Will I be made redundant??

somanyqs2010

Hi everyone

This is my first post on boards.ie and Im hoping I am in the right section. Basically I am due my first baby in a few weeks and Im worrying more and more that I am going to be let go. Let me give you some background:

Earlier this year voluntary redundancy was announced for our team. If noone went for it 10 people would be forced to go. Good packages were offered. In the end the redundancy was cancelled as new work with new project came up for us all.

Basically I am personally getting the vibes all over again that I could be let go. There doesnt seem to be a definite role for me in the new project and when I ask for work Im being given tiny things to do. Im 11 years in my job and I am terrified that I will be made redundant before maternity leave starts.

So to stop my rambling and get to the point of this post!!! So lets say that I am let go. i am wondering about the redundancy payment. I need to be given 6 weeks notice which would bring me into a new financial year and new package being offered by the company (probably less than earlier in the year). My question is:


If I am the only one being let go - can they make an exception and just offer me statutory redundancy or am I entitled to the company package??

If I got the package that we were offered earlier in the year we could cope but if it was reduced significantly we would be in serious financial trouble - added to the fact that I couldnt start looking for job until baby was born.

As i am permanent employee is there a process that my manager must go through before they can let me go? For example - must she try to get me a job elsewhere in the organisation or try to find job for me in new project??

There is about 8 weeks left before my leave - am I right in assuming that if they dont tell me in the next two weeks about redundancy that it will be too late (as they cannot let me go while on maternity leave)?? So I can breath a sigh of relief and know that I have a job/income until leave is over??

Any help would be appreciated - Im lost when it comes to things like this. I do know that if my last day of work is within 6 weeks of maternity leave I get the maternity benefit anyway

Many thanks in advance for all your help

gerrycollins

I think reading your post that the biggest issue is the value of any proposed redundancy. Thats at the company discretion however you might argue about the previous offer. Are you unionised?

on your pregancy I would make a safe bet that your company will hold onto you and let you go on maternity for the benefit of not making a pregnant woman redundant etc however Ill assume your company dont pay a maternity benefit? Then when you return either you will then be made redundant or a new contract job may arise all depends

somanyqs2010

Many thanks for getting back to me so quickly

You are right - the biggest issue is the value of the redundancy. Having said that I dont want to be let go - I love my job etc but Im terrified of being without job...just on statutory and the financial pressure that would bring. We are not unionised.

I get my pay topped up while on leave. So between maternity benefit from the state and the top up from my employer I get 100% of my monthly wage.

smokin ace

somanyqs2010 wrote: »

Hi everyone

This is my first post on boards.ie and Im hoping I am in the right section. Basically I am due my first baby in a few weeks and Im worrying more and more that I am going to be let go. Let me give you some background:

Earlier this year voluntary redundancy was announced for our team. If noone went for it 10 people would be forced to go. Good packages were offered. In the end the redundancy was cancelled as new work with new project came up for us all.

Basically I am personally getting the vibes all over again that I could be let go. There doesnt seem to be a definite role for me in the new project and when I ask for work Im being given tiny things to do. Im 11 years in my job and I am terrified that I will be made redundant before maternity leave starts.

So to stop my rambling and get to the point of this post!!! So lets say that I am let go. i am wondering about the redundancy payment. I need to be given 6 weeks notice which would bring me into a new financial year and new package being offered by the company (probably less than earlier in the year). My question is:


If I am the only one being let go - can they make an exception and just offer me statutory redundancy or am I entitled to the company package??

If I got the package that we were offered earlier in the year we could cope but if it was reduced significantly we would be in serious financial trouble - added to the fact that I couldnt start looking for job until baby was born.

As i am permanent employee is there a process that my manager must go through before they can let me go? For example - must she try to get me a job elsewhere in the organisation or try to find job for me in new project??

There is about 8 weeks left before my leave - am I right in assuming that if they dont tell me in the next two weeks about redundancy that it will be too late (as they cannot let me go while on maternity leave)?? So I can breath a sigh of relief and know that I have a job/income until leave is over??

Any help would be appreciated - Im lost when it comes to things like this. I do know that if my last day of work is within 6 weeks of maternity leave I get the maternity benefit anyway

Many thanks in advance for all your help

of what i see of this is of you are the only one to be let go just before your maternity leave i think you might be able to bring a case on discrimination grounds because you may felt they let you go because your pregnant and are taking maternity leave someone else will correct me if i am wrong

maybe there not giving you a definite role in the project because you might not get all the work done before you go on maternity leave

my question is if this is causing you this much worry would you not go talk to your employer about it

somanyqs2010

I will go and talk to them about it. I just wanted to get peoples opinions about it before I do. Maybe there is a point alright when you say that if i am let go and I am the only one plus Im pregnant then that would not look good. But they wouldnt be breaking any law though would they??

bbam

Hi..
While I think that if they made a really watertight case they could make you redundant with only a stat payment. It is unlikely they would do this, the risk of a case of discrimination being taken would be too high...

somanyqs2010

thanks so much for your feedback. Fingers crossed that it will be OK

Eoin

As gerrycollins said, I think that making you redundant would be a very risky move for them - I reckon any company in their right mind would be very worried about legal action by letting go someone who is just about to go on maternity leave.