Facing redundancy? You have legal rights. This guide will check your entitlements in under 2 minutes based on your specific situation. Everything on this page is free.
UK Redundancy Rights Guide
Understand your statutory rights including consultation periods, notice entitlements, time off for job searching and warning signs of unfair redundancy. Updated for 2025/26.
Being made redundant is stressful, but knowing your rights makes a difficult situation more manageable. ACAS reports that over 300,000 UK workers face redundancy each year, yet many do not fully understand their entitlements around notice periods, consultation, redundancy pay, and time off for job searching.
Your statutory rights depend on your length of service, age, and whether the redundancy process was conducted fairly. Employees with 2 or more years of service are entitled to statutory redundancy pay, a minimum notice period, and reasonable time off to attend interviews or arrange training.
Collective consultation is the right people most often misunderstand. It is triggered by the number of redundancies your employer is proposing at one establishment within a 90-day period, not by how many staff the company has in total. Fewer than 20 proposed redundancies means no collective duty, though individual consultation still applies. 20 to 99 means consultation must begin at least 30 days before the first dismissal takes effect, and 100 or more means at least 45 days. Where 20 or more are proposed, the employer must also notify the Insolvency Service in advance using form HR1.
This guide assesses your specific situation and explains exactly what you are entitled to. It also highlights warning signs that a redundancy process may be unfair, which could give you grounds for an employment tribunal claim.
How it works
- Enter your employment type, length of service, and how many redundancies are proposed.
- Answer questions about the redundancy process being followed.
- View your statutory entitlements and any red flags suggesting unfair treatment.
Written by the CalcStack team
Figures for the 2026/27 UK tax yearlast verified Sources: GOV.UK redundancy rights, GOV.UK redundancy pay
Used for context only — collective consultation is triggered by the number of redundancies proposed, not by employer size.
How many redundancies your employer is proposing at your site (establishment) within a 90-day period. This is what triggers collective consultation. Enter 1 if you are the only one affected.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the minimum consultation period for redundancy?
It depends on how many redundancies your employer is proposing, not on how many people they employ. If 20 to 99 redundancies are proposed at one establishment within 90 days, collective consultation must begin at least 30 days before the first dismissal takes effect. If 100 or more are proposed, it is at least 45 days. Below 20 there is no fixed collective period, but your employer must still consult you individually and meaningfully. A small employer proposing 20+ redundancies is caught by the rules just as much as a large one.
Does my employer have to tell the government about the redundancies?
Yes, where 20 or more redundancies are proposed at one establishment within 90 days. Your employer must notify the Insolvency Service in advance using form HR1 — at least 30 days before the first dismissal for 20 to 99 redundancies, and at least 45 days for 100 or more. Failing to file the HR1 is a criminal offence, and it is worth asking your employee representatives whether it was done.
Do I qualify for statutory redundancy pay?
You qualify if you have worked for your employer continuously for at least 2 years and are being made genuinely redundant (not dismissed for another reason). Part-time workers, fixed-term contract workers and agency workers on contracts of 2+ years all qualify.
What is the notice period for redundancy?
You are entitled to a statutory minimum notice period of 1 week for each complete year of service, up to a maximum of 12 weeks. Your contract may give you a longer notice period. Notice pay is separate from redundancy pay and must be paid in addition.
Can I get time off to look for a new job during my notice period?
Yes, if you have 2 or more years of continuous service, you have a statutory right to reasonable time off during working hours to look for a new job or arrange training. Your employer must pay you during this time off. There is no specific number of days defined in law.
What makes a redundancy unfair?
A redundancy may be unfair if: the selection criteria were discriminatory or unreasonable, your employer did not consult with you properly, no consideration was given to alternative employment within the organisation, or the redundancy was used as a pretext to dismiss you for another reason such as whistleblowing or trade union membership.
What is the trial period for an alternative role?
If your employer offers you a suitable alternative role, you have a statutory right to a 4-week trial period. If the role is genuinely unsuitable, you can leave during this period and still claim redundancy pay. The trial period can be extended by written agreement for retraining purposes.
Can my employer select me for redundancy based on attendance?
Attendance can be a selection criterion, but it must be applied fairly and consistently. Absences related to pregnancy, disability or trade union activities must be excluded. If you feel your attendance record has been unfairly counted against you, this could be grounds for an unfair redundancy claim.
What happens if I am on a fixed-term contract?
If your fixed-term contract has lasted 2 years or more and is not renewed, this counts as a redundancy and you are entitled to statutory redundancy pay. Your employer cannot exclude you from redundancy rights simply because your contract was fixed-term. The non-renewal must be a genuine redundancy situation.
Do zero-hours contract workers get redundancy rights?
Zero-hours workers may qualify for redundancy pay if they have 2+ years of continuous service and employee status (not genuinely self-employed). The key test is whether there is mutuality of obligation — if your employer is obligated to offer work and you are obligated to accept it, you likely have employee status.
How do I make an Employment Tribunal claim for unfair redundancy?
You must contact ACAS for early conciliation within 3 months less one day of the effective date of termination, which is usually your last day of employment. People often get this wrong: the longer limit of 6 months less one day applies only to a claim for the statutory redundancy payment itself, not to unfair dismissal. ACAS will try to resolve the dispute, and starting early conciliation pauses the clock. If conciliation fails, you can submit a claim to the Employment Tribunal using the certificate number ACAS gives you. The time limits are strictly enforced. Legal aid is not available for tribunal claims, but many solicitors offer no-win-no-fee arrangements.