Redeployment Procedure

(1) This procedure applies to:

  • employees who are identified as being at risk of redundancy; and
  • employees who are being considered for redeployment as a reasonable adjustment in accordance with the disability provisions of the Equality Act, who may be redeployed in priority over employees who are at risk of redundancy.

What does 'at risk' of redundancy mean?

(2) An employee is defined as being at risk of redundancy and covered by this Procedure when they have been given:

  • formal notice of redundancy, or
  • formal notice that their fixed term contract is coming to an end, or
  • notification under section 6 or 7 of the redundancy procedure that the university is proposing to make redundancies in their unit, or
  • notification of a meeting under section 3.1 of the procedure for the non-renewal of a fixed term contract.

Provided, for staff employed on a fixed term basis, they will have completed one year’s service on or before the expiry of their fixed term employment

(3) For as long as an employee remains ‘at risk’, they will be considered for any vacancies that arise within the University and for which they submit a formal application, provided they notify their HR business partner that they have applied. To ensure that they receive priority consideration in accordance with this procedure, the ‘at risk’ employee should advise their HR business partner of their interest at the earliest opportunity and submit their application no later than the advertised closing date.

(4) Responsibilities

Employees who are 'at risk'

If you are an 'at risk' employee under this procedure, you are responsible for:

  • regularly reviewing the University’s vacancy website to identify vacancies within the University for which they may be suitable;
  • applying for suitable vacancies at the earliest opportunity;
  • advising their HR business partner of the positions they are applying for;
  • considering reasonable changes in working arrangements, pay and responsibilities;
  • preparing for interviews;
  • not unreasonably turning down an offer of suitable alternative employment.

Managers of employees who are 'at risk'

If you are the manager of an at risk employee under this procedure, you are responsible for:

  • providing appropriate support to ‘at risk’ employees;
  • providing references;
  • approving time off for interviews.

Recruiting managers

If you are a recruiting manager and have had a request to consider an 'at risk' employee for your position, you are responsible for:

  • responding positively to requests to consider ‘at risk’ employees for vacancies;
  • considering applications from ‘at risk’ employees against the essential criteria for the position (taking advice from Human Resources);
  • wherever practicable, where a potential job match exists, interviewing ‘at risk’ employees at the earliest opportunity and before consideration of other candidates;
  • in the priority interview, assessing ‘at risk’ employees against the essential requirements for the position as detailed in the job description and person specification;
  • providing feedback to ‘at risk’ employees who do not meet the essential criteria for the role;
  • determining suitability during a trial period.

HR Business Partners/Managers

HR Business Partners/Managers are responsible for:

  • notifying ‘at risk’ employees of the redeployment procedure;
  • where ‘at risk’ employees have notified the HR business partner that they have applied for a vacancy, liaising with recruiting managers to ensure prior consideration of the ‘at risk’ employees and advising on whether the ‘at risk’ employees meet the criteria for that position.

Priority consideration

(5) If the HR Business Partner/Manager and the recruiting manager agree that a potential job match exists then the ‘at risk’ employee will be given a priority interview for that position before other applicants are considered.

(Note: Since interview dates are generally fixed in advance around the diaries of busy managers, it may not be possible to arrange an interview for ‘at risk’ employees before other candidates are interviewed. Recruiting managers are encouraged, wherever practicable, to interview ‘at risk’ employees at the earliest opportunity and before consideration of other candidates. Where this is not practical, priority consideration with be given to ‘at risk’ employees in accordance with paragraphs 6 to 9 below.)

(6) Unless the selection panel can demonstrate that the ‘at risk’ employee does not possess the necessary competence for the position then they will be offered the position, subject to a trial period.

(7) If the ‘at risk’ employee demonstrates an aptitude and capability for the type of work in the priority interview but lacks some necessary skill or knowledge specific to the particular position then an assessment will be made by the recruitment panel to establish whether retraining could be offered.

(8) If there are a number of employees seeking redeployment under this procedure who are identified at the shortlisting stage as potentially matching the essential criteria, all should be interviewed in competition with one another. In such a situation, the employee who best matches the selection criteria and requirements of the role will be offered the position if they are deemed to be appointable.

Consideration for positions at a different grade

(9) The Redeployment Procedure is intended to support ‘at risk’ employees to obtain a suitable alternative appointment at their substantive grade.

(10) If such staff wish to be considered for a position at a lower grade, they should inform their HR Business Partner/Manager of this and discuss it with them so that arrangements can be made for them to be considered on a priority basis in accordance with this procedure. Pay protection will not be provided in the event of an individual voluntarily accepting a position at a lower grade. Where they are successful in obtaining an alternative appointment at a lower grade, they will be generally appointed within the grade of their new position, at the point equivalent to their current point on the pay spine or (if this is above the top contribution point of their new grade), at the top contribution point of their new grade, unless the appointment is externally funded and this funding limits the starting salary which can be offered.

(11) The University will not support requests for redeployment to a higher graded position (although employees who are being considered for redeployment as a reasonable adjustment in accordance with the disability provisions of the Equality Act may be considered for redeployment to a higher graded position). Employees who are ‘at risk’ may, however, submit applications for higher graded positions in the normal way, in competition with other applicants.

Trial period

(12) Employees who are offered redeployment will be given a three month trial period in the new position during which progress will be subject to regular reviews. Subject to performance, and with the agreement of both parties, the appointment will be confirmed at the end of this trial period.

Application to staff protected under the Framework Agreement

(13) Under paragraph 10 and appendix 8 of the local agreement for the implementation of the framework agreement at the University of Exeter (July 2006), the above procedure will also apply to staff who are red circled following the implementation of the university’s new grading scheme in 2006. Under this agreement, such staff will be given priority treatment for vacancies, after consideration of employees who are being considered for redeployment as a reasonable adjustment in accordance with the disability provisions of the Equality Act and staff at risk of redundancy, provided that they meet the minimum specification for the vacant position.

(14) Where the ‘at risk’ employee is ‘red circled’ and within the initial two year protection period, the employee will be given priority treatment for positions at both the higher grade and the substantive grade of their role (ie the new (lower) grade). Where they are successful in obtaining an alternative appointment at their substantive grade, the existing salary protection arrangements will continue (with costs to be carried by the new employing unit). However, where a member of staff who is ‘red circled’ applies to move to an alternative appointment at their substantive grade, the protection arrangements will cease to apply. 

 

Note: For staff who do not have the right to work in the United Kingdom, redeployment to another position with the University will be subject to the terms of their work permit/Certificate of Sponsorship and the requirements of the UK Border Agency.

(Approved by the Vice Chancellor’s Executive Group, January 2010 – updated by Human Resources, November 2011)