IRISH broadcaster RTÉ has today opened its voluntary redundancy programme as it looks to cut up to 400 staff.
In an email to staff today, Director-General Kevin Backhurst confirmed that RTÉ's Voluntary Exit Programme (VEP) was under way.
The programme, which received government approval last month, is part of a five-year strategy announced in 2023 and is aimed at controlling and reducing operating costs.
Comprising both a Voluntary Severance and a Voluntary Early Retirement scheme, it is open to employees who will have completed at least two years of continuous service by the date of their departure.
Employees with between two and five years of service will receive four weeks of pay per year of service, while those with five to 10 years' service will receive five weeks of pay per year.
Employees with more than 10 years of service will get six weeks of pay for every year of service.
Payments will be based on an employee's exit salary and are capped at €300,000.
"All applications will go through a five-stage review process throughout the coming months, with final decisions on all applications being made by the Leadership Team and final oversight by the RTÉ Board's Remuneration and Management Committee," read a statement from RTÉ today.
It added that applications will only be approved 'where a robust business case is made, and it is confirmed that the role can be suppressed or that equivalent savings can be made by suppressing an alternative post and/or redeploying an employee into that role'.
Applications will be accepted until 5pm on Friday, May 23 with notification of final decisions beginning on September 1.
Employees whose applications are accepted will leave the broadcaster on October 31, November 30 and December 31.
See More: RTE
