When a business proposes job cuts, consultation cannot be treated as a meeting to announce a decision already made. UK redundancy consultation rules require employers to give affected people a genuine opportunity to question proposals, suggest alternatives and understand how decisions will be reached. The steps depend on how many dismissals are proposed, where employees work and which part of the UK is involved.
For employers, the starting point is to plan consultation before selecting people for dismissal. For employees, knowing the process makes it easier to ask useful questions while changes are still possible.
When must redundancy consultation begin?
Consultation should begin while redundancies are still proposals, not after the outcome has effectively been decided. Employers should explain the business reasons, which roles might be affected and what alternatives have been considered. Employees need a reasonable chance to respond.
For fewer than 20 proposed redundancies, there is no statutory minimum consultation period in Great Britain. That does not mean consultation is optional: failing to consult genuinely can make a dismissal unfair. Contracts, workplace policies or collective agreements may set additional requirements.
For 20 or more proposed dismissals at one establishment within 90 days, statutory collective consultation rules apply. Employers should assess the scale early rather than wait until every individual has been named.
Individual consultation: what should happen?
Individual consultation lets each affected employee discuss their position. Acas recommends at least one private meeting, with further redundancy meetings where questions remain or proposals change.
Employers should explain why the role is at risk, how any selection pool and scoring system work, and what suitable alternative jobs exist. Employees should be invited to challenge inaccurate information, suggest different working arrangements or identify relevant vacancies.
There is no automatic statutory right to bring a companion to every redundancy consultation meeting, but allowing a colleague or trade union representative is good practice. Employers should check contracts and policies for stronger entitlements. Meeting notes and reasoned responses help show that suggestions were considered rather than merely collected.
Where selection is necessary, objective, consistently applied criteria matter. Our guide to redundancy selection criteria offers a useful next step for understanding how employers can assess roles fairly.
Collective consultation: thresholds and deadlines
In England, Scotland and Wales, an employer proposing 20 to 99 redundancies at one establishment within 90 days must start collective consultation at least 30 days before the first dismissal takes effect. For 100 or more at one establishment, consultation must start at least 45 days before the first dismissal takes effect.
These are minimum lead-in periods, not permission to hold one brief meeting and wait for the deadline. Consultation must start in good time, continue meaningfully and aim to reach agreement, although agreement itself is not required.
Who represents employees?
Employers consult representatives of a recognised trade union where appropriate, or properly elected employee representatives. They must provide written information covering the reasons for the proposals, numbers and categories of employees, selection methods, intended timetable and how redundancy payments will be calculated. Information about agency workers is also required in relevant circumstances.
Collective meetings address the overall proposals; individual consultation still matters. Acas generally advises beginning collective consultation first, although the two processes may overlap appropriately.
Remember the HR1 notification
In Great Britain, employers meeting the collective threshold must notify the Redundancy Payments Service using form HR1. Notification must be made at least 30 days before the first dismissal for 20 to 99 proposals, or 45 days for 100 or more. Failure to notify can lead to criminal penalties, separately from failures in consultation.
A practical example: 24 roles at risk
Imagine a warehouse in Manchester proposes removing 24 positions over two months. The employer cannot divide the proposal into smaller groups of 12 and assume collective consultation is unnecessary: the total at that establishment within the 90-day window matters.
It should identify suitable representatives, share the business case and selection proposals, submit HR1 in time and begin consultation at least 30 days before the first dismissal takes effect. Staff might propose reduced overtime, redeployment to another site or voluntary redundancy. Management does not have to accept every idea, but should assess and respond to serious alternatives.
Only after a meaningful process should final individual decisions and notices be issued. A record of what changed following consultation can be more persuasive than a calendar showing that 30 days elapsed.
What must employers consider before dismissal?
A fair redundancy consultation process should test whether dismissals can be avoided or reduced. Possible measures include pausing recruitment, retraining, redeployment, voluntary departures or changes to working patterns. Employers should assess suggestions realistically.
Selection must not unlawfully discriminate or penalise protected activities. Employees on maternity, adoption or shared parental leave, and certain recent returners, may have priority rights concerning suitable alternative vacancies. Employers should check the specific protections before making offers or decisions.
Once decisions are confirmed, employees should receive appropriate notice and information about redundancy pay, outstanding holiday and any appeal process. Our explanation of statutory redundancy pay and guide to appealing redundancy decisions can help readers understand the next stage.
What happens if consultation is inadequate?
A rushed or predetermined process may expose the employer to unfair dismissal claims. In collective cases in Great Britain, a tribunal can make a protective award where consultation duties were breached. For relevant dismissals taking place from 6 April 2026, the maximum is 180 days’ pay per affected employee, increased from 90 days.
As of October 2026, the existing 20-at-one-establishment trigger remains the operative Great Britain rule; an additional organisation-wide threshold is expected in 2027, so employers should check future changes before planning later exercises.
Northern Ireland has separate legislation. There, collective consultation for 100 or more proposed redundancies generally requires a 90-day lead-in period rather than Great Britain’s 45 days. Employers operating across the UK should check the applicable jurisdiction.
Frequently asked questions
Can an employer make someone redundant without consultation?
An employer should consult before finalising redundancy. Even where fewer than 20 dismissals are proposed and no fixed statutory timetable applies, skipping genuine individual consultation can make the dismissal unfair.
How many redundancy consultation meetings are required?
There is no universal fixed number. Acas recommends at least one private individual meeting, but further meetings may be needed for meaningful discussion.
Can consultation and notice periods run together?
In collective redundancy situations, employers should complete the required consultation before issuing dismissal notices. Notice and other employment rights must then be handled separately in accordance with the applicable rules.
Does consultation guarantee that jobs will be saved?
No. Employers must genuinely consider alternatives and seek agreement where required, but can proceed with redundancies after a fair process if there is a sound basis for doing so.
Conclusion
Effective consultation is a decision-making process, not a box-ticking exercise. Employers should identify the legal threshold, start early, share enough information, listen to alternatives and document how they respond. Employees should ask for the selection rationale and raise alternatives while proposals remain open. That gives consultation its best chance of being both lawful and useful.