Beating Redundancy

The first time I was made redundant I was working for a small company, at the beginning of my career straight after university. The company folded and all staff were let go. I received a month’s notice and had just signed a year’s lease on a flat. It was a devastating experience at the time and changed my life completely, but looking back on it now I can see how my career benefited as a result and how well prepared it made me for another such eventuality in the future.

In May 2006 I was made redundant for the second time, in similar circumstances. My attitude was vastly different and it has enabled me to achieve so much more with the time on my hands after my nine-to-five job vanished.

I was lucky the second time, as I saw it coming. The business (internet) had been suffering and I had seen friends/colleagues made redundant a few months before. This ‘warning’ gave me the opportunity to focus on my personal affairs; spending less and saving more, and also gave me time to prepare mentally. It is not always possible to be so prepared when advised of a redundancy, so it is important to think clearly and give yourself plenty of time: a rash decision could make your situation worse.

It is also important to explore all options with your employer. They generally don’t want to have to make you redundant and are legally required to help you in many ways; most doing more than legally required. However, they won't be very forthcoming if your attitude is very negative towards them. Remember: it is not the person in front of you who is to blame for the redundancy.

I received a great deal of help from the employer following my second redundancy, and it is this support that helped lay the foundations of my future. We eventually found that they would have perhaps one day of work a month for me, keeping the business's other websites in order.

It was at this point that I took a long hard look at my situation along with my partner, whose emotions and thoughts needed to be considered. Together we did a review of our lives and forgot about all the plans we had, namely buying a house. Starting at the beginning meant we could consider anything and, rather like a brainstorming session, no idea was ruled out. We’d always wanted to go travelling, I’d always wanted to work for myself and the job market was (and still is) terrible. However, my partner still had a good job and one she didn’t want to leave straight away.

We set ourselves some objectives: I was to work for myself, and we were going to continue to save with the aim of going travelling at some convenient time in the future. With the support of a partner and a steady income, I was able to expand my client base and before long I had enough work to tide me over from month to month, but still had plenty of time on my hands to work on my own projects.

Just before Christmas, very fortunately my partner was made redundant. It was amazing timing and enabled us to immediately initiate our travel plans. Two days later in STA Travel our round the world ticket was booked. Six weeks later, wearing our backpacks, we handed back the keys to our rented flat and got in a car - destination Heathrow Airport. It was a truly liberating experience and as I write this article now in a tropical paradise we both really do wonder if we’d be better off still in nine to five jobs… I don’t think so.

"You’ve still got to come home!" I hear you cry. This is true, but by then I will have worked for myself, built up a client base, learnt another language, experienced many cultures and seen the world and more importantly will be raring to go. It’s also given my partner the opportunity to reconsider her future, and I know she doesn’t regret a moment.

Being made redundant is not easy, it does knock you for six and it will upset you. According to a HR consultant the emotions of a redundancy are similar to a grieving process: numbness, shock, anger and rationalisation in no particular order. However, as long as you remain calm, give yourself time and consider all the options there is no reason why the experience has to be detrimental and negative. It will give you the freedom to pursue your life’s ambitions and could be the best thing that ever happened to you!

If you feel you have issues at anytime with an employer, consider contacting an employment law specialist, click here for Free employment legal help.