Supporting Staff During a Redundancy Process

In the present COVID-19 crisis many parts of the world of commerce and industry, the travel industry, and airlines in particular, have seen a drastic reduction in the use of their services.  This has resulted in many businesses ceasing trading altogether and all of them have been forced to curtail their operations severely or cease operating for a considerable time.

The general feeling about the future of commerce and industry is a pessimistic one, with some predictions talking about a period of years before a real recovery takes place.  This means that redundancies will continue to  happen in large numbers and Union Reps will be called upon to provide emotional and practical support for their members.

So, the personal impact on union members is likely to be more or less severe and union Reps are likely to be called upon to provide support to their members.  This may be in formal interactions with management and will often be in the form of individual interview sessions, either by appointment or in an informal setting, perhaps in a canteen.  Reps may find themselves in a dual role – giving technical and legal advice about the redundancy process but, in addition, providing emotional and practical support in helping members start to consider, in a practical way, what they may need to do next.  It is important 

It is not intended to deal with the legal aspects of redundancy in this course but it is important not to lose sight of some of the legal issues,  for instance, any situation where discrimination is being shown that involves any of the protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010.

It is important that interview sessions with members are done skilfully, first so as not to cause harm to members and second to ensure that the support is provided with empathy and useful practical help.  It is often possible to help people to see things from a different perspective and to start to plan and take action.

Reps should also be aware of the adverse reactions to redundancy that people often develop and be able to assist members to manage and deal with some of those reactions in a way that will reduce the impact of them on their lives.  In particular they should have the knowledge and skill to provide an informal risk assessment to ascertain whether a person is at risk of suicide or other form of self harm.  If such a risk is seen to be present they should take action to ensure the safety and wellbeing of that person.

Airlines are in a particularly vulnerable position with many airlines being forced to dispose of aircraft and, not surprisingly, carry out very severe redundancy programmes.  The personal impact of redundancy is always very difficult for those involved and their families and airline pilots are likely to suffer more than most.  Even in normal situations it is not easy for a pilot to find new employment because of the highly specialised nature of their work.  But in the present situation, with the entire industry being adversely affected, the demand for pilots is likely to be very low.  Many airline pilots are members of the British Airline Pilots Association (BALPA) and this course can be tailored so that it addresses the particular needs of BALPA Reps.

Course Objectives

At the conclusion of the training delegates will be able to:

• Demonstrate a knowledge of the Psychological First Aid (PFA) model of supporting people following traumatic incidents and situations and the link with redundancy
• Recognise typical reactions to redundancy, the symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and other potential problems
• Conduct an appropriate support session with a member using the skills of Psychological First Aid and assist with a variety of useful topics
• Suggest a variety of practical techniques for reducing the impact of typical reactions to redundancy
• Recognise the impact on people’s lives of reactions to redundancy
• Minimise the effects of reactions to redundancy using practical techniques and mindfulness, both for members and for your colleagues
• Provide continuing support for members who have been made redundant
• Identify those who may be in need of professional mental health care using a process of Psychosocial Triage and refer them appropriately
• Use risk assessment skills in deciding whether a member is at risk of suicide or other self harm and signpost to appropriate sources of support

Organising Training

This training would normally be run ‘In-House’ on behalf of  companies and organisations.  However, in the present ‘Lockdown’ situation, it has been revised and is only being offered as an ‘On-Line’ option, using any of the usual video conferencing platforms.  it will be run as two separate 3 hour modules delivered on different days, which seems to work well and has received excellent feedback.

To discuss how we might tailor this training most appropriately for your needs please contact Gerry on: or telephone on 0118 973 1546 or 0781 841 0254.