Building Staff Morale Post Redundancies

The Academy for Chief Executives, a leading provider of experiential business learning® facilitates groups of CEOs and Managing Directors who meet together every month to network and take full advantage of experiential learning. Part of membership involves members taking their issues to the table and discussing them with their peers.

At a recent meeting, one of the CEO members raised an issue regarding building motivation of remaining staff post redundancies.

Advice came from those who had made people redundant or had been made redundant in the past:

1. Announce and complete as quickly as possible
2. Cut deep rather than repeatedly
3. Seek legal advice to minimise risk of reprisal
4. Communicate openly and honestly the reasons and basis for redundancy to everyone
5. Confidently and positively share a compelling picture of the future and strategy / tactics to rebuild

For confidentiality reasons we cannot divulge all of the advice provided by our members – however, we do hold open meetings where guests are able to attend and experience for themselves the real power of ‘The Board You Could Never Afford®’. To find out how you can take advantage of advice like this every month, visit www.chiefexecutive.com.

 

A positive approach to Employment Law

Leaders Forum 2, chief executive mentoring and experiential learning group (with members from Central England) had a very lively and interactive workshop with Ken Allison (pictured right) on his “You’re Fired – Lessons in Employment Law” session.

This was a very informative and useful with many good tips and insights for application to the staffing side of your business’ HR.

3 things stood out for us:

1. A reminder that you must now give at least 6 months notice before a “senior” member of staff is due to retire. Failure to give such notice means that the staff member would be able to continue in service beyond 65 until notice had been served.
2. During the consultation period as part of a redundancy process it is quite acceptable and lawful to advise people that are not in the ‘pool’ or department affected, that their job is not at risk at this time (or alternatively that their job is one of the ones being considered for redundancy). Many members present had been under the impression that they had to treat everyone as being at risk until the consultation period had ended (which is obviously very unsettling).
3. It would be sensible to re-position the “Disciplinary Process” (warnings etc for poor performance) as a “Performance Improvement/Capability Process”. This might seem trivial, but Members agreed that they would be more likely to use a less intimidating-sounding process at an early stage to improve an employees performance, rather than holding back until they had more or less decided that the staff member had to go. This is certainly a more positive approach for both employer and employee.

Peter Pritchett, Chairman Leaders Forum 2

The Academy for Chief Executives, a leading provider of experiential business learning® facilitates peer groups of CEOs and Managing Directors who meet together every month to network and take full advantage of experiential learning. To hear great speakers like this every month and engage in The Board You Could Never Afford®, to find out more about the Central England Leaders Forum, or to find a local group near you, visit www.chiefexecutive.com.

 

From Hiring to Firing

CEO members from experiential business learning group Leaders Forum 9 enjoyed a session full of great content and insight into employment issues from expert Ken Allison. The workshop, “Hiring to Firing” (built around an Alan Sugar storyline which really works) was delivered with authority, skill and good humour. Ken managed to bring to life a subject matter which is often thought of as a little ‘dry’. He received great feedback from members including “You made this topic accessible and interesting – I now realise that I can be proactive and take preventative actions to avoid tribunals and poor staff outcomes – which is really motivational”

This session gave us many take aways, including:

• Answers to employment law questions that CEO members are currently tackling;
• The confidence to deal with legal challenges made by employees;
• An awareness of forthcoming legislation;
• An understanding of how to deal with poor performance, attendance and conduct;
• Exactly how to hire and fire within the law!
• How to protect our commercial interests

and above all

• increased peace of mind!!

Ken was the Runner Up in The Academy for Chief Executives’ 2008 New Speaker of The Year Awards – and we now know why! This session comes thoroughly recommended.

Joanna Jesson,
Chairman Leaders Forum 9

The Academy for Chief Executives, a leading provider of experiential business learning® facilitates peer groups of CEOs and Managing Directors who meet together every month to network and take full advantage of experiential learning. To hear great speakers like this every month and engage in The Board You Could Never Afford®, or to find a local group near you, visit www.chiefexecutive.com.