Fairness in redundancy

On one hand, the task of having to make someone redundant is not easy. There are a lot of aspects you have to keep in mind in order to ensure the employee does not feel inadequate and unfairly dismissed. On the other hand, the fact of being made redundant is also unpleasant especially in a climate like today were jobs are not as easy to come by. Evidently redundancy has the potential to cause further issues and disagreements internally amongst the redundant employee and existing employees. So, how can these issues be avoided?- Negotiation! Yes, even after you have already been made redundant you can still make the most out of a bad situation by negotiating a realistic redundancy package. Negotiation during redundancy is expected by your employer so make the most out of this opportunity. Most employers are willing to negotiate at this point as this will help to avoid further internal conflict.

Before proceeding with the negotiation process the first most important element to identify is your BATNA (best alternative to a negotiated agreement). Do not be afraid to aim high, as a quote suggested “when a negotiator has a strong BATNA, they also have more power because they possess an attractive alternative that they could resort to if an acceptable agreement is not achieved” (Venter 2009, BATNA explained). The best type of bargaining to consider when negotiating a redundancy package and your options is integrative bargaining. It involves collaborating with each other in order to reach the best alternative. Integrative bargaining helps to build long term relationships and facilitates working together in the future. At this point you do not want to burn bridges; if you have given 100% performance at work do not ruin your opportunity to be called back in the future should any vacancies occur. Even more importantly, your ex- employer is your best source for networking; and you can make the most out of your relationship when seeking a new job.

In this situation, it is important to adopt a negotiating style which will help you get as close to your BATNA as possible. A competing/forcing style may not be the best in this situation as this may tarnish your relationship with the employer and your employer will feed off this style and become less accommodating to your needs. Have you or do you know of someone who has been in a situation where they have had to negotiate a redundancy package? Do you agree that a collaborative style is best in this situation?