Redundancy? Know your rights

By Jennifer Hill

LONDON (Reuters) - Job losses in the City are expected to run into tens of thousands -- and workers are being urged to know their rights.

Economics think-tank the Centre for Economics and Business Research has forecast 11,000 City job losses in 2008, up from a previous estimate of 7,000, and 8,200 in 2009, giving a total 19,200 -- a cull worse than when the bubble burst on the so-called Internet "dotcom" boom at the turn of the century.

Analysts at JPMorgan believe the total could be twice as high: they doubled their previous estimate to 40,000 last month.

Knowing your rights and what to expect should you be made redundant can go some way to easing the pain.

"Every day someone somewhere will be shown the door," says Ian Hunter, head of employment at international legal firm Bird & Bird. "A little knowledge of what to expect can help ease the pain."

Here are his top tips:

* Rule one at any dismissal meeting is not to agree or disagree with any departure terms offered. Ask for proposals to be put in writing, then consider what you want to achieve; is it simply to obtain the biggest pay-off possible or are other issues important, such as help with finding another job?

* Compare the offer with your legal entitlement. On dismissal, you have two potential claims -- one contractual and the other statutory.