HALLOWEEN will be doubly scary this year as furlough finishes.
Although Chancellor Rishi Sunak has replaced it with the Job Support Scheme, employment experts predict up to a million workers could lose jobs between now and Christmas.
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So whether you are facing the exit or must let someone go, we have teamed up with Dr James Quigley, of occupational health consultancy healthworkltd.com, for some advice.
He says: “Redundancy can be extremely difficult, not just for those made redundant but those responsible for managing redundancy and those left behind.”
Here are his top tips . . .
- STAY POSITIVE: Thousands of people are in the same boat, it is not a reflection on you. Be kind to yourself and list skills and positive qualities you can bring to a new job. If anxious or not sleeping, talk to your GP or look at free online NHS resources.
- TAKE ACTION: Update your CV, identify the best online platforms to search for jobs on, and start applying. See if you are eligible for benefits to support you while you hunt.
- KEEP GOOD COMPANY: Surround yourself with positive people who motivate you. Use your network to help you find work. The more people who know you are seeking employment, the more chance you have of hearing about opportunities.
- FIND A ROUTINE: Do not treat redundancy like a holiday. Get up early, make hunting a new role your job and follow a daily routine, eating nutritional meals and getting plenty of fresh air.
- VOLUNTEER WHILE YOU JOB-HUNT: Keeping your brain active meeting new people and having a sense of purpose keeps you work-ready and will boost your CV.
Redundancies? How employers can help
- Follow official guidance: Employers should observe Acas’s guide on managing redundancy, allow those affected time to apply for other work and offer training.
- Have a heart: Choose language and timing carefully. Be clear on reasons for redundancies to give people hope of finding new jobs.
- Follow up: A five-minute call to an ex-employee reminds them the redundancy was not their fault.
- Offer support: Write a reference, make introductions, offer counselling, and send an email with contacts for support services.
- Care for remaining staff: They may feel stress from seeing colleagues go, and feel uncertain about what the business and their roles will look like. Ensure there is adequate communication about what is happening and why.
TRUST IN TIKTOK
WITH young people bearing the brunt of the Covid jobs crisis, youth charity The Prince’s Trust has joined TIKTOK to give work advice to under-25s.
The #LearnOnTikTok initiative offers tips for starting a business, boosting young people’s confidence and writing a CV in 60-second videos.
Jonathan Townsend, UK Chief Executive at The Prince’s Trust, said: “We want to give young people the best possible chance of success while finding their next job opportunity.”
HOW TO CHANGE COURSE
HOW do you make a career change in these challenging times?
Here, John Lees, author of How To Get A Job You’ll Love, shares his tips . . .
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- Learn to describe what you do well: Catalogue all your skills. List the times you added value, made a difference or achieved something you were proud of. Think about other roles or sectors where these skills could also be useful.
- Identify the overlap between you and your next role: Study job descriptions closely and trawl for background information so you are application and interview-ready. Create a simple checklist of what the employer is looking for and match up each point with evidence from your work history.
- Look for where work is busiest: While many sectors are on hold at the moment, others are overwhelmed. Look for organisations in a hurry to find new employees – they could be willing to train you on the job if they are short-staffed.
- Try a trial: If a job is one you like, but you lack relevant experience, you could even offer a day’s free try-out so you can both assess if it could work. Even temporary work can add useful experience to your CV and lead to further opportunities.
- Go straight in: If you know an organisation is filling jobs quickly, try pitching yourself directly by email. Set out five bullet points to explain what makes you a good fit for the role. Keep your LinkedIn profile updated and relevant, for when employers check you out.
GET SHIFT ON AT BROADSTONE
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SHIFT yourself back into work with employment platform BROADSTONE.
The clever app connects jobseekers with shift-work positions from top firms including G4S and ISS.
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Almost 50,000 people are already using it to find temp jobs in the security, cleaning and logistics sectors, with users able to fit work around their other personal commitments.
Spokesman Tom Pickersgill said: “We have seen a huge rise in people looking for flexible hourly-paid work since Covid struck.
“We’ve also seen a massive increase in the number of shifts posted by large employers that we work with.”
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