Meaningful consultation in redundancy and TUPE processes

About this event

Workshop on meaningful consultation in redundancy and TUPE processes: legislation, case law, practical guidance.

This workshop facilitated by David Rushmere will provide case law and practical guidance on the complex issues around holding meaningful consulation during redundancy and TUPE processes.

In June 2025, Wilko administrators were told to pay £2m compensation to 10,000 employees through failing to meet the legal obligations to consult staff during mass redundancies as they went into administration. Wilko breached section 188 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 by not consulting representatives of the workforce before issuing redundancy notices.

Store staff were awarded four days' pay; distribution and support centre staff were awarded 13 days' pay. Those "protective awards" could have been 90 days because consultation eventually had taken place but "too late to comply with the law". David will give examples from case law which explain the practical methods for organisations to ensure their processes are legal and fair.

This will be an interactive session, discussing practical examples as well as sharing good ideas for positive improvements for people professionals at work. No recording will be made.

About the speaker

David Rushmere

David has been a Solicitor-Advocate since 2014. He qualified as a solicitor in 2013 following qualifying as a Chartered legal executive in 2011.

He worked for over 11 years in the BT in-house legal team, then two years at 3HR Corporate Solicitors, a City law firm specialising in Japanese, Chinese and Korean clients. He joined Machins in 2019. He has extensive experience advising clients in both contentious and non-contentious employment matters. He has advised on large scale corporate restructures and redundancies.

David has conducted more than 150 Employment Tribunal hearings and has appeared before the President of the Employment Appeal Tribunal. David has been recognised as a ‘Next Generation Partner’ in the 2026 edition of The Legal 500. He writes articles for the Machins site using key case law to remind organisations about their legal obligations and risks for example: responsibility for the Health and Safety of home workers; allowing people to speak their own language at work; , liability for sexual harassment outside work.

You will be supporting your Continuing Professional Development because through working with the facilitator, you will understand HR profession map core knowledge and core behaviours:

HR map core knowledge:

• people practice: how managers can actively improve policies and procedures
• culture and behaviour: how supporting staff can assist good working lives
• business acumen: how HR can support organisation success
• evidence based practice and problem solving tools: how to demonstrate business value from improved practices
• technology and people; change and risk: using digital offers to strengthen employment processes

HR map core behaviours:

• ethical practice: how changing policies can be ethical as well as legal
• professional courage and influence: how HR can assist their managers to improve processes
• valuing people: how valuing all people improves business success
• working inclusively: how to ensure all employment processes embed inclusion and diversity
• passion for learning: how your learning assists you to support others
• insights focused: how improving processes improves business outcomes
• situational decision-making: how to respond to challenges from staff
• commercial drive: how to show savings from improved employment processes

This free event forms part of a series under the running title "HR Heroes" offering members a range of topical subjects for both generalists and specialists.

Please note

• Participants will receive their joining details 24 hours before the webinar, along with a reminder 15 minutes before the session begins.
• This session will not be recorded.
• The chat function will be used to engage with participants.
• If there is an external speaker, their views will be their own and may not necessarily reflect those of the CIPD.
• If any reasonable adjustments are required, participants are encouraged to make this known and assistance will be provided.