I am being made redundant

Redundancy is not a reflection on you or your performance – if it was, you would be going through a disciplinary or dismissal process

Redundancy is a change in company circumstances that unfortunately impacts your role. Being made redundant can be a very emotional experience, even when it’s carried out fairly.

You can be made redundant without the company running a selection process if:

  • your employer is closing down a whole operation in a company and making all the employees working in it redundant
  • you’re the only employee in your part of the organisation

You may be offered a different job if one is available. Where a team is reducing in size, you can also be asked to reapply for your own job but will not be redundant unless you are unsuccessful and until your employer makes you redundant.

Fair selection

Your employer has to apply a fair and objective way of selecting you for redundancy. They could select people by:

  • last in, first out (employees with the shortest length of service are selected first)
  • asking for volunteers (self-selection)
  • disciplinary records
  • staff appraisal markings, skills, qualifications and experience

Unfair selection

There are a number of reasons why you CANNOT be selected for redundancy

You cannot be selected for redundancy for a number of reasons including the following:

  • gender
  • marital status
  • sexual orientation
  • race
  • disability (including autism)
  • your membership or non-membership of a trade union
  • health and safety activities
  • working pattern, for example part-time or fixed-term employees
  • whistleblowing, for example making disclosures about your employer’s wrongdoing
  • taking part in lawful industrial action lasting 12 weeks or less
  • taking action on health and safety grounds

If you were selected for redundancy for any of the above reasons you may have a case for pursuing a claim for unfair