MN opinions please! PLEASE!

[Greensleeves]

DH's company is axing 1/3 of its staff. The official notice of redundancy letters went round today informing all of the staff that there are going to be a certain number of redundancies, the criteria on which the decisions will be made etc.

There are 4 managers who will be conducting the consultation period and making the decisions. DH and another member of staff were talking on their own in a corridor, just after the letters had gone round, and the most senior of the four managers came up to them. They told him about a mistake in the letters and he said "Oh, God, we'll have to send them all round again." Then he looked at them and said "Oh, for goodness' sake, you two should be safe!" Then he said "It's getting really frustrating seeing people and not being able to tell them" and walked off.

What do you make of this? We want to believe it means dh is safe, but we daren't.

[Feistybird]

blimey, am scared of getting your hopes up, but it does sound positive.

Everythings crossed for you!

[beckybrastraps]

I really hope so. Like I said before, I reckon they have a pretty good idea before they start "consulting" who is to go and who is to stay. However, like you, I wouldn't be able to believe it until it was official. This is what really bugs me about your dh's situation - mixed and confusing messages. Much better to present a fait accompli IMO.

[Harpsichordcarrier]

hmmm, well it is positive but I woldn't get your hopes up - sorry GS
it is just the personal opinion of one of the people involved. The otehrs could feel differently. And of course they should be acting under the criteria (though as beckyb says it would be normal to have a pretty good idea in advance).
and lots of things can happen in the consultation period.
When you say the 4 managers will be making the decisions - are they partof a larger corporation? is there an HR function involved?

[Greensleeves]

Well... all the redundancies are happening in the local office which this manager manages, not elsewhere in the "parent company" which is based in London. The other three managers involved in the decision-making process are all subordinate to him but in the same department. There is an HR department in London (covering the main parent company), but this local office (which was bought as a whole, when it was a smaller independent company) has never had anything to do with it - all the hiring/firing has always been done by these managers. As far as dh is aware they are the ones making the decisions.

I really want to get my hopes up

[Harpsichordcarrier]

hmmm, so what does the redundancy policy say?
how does dh fare under the selection criteria?

[Greensleeves]

The department has been divided into project divisions, with each division earmarked either for complete removal or reduction in personnel. DH has been put in two divisions which are both earmarked for reduction in personnel but not for complete removal. He is one of the longest-serving members of staff (5 years) and has always had very good appraisals etc.

The manager did say "You two should be safe". [hopping from one foot to the other emoticon]

[Harpsichordcarrier]

I would really like to say crack open the champagne GS and I do hope it works out but these things are never predictable
all sorts of things might be going on behi8nd the scenes
or not of course
fingers crossed for you
HCxx

[Greensleeves]

Cheers HC. I know it's not definite really

[Harpsichordcarrier]

sorry to hear this
call me next week if you want to chat about it
I have some experience
kiss kiss
HC xx