Re. Redundancies and contracts, despite what we like to think there's always a way, particularly when a company know that an individual - or even a group - cannot afford to take them on in court.
In the latter days of BAe Dunsfold, the majority of the Design Liaison staff ( most of them had 30-40 years each in aircraft design ) were made redundant.
After a pause of about a month, freelance designers on short contracts were brought in - last week designing washing machines, this week Harrier bits.
Their huge advantage, to the company way of thinking, was that they could be hired & fired at will.