How to Cope with Redundancy Survivor Syndrome
Posted on | January 8, 2010 | 137 Comments
A recent study that I read said that over 60% of senior managers across Ireland and the UK have had to make staff redundant in the past 2 years, despite having no training or experience in this area. (Research commissioned by Alexander Hughes Interim Management (AHIM)).
As a result, many have been left feeling sad and depressed and enjoy their jobs less particularly as they believe that their employees’ attitudes have changed towards them, making them less able to do their jobs effectively. Not surprisingly this has had a detrimental effect on their home and family life.
Similarly on the employee side, morale may dip, too, if employees have lost good colleagues. This kind of “survivor syndrome” may be cultivated by businesses accidentally.
“Survivors of Redundancy”
Neglecting those who have made it through a reorganisation poses its own risks. Although they still have their jobs, the “survivors” of redundancy may experience greater pressures owing to changed work patterns and increased workloads.
Employers could be exposed to a range of possible stress-related claims if they fail to manage the aftermath of a redundancy process properly. According to the Health and Safety Executive, 13.8 million working days were lost to work-related stress, depression and anxiety last year. It is widely accepted that work-related stress can be triggered by change: the HSE lists it as a key factor. A redundancy process is one of the most obvious examples of large-scale workplace change, and failure to manage employees’ workloads or work patterns post-redundancy could cause them to suffer high levels of stress.
Managing Redundancy Survivor Syndrome
Establishing a positive culture after redundancy is a serious business change process. Equipping managers with effective change management and interpersonal skills can help reduce staff turnover, raise employee engagement, increase productivity, and enable managers and staff to have the ‘difficult conversations’ in a constructive manner.
So, how can a positive culture be achieved? If an organisation is serious about their employee’s and growing their productivity, it is crucial that the management embody the approach and consistently demonstrate their commitment to the organisation and its people. The reach of training should focus on the situation of the current economic environment, the benefits of training & development as part of a organisational strategy the theories behind it, and how it will add value in a changing, challenging culture, how it will improve moral, motivation, productivity and over all work performance.
In essence, don’t ignore it. Deal with it head on – for both managers and employees alike.
How to manage redundancy
Posted on | January 7, 2010 | 272 Comments
7 days into the new year and already I’m getting phone calls from employers on the topic of redundancy. It’s a tough one, there is no doubt about it.
But for a business to be realistic about it’s future, it has to think of cost cutting and the biggest overhead is generally staff. It’s not a nice topic for any business owner.
Over the next couple of blog posts, I’m going to talk about redundancy – how it affects organisations, managers and employees alike and how best to deal with the situation.
If you want more information on this painful but necessary option, please don’t hesitate to contact me or visit my Managing Redundancy page on the website.
My first post
Posted on | January 4, 2010 | 204 Comments
2010 is already starting to be a controversial year – do you pronounce it ‘Twenty-ten‘ or ‘Two thousand ten‘ or ‘Two thousand and ten’?
Whatever way you pronounce the new year, one thing is certain – if you’re an employer, you need to know what your rights are aswell as your employees rights.
I’m setting up this blog to pass on information to all you employers out there – I’m really excited about it.
Please share your comments on my posts and please ask questions if something is unclear.
I look forward to helping Irish employers through-out 2010.