Redundancies | Why HR always seems to be the first job to go - and why that's a mistake

In tough times, businesses look for fat to trim. But all too often, it’s the heart that gets cut.

The recent announcement by Chancellor Rachel Reeves that 10,000 civil service roles will be axed, primarily from so-called “back office” functions like HR, communications and admin, is just the latest example in a pattern that’s become all too familiar. 

From the civil service to supermarkets like Morrisons cutting back on People Managers, HR and administrative roles are repeatedly at the front of the redundancy queue.

It’s not just policy, it’s culture. It’s perception. And it raises some big questions: Why is it always the people roles? Why are HR and admin teams considered expendable? And what are the risks of continually gutting these functions?