In these difficult trading times, there comes a time when some staff have to be let go but managing
redundancies is not an easy process and is stressful for everyone involved.
If your business is having to make some of its employees redundant, there are several legalities you
need to observe.
The redundancy process should generally include:
• Identifying a reasonable ‘pool for selection’, i.e. the group of employees from which the
employees selected for redundancy will be chosen
• Adopting objective and non-discriminatory selection criteria where the pool involves two
or more employees, and applying them fairly to those within this pool
• Warning and consulting employees about the potential redundancy situation via a
meaningful two-way conversation
• Seeking a view from the union (if there is one)
• Informing and consulting employee representatives in cases of collective redundancy
• Considering alternative employment or training for future employment for those
employees whose roles are redundant
• Giving reasonable paid time off to look for work
• Calculation of redundancy pay
• Accrued but untaken holiday pay
• Right to appeal any decision to dismiss
A redundancy pay calculator is available at https://www.gov.uk/calculate-your-redundancy-pay
Ensure you seek legal advice and do it properly! Failure to do so could give rise to claims for unfair
dismissal.
