When your role is affected by company-wide changes or downsizing, it can be difficult to know where you stand, what your rights are, and how to navigate the process. However, understanding your rights and being informed about the procedures involved can help ensure that you are treated fairly throughout the process.

In this blog, we’ll walk you through what redundancy and restructuring are, your rights as an employee during these processes, and how you can protect yourself if your job is impacted.

What Is Redundancy?

Redundancy occurs when an employer decides they no longer need a particular role, typically due to business changes such as downsizing, closure of a department, or the introduction of new technology. Redundancy can affect one or more employees and usually happens when there’s no longer a demand for the work performed by the affected position.

It’s important to note that redundancy is not the same as being unfairly dismissed. Redundancy is about the position becoming unnecessary, not about your performance or behavior as an employee.

What Is Restructuring?

Restructuring refers to changes in an organisation’s structure that can affect the roles, reporting lines, or departments within a business. This can be due to mergers, acquisitions, the introduction of new business strategies, or changes in the company’s financial situation.

Restructuring often leads to redundancies, but it can also involve redeployment, where employees are moved into different roles within the company, or retraining. It’s important to understand that restructuring doesn’t always mean job loss, but it often results in significant changes to your role or the overall company structure.