Redundancy: your rights

1. Overview
2. Being selected for redundancy
3. Statutory redundancy pay and enhanced redundancy payments
4. Your notice period
5. Your consultation period
6. Redundancy and suitable alternative employment

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 1. Overview

Redundancy is a form of dismissal and is one of the six “potentially fair” reasons that an employer can use to dismiss an employee.

In broad terms, there are three main situations in which an employee may be made redundant:

1. If the business as a whole is being closed
2. If the particular workplace in which you work is being closed; and
3. Where the employer wishes to reduce the size of the workforce

If your employer is potentially seeking to make you redundant then you may be eligible for certain legal rights, including:

• The right to receive redundancy pay
• The right to work (or be paid in lieu for) your notice period
• The right to a reasonable period of consultation regarding your redundancy
• The right to be considered for any suitable alternative vacancies; and
• Time off work to try and find a new job

As well as the above rights, you may also have the right to be fairly selected for redundancy and to have a fair redundancy process carried out. You will always have the right not to be made redundant from your job because of your age, gender, disability, race, sexual orientation, gender orientation, because you are pregnant or on maternity leave, or because of your religious or philosophical belief. If you are unfairly selected for redundancy or believe that you have been selected for redundancy because of, for example, your age, then you may have a claim for unfair dismissal.
Read next: Being selected for redundancy