How much notice should an employer give for redundancy?

Redundancy is a difficult subject for anyone in some form of employment. If your employer one day decides they need to trim down their workforce for any reason, a number of people on the payroll can be made ‘redundant’. And if you’re someone who finds out their particular role isn’t crucial to the job, it can come as a shock. 

But while being made redundant can come as a surprise, it shouldn’t be something you go through blind. And this is especially true when it comes to receiving your notice; here’s what you need to know about notice periods depending on where you work and how long you’ve worked. 

Being Made Redundant: What Happens? 

You’re entitled to quite a few things when you’re made redundant, including a period of notice, notice pay, redundancy pay, and any benefits that come as part of your employment package. 

The notice period you’re entitled to

No matter how long you’ve worked for your employer, if you’re made redundant you’re entitled to a notice period of some kind. Known as ‘statutory notice’, this is a minimum period that your employer must give when you’re being made redundant. Some employers may give you a longer notice period than what the statutory rules say you’re entitled to. 

If you’ve been working for your employer for more than a month and up to 2 years in total, you’re entitled to 1 week notice at a minimum. If you’ve been employed for more than 2 years and up to 12 years (capped at 12 weeks), you could be entitled to a maximum of 12 weeks – one week for each year you’ve been employed. 

What pay should you expect? 

Your employer will also be obligated to pay whilst you’re on notice. You’ll receive both a redundancy package with any notice pay on top – that is, if you work through your notice. If you’re told in advance you don’t have to work, you’ll still receive this pay. 

You may even get paid instead of being given a notice period. This is known as ‘pay in lieu of notice’ and is the only time an employer can end your contract without giving you an advanced warning. You’ll receive a standard notice period amount, based on your average weekly wage, and will be paid in an amount according to how long your notice period should be. 

Get Redundancy Support with Harwood HR

Being made redundant is usually a last resort for many companies out there, but sometimes it’s unavoidable. Indeed, making staff redundant can be a kick in the teeth for both the company downsizing and the people losing their jobs. And that’s where we come in. 

Here at Harwood HR, we can provide redundancy support for both sides of the equation. Get in touch with us to ask about your rights by calling us on 0203 936 9171 – all of our consultations are free of charge.