Don’t shoot the messenger!

Redundancy has a widespread emotional impact on all involved, including the ‘envoys’ – those HR professionals responsible for implementing it. While HR professionals have a traditionally positive role within their organisation, the redundancy process takes them from ‘builder to destroyer’, creating an internal conflict about their role in the organisation. This study explores the impact of this internal conflict and suggests ways in which organisations can minimise the impact on ‘envoys’.

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Reviewed by

Rachel Suff, Public Policy Adviser, Employment Relations

Rachel Suff joined the CIPD as a policy adviser in 2014 to increase the CIPD’s public policy profile and engage with politicians, civil servants, policy-makers and commentators to champion better work and working lives. An important part of her role is to ensure that the views of the profession inform CIPD policy thinking on issues such as health and well-being, employee engagement and employment relations. As well as conducting research on UK employment issues, she helps guide the CIPD’s thinking in relation to European developments affecting the world of work. Rachel’s prior roles include working as a researcher for XpertHR and as a senior policy adviser at Acas.

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