Introduction (650 words)

Statisticians are predicting that unemployment will top 3.3 million in the UK by 2010 while anxiety about the extent of the current economic downturn ...

1. Defining redundancy (3999 words)

Not every situation in which employees lose their jobs is necessarily covered by redundancy laws. To gain statutory rights to redundancy pay and to ...

2. Consulting reps and individuals (7254 words)

An employer has a legal duty to consult employee representatives if it is proposing to make 20 or more redundancies. It should also consult ...

3. Selecting employees for redundancy (4189 words)

Under section 98 of the Employment Rights Act 1996 (ERA 96), a dismissal for redundancy is one of the “fair” reasons for dismissal. However, ...

4. Offers of alternative work (2388 words)

An employer should consider offering suitable alternative work to a potentially redundant employee if it is available. This might include considering whether employment is ...

5. Redundancy pay, insolvency, taxation and state benefits (3506 words)

This chapter explains the rights that employees have under the statutory redundancy payments scheme, including the changes brought about by the age discrimination laws ...

6. Lay-offs and short-time working (1535 words)

An employer facing financial difficulties or a reduction in work may attempt to lay-off employees or put them on short-time working for a specified ...

Further information (350 words)

Throughout this booklet, references are made to the relevant statutes (legislation). Copies of these can be obtained directly from The Stationery Office — tel: ...