Nearly 2,000 Foreign Office staff face redundancy in UK cuts

Almost 2,000 civil servants at the Foreign Office face redundancy as the government’s largest union pledges to oppose the planned job cuts.

 In addition to the redundancy warnings that have already been given to some senior civil officials, the PCS union, which has over 200,000 members, said it has been informed that 1,885 positions at the second-highest level, known as delegated grades, are "at risk."

 The union accused the department of violating civil service policy by assigning a number to job cutbacks before consulting, and it connected the cuts to the government's decision to cut the foreign aid budget.

 After its permanent secretary, Olly Robbins, announced earlier this year that the Foreign Office (FCDO) intended to decrease its employment by up to 25% as part of broader civil service reforms, the FCDO announced that it was cutting its headcount in order to make the department more nimble.

 Although the Cabinet Office has previously stated that it intends to eliminate tens of thousands of civil service positions, the majority of these cutbacks have been made through voluntary redundancy programs rather than mandatory ones and by failing to replace employees.

 At the same time as the FCDO has been sending redundancy warnings to director generals who have failed to find a position in a newly reorganized department, 1,885 positions are "at risk" at delegated grades. Early December will be their last day of employment.

The PCS expressed "serious concerns as to how the reduction in DG [director general] posts has been handled," stating that before mandatory redundancy notices were issued, employers were expected to participate in a redundancy mitigation review process with the Cabinet Office and trade unions, offering voluntary redundancy. It claimed that since the voluntary program ended before the restructuring began, this did not occur.

Fran Heathcote, the PCS general secretary, said:

“We will strongly resist the FCDO’s plans to slash its UK-based workforce by up to 30%.
Our members have seen no justification for these cuts and have yet to be told what work has been deemed disposable by management. To add insult to injury, the government’s recent cuts to the overseas aid budget will not only lead to job losses and a loss of valuable expertise, but could cost hundreds of thousands of lives overseas.
If the FCDO is serious about delivering a safe, secure and prosperous Britain and wider world, it needs to listen to its own workers’ concerns about its job cuts programme.”

How will expected overseas posts be affected by redundancies?

Although redundancies have been proposed within the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) expected overseas roles may be preserved or expended. The department's approach includes moving away from London-based posts to deliver more diplomatic or development presence abroad. This process will, in addition to reducing some of its domestic staff, be moving a proportion of its existing staff overseas to continue to develop the UK's capacity and capability overseas.

For individuals in overseas posts, the implications will depend on their contract/pay arrangements and whether they are on a visa sponsored by FCDO. A number of staff working overseas are engaged on expatriate or visa employer arrangements and the proposed redundancy operations may equate to a termination of engagement and visas.

FCDO will still be required to comply with relevant employment laws, and support individuals going through redundancy, including advising on appointments regarding issues around immigration.