UK Workplace Issue Playbook · 2026
How do I handle a UK redundancy consultation?
Why this matters
Up to 30% of UK redundancies are technically unfair due to procedural failures (inadequate consultation, unfair selection, no consideration of alternative employment). Employees who passively accept get statutory redundancy pay only; employees who engage actively often negotiate enhanced packages 2-3× higher OR retain their jobs through reselection or alternative roles.
Legal basis
Employment Rights Act 1996 ss.94-98, s.139 (definition); Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 s.188 (collective consultation); ACAS Code; ERA s.135 (statutory redundancy pay).
Step-by-step playbook
1) Read the at-risk letter carefully: pool, criteria, timeline, consultation period. 2) Calculate your statutory redundancy entitlement: 0.5/1.0/1.5 weeks' pay per year of service (age-banded), capped £700/week and 20 years (rates April 2026). 3) Engage actively in EACH consultation meeting: ask questions, propose alternatives (reduced hours, voluntary redundancy, alternative roles), challenge selection criteria. 4) Apply for ANY internal alternative role advertised — refusal of suitable alternative employment can affect entitlement. 5) Get written feedback after each meeting; correct inaccuracies. 6) Negotiate enhanced terms — most employers offer 2-3× statutory; some up to 6× for senior roles. 7) Get a settlement agreement reviewed by an independent solicitor (employer must pay). 8) If procedure is flawed, raise grievance during consultation (don't wait for termination). 9) After termination, ACAS conciliation within 3 months less 1 day if claim contemplated.
Letter / template
Consultation engagement template: 'Dear [HR/Manager], Thank you for the consultation meeting on [date]. To ensure my engagement is meaningful, I have the following questions and proposals: **Selection criteria**: - Could you confirm the specific scoring matrix and how each criterion was applied to me? - Could you provide my scores and the average pool scores (anonymised) for comparison? - I have concerns about [specific criterion] because [reasons] **Alternatives I propose**: - Voluntary redundancy across the wider team to release a different role - Reduced hours arrangement to retain skills and reduce headcount cost - Internal transfer to [specific role you've identified as available] - [Other proposals] **Alternative roles**: - I am applying for [internal role] advertised at [grade]. Please confirm receipt of my application. - Are there other vacancies in the wider business I should be considered for? **Enhanced terms**: - I would like to discuss enhanced redundancy terms above the statutory minimum, given my [length of service / contribution / etc.]. Please respond in writing before the next meeting on [date] so I can prepare meaningful follow-up. Yours sincerely, [Your name]'
What NOT to do
Don't: attend consultation silently; sign settlement agreement without independent legal advice (employer must pay for it); accept first redundancy offer without negotiating enhanced terms; ignore alternative roles; fail to document procedural failures; resign before redundancy is confirmed (you forfeit the redundancy pay); accept selection criteria without challenging them.
Worked example
Tom (5 years' service) was at-risk in a restructure. The selection matrix scored him low on 'flexibility' — a vague criterion. He challenged it in writing during consultation, proposed reduced hours as alternative, applied for 2 internal roles. Outcome: reselected (got higher 'flexibility' score after challenge) AND offered an enhanced exit of 8 weeks' pay if he wanted to leave voluntarily. He stayed in the role; the colleague originally protected was made redundant after the rescore.
Recruiter pro tip
The most underused tactic in UK redundancy is asking for the full pool scoring matrix anonymised. Most employees see only their own scores; the pool comparison reveals whether scoring was consistent. Inconsistent scoring (you scored low on something colleagues scored high on without obvious justification) is unfair selection — strong tribunal evidence. Request it formally during consultation; refusal is itself a procedural failure.
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