How to protect your employer brand when making redundancies

by Joseph | 29 Oct 2025

Redundancies are one of the most difficult situations any business can face. While necessary at times, they risk damaging not only staff morale but also your wider reputation as an employer. The way you handle redundancies can shape how your company is viewed for years to come. Protecting your employer brand during this process is about balancing legal obligations with empathy, transparency, and genuine care for your people.

Communicate with Honesty and Respect

Clear and compassionate communication is the foundation of protecting your reputation. Employees want to understand the reasons for redundancy and how decisions have been made. Avoid jargon, be open about business challenges, and ensure staff hear the news directly rather than through rumours. When handled with honesty, even bad news can be delivered in a way that maintains dignity and trust.

Provide Fair and Transparent Processes

Nothing damages an employer brand faster than perceptions of unfair treatment. Always follow redundancy law, including consultation and fair selection criteria. Employees who feel respected in the process are less likely to speak negatively about the business afterwards. Guidance on consultation and legal process can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/staff-redundant

Offer Support Beyond the Legal Minimum

The law requires you to provide notice, redundancy pay, and time off for job seeking, but employers that go further protect their reputation far better. Providing help with CVs, interview preparation, and wellbeing can make a real difference to how staff feel about their redundancy experience.

This is where Laburo can play an important role. Laburo’s platform gives redundant staff access to practical career support, such as CV guidance, scalable productivity and career management tools, and wellbeing resources. For HR teams, this is a cost effective way of showing staff they are valued even as they leave, helping protect your brand at a sensitive time.

Consider the Impact on Remaining Staff

Employer brand is not only about those leaving. Survivors of redundancy often feel uncertain or guilty. Regular updates, team meetings, and open Q&A sessions help reassure them and reduce disengagement. How you treat departing staff will also be watched closely by those who stay. Fair and caring treatment builds loyalty, while neglect damages trust.

Monitor External Perceptions

In the age of social media and Glassdoor, redundancy processes are often shared publicly. A respectful and supportive approach helps protect your reputation online as well as within your industry. Some businesses even provide a statement outlining how they supported staff, which can reinforce a positive brand message. Showing that employees were given access to platforms such as Laburo demonstrates care and responsibility.

Why It Matters

Your employer brand directly affects your ability to hire, retain, and engage staff in the future. Redundancy is a test of values. By handling it with empathy and professionalism, and by offering meaningful support through partners such as Laburo, you show that your business treats people fairly even in tough times.

TL;DR

Redundancies will always be challenging, but they do not have to harm your reputation. With clear communication, fair processes, and visible support like Laburo’s platform, you can protect your employer brand and even strengthen it by showing your commitment to doing the right thing.