Most people who are made redundant accept it. They clear their desk, sign the paperwork, and move on — never knowing whether what happened to them was actually legal.
That is a costly mistake.
UK employment law places strict obligations on employers before they can lawfully make someone redundant. A genuine business reason is not enough on its own. The process matters just as much as the reason — and employers get it wrong more often than most people realise.
At MyRedundancyRights.co.uk we built an 8-question Legality Checker specifically to help you find out whether your employer followed the correct legal process. The questions take less than 3 minutes to answer. The result is instant. And it could change everything.
Here are the 8 questions — and why each one matters:
Were you given a written reason for your redundancy? If you have two or more years of service and requested a written statement within three months, your employer was legally required to provide one. Failure to do so is a procedural failing.
Were you consulted individually before the final decision was made? Employers must hold individual consultation meetings before confirming any redundancy. This must be genuine — not a box-ticking exercise. If the decision was already made before your consultation meeting took place, that is a significant procedural issue.
If 20 or more people were made redundant at once, was there a collective consultation period? For 20 to 99 redundancies there is a minimum 30-day collective consultation requirement. For 100 or more redundancies that rises to 45 days. Failure to comply can now result in a compensation award of up to 225 days pay per affected employee.
Was the selection process based on documented, objective criteria? Selection criteria must be fair, objective and applied consistently. Criteria such as attitude, fit or commitment are extremely difficult to justify. Last in first out alone is no longer acceptable. If you cannot see how you were scored or why, that is a red flag.
Were you offered any suitable alternative employment before being dismissed? Employers must actively look for alternative roles across the whole business — including subsidiaries — before confirming redundancy. Simply pointing you to an internal vacancies page is not enough.
Were you pregnant, on maternity or paternity leave, or had recently returned from it? Since April 2024, pregnant employees and those on family leave have enhanced redundancy protection. They must be offered any suitable vacancy ahead of other employees. If you were in this position and were not given priority — that is potentially automatically unfair dismissal.
Had you recently raised a grievance, blown the whistle, or made a protected disclosure? Being selected for redundancy shortly after raising concerns is a classic indicator of automatically unfair dismissal. The timing matters. The connection matters. And tribunals take it seriously.
Are you a trade union representative, or had you recently taken protected industrial action? Selecting a trade union representative for redundancy is automatically unfair — regardless of the employer's stated reason. No exceptions.
What your result means:
If your answers raise concerns, that does not automatically mean your redundancy was unlawful — but it does mean you should not accept the outcome without taking advice first. A procedurally flawed redundancy can support an unfair dismissal claim at Employment Tribunal. It can significantly strengthen your position in a settlement negotiation. And it can give you grounds to formally challenge the decision before your notice period ends.
The 8 questions are free to answer. The result is instant. And knowing where you stand costs nothing.
Not knowing could cost you significantly more.
👉 Answer the 8 questions now: https://myredundancyrights.co.uk/legality-checker 👉 Download your free action plan: https://myredundancyrights.co.uk/my-rights 👉 Employer guidance: https://myredundancyrights.co.uk/employer 👉 Find an employment law partner: https://myredundancyrights.co.uk/partner