Redundancy: your rights

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1. Overview

Redundancy is a form of dismissal from your job. It happens when employers need to reduce their workforce.

If you바카라 사이트™re being made redundant, you might be eligible for certain things, including:

• redundancy pay
• a notice period
• a consultation with your employer
• the option to move into a different job
• time off to find a new job

You also have specific rights if your employer is insolvent.

You must be selected for redundancy in a fair way, for example because of your level of experience or capability to do the job.

You cannot be selected because of age, gender, or if you바카라 사이트™re disabled or pregnant. If you are, this could be classed as an unfair dismissal.

Get advice

You can get advice on redundancy from or .

2. Being selected for redundancy

Your employer should use a fair and objective way of selecting you for redundancy.

Commonly used methods are:

• last in, first out (employees with the shortest length of service are selected first)
• asking for volunteers (self-selection)
• disciplinary records
• staff appraisal markings, skills, qualifications and experience

Your employer can make you redundant without having to follow a selection process if your job no longer exists, for example if:

• your employer is closing down a whole operation in a company and making all the employees working in it redundant
• you바카라 사이트™re the only employee in your part of the organisation

Your employer may offer you a different role if one is available.

If your employer uses 바카라 사이트˜last in, first out바카라 사이트™, make sure it바카라 사이트™s not discrimination, for example if it means only young people are made redundant.

Reapplying for your own job

You might be asked to reapply for your own job, which could help your employer decide who to select.

If you do not apply or you바카라 사이트™re unsuccessful in your application, you바카라 사이트™ll still have a job until your employer makes you redundant.

Unfair selection

You cannot be selected for the following reasons - your redundancy would be classed as an unfair dismissal:

• sex
• gender reassignment
• marital status
• sexual orientation
• race
• disability
• religion or belief
• age
• your membership or non-membership of a trade union
• health and safety activities
• working pattern, for example part-time or fixed-term employees
• maternity leave, birth or pregnancy
• paternity leave, parental or dependants leave
• you바카라 사이트™re exercising your statutory rights
• whistleblowing, for example making disclosures about your employer바카라 사이트™s wrongdoing
• taking part in lawful industrial action lasting 12 weeks or less
• taking action on health and safety grounds
• doing jury service
• you바카라 사이트™re the trustee of a company pension scheme

Appealing the decision

You can appeal if you feel that you바카라 사이트™ve been unfairly selected. Write to your employer explaining the reasons.

You may be able to make a claim to an employment tribunal for unfair dismissal.

Voluntary redundancy

It바카라 사이트™s up to your employer whether they actually select you if you volunteer for redundancy.

Your employer cannot just offer voluntary redundancy to age groups eligible for an early retirement package - this could be unlawful age discrimination.

However, an early retirement package (for certain age groups) could be one element of a voluntary redundancy offer open to all employees.

Apprentices

Talk to your manager and training provider if you바카라 사이트™re an apprentice and you바카라 사이트™re worried about being made redundant.

Your training provider or the Apprenticeship service might be able to help you find another employer to help you complete your apprenticeship.

3. Statutory redundancy pay

You바카라 사이트™ll normally be entitled to statutory redundancy pay if you바카라 사이트™re an employee and you바카라 사이트™ve been working for your current employer for 2 years or more.

You바카라 사이트™ll get:

• half a week바카라 사이트™s pay for each full year you were under 22
• one week바카라 사이트™s pay for each full year you were 22 or older, but under 41
• one and half week바카라 사이트™s pay for each full year you were 41 or older

Length of service is capped at 20 years.

Your weekly pay is the average you earned per week over the 12 weeks before the day you got your redundancy notice.

If you were paid less than usual because you were 바카라 사이트˜on furlough바카라 사이트™ because of coronavirus, your statutory redundancy pay is based on what you would have earned normally.

If you were made redundant on or after 6 April 2025, your weekly pay is capped at £719 and the maximum statutory redundancy pay you can get is £21,570. If you were made redundant before 6 April 2025, these amounts will be lower.

Calculate your redundancy pay.

Exceptions

You바카라 사이트™re not entitled to statutory redundancy pay if:

• your employer offers to keep you on
• your employer offers you suitable alternative work which you refuse without good reason

Being dismissed for misconduct does not count as redundancy, so you would not get statutory redundancy pay if this happened.

You바카라 사이트™re not entitled to statutory redundancy pay if you fall into one or more of the following categories:

• former registered dock workers (covered by other arrangements) and share fishermen
• crown servants, members of the armed forces or police services
• apprentices who are not employees at the end of their training
• a domestic servant who is a member of the employer바카라 사이트™s immediate family

Short-term and temporary lay-offs

You can claim statutory redundancy pay if you바카라 사이트™re eligible and you바카라 사이트™ve been temporarily laid off (without pay or less than half a week바카라 사이트™s pay) for either:

• more than 4 weeks in a row
• more than 6 non-consecutive weeks in a 13 week period

Write to your employer telling them you intend to claim statutory redundancy pay. This must be done within 4 weeks of your last non-working day in the 4 or 6 week period.

If your employer does not reject your claim within 7 days of receiving it, write to your employer again giving them your notice.

Your claim could be rejected if your normal work is likely to start within 4 weeks and continue for at least 13 weeks.

4. Tax and National Insurance

If you바카라 사이트™re made redundant, you may get a 바카라 사이트˜termination payment바카라 사이트™. This could include:

• statutory redundancy pay
• holiday pay
• unpaid wages
• company benefits, for example bonuses

Statutory redundancy pay under £30,000 is not taxable.

What you바카라 사이트™ll pay tax and National Insurance on depends on what바카라 사이트™s included in your termination payment.

5. Notice periods

You must be given a notice period before your employment ends.

The statutory redundancy notice periods are:

• at least one week바카라 사이트™s notice if employed between one month and 2 years
• one week바카라 사이트™s notice for each year if employed between 2 and 12 years
• 12 weeks바카라 사이트™ notice if employed for 12 years or more

Check your contract. Your employer may give you more than the statutory minimum, but they cannot give you less.

Notice pay

As well as statutory redundancy pay, your employer should either:

• pay you through your notice period
• pay you in lieu of notice depending on your circumstances

Your notice pay is based on the average you earned per week over the 12 weeks before your notice period starts.

If you were paid less than usual because you were 바카라 사이트˜on furlough바카라 사이트™ because of coronavirus, your notice pay is based on what you would have earned normally.

Payment in lieu of notice

Your employment can be ended without notice if 바카라 사이트˜payment in lieu of notice바카라 사이트™ is included in your contract. Your employer will pay you instead of giving you a notice period.

You get all of the basic pay you would바카라 사이트™ve received during the notice period. You may get extras such as pension contributions or private health care insurance if they바카라 사이트™re in your contract.

Your employer may still offer you payment in lieu of notice, even if your contract does not mention it. If you accept, you should receive full pay and any extras that are in your contract.

6. Consultation

You바카라 사이트™re entitled to a consultation with your employer if you바카라 사이트™re being made redundant. This involves speaking to them about:

• why you바카라 사이트™re being made redundant
• any alternatives to redundancy

If your employer is making up to 19 redundancies, there are no rules about how they should carry out the consultation. If they바카라 사이트™re making 20 or more redundancies at the same time, the collective redundancy rules apply.

You can make a claim to an employment tribunal if your employer does not consult properly, for example if they start late, or do not consult at all.

Collective redundancy rules

If your employer is making 20 or more employees redundant at the same time, the consultation should take place between your employer and a representative (rep).

This will either be:

• a trade union rep (if you바카라 사이트™re represented by a trade union)
• an elected employee rep (if you바카라 사이트™re not represented by a trade union, or if your employer does not recognise your trade union)

Collective consultations must cover:

• ways to avoid redundancies
• the reasons for redundancies
• how to keep the number of dismissals to a minimum
• how to limit the effects for employees involved, for example by offering retraining

Your employer must also meet certain legal requirements for collective consultations.

Length of consultation

There바카라 사이트™s no time limit for how long the period of consultation should be, but the minimum is:

• 20 to 99 redundancies - the consultation must start at least 30 days before any dismissals take effect
• 100 or more redundancies - the consultation must start at least 45 days before any dismissals take effect

Electing employee reps

If you바카라 사이트™re an employee affected by the proposed redundancies you can:

• stand for election as an employee rep
• vote for other reps

Fixed-term contract employees

Your employer does not need to include you in collective consultation if you바카라 사이트™re employed under a fixed-term contract, except if they바카라 사이트™re ending your contract early because of redundancy.

7. Suitable alternative employment

Your employer might offer you 바카라 사이트˜suitable alternative employment바카라 사이트™ within your organisation or an associated company.

They must offer you a suitable alternative job (if one is available) if you바카라 사이트™re on, or have recently taken, maternity leave or other types of parental leave.

Whether a job is suitable depends on:

• how similar the work is to your current job
• the terms of the job being offered
• your skills, abilities and circumstances in relation to the job
• the pay (including benefits), status, hours and location

Your redundancy could be an unfair dismissal if your employer has suitable alternative employment and they do not offer it to you.

Refusing an offer

You may lose your right to statutory redundancy pay if you unreasonably turn down suitable alternative employment.

You can make a claim to an employment tribunal if you think the job you바카라 사이트™ve been offered is not suitable.

Trial periods

You have the right to a 4-week trial period for any alternative employment you바카라 사이트™re offered.

The 4-week period could be extended if you need training. Any extension must be agreed in writing before the trial period starts.

Tell your employer during the trial period if you decide the new job is not suitable. This will not affect your employment rights, including your right to statutory redundancy pay.

You바카라 사이트™ll lose your right to claim statutory redundancy pay if you do not give notice within the 4-week trial period.

Time off for job hunting

If you바카라 사이트™ve been continuously employed for 2 years by the date your notice period ends, you바카라 사이트™re allowed a reasonable amount of time off to:

• look for another job
• arrange training to help you find another job

How long you can take will depend on your circumstances.

No matter how much time you take off to look for another job, the most your employer has to pay you is 40% of one week바카라 사이트™s pay.

Example

You work 5 days a week and you take 4 days off in total during the whole notice period - your employer only has to pay you for the first 2 days.

8. Get help finding a new job

You can get help from the Jobcentre Plus Rapid Response Service to:

• write CVs and find jobs
• find information on benefits
• find the right training and learn new skills
• organise work trials (if you바카라 사이트™re eligible)
• get any extra help at work if you바카라 사이트™re disabled, for example Access to Work

You may also be able to get help with costs, such as:

• travel to work expenses
• childcare
• tools or equipment
• vocational training - you must be in your notice period to be considered

There바카라 사이트™s a and a .

Get in touch

You can contact the Rapid Response Service:

• if you suspect you바카라 사이트™re going to be made redundant
• during your notice period
• up to 13 weeks after you바카라 사이트™ve been made redundant

Rapid Response Service
rrs.enquiries@dwp.gov.uk

Further information and support

You can read more about finding a job, how your pension might be affected, and what benefits you could get.