Redundancy can be a stressful and long process.  Your main aim should be to make sure you receive as much money as possible, to tide you over until you find another job.

Your employer must follow a two part process when making you redundant.  If they fail to follow this procedure, you should consult an employment lawyer, as you could make a claim to an Employment Tribunal.

Your employer must have a genuine reason for making you redundant.  He can’t simply use redundancy because he wants to get rid of you for another reason, such as pregnancy, or because you have made a complaint against the company.

Genuine reasons for redundancy can include:

• Closure of the business.
• A significant job in trade.
• A chance in business activity, so your job is no longer needed.

Also, when selecting you for redundancy your employer has to use reasonable criteria.  They should state their selection criteria clearly, and follow it – e.g. last in first out.

Your employer should consult with you throughout the redundancy process, and genuinely explore reasonable alternatives to making you redundant. 

And the consultancy process should last for a minimum length of time.  This is at least 30 days for 20-99 redundancies, and at least 90 days for 100 or more redundancies.

You should make sure you check the correct redundancy procedure in your employee handbook to ensure it is being followed.  And if the redundancy is unfair, you may want to make a claim to a tribunal, so you should collect as much evidence as possible from the beginning.

You should make notes of any meetings and discussions, and write down the details and the dates.  And keep copies of all letters and emails.