CILIP (South East Group) Surviving Redundancy: Positive planning from the front line for what you hope may never happen (but probably will!)

At the CILIP South East branch Thames Valley group meeting Mike Sharracks held a presentation on surviving redundancy and it was full of useful and mostly positive information.

Perhaps the most important piece of information Mike conveyed to the attendees was right at the beginning of his presentation where he defined what exactly being made redundant means. Highlighting the fact that being redundant was the condition of being unemployed and that it did not mean a redundant person was a redundant thing that had no purpose.

With a subject that can be hard to find positive aspects Mike offered hope and possibilities with his presentation, yet still being firmly grounded in the realities related to the situation of being made redundant. Subsequently, Mike covered all the main real-life aspects that are related to being made redundant that included a consideration of the following:

Who will be affected (Your wife, husband, family members)
Coping (How do you cope and the factors that affect your ability to cope, such as your age, timing and aspirations
He then focused on the positive points and considered aspects related to a person’s ability to develop in light of being made redundant. These aspects included helpful information on the following:

• What can you do (look to the future, being positive, organised, realistic and prepared
• Examine your skills and attributes (your qualifications, experience, training, ambitions)

Followed by information on recommended actions:

• Sign up to an agency
• Consider part-time work, or any work,
• Self-employment
• Starting your your own business,
• Become a consultant
• Re-train

Although the subject of redundancy seems to be a subject thwart with negatives, Mike’s presentation was relatively upbeat and he is also a man who has first-hand experience of being in this situation having recently been made redundant and at the time of writing working in a temporary post.

In the current economic climate I think it would be fair to say that all of us know someone who has been made redundant and the timeliness of Mike’s presentation on the subject could not be more apt.