Redundancy

Due to the current economic climate, the number of people  out of work due to redundancy is on the increase. It is likely that many of these people will never have experienced redundancy before, therefore are unsure of their employment rights and what redundancy entails.

Redundancy generally happens when an employer needs to cut down on staff costs, the job no longer exists or if the company is going out of business. Redundancy is only applicable if the job you are currently working in no longer exists for one reason or another.

If your employer is making 20 or more people redundant, then this is classed as “Collective redundancies”. In this case, the employer must consult the employees’ trade union official or whoever is selected as the employees’ representative.

If your employer fails to consult a representative, then a claim may be made to the Employment Tribunal for a monetary award where you can claim up to 90 days pay.

For individual redundancies, employers must take steps to select employees fairly and should discuss the redundancy with the employees. The employee should receive any monies owed to them and should also consider alternatives to redundancy.

If you are in a position where you are about to be made redundant, speak to your employer representative or a Trade Union Official.

Employers cannot use redundancy as a way to get a person out of a job unfairly. If you feel an unfair dismissal has occurred, you can make a claim to the Employment Tribunal.

If you are still unsure about redundancy and procedures that should be undertaken, you can speak to The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) and they can offer you impartial advice on employment issues.

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