Managing people in the recession: support from Acas North West
If you are facing tough choices in the current climate and want to know what your options are or you know you need to take action to reduce costs, but haven't yet decided what to do, free support is available from Acas North West.
Acas can:
- Arrange a confidential face to face discussion with an experienced Adviser to talk through the implications of varying contracts, lay offs, short time working, redundancy and tightening up on your procedures. If you would prefer to do this offsite we are arranging advisory surgeries. Both these services are free of charge.
- If you need to make efficiency savings we can help you work through what these might be, involving your employees and their representatives at all stages to minimise difficulties later on. We can help you identify and implement savings for example by changing shift patterns, overtime arrangements, or eliminating inefficient working methods.
- We can work with you to improve productivity for example by managing attendance more effectively, managing performance and managing change, working with employees to identify efficiencies.
If you have decided on a course of action, we can provide advice and support on implementation. This includes:
- confidential discussions on best practice in dealing with redundancies and contractual changes
- training for representatives involved in consultation processes
- facilitating discussions with trade union or employee representatives, supporting you in reaching agreement on change
- training for Managers and Employee representatives in handling redundancies including the redundancy process, alternatives, selection, support and dismissal including varying contracts
- training for Managers in holding difficult conversations.
Once you have implemented the action you need to take, Acas can help you tackle emerging issues. This includes:
- training for managers taking on new responsibilities such as handling disciplinary issues or managing absence problems and capability issues not tackled by previous managers
- handling change arising from reorganisation
- building a stronger culture to face future challenges by maintaining good employment relations and employee engagement; developing and improving policies and procedures in light of the experience gained
If you need immediate assistance please contact the ACAS helpline on 08457 47 47 47.
To book an appointment at a free advisory surgery or to discuss any of the other available services please call Andrea Massey or Karen Keane on 0161 833 8512/8514 or email manchesterevents@acas.org.uk.
