Redundancy: UK employment law

Essential points

A redundancy is a dismissal that occurs when a role is no longer needed - it has become redundant. 

The following page addresses legal considerations people professionals must take when redundancies are being considered. These considerations are paramount if an employer is to reduce all risk of liability. Examples include:  

• fully adhering to statutory rules on consultation (which must be followed if the employer wishes to avoid any dismissals being unfair), 
• fully adhering to additional consultation rules that apply when there are 20 or more redundancies planned at one establishment within a 90-day period, 
• the rights of employees who are under notice of redundancy, and, 
• the pay rights of the employees selected for redundancy. 

Enhanced redundancy protections also apply in certain periods such as relating to maternity and paternity leave, or for those on adoption, shared parental and neonatal care leave. 

There are imminent changes to collective redundancy consultation rules in the Employment Rights Act 2025. Confirmed changes are captured in the page below and future changes will be noted on the tracker.