What Questions To Ask If You’ve Been Laid Off

If you’ve recently been told that you’re being laid off or if you fear that you’re about to be, it’s only natural to feel anxious.  You may be worried about how you’ll cope financially, what impact it will have on your family and if being laid off will affect you finding another job.  To help bring clarity to the situation so you’re in a clear headspace to plan your next move, here are the questions you should immediately ask your employer after being told you’re being laid off:

What type of lay off is it? 

There are different ways an employer can choose to lay you off: furlough, short-term working or making you redundant.  Furlough - This means your employer gives you a leave of absence but keeps you on the payroll to bring you back into the workforce when work picks up again. Short term working - This can happen when your employer doesn’t have enough work to cover full-time hours. Instead, you may be asked to reduce hours. Your employer can only do this if it’s a term of your contract.  Redundancy - Your employer may decide that their only option is to make you redundant, as the company isn’t making enough money, for example. If they are making redundancies, there’s a set procedure your employer must follow, including fairly selecting which employees to make redundant. 

When does the lay off come into effect?

It’s good practice for your employer to put in writing the date of when the furlough or short term working starts. If they haven’t offered to do this, ask your HR department to provide written confirmation of it.  If you’re being made redundant, by law your employer must provide notice before your employment ends. The length of notice they must give you depends on how long you’ve been employed by them:

• Between one month and two years - at least one week’s notice. 
• Between two to 12 years - at least one weeks’ notice for each year you were employed. 
• Over 12 years - 12 week’s notice. 

When will I get paid?

Speak to your employer or your HR department to get confirmation of when you’ll get paid and what it includes. For example, if you’re being redundant, you may have unused holiday that you’re entitled to be paid for. Once you receive notification that you’re being laid off, it’s good practice to review your expenses to see where you can save money. Speak to your mortgage provider or landlord to ask if they’ll be able to offer you a mortgage or rent holiday for a couple of months, look to see if you can save money by switching utility providers and cancel any unnecessary memberships.  Likewise, speak with your HR department to see if they can advise you on what financial support or benefits you may be entitled to claim. If they’re unsure, the Benefits section on the .gov.uk website or Citizens Advice have details of the different benefits that are available to people who have been laid-off.  RELATED: How To Cope If You’ve Lost Your Job Due To Coronavirus

As I’m being made redundant, what redundancy package will I get?

Refer back to your contract to see what it stipulates about being made redundant as your employer may have their own redundancy package.  If your employer doesn’t offer this and if you’ve worked with them for over two years you may be entitled to statutory redundancy pay: What you get is dependent on your age and length of service: 

• Half a week’s pay for each full year you were under 22 years. 
• One week’s pay for each full year you were over 22 years but under 41. 
• One and half week’s pay for each full year you were over 41 years.

The length of service is capped at 20 years and any redundancy payout under £30,000 is tax-free.  Being selected for redundancy may come as shock, but as it’s a complex process, it’s important that you’re fully aware of your rights. Further information on being made redundant can be found on the .gov.uk website.  

Will I still be entitled to employee benefits?

You should still be entitled to access your employee benefits, like private healthcare or discounted gym membership, if you’ve been  furloughed or put on short term working. However, if you’re being redundant, and if it’s not stated in your contract, you should seek clarification from your HR department as to when your rights to the benefits end.  

Will you provide me with a reference?

It may come as a surprise to know that there’s no legal obligation for your employer to provide you with a reference. That is unless it’s stated in your contract, or if you have written confirmation, such as an email.  If your employer does agree to provide you with a reference, it must be accurate and fair.  Some employers choose not to go into great detail and instead provide a ‘basic reference’ that simply states your job title and the date you worked for them.  RELATED: Don’t Have Professional References? Here’s What To Do

Can I get copies of my performance reviews?

It’s good practice to keep copies of your performance reviews as these can act as proof of the targets you hit or projects you successfully worked on in your previous jobs.  If you can’t locate your copies, you can submit a Subject Access Request ‘SAR’ for short, to your HR department for a copy of your personnel file. Your personnel file should contain copies of your performance reviews.  Your employer may question why you want a copy of your personnel file, but legally they are obliged to provide you with a copy. Though, under some circumstances they may be able to limit what information you can see. 

I have shares in the company, what happens to them?

If as part of the company’s benefit package your employer offered you the chance to purchase shares in the business, you need to check with your HR department on where you stand with these, as they could be worth quite a bit of money.  There could be a clause in the share plan that states you have to sell these back to the company when you leave the business. Or, it could also state that you have to retain the shares for a certain period before you can sell them.