Scunthorpe, Motherwell and Redcar have hit the news in recent weeks following the decision by Tata Steel and SSI to cut thousands of jobs in a suffering industry. The tabloids and broadcasters have spoken to devastated workers who believe they are too old to learn new skills but too young to retire. Many have mortgages, debts, and dependents.
A difficult consultation process has begun and there will be sleepless nights for those affected; indeed, anyone whose role is made redundant. But strangely what appears to be a dark and troubling time ahead can sometimes turn into a positive for the future.
Case study: Carl Mintern from Dorchester. In 2008 the building company he worked for collapsed, leaving him jobless with a young family. His first port of call was to go door-knocking and offering his services. which immediately reaped dividends,
He eventually set up two companies that employ more than 20 staff. Mr Mintern told the Dorset Echo that those who supported him in the early years are rewarded with free work.
Mr Mintern utilised his current skills and turned his life around, overcoming hurdles and achieving success. He stayed in the sector in which he excelled, but every job has transferable skills that can be applied to others, from communication talents to writing to organisation to stamina. The moment that the potential for redundancy is discussed is the time to look at your CV – if you’ve been with your current firm for some time then aspects of the CV might be several years out of date.
A consultation period will begin and the terms of your redundancy should be laid out, including a timeframe and the payout you’ll receive. Use this redundancy calculator from The Money Advice Service to work out what you should receive and create a timetable.
That lump sum should give you breathing space, or it may boost present plans; this writer knows of a newspaper photographer who feared that the title was struggling, so saved up to quit his job and go travelling. Literally days before he was due to hand in his notice came the announcement; employees were being offered enhanced redundancy. One successful application later and he was several thousand pounds better off, extending his travelling horizons from Europe to Asia with a far newer camera.
Sometimes, therefore, redundancy can be genuinely beneficial. Paul Parry was facing redundancy from his role as a TV controller ten years ago; as he told the Brighton Argus: “I was on Brighton beach on a stag do and facing redundancy. I was 33, full of fear and I was very stressed to be honest.”
A chance posting out to Azerbaijan turned his life around, and rather than coming back to the UK he decided to stay working in eastern Europe as a writer. Now, a decade on, he has written a book encouraging other people facing personal crisis to take the plunge and do something exciting or exhilarating with their lives, with proceeds going to refugee charities.
Mr Parry’s example is unique, but by no means impossible. No-one can predict the future, just as no-one can predict the past, but sometimes the fates conspire to remove your job but give you a new life. Don’t waste the opportunity.