Mergers and acquisitions

Are you contemplating the acquisition of another business? Or the sale of part of your existing business?

The people aspects of planning and managing a merger or acquisition, and the subsequent post-acquisition integration process, are hugely important considerations. There is complex legislation which governs this area of business, so taking into account the following elements can be vital:

  • What is TUPE legislation and does it apply?
  • How do I approach outsourcing?
  • By what means can I bring services in-house?
  • Are assets transferring?
  • Is the contract provider changing?
  • Is re-tendering or in-sourcing happening?

Under TUPE, a business is judged by the use made of its assets, which includes:

  • The premises
  • The employees
  • Any work in progress
  • The customer base and / or brand name and goodwill
  • The equipment
  • Its intellectual property

As the points above demonstrate, the considerations can be unexpectedly wide-ranging as well as complex. An acquisition is usually a period of profound change for employees, so communicating effectively is a top priority. Amongst the important aspects of communication to consider are:

  • When and how should you inform employees?
  • Are there trade union implications?
  • How do you best consult with staff?
  • Are there existing employee consultation forums that must be used?
  • Will there be potential redundancies?
  • What are the relevant timeframes?

Gaining specialist advice before starting the acquisition process can be of great value, enabling you to discuss the matter confidentially and work up an acquisition plan.

How can we help you?
We can support your organisation in many ways, eg:

  • Analysing the various aspects of the acquisition in the context of the legislation that governs mergers and acquisitions and advising on necessary actions accordingly
  • Assisting in creating an acquisition plan
  • Agreeing a communications strategy that will facilitate the acquisition and take you through integration and beyond
  • Advising and coaching managers and integration teams on how to carry out the plan and deal with people issues that may get raised along the way

 

Our thanks to Ruth for writing this page.

For a no-obligation discussion about how our employee relations support services could help your organisation, please just give us a call on 01582 463462 and we’ll happily put you in touch with a consultant, so that you can discuss it directly with them.