Both employers and employees in the UK are calling for career transition services to be a compulsory part of all redundancies, according to a new survey from recruitment firm Hays .

The survey of almost 300 HR professionals and line managers and over 750 employees across the public, private and not-for-profit sectors, found that 47 percent of employers believe it should be compulsory for organisations to provide career transition services to staff being made redundant.

HR Magazine  reports  the majority of staff who had been made redundant said they used support when it was offered by their employer (80 percent); however, 73 percent of employees reported no support from employers when being made redundant.

Hays says the overwhelming advantage of career transition services for employers is the protection of the employer brand; over 60 percent reported the greatest benefit is in ensuring staff leave on favourable terms.

This sentiment is echoed in  Employment Today . DBM New Zealand’s Jude Manuel says providing career transition support to staff who have been made redundant makes a statement about the level of care a business places on its employees as a whole.

Rather than asking “Can we justify spending money on these services?”, she says employers should be asking “Can we afford not to?”

Check out the July issue of Employment Today to read what Jude has to say about career transition and choosing the right provider in her article ‘Creating a bright future’.

And if you’re interested in career transition for executive level staff, read ‘Road map to the future’ by Pip Furlong, national director of Donington, in the same issue.