Restructuring and Redundancy Workshop
Don't let poor restructuring processes cost your business. Master the necessary steps and legal considerations for undertaking a proposal for change process, complete with best practice and case law examples to avoid significant business risk.
Description
With businesses continuing to face tough economic conditions, we see a number of businesses having to look at restructuring and redundancies, but often making common mistakes that end up costing the employers.
Restructures and redundancies are some of the most challenging and high‑risk areas of employment relations. Getting the process wrong can expose organisations to significant financial, legal, and reputational risk.
This practical 2‑hour workshop provides a clear, structured understanding of how to plan and execute a genuine and procedurally sound restructure or redundancy process. It expands on common pitfalls and how to avoid them. Using current case law, real‑world examples, and best‑practice frameworks, participants will learn how to confidently manage proposals for change, consult effectively with affected employees, and avoid the common pitfalls that lead to personal grievance claims.
What we will cover:
- What constitutes a genuine business reason for change
- Current best practices for restructuring processes- proposals, consultation, selection processes, and other considerations.
- Common pitfalls and how to avoid them
- The business impact of improper processes.
- Case law examples and lessons from recent Employment Relations Authority decisions
Facilitated by

Michael is an HR and Employment Relations Advisor with Business Canterbury.
Michael brings over 40 years of experience across all stages of the employee lifecycle. He has a passion for helping Canterbury businesses navigate recruitment, employee relations, and performance management, with a special focus on fostering and developing talent in today’s challenging environment.
Learning Outcomes
Takeaways
Participants will leave with the ability to:
- Recognise what constitutes a genuine redundancy and avoid “hidden motive” risks
- Prepare and run a compliant consultation process, including timelines and documentation
- Communicate clearly and fairly with affected employees
- Identify and assess redeployment opportunities appropriately
- Apply learnings from recent ERA cases to reduce organisational risk
- Avoid the most common mistakes made during restructures