I was a full-time SNA but have had my hours cut. Am I entitled to any redundancy payment?

A full-time SNA who has had their hours cut – but who still has a job – is entitled to apply for redundancy payment.

Under the terms of Department of Education Circular 0058/2006, an SNA who held a full-time post is entitled to apply for a redundancy payment if their hours are reduced to part-time hours.

When an SNA is informed that their hours are being cut because of a change in allocations, they should automatically be given a copy of the SENO recommendation detailing the allocation change. The school should, at this point, send the redundancy forms to the Department of Education (forms SNA RED1 and form RP50).

The redundancy will be calculated based on the time lost. So, for example, an SNA who drops to half time will be entitled to apply for a redundancy for the other half of their job. It is a pro-rata payment.

A full redundancy is calculated as 4 weeks’ pay for each year of service plus a week. A part-time redundancy will be a pro-rate version of this.

This option must be applied for within 52 weeks of the cut in hours.

This option is available for any full-time SNA who has served at least one year in their post and who subsequently finds that their hours have been involuntarily cut.

The full details can be read in Department of Education Circular 0058/2006. The most recent SNA Allocations Assignments Circular should also be consulted. Currently, this is Circular 34/2018.