ChipsAway Managing Director offers redundancy advice

Tim Harris, the Managing Director of ChipsAway, has shared some helpful advice for people facing redundancy.

Tim Harris, the ChipsAway Managing Director, who also oversees the Ovenclean and Barking Mad brands, has suggested how employers can use redundancy to their advantage.

As Harris explained, redundancies are nothing new; in fact, they were used as early as 1430 as a way to let workers go. The van-based franchise’s Managing Director has revealed he prefers to call recessions “reset sessions”, as they give employees the chance to review their career and take a new direction. He explained:

“[If] you’ve been made redundant you have the opportunity to reclaim control, step into a career you know you can excel in, and generally become a more well-rounded, healthier person. Most who do so, approach it with trepidation then proclaim within three months that they’ll never be a full-time employee again.”

Harris has a three-step plan for ex-employees. Firstly, you must accept the redundancy and look forward rather than back.

“There is zero shame to losing your job because of a pandemic.”

Secondly, you should perform a “self-audit”. This involves reviewing your professional skills and personal attributes, as well as the areas you believe you could improve. Then, think about whether your previous role suited these findings. If not, consider which sector or role would be a good fit for you.

Thirdly, prioritise your mental health. Harris recognises just how worrying it can be not to know where your next paycheque is coming from. And with the “invisible threat” of the COVID-19 virus to think about, the situation worsens.

The ChipsAway Managing Director believes the pandemic and the lack of a vaccine will deter many employers from taking on new workers in the coming months. For this reason, self-employment is set to rise as people take control themselves. Harris offers a word of advice to those going it alone:

“Make allowances every single day, to prioritise your mental health. Without it, your business will suffer and the feeling of low self-value you experienced when made redundant will seep back in.”

Harris is proud to say that more than half of the ChipsAway and Ovenclean teams are trained to recognise the signs of poor mental health in franchisees. They’ve already made several interventions since the lockdown began. These franchises have valuable resources to make sure investors don’t suffer in silence, so they’re a great option for would-be entrepreneurs.

To find out more, head to their franchise profile pages.