Wife's Redundant with 4 Months' Pay… Should She Try Negotiating?

@Gale
Bet it’s a big company doing this. Sometimes they offer more to wrap things up quickly.

Shannon said:
@Gale
Bet it’s a big company doing this. Sometimes they offer more to wrap things up quickly.

Yeah, they’re pushing for a quick exit and cutting down the workforce by around 40%.

@Yun
This comment is empty, admin should fix.

Jin said:
@Yun
This comment is empty, admin should fix.

Nah, it’s a market research firm. They seem to be offering 4 months to everyone getting laid off.

Yun said:

Jin said:
@Yun
This comment is empty, admin should fix.

Nah, it’s a market research firm. They seem to be offering 4 months to everyone getting laid off.

I’ve been on the management side, and often the company will factor in an average settlement cost versus going to court. Offering a few months is pretty standard. Only once did someone negotiate and get more without any hassle.

Jin said:
@Yun
This comment is empty, admin should fix.

Funny story: my wife’s big company offered her a severance but made her sign confidentiality about it. Turns out her union wasn’t even aware! She turned it down and nothing more came of it.

@Gale
That’s just the legal minimum; more professional jobs often offer better packages.

Baylen said:
@Gale
That’s just the legal minimum; more professional jobs often offer better packages.

Depends. My wife’s big organization only offered statutory. Enhanced packages are usually to make things easier for the company.

@Luca
An employment lawyer once told me the standard practice is usually a month per year. But this varies.

Nico said:
Is 3 of the 4 months actually PILON instead of redundancy? Redundancy is normally tax-free (up to 30k).

Yes, it’s PILON plus 1 month compensation and statutory pay. HR initially said 4 months, but this is the exact breakdown.

@Gale
I got 6 months after only 18 months. Was a massive company, but I was a low-level assistant. Got lucky, I guess.

Baylen said:
@Yun
Most professional jobs offer around a month per year worked, so I’d call this a win.

Wow, I work in local government and we get only a week per year.

Noor said:

Baylen said:
@Yun
Most professional jobs offer around a month per year worked, so I’d call this a win.

Wow, I work in local government and we get only a week per year.

Yep, that’s just the minimum.

@Baylen
Luckily, ours isn’t capped, but it’s barely above the base rate.

Dior said:
Four months sounds great, but since the company’s covering the solicitor, might as well get it looked at.

Had a similar deal but didn’t know the solicitor was covered. Ended up negotiating more, so maybe worth a try.

Dior said:
Four months sounds great, but since the company’s covering the solicitor, might as well get it looked at.

The company-paid solicitor is there to explain the terms, but they won’t give advice or negotiate for you.

I’ve been through this twice. The enhanced package is usually non-negotiable, but if the solicitor is covered, might as well try. Sometimes there’s room for things like extending health benefits or adding job support. It’s worth asking.

@Shannon
Great points here! What industry is she in? That might help with finding another job quickly.

Phoenix said:
@Shannon
Great points here! What industry is she in? That might help with finding another job quickly.

It’s just bad timing; November is slow for hiring, especially near the holidays. Hopefully she can line something up soon, though.

@Shannon
Yeah, she has holidays to discuss too. She’s hoping for a bit of extra leeway.