Your employer can make an employee (click here for a definition of an employee) redundant if they have business reasons to do so (e.g. there is no work for you to do or less work for everyone to do), but they must:
- consult you (or a Trade Union if your employer recognises one) about what they are doing and why, and
- ask for any suggestions you have.
- They must also select those who are being made redundant in a fair way and
- make sure you are given the minimum statutory notice period (or the notice period in your contract of employment if this is longer)
- pay you your entitlement to Statutory Redundancy pay (or the company may have its own redundancy pay arrangements that are better than Statutory Redundancy pay which you should be made aware of). You will need to have worked for your employer for 2 years continuously to qualify for any redundancy pay. For more information on the amounts you will be paid and more details about Redundancies click here.
Your employer may offer you help or training, and you have the right to take time off to look for work if you are being made redundant.
You will probably be entitled to claim Jobseekers Allowance after you are made redundant and should make an appointment at your local Job Centre Plus to organise this.
Image by Jeff Bauche._.·´¯)
If you work in the UK Media Industries and have a question about this or any other topic, please e-mail us at workline@freelanceadvisor.co.uk
If you are an Employer and need ongoing professional help with any staff/freelance issues then talk to us at The HR Kiosk (click here) - a Human Resources Consultancy for small businesses – you can retain us for as much time as you need.
Please note that the advice given on this website and by our Advisors is guidance only and cannot be taken as an authoritative interpretation of the law. It can also not be seen as specific advice for individual cases. Please also note that there are differences in legislation in Northern Ireland.
