IDS Handbook: Redundancy 2020

The right to receive a redundancy payment has been a part of UK law for well over 50 years, making it one of the oldest employment protections on the statute book. However, its importance remains undiminished, particularly in the present economic climate, when the fallout from the COVID-19 crisis is likely to force many employers to consider making large-scale redundancies. The definition of ‘redundancy’ for this purpose has undergone little change over the years, although the subsequent introduction of other rights and protections, including the right to claim unfair dismissal, protection from discrimination on various grounds, and the right to information and consultation on collective redundancies, means that the handling of redundancy situations has become increasingly complex.

This IDS Employment Law Handbook offers a comprehensive explanation of the issues that can arise in both individual and collective redundancy situations. Among other things, it considers the meaning of ‘dismissal’ and ‘redundancy’, and explains how statutory redundancy pay is calculated. The implications of unfair dismissal and discrimination law are analysed in depth, with detailed consideration of how unfairness and/or discrimination may arise in the redundancy selection and consultation process. There is also a thorough explanation of the duties imposed on an employer to inform and consult employee representatives when multiple redundancies are proposed. Concise and informative, the Handbook is an authoritative guide to this complex and ever-relevant topic.