Redundancy
Plain-English definitions for England and Wales. General information, not legal advice. Laws and figures change - always check the current position on GOV.UK.
Redundancy A dismissal because the employer's need for employees to do work of a particular kind has ceased or diminished - for example a workplace closing or a role disappearing. A genuine redundancy still requires a fair process, and employees with 2 years' service are usually entitled to statutory redundancy pay.
Related terms
- Unfair dismissal
- In England and Wales employment law, unfair dismissal means a claim that your employer ended your job without a fair reason, without a fair process, or both (Employment Rights Act 1996, Part X). It is different from wrongful dismissal (notice/contract) and from constructive dismissal (you resign because of a fundamental breach). Most employees currently need 2 years' continuous service for ordinary unfair dismissal; many automatically unfair reasons need no qualifying period.
- Basic award
- A fixed element of unfair dismissal compensation calculated like statutory redundancy pay: a number of weeks' pay based on your age and length of service, with the weekly pay figure subject to a statutory cap. It does not depend on your actual financial loss.
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