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Lucie Mitchell

Sift Media

Freelance journalist and former editor of HRZone

Read more about Lucie Mitchell

HR tip: Defining redundancy

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These questions are being answered by Learn HR, a market leader in the provision of HR and payroll training and nationally-recognised professional qualifications.


Question:

Recently, a woman took advantage of our voluntary redundancy scheme and left us but I find that, following a reorganisation, her job still needs doing. As her job clearly was not redundant, can she now claim against us?
 
Answer:

You are making a common mistake. In law it is the person, not the job, that is redundant. Redundancy exists if there is less work and as a result someone is dismissed. This may be the person who was doing that job or someone whose job that person was moved into. As your woman left voluntarily, you have no problem.

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Lucie Mitchell

Freelance journalist and former editor of HRZone

Read more from Lucie Mitchell
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