The client for the interim mandate was a manufacturer of flexible plastic packaging, which is mainly used in the food sector. The company, which is based in East Westphalia-Lippe and has 315 employees, is part of an international group of companies with eleven production sites in five countries.
The management was planning a restructuring in order to maintain competitiveness. Due to the planned level of redundancies, a reconciliation of interests and a social plan had to be agreed with the works council. A transfer company was also to be set up. At the same time, the position of HR manager became vacant. In operational HR work, the interim manager managed three employees professionally as interim HR manager.
Detailed process and project plan drawn up for restructuring
After discussions with the management, the top management and the works council, the HR interim manager drew up a detailed process and project plan for the restructuring measure. The plan took into account communication with the works council and employees as well as the legal framework. The employees were informed in detail about the intended measures at works meetings. The interim manager then drew up a comprehensive overview for the selection of social criteria. The list enabled social comparability and various cost simulations.
Balancing of interests and social plan formulated and negotiated
At the same time as the negotiations with the works council and the union representatives, the interim manager formulated the balancing of interests and the social plan in close consultation with the management. She maintained regular contact with the employment agency, the employers' association and the providers of the transfer company. In addition, she successfully concluded termination agreements and the service agreement with the transfer company.
The negotiations on the reconciliation of interests and social plan were positive and targeted. The majority of the planned terminations were converted into change notices. The documents were successfully signed by all parties within a few weeks.
Cancellation agreements for the transition to the transfer company
The interim manager then prepared the redundancies. She accompanied managers and the works council during change and severance talks. In order to ensure that as many of the employees affected by the redundancies as possible signed the termination agreement to transfer to the transfer company, the interim manager successfully explained the contractual framework and the advantages and disadvantages in detailed one-to-one meetings. All those affected accepted the agreements.
Research for new payroll accounting and time recording
Parallel to the restructuring project, the interim manager managed the day-to-day operations of the HR department as interim HR manager. The management wanted to outsource payroll accounting to an external service provider. A new hardware and software provider also had to be found for time recording. After extensive online research, the interim manager conducted selection interviews and contract negotiations with various service providers and suppliers.
Successful handover of the projects to the newly recruited HR manager
At the end of the mandate, the interim manager familiarized the newly recruited HR manager with his work and handed over her tasks to him. The new HR manager concluded the contract negotiations with the external service provider for payroll accounting and the "new time recording" project.
