Redundancies Confirmed at Tolent Group
It was confirmed on Monday that Gateshead-based construction firm Tolent Group has entered administration. Reports are that over 300 staff have been made redundant.
The companies in the group which are affected are Tolent plc, Tolent Construction Limited, Tolent Homes Limited, Ravensworth Properties Limited, Tolent Living Limited and Tolent Solutions Limited.
It is reassuring to hear that the administrators are giving employees guidance and information on how to make claims from the Redundancy Payments Office. However, it is also important that employees affected by this news are aware of their legal rights in the event of redundancy.
Generally, the insolvency practitioners will provide staff with information about their rights to claim redundancy, notice, holiday and arrears of pay, if their employment ends.
However, when making more than 20 redundancies at one workplace, employers also have a duty to inform and consult with employee representatives. If an employer fails to do this or fails to do it correctly, claims can be made for compensation. Tribunals can award up to 90 days’ pay per redundant employee (called a ‘protective award’) and in cases of insolvency, some of this can be recovered from the government’s Insolvency Service.
Morrish Solicitors is a national expert in protective award claims. Our employment team has pursued a number of successful claims for the construction industry including Bardsley Construction and Styles and Wood, and is currently pursuing claims for Twenty1 Construction.
Our employment solicitors are experts in securing protective awards and can assist on a no win no fee basis. This means legal fees aren’t payable unless the claim is successful. We can also offer support and guidance on employee claims for debts owed by the insolvent company.
Contact our employment team on 033 3344 9603 or email [email protected] to discuss a potential claim.
Please note, there is no minimum length of service required to make a protective award claim.
For further information please read our Protective Award FAQs.
