chances. Time to polish that C.V., I've only just put it away!

Bugger.

[tommytwotone]

Crikey - not good odds sir. Hope your firm sorts it out in a relatively humane fashion - from my personal experience I wouldn't get too carried away with the 'consultation' process, your time would be better spent tapping up recruitment consultants I reckon.

As you say, on the plus side your CV will be relatively up to date.

Have to say I've been finding it a lot tougher out there finding a job - it's not that there's a dearth of opportunities, it's that employers seem to be getting very tight on the experience they want as 'essential', and salaries seem to coming down. In fact, one of the jobs I'm in for would be a 30% pay cut - guess that's what you get for being in a buyer's market!

Have decided to stay in Sheffield for another month until mid-April, hoping that in the meantime something comes up.

[SA Chris]

I'm now joining this thread as my firm have just announced 99 redundancies of permanent staff, of which there are 220. HR and finance are unaffected so Engineering are taking the full hit, meaning odds of less than 50/50.

That's such bollocks. Surely if there is a downturn in business, then redundancies shoudl be proportional across all departments. How can the HR department be unaffacted if they have less humans to have to resource now. Just protecting themselves, I hate shit like that.

Anyway, best of luck.

[Jaspersharpe]

It's logical Chris. HR do fuck all most of the time so having fewer staff in other departments means that they still do fuck all and therefore need exactly the same number of people to do it.

[nik at work]

And the Finance department Jasper?

[matthew]

Well... I've not been made redundant this week (my last job cleaning for the Uni of Shef) finished in August08, since when I've done maybe 2months work.... and have been seeking employment in Geordieland with very little success. My plan to do a PGCE in Newcastle is being thwarted as there is only one place left and a whole round of interviews to go through.
I'm sick of not working and spending days browsing jobsites. There's only so many times I can read an advert for call centre work without feeling depressed.

[Jaspersharpe]

And the Finance department Jasper?

Also covering their arses I presume.

[galpinos]

I'm now joining this thread as my firm have just announced 99 redundancies of permanent staff, of which there are 220. HR and finance are unaffected so Engineering are taking the full hit, meaning odds of less than 50/50.

That's such bollocks. Surely if there is a downturn in business, then redundancies should be proportional across all departments. How can the HR department be unaffected if they have less humans to have to resource now. Just protecting themselves, I hate shit like that.

Anyway, best of luck.

You'd think, wouldn't you? All the apprentices are definitely going which is pretty rough on them. The company haven't been too bad at sorting it but rumours are spreading like wild fire so people are getting pissed off pretty quickly.

They are now offering potential redeployment to the new Abu Dhabi office (where they are struggling to recruit) or Hydrabad. As I moved to this firm so I could actually live with my missus as opposed to only seeing her at weekends, They're options I'm not too keen on. I've worked in Mumbai and though I enjoyed the experience, I shan't be queueing up to do it again.

It's the not knowing with I don't like. Getting told yes or no would much better. I'll be getting my C.V. out there this evening. I'll only have 2 or 3 lines to add to it!

[Averageman]

There's only so many times I can read an advert for call centre work without feeling depressed.

Those are the help desk for the many depressed bankruptcies, a record high last year.

[tommytwotone]

This just gets better and better...

I've had my redundancy calculation through, which includes my payment in lieu of notice (i.e. a month's salary and a few other things like untaken holiday)and on it there's wording that says "These payments are a non-contractual entitlement and we have been advised that they can be made tax-free".

However, an email came through from the HR dept - apparently they've changed their minds after consulting some finance bods and now all payments in lieu of notice are going to be taxed at source.

One to keep an eye on for anyone on here that's going through the process I think.

[dave]

I thought things like this are only taxed once they're above a certain threshold level (I've no idea what this level is). I've also heard of decent employers giving out redundancy payments in 2 smaller payments (instead of 1 big one), either side of 30th march/1st april so each half was untaxable.

[Jaspersharpe]

Depends on whether it's redundancy or "Payment In Lieu of Notice" (PILON). The former is definitely non-taxable provided it's done correctly. The latter is about as grey a grey area can get and depends entirely on the individual case.

See here if you really want to wade through tons of shit about it........

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/manuals/eimanual/EIM12975.htm

Sounds like the employer has jumped in with both feet saying it's not taxable without actually checking. Knobs.

[philo]

ok so the company i work for part time has went into administration.  they have decided to keep our store open untill they find a buyer, which in the current economical situ is looking rare. 
if any of you are bothered heres more info!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7898888.stm

[Bubba]

Bad luck

[erm, sam]

The thing I focus on is that being made redundant is very much on trend so at least we are keeping on top of the stylez..

[tommytwotone]

Indeed - at least it's giving me something to talk about at parties, as no-one's making polite conversation about the housing market any more.

It's all done and dusted for me - appealed against my scoring and had the final meeting last week. They re-rated me, and suprise surprise it made to difference whatsoever.

Got my notice over the weekend, but also a letter inviting me for an interview! 

[SA Chris]

Assuming to = no? If so, unlucky, and good luck for the interview.

[Bubba]

Good luck with the interview Tom

[tommytwotone]

Yes Chris - I was 'at risk', and the meeting was to confirm that the rescoring still left me in the 'relegation zone'. Weirdly, I felt OK about being given my notice - think I was just glad that the drawn out process was finally over. Perhaps that's the point.

Cheers for the positive vibes - good to get a bit of postive news, hope this is the start of the turnaround...

Oh, and I found out a bit of SCIENCE the other day from one of the agents I've been speaking to, thought I'd share it here in case anyone finds it useful.

It's worth considering the content your CV from a search engine optimisation perspective, as most employers / agencies will be searching the CV market / jobsites by looking for say, "Business Analyst" in "Sheffield". For example, my CV didn't have my address on it (as I was trying to save space), so mine wouldn't have surfaced on that basis.

Hope that makes sense - thought it was a good tip, better than "keep it to two sides"...

[tommytwotone]

So, I'm home after my last day of work for the foreseeable future - feels bloody weird. I'm really trying to think 'freedom, freedom, freedom' but I keep getting the odd  'what the hell am I going to do?' moment!

To be honest, passing the time isn't much of a problem - I'm planning to treat looking for a job like having a job as I think it's important to keep a bit of routine. Going to look into some voluntary work as well.

It's more the trying to live off a very small pot of cash that's worrying me, alongside the fact that I won't be able to afford to go out / do stuff.

[erm, sam]

The looking for a job, job approach is the right one I think. Before I go to work (negotiated a end contract date of end july!, but I have actually got to work till mide June) I spend an hour "looking for a job", might just be mailing mates who know mates at so and so company etc, but it makes sure you have a feeling of getting on with things..
I'm almost hoping I don't get a job before the end as it will be my first ever gardening leave.
I want to try and use the time to find a good job I want to stick with, rather than taking the first job I find. But feels kind of stupid as well. Want to avoid spending august wishing I had taken that job in May.
I expect you'll get in the swing of not going to work pretty quick...