Ask the expert: Rules of jumping or being pushed

What are the procedures to be followed when redundancies are looming large on the industrial front? Dr MARIE WILSON, head of management and employment relations at the University of Auckland Business School and a veteran of 20 years in corporate management and small business, offers some helpful ideas.

I work for a Government agency and we are being restructured (again). There is a lot of talk about possible voluntary and involuntary redundancy, but I don't know what either of them are, or the difference. Am I the only person in New Zealand who hasn't been restructured?

When organisations restructure, usually to meet a changed business environment, they will look carefully at the way work is done within the organisation.

As part of changing the organisation, they might change the way work is done, including eliminating some types of work, for example by contracting it out.

This is done in consultation with employees, particularly where their jobs may be eliminated as a result.

Sometimes the job is completely eliminated, such as when the organisation makes all its internal payroll staff redundant and contracts out the payroll function.

When all the jobs go, then everyone doing that job goes as well - involuntarily - although there may be other work for them in the organisation that they then do instead. It's a bit trickier when the organisation reduces the number of positions that do a particular type of work, for example by consolidating five regions into three, so now there are only three regional manager jobs instead of five.

This would leave five people and three jobs.

In a voluntary redundancy, the organisation asks for volunteers who wish to leave, usually offering some sort of incentive package to back up the invitation.

This can increase goodwill and morale, as only those who wish to leave do so, but it may result in those with the most marketable skills leaving for other jobs while the less mobile remain.

Alternatively, the company can set business criteria and select those who will leave - an involuntary redundancy.

I work with a guy who has been a friend and colleague for years. He's got a high-pressure job now, senior to me, and children, and we never see him socially. Although he's not based too far from me, he never has time to talk because he's in such a rush.

A chance comment he made in passing the other day and his general demeanour suggest he's really stressed and that's a worry, but I feel a bit bound - the lack of contact lately makes me feel more colleague than friend and I feel uncomfortable about saying I'm concerned in case I'm prying, or some work problem is going on.

New jobs, particularly at senior levels, can be stressful with or without family pressures.

Perhaps you can renew your friendship a little by inviting your stressed-out friend for a cup of coffee or a light lunch.

Respect privacy, but it's quite natural to ask how things are going.

Few things are as distressing as being asked how you are by someone who doesn't listen or care about the response.

If he does talk about being stressed or rushed, ask if he thinks it is getting better, what he's doing to get on top of things and if there is anything you can do.