Supporting Employees Through Redundancy
The Human Impact
Redundancy isn’t just a business decision. It can profoundly affect employees’ finances, confidence, and sense of identity. Research shows job loss ranks among life’s most stressful events. Recognising this human impact is the first step in providing meaningful support.
How Associated EAP Can Help
Our comprehensive support services assist both organisations and individuals through the emotional and practical challenges of redundancy:
- Career Transition Coaching
50-minute personalised sessions helping employees identify career goals, build self-confidence, and develop practical job-seeking skills including CV preparation and interview techniques. Delivered online via Video Conference, with up to 3 sessions per employee. - Emotional Support & Counselling
Professional counselling sessions (50 minutes) to help employees manage feelings of uncertainty during career transitions. Available online or face-to-face, with up to 3 sessions per employee. - Group Workshops
Facilitated sessions for affected employees covering resilience, career planning, managing change, and job search strategies. These workshops provide cost-effective support for multiple employees simultaneously. - Manager Support
Specialised coaching for leaders on conducting compassionate conversations, supporting team morale, and managing their own wellbeing during challenging transitions. - On-site Support
Professional counsellors available during redundancy announcements to provide immediate emotional support and guidance to both management and affected employees.
Supporting Your Organisation Through Redundancy
While we don’t provide HR or legal redundancy services, our suite of specialised redundancy support services can complement your existing processes by focusing on employee wellbeing during these challenging transitions.
Best Practices When Managing Redundancies
- Clear Communication
- Provide honest, transparent information about the process
- Allow sufficient time for questions and discussion
- Keep remaining staff informed throughout the transition
- Consider our manager support services to help leaders with these difficult conversations
- Wellbeing Support
- Acknowledge the emotional impact on both departing and remaining employees
- Provide access to our professional counselling services
- Create safe spaces for employees to voice concerns
- Consider on-site support during redundancy announcements
- Practical Career Assistance
- Offer our career coaching to help departing employees navigate their next steps
- Provide structured guidance for skills assessment and job search strategies
- Support employees in building confidence during the transition period
- Consider group workshops for cost-effective support to multiple employees
Redundancy Roadmap: Implementation Timeline
- Immediate (First 48 Hours)
Communicate the decision clearly and compassionately. Provide on-site support for both management and affected employees. Ensure EAP resources are immediately accessible. - Short-Term (First Month)
Initiate career transition coaching and group workshops. Offer emotional counselling to help employees navigate uncertainty and maintain morale among the remaining workforce. - Medium-Term (1–6 Months)
Continue monitoring wellbeing and engagement. Conduct follow-up coaching sessions, revisit workshops as needed, and support managers as workloads shift or team dynamics evolve. - Long-Term (6+ Months)
Review the effectiveness of your redundancy approach. Refine strategies for better communication, outplacement support, and resilience building to protect organisational culture.
Case Study: Supporting Employees Through Change
When a mid-sised technology company in Sydney needed to restructure, they engaged our comprehensive redundancy support services to facilitate a smoother transition for all staff:
- The Challenge: The organisation needed to reduce their workforce by 15% while maintaining team morale and supporting affected staff members through a dignified transition.
- Career Transition Coaching: We delivered personalised coaching sessions for each departing employee. These sessions focused on:
- Assessing individual career goals and identifying transferable skills
- Developing polished CVs and application materials tailored to their industries
- Practising interview techniques and building networking strategies
- Emotional Wellbeing Support: Our professional counsellors provided:
- One-on-one sessions helping staff process feelings of uncertainty and change
- Practical coping strategies for managing stress during the job search process
- Support for remaining team members experiencing “survivor guilt” and increased workloads
- Group Workshops: We facilitated targeted workshops for:
- Departing employees on job search strategies and resilience
- Remaining team members on adapting to change and managing new responsibilities
- Managers on supporting their teams through the transition period
- On-site Support: Our counsellors were available during announcement day to:
- Provide immediate emotional support to affected employees
- Assist managers with difficult conversations
- Help address concerns from the broader team
- Outcome: The organisation successfully navigated this challenging transition while maintaining staff wellbeing. Departing employees felt supported and better equipped for their next career steps, while remaining staff reported greater confidence in the organisation’s commitment to their welfare.
Contact Us
For more details on how we can support your organisation and employees through redundancy with our specialised coaching, counselling, workshops, and on-site support services, contact us today.
To learn more about our complete range of support services, visit our dedicated Redundancy Support page.
