Restructuring and redundancy support
Navigate organisational change with clarity and care
Business restructuring can be tough on everyone, especially when valued team members are affected.
Our experienced HR consultants can help you manage the transition smoothly, keeping your process fair, compliant, and respectful at every step.
Guidance where you need it through your restructure
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Before starting a restructure, NZ employers are required to establish a genuine business reason for the proposed change. We’ll make sure your commercial objectives are crystal clear, identify any risks, and help develop the proposal.
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Get experienced input into how the proposed change affects your organisational structure, teams and individual roles. This can include shaping the proposed structure, reviewing affected roles and defining future capability requirements.
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Navigate employee consultation with experienced HR guidance at each step. PeopleEX can help prepare consultation documentation, develop key messages, plan meetings, coach managers and gather employee feedback.
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Employee feedback needs to be properly considered before final decisions are made. We can help you review what’s been raised, consider whether the proposal needs to change and determine the next steps.
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Once final decisions have been made, we can help put the new structure in place, from communicating outcomes and preparing documentation to role changes and redundancies where required.
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The people impacts can continue after the formal restructure is complete. We can help leaders and employees transition into the new structure, clarify ways of working and rebuild engagement.
PeopleEX can work alongside you throughout the entire restructure process, or at specific stages where you need additional expertise or capacity.
WEBINAR: Restructuring with the HR Runway
Get practical guidance on navigating organisational change in our recorded webinar, Restructuring with the HR Runway.
When to bring in external HR expertise
Even with experienced leaders or an internal HR team, a restructure can bring unfamiliar processes, added workload and difficult people decisions.
External HR support can be particularly valuable if:
You haven't managed a restructure before.
The proposed changes are complex or sensitive, particularly where multiple roles are involved.
Your internal HR team needs additional senior expertise or capacity.
Your leadership team needs an independent, unbiased perspective to help make decisions.
Why trust PeopleEX to help manage your restructure
Deep experience in organisational change
Having guided businesses through restructures and complex employment relations matters, our senior specialists bring experienced judgement to every stage of change.
Skilled in handling sensitive conversations
Delivering difficult news or navigating staff feedback requires tact and composure. We prepare your managers so they feel confident, compassionate, and fully supported.
Support that looks after your people
We help you meet every employment obligation while making sure every person involved is treated with genuine respect and dignity.
An external perspective that works alongside your team
We help you manage the process fairly and Our senior HR consultants bring an independent perspective, experienced judgement and a fresh set of eyes to your proposed approach.
Insights and advice
Restructuring and redundancy process: A guide for NZ employers
Redundancy & restructure FAQs
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Yes. If you’ve already developed a proposed approach, PeopleEX can provide an independent perspective before you move forward. This can help you sense-check the process and identify areas that may need further consideration.
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A redundancy process needs to be carefully planned and managed. That includes having a clear business rationale for the proposed change, consulting with affected employees, considering their feedback properly, and exploring alternatives such as redeployment before reaching a final decision.
For more practical guidance on how to get this right, read our guide to the NZ redundancy and restructure process.
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It depends on the scale of the change, but typically you'll need a formal proposal document setting out the business rationale, updated position descriptions if roles are shifting, and written outcome letters.
PeopleEX can help you prepare the relevant restructure documentation and communications throughout the process
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Yes. PeopleEX can look at the complexity of the proposed change, your internal HR capability and where you may need additional expertise or capacity. From there, support can be tailored to particular stages or provided throughout the restructure.
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Ideally, you should engage with an HR consultant while the restructure is still being planned. This allows us to help shape the approach before anything is communicated to employees. But if the process is already underway, we can also step in at a particular stage where additional expertise is needed.
Let’s Talk People, Business, and Better
Keen to explore how PeopleEX can support your team - with strategic HR, AI-smart advisory, or specialist support?
Book a free HR consult and let’s chat about how our flexible, senior-led model can meet you where you’re at - and where you're heading.
We’re based in Wellington, Auckland, Hamilton, Timaru, and Sydney - and we work with clients all across New Zealand and Australia, both in person and virtually.
People challenges, growth goals, or strategy shifts?
We’re your EXtra pair of hands - and your people partners for better.