Restructuring, mass layoffs, social plans
Restructuring often involves job cuts on a smaller or larger scale. When 10% of the staff or more than 30 people are laid off in a facility with more than 300 employees, it is called a mass layoff. For this purpose, the law provides for a consultation procedure for employees. The SBEA supports affected bank employees and advises the staff councils.
Consultation procedure and social plan
As an employee association, we cannot prevent job cuts, but we can ensure that the provisions of the law and the industry’s collective labor agreement (the ACEBE ) on timely information and consultation of employees and staff councils are complied with. Under certain conditions, the law also obliges the employer to negotiate a social plan, which is intended to mitigate the social hardships in the event of economically justified layoffs. Irrespective of the statutory obligation, we work together with the affected workforces to ensure that a social plan is negotiated in every case where a mass layoff is announced.
In many cases, we were able to work together with the employees concerned and, where available, their elected representatives to achieve solutions that made life easier for those affected. In some banks there are also permanent social plans, which we support, and which benefit all employees whose jobs are being cut due to restructuring, irrespective of mass layoffs. Social plans usually guarantee outplacement benefits, severance pay or an extension of the notice period, facilitation of internal job placement and generous early retirement provisions.
Are you affected by a restructuring?
Contact us, we will advise you and treat your request strictly confidential.
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Social partnership in action
Learn more about collective bargaining agreements in the banking industry.
Offer for staff councils
The SBEA trains and supports employee representatives, e.g. through seminars and conferences and cooperates closely with them.