This document provides guidance on managing organizational change that involves restructuring and potential redundancies. It emphasizes the importance of legal compliance, project management, communication, and supporting employees throughout the process. Key recommendations include forming a project team, carefully planning communications, conducting consultations and elections, offering support like career transition assistance, and treating all employees with empathy. The goal is to minimize disruptions, reduce risks, and help the company and employees move forward productively after the change. Real-world examples demonstrate that individual situations differ and require thoughtful, creative solutions.

1. How To Manage…
Restructure, Redundancy &
Change
Mitigate Risks With Critical Employment Law & Effective Employee Management To
Ensure Seamless Internal Change.
Heather Whitaker
People Strategies Ltd

2. Change ….
• Is constant
• Can be positive – and still difficult
TODAY
People process - planning and execution – before, during and after
- and finish with an opportunity for questions
Every situation is different and you need to be thoughtful and
creative

3. Maintain
product
quality
Minimise
disruptive
behaviour
Reduce
risk of
legal
issues
Retain
those you
wish to
keep
Maintain
your
brand /
reputation
Keep
productivi
ty up
Retain
leavers
until they
go
It’s about managing risk, helping the company and employees re-
engage and resume productive working asap

4. The Case
Part of a global acquisition, a small site was to be closed. World
renown in their field, non unionised with no employee
representative body
Highly qualified employees who could move companies very easily
locally.
10 year gap in product pipeline
Note – no issues of selection for redundancy

6. Leading Change –
Kotter’s 8 Steps
Urgency Team of leaders Vision
Communicate Vision
EnableShort term winsBuild on the changes
Anchor/ embed

7. The Case, Planning –
The First 3 steps of Kotter
• Team formed – local, later extended to members to receiving
site management
• Know what and why you need to change before you start (and
who, where, when..)
• Planned communications VERY carefully
– On site
– Off site
– Immediately post announcement
• Extra resources
• Planned elections for consultation

8. Change Style Continuum
Education and Collaboration Participation Direction Coercion
delegation
Involves employees in
decisions about both
what to change and
how.
Aims to equip employees
to initiate changes.
Involvement of
employees in
how to deliver
change.
Leaders
take decisions.
and use
authority to
direct change.
Use of power
to impose
change.
Spreads support for
change. Ensures wide
base of understanding.
Spreads support
and ownership of
change by
increasing levels
of involvement.
Spreads ownership
and support for
change, but within
a more controlled
framework. Easier to
shape decisions.
Less time
consuming.
Provides a clear
change direction
and focus.
Allows for
prompt
Action.
Takes time & fact-based
argument may not be
enough to convince
others of need for
change.
Time consuming.
Little control over
decisions made.
May lead to
paradigm
change.
Can be
perceived
as
manipulation.
Potentially less
support and
commitment.
Proposed
changes may
be resisted.
Unlikely to
achieve
buy-in
without a
crisis.

9. A Communications Plan

10. Stakeholder Management
(Internal and external)
Map who will be in
which box and adapt
comms:
Positive
Neutral
Negative
Low High
Level of influence/Power
PRIORITIES

12. Managers training
Legal and practical considerations
 What is Consultation?
 Employee Representatives – the nomination process and key aspects of
the role
 Consultative meetings
 Possible outcomes after consultation process is over
The role of managers during consultation
• Business as usual
 Communication
 121s – your role in them, the skills needed and scheduling
 The Transition Curve
3. Support and communication

13. The Transition Curve
Denial
Shock
Anger &
Frustration
Depression
Acceptance &
Experimentation
Hope
Moraleandcompetence
Time

14. Communication Time Lag
Level of
adjustment
Communication
cascade

15. Business
Needs
Assess and
acquire
Identify
and
retain
DevelopDeploy
Engage
Plan for your Identified Talent

16. • All planning kicked in – career transition, Occupational Health
• Consultations and elections – briefs needed
• Mitigating losses – Kotter’s Short tem wins
– EVERYONE offered a new role – vacancies frozen
– Attractive offer
– Key talent got an extra-enhanced offer
– Cross site visits – discussions of options. Complete career changes provided
– Early retirement with full pension
Action!

17. Project Management
Project Manager
Relocation ,
Recruitment
and training
Redundancy/
redeployment
and Retention
Operations Finance
Consultation/
communication
Project Sponsor

18. • Managerial early briefing
• Announcement - Tuesday
• Involve employees early where ever possible or, at least give
some control back
• The value of assessment centres in recruitment
Learnings

20. © Motivational Maps Limited 2014
All rights reserved.
McKinsey 7S Model

21. Communication Approaches

22. • People either:
• Relocated getting new roles, generous relocation packages, full
induction, career transition for partners, etc. This was “survivor
care”
• Or
• Redundancy payment with career transition. Periodically we
announced landed figures
• One group asked for something different – funds for a start up
The Case

23. • … Did OK too!
• Full pipeline
• Became biggest and most successful area of research
• Kept much of the top talent – some in the start up
And the Company …

24. 1) Delayering a large unionised manufacturing facility with loss of jobs.
Additional losses (and reduced overtime) through process
improvements and shift pattern changes. Early “burning platform”
communication, union involvement and voluntary redundancy
agreement. Employees working on improvement / shift pattern teams.
2) An internal reorganisation meant that departments in different
locations now came under one division. The product pipeline meant
one site was quiet and the other busy. New organisation design
introduced matrix, cross training and careful project planning.
Consultation about changed roles.
Every Situation is Different
And what works for one may
not work for another

25. In summary
Legal and project management are absolutely key
Plan long – involve the best people – and get internal sponsorship
Activity spikes when you go live – additional support frees you to
communicate and reassure
Involve line managers – train in the process and key stages
Know your people - 121s have to be legally right and supportive of BAU
Do it in an emotionally intelligent way – support, empathise and
communicate

26. Restructure, Redundancy &
Change
Any Questions?

27. A business focused HR Director
with over 15 years senior
professional experience across
sectors and cultures
Core capability in restructuring
and transformation
• conducted in all the main
functions of a company
(R&D, manufacturing and
commercial)
• face-to-face, UK and global
• Unionised and non unionised
Heather Whitaker