Just normal business practice.

“Just normal business practice.” That’s how Jaguar Land Rover described the decision to axe 500 managerial jobs this week.

Voluntary redundancy.
1.5% of the workforce.
Neatly packaged in a press release.

What’s “normal” on a spreadsheet is never part of the plan for the human at the end of the email. Redundancy doesn’t just touch job titles - it hits identity, confidence, finances, family life and the very ground you stand on. It always feels personal. Even when it’s done “voluntarily.” Even when it’s not a surprise.

And from the organisational side?

The way redundancy is messaged, handled and supported sends a ripple through your entire culture. Get it wrong and it’s not just 500 roles impacted. It’s trust. Morale. Retention. Legacy.
That’s where the real cost sits. The human cost.

It is possible to do redundancy differently. With dignity. With transparency. With coaching and communication support that doesn’t stop at a “Q&A with HR.”

You can’t spreadsheet your way out of emotional fallout. But you can build the human scaffolding for the people exiting and the ones left behind.

This is the work I do: with businesses and individuals navigating the messy middle of career plot twists and restructure.

So if you’re leading through change or living through it this is your reminder:
You don’t have to wing it.
You can do this differently.
And it starts with how you support the humans, not just the headline.

Every person that talks to me about their redundancy journey talks about it as life-defining moment and it's often attached with a feeling of shame.

We can't change the fact redundancies happen, but it is possible to change how they are done with the right environment, the right conversations with training, coaching and support.

I'm currently finishing off my Eguide on The Redundancy Reset; if you'd like a copy, drop me a message; there is a way through as one of my clients said to me:

"Thank you so much; I’m feeling really positive. I’m turning a corner. Working with you is helping me do something positive rather than just being legally backed into a corner. I’m going to turn this into one of the best things that could have happened. I’m proud of the way I’ve handled myself. Thank you from the bottom of my heart; you’ve been a godsend.”

(Picture of me staring lovingly at my cup of coffee on a pretty chilly day.)