LUCERIA
Sign in
In this guide

Career changes and transitions

Questions to ask in a redundancy consultation (England, Scotland and Wales)

Redundancy consultation in England, Scotland and Wales: what to ask about selection, alternatives, notice and time off, and how Northern Ireland differs.

By LuceriaPublished Updated

What consultation is

GOV.UK describes consultation as talking with your employer about why you are being made redundant and any alternatives to redundancy. Consultation is a two-way process: you can ask questions, put forward alternatives and raise concerns, and your employer should respond to them.

Collective consultation rules also apply when an employer proposes to make 20 or more employees redundant at one establishment within a period of 90 days or less. The employer must then consult representatives of the affected employees, starting at least 30 days before the first dismissal takes effect where 20 to 99 redundancies are proposed, and at least 45 days before where 100 or more are proposed. It must also notify the government's Redundancy Payments Service in advance.

Questions to ask

Questions for your consultation meetings

  • Why is my role at risk, and what alternatives to redundancy have been considered?
  • Who is in the selection pool, and what criteria and scores were used?
  • Can I see my own scores and how they were reached?
  • Are there suitable alternative roles I could apply for or be offered, and is there a trial period?
  • What is my notice period, and will I work it or be paid in lieu?
  • How has my redundancy pay been calculated?
  • Can I have time off during my notice to look for work or arrange training?
  • Will the company provide a reference, and what will it say?
  • Is any outplacement or career support being offered?
  • What are the key dates, and how do I appeal?

Alternative roles and trial periods

Your employer may offer suitable alternative employment. According to GOV.UK, whether a job is suitable depends on how similar the work is, its terms, your skills and circumstances, and the pay, status, hours and location. You have the right to a four-week trial period in an alternative role, which can be extended for training if agreed in writing beforehand.

GOV.UK also notes that you may lose statutory redundancy pay if you unreasonably turn down suitable alternative employment, so ask questions about any offered role rather than declining it outright.

Notice and time off to look for work

GOV.UK sets out the statutory redundancy notice in Great Britain: at least one week if you have worked for between one month and two years, one week per year between two and twelve years, and twelve weeks after twelve years. Your contract may give you more.

Acas explains that employees with two or more years of continuous service can request reasonable time off during their notice period to look for work or arrange training, with pay for that time limited to 40% of a week's pay unless the contract says more.

If you work in Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland has its own employment law. Collective consultation applies on the same test, 20 or more employees at one establishment within 90 days or less, but where 100 or more redundancies are proposed it must start at least 90 days before the first dismissal takes effect, rather than 45. For 20 to 99 the minimum is 30 days. nidirect explains individual consultation, notice and redundancy pay there, and the Labour Relations Agency gives free advice.

Keep a record

A simple meeting note
Date and attendees:
What I was told about the reason for the proposed redundancy:
Selection criteria and my scores, if shared:
Alternatives discussed, including any roles offered:
Questions I asked and the answers:
Next meeting date and what each side will do before it:

Send a short email after each meeting summarising what you understood, so any misunderstanding is caught early.

Where to get advice

Common questions

Can I bring someone to a consultation meeting?

There is no general statutory right to be accompanied at a redundancy consultation meeting, but many employers allow a colleague or union representative. Ask in advance.

Should I start applying for jobs during consultation?

Yes, if you want to. You do not have to wait for the outcome, and a head start reduces pressure if the redundancy goes ahead.

Does collective consultation apply if fewer than 20 people are affected?

Not the collective rules, which start at 20 or more proposed redundancies at one establishment within 90 days or less. You are still entitled to individual consultation about your own position.

Sources

Put it into practice

Guidance by career stage
Job-search help after redundancyHow to track job applicationsJob searching after a dismissalMore on career changes and transitions

Drafted with AI assistance and checked against Luceria’s editorial standards. Examples are illustrative, not real people’s results. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.