Organisational Restructuring
Restructuring your business without the legal landmines.
Changing how your business is organised, merging teams, changing roles, or changing terms and conditions all carry employment law implications. We help you plan and execute restructuring in a way that is fair and legally sound.
Before You Set Off
Picking Up the Pace
Maintain Momentum
Shifting Up a Gear
Bumps in the Road
Changing Direction
When restructuring means redundancy
If a restructure removes a role entirely, or changes it so fundamentally that it is no longer the same job, a redundancy situation may have arisen. This triggers the obligations that come with redundancy: a fair selection process, meaningful consultation, consideration of alternatives, and correct notice and pay.
Employers sometimes try to avoid redundancy by offering the employee a new contract for the changed role. Whether this is a genuine alternative offer or a disguised redundancy depends on the facts, and we advise on this carefully.
Changing terms and conditions
Changing contractual terms, including pay, hours, location, or duties, requires the employee's agreement. Imposing changes unilaterally can amount to a breach of contract, which may entitle the employee to resign and claim constructive dismissal.
Where changes are commercially necessary, we help you consult with employees properly, document the process, and reach agreement wherever possible.
Communication during restructuring
One of the most common mistakes in restructuring is getting the communication wrong. Announcing changes to employees before the plans are finalised, or handling consultation as a formality rather than a genuine process, creates resentment and risk.
We advise on how to communicate restructuring plans in a way that is honest, respectful, and legally correct.
What is organisational restructuring?
Organisational restructuring covers any significant change to the way a business is organised: changing roles or job titles, merging or splitting teams, relocating employees, changing management structures, or altering the terms and conditions under which people are employed.
Restructuring is often necessary for business growth or sustainability, but it carries employment law implications that catch many employers off guard. Changes that seem straightforward from a business perspective can amount to a breach of contract or trigger redundancy obligations.
Common Questions
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