How to navigate a charity restructure

The charity sector is facing financial pressures, from a fall in donations because of the cost of living crisis, to the increase in employers’ National Insurance contributions. This means that some organisations are having to make difficult decisions about their future. This includes potentially restructuring an organisation and making redundancies.

 

A workplace restructure is when an organisation adjusts its structure to meet its changing needs. This could be making changes to job roles, processes or staff numbers. Some roles may be combined or a person’s responsibilities may be changed. Sometimes roles are made redundant.

 

 

Understanding your legal rights

 

It’s important to know your legal rights to make sure your employer is doing what they are supposed to be doing.

 

If the charity you work for is proposing to restructure the organisation and make changes to your role and responsibilities, they should consult with you first. This means meeting with you to discuss the proposal. There are laws around consultation that your employer needs to follow, including how long the consultation period should last.

 

Also, make sure you are getting what you may be entitled to. For example, redundancy pay, a notice period, the option to move into a different job, and time off to find a new job.

 

Employers should use a fair way of selecting roles for redundancy. This could be choosing employees with the shortest length of service or asking for volunteers to take redundancy. You shouldn’t be made redundant because of protected characteristics, such as your age, disability, sex, race, religion, or sexual orientation.

 

The Citizens Advice website is a good source of information. It has a dedicated section called ‘Check your employer has followed the right redundancy process’, which explains that an employer has to show they indeed have a redundancy process in place. This process should include meeting with staff members to let them know why their role is being made redundant and explaining the next steps moving forward.

 

 

Looking after your mental health

 

Going through a consultation process can be stressful. If your role is made redundant, you may be worried about finances and the future.

 

Mental health charity Mind says that “losing a job is a huge adjustment and it’s normal to experience lots of emotions”. The charity says to give yourself some time to think about what has happened and express how you are feeling.

 

It’s important to remember that redundancy is not your fault. It’s your role that has been made redundant, not you.

 

The job market is tough at the moment. Hours spent job hunting and filling out application forms can take its toll on your mental health. It’s important to take breaks away from the screen and fit in the things that make you feel happy, such as being outdoors and spending time with family and friends.

 

 

Getting a handle on your finances

 

If you are entitled to a redundancy payment, don’t go out and spend it straight away. Put together a budget with all your outgoings, so you know how long your money will last. This will help you to manage your finances and ease concerns.

 

 

Networking

 

Networking can be daunting but it’s a great way to make new contacts in the charity sector. Going to conferences and events in person or online is a chance to meet people working for other charities. Do some research to find networking events that are relevant to your area of work.

 

This Charity Digital article on networking offers tips on becoming a confident networker and places to network in the charity sector.

 

 

Looking for new jobs

 

It’s a competitive market at the moment. So careers experts Charity Jobs recommends you spend time doing fewer job applications well, rather than firing out a lot of rushed applications.

 

Make sure you properly research the charity you are applying to, tailor your CV to the role with relevant skills, and use a cover letter to say why you want to apply for the role.

 

Charity Jobs says it’s important to get your name out there when job hunting. For example, by posting on LinkedIn and joining networking online or in person. It says: “You’re more likely to hear about opportunities or stand out in the application process if the right people recognise your name or face.”