THE crucial need for proper consultation in redundancy situations and making sure all selections are fairly made will be discussed at Thursfields Solicitors’ next webinar later this month.

Lisa Kemp, an associate director in the Employment and HR Law department at the law firm, will host the free Talk Legal webinar at 10am on Wednesday 22 July.

Ms Kemp will introduce the webinar live on Zoom, will then play a short vidcast on the correct process to follow when planning redundancies, before returning to the screen to answer any questions.

The session is expected to last around 20 minutes, including any questions, and attendees will leave knowing what they need to do when next considering redundancies.

Ms Kemp said: “The first thing business leaders need to remember when considering redundancies is to always consult, and to make sure they are fairly selecting candidates facing redundancy.

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“The webinar will be discussing these aspects in some detail, as getting consultation processes wrong, or selecting someone unfairly, can lead to costly unfair dismissal claims.

“We’ll also be looking at potential redundancy situations facing many organisations in the wake of COVID-19, especially with the government’s furlough assistance coming to an end.

“Tribunals may well be looking more closely into any rationale behind redundancies given that organisations have benefitted from what’s known as the Job Retention Scheme.

“This means they will want to have clear reasons for deciding on any job cuts, and to show how they have also considered alternative options.

“We’ll also be explaining how bosses must continue to follow all processes involved in redundancies regardless of social distancing guidelines, with statutory elements like meetings having to be done digitally.”

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Ms Kemp added: “Most importantly, we’ll be highlighting the complexity of redundancies, and underlining the need for organisations to receive advice from trained employment law experts to avoid any claims for damages.”

The 22 July webinar is the fourth in Thursfields new Talk Legal series which was launched during the COVID-19 lockdown to ensure the company continued its regular free workshops for businesses and the community.

Nick O’Hara, managing director at Thursfields, said: “Almost everyone now uses video conferencing, and this means our expanding series of vidcasts on different legal topics have become a popular resource.”

People can register for Thursfields’ latest Talk Legal webinar here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/thursfields-talk-legal-in-conversation-with-lisa-kemp-tickets-112212310040