A distribution company recorded significant losses and was forced to cut jobs. Develop a the social support, communicate to minimise the shock, organise mobility, and help with redeployment: BPI worked side by side with employees from the first stages until the implementation of solutions.

Context
(Too) Rapid Growth?
This company, subsidiary of an American group, created in France ten years ago, experienced spectacular development then a fairly sudden change of fortune. The highly competitive market coupled with supply problems that heavily penalised operations led to significant losses for four years in a row. The situation became unacceptable for shareholders who imposed a financial audit. The latter led to the decision to close 13 out of 40 stores with the loss of 227 jobs. Particularly concerned about the future of the employees who participated in the development of the company, the management entrusted BPI with the upstream preparation of the operation and the support of the employees concerned.

Task
Act Quickly to Prevent Trauma
The company's central works council as kept informed of the development of the redundancy programme as it progressed. Before the end of the legal procedure, a Mobility Information Point was set up at each site. The announcement of the closures was a shock to employees - It was important to respond to their questions immediately and prevent traumas that could be damaging to individual and collective development. At each site, a consultant who was on-site full-time clarified the redundancy programme and helped salaried employees classify their choices of evolution. Those who preferred internal mobility accepted the positions available. The synchronised deployment of the plan of action at the 14 sites made it possible to organise internal mobility in real time. 111 transfers had been decided at the end of this first phase.

Be Concrete to Get Results
Employees were open to external development. This was a young population that had seen their first experience in the developing company and saw the measures planned as a springboard to go onto more ambitious professional projects. As the stores gradually closed, 116 salaried employees came to at the Employment Stands set up in BPI's regional offices. Their experience interested employers: the BPI business relations managers could stimulate redeployment by developing partnerships with recruiters using standard profiles. The prospecting became more targeted when projects became more detailed.

Perspectives
Conduct Long-term Projects
Of the first 50 people consulted, eight chose to prepare a business start-up plan and ten opted for long-term training at the completion of which they would benefit, as provided by the redundancy programme, from the guidance of BPI. For some this would be after two years. HR, the central works committee, and consultants met regularly to pilot the long-term project together. At the same time, the company was building its recovery plan.