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Check what rights have been ignored
If your employer has not given proper notice, or has failed to follow redundancy rules, the first step is to work out exactly what has gone wrong. In the UK, employees are usually entitled to notice or pay in lieu of notice, and redundancy processes should be fair and lawful.
Look at your contract, your payslips, and any letters or emails from your employer. These documents can help you see whether your notice period, redundancy pay, consultation, or selection process has been handled correctly.
Raise the issue with your employer
Before taking formal action, it is usually best to raise the matter directly with your employer. Keep your message calm and clear, and explain which rights you believe have not been respected.
Ask for a written explanation and, if possible, request that the problem is corrected. In some cases, the issue may be resolved quickly once it has been pointed out.
Gather evidence
If the employer does not respond properly, start collecting evidence. Keep copies of your contract, redundancy letters, meeting notes, payslips, and any communication about your dismissal or notice period.
Make a timeline of events, including dates of meetings, warnings, and when you were told about redundancy. This information can be very useful if you need to make a claim later.
Get support and advice
You do not have to deal with the situation alone. If you are in a trade union, contact your representative as soon as possible, as they may be able to support you in meetings or negotiations.
You can also speak to ACAS, which offers free and impartial guidance in the UK. An employment solicitor or legal advice service may be needed if your case is more complex or you are close to a tribunal deadline.
Consider making a legal claim
If the problem is not resolved, you may be able to bring a claim for unpaid notice, unfair dismissal, or redundancy pay. In some cases, you may also be entitled to a protective award if the employer failed to consult properly during a collective redundancy.
Most employment tribunal claims must usually be started within three months less one day of the problem happening, so do not delay. Before a tribunal claim, you will normally need to begin ACAS Early Conciliation.
Act quickly and stay organised
Time limits are strict, so it is important to act as soon as you suspect your rights have been ignored. Even if you are unsure whether you have a strong case, it is better to get advice early.
Stay organised, keep copies of everything, and note any deadlines. Taking prompt action gives you the best chance of recovering money owed to you and challenging an unfair redundancy process.
Frequently Asked Questions
It means an employer may have failed to give the correct notice, pay notice pay, follow redundancy consultation steps, or provide redundancy pay and other legal entitlements when ending employment.
Common signs include no notice or too little notice, missing redundancy consultation, unfair selection for redundancy, unpaid statutory redundancy pay, unpaid notice pay, or dismissal without a valid process.
An employee may be able to claim if they were dismissed, made redundant, or told to leave and the employer did not follow the legal notice or redundancy rules that applied to their contract and circumstances.
The required notice depends on the contract and the law, but employees are often entitled to at least statutory notice, which usually increases with length of service unless a contract gives more.
Employers usually must consult meaningfully before redundancies, especially in collective redundancy situations, and they should explain the reasons, selection method, alternatives, and timing.
Yes, a worker may be entitled to compensation for lost notice pay, redundancy pay, unpaid wages, holiday pay, or additional awards if the dismissal process was unfair or unlawful.
If redundancy pay was not provided, an employee may be able to claim statutory or contractual redundancy pay, provided they meet the qualifying conditions and the dismissal was in fact a redundancy.
Even during probation, an employee may still have rights to contractual notice, statutory notice, and in some cases redundancy-related protections depending on the circumstances and length of service.
Yes. In large-scale redundancies, employers may have extra duties to consult collectively, give advance notice to authorities in some jurisdictions, and follow specific selection and timing rules.
Keep your contract, handbook, letters, emails, meeting notes, payslips, redundancy notices, consultation records, and any messages showing the notice given, payments made, and reasons for dismissal.
Deadlines are usually short and depend on the claim type and jurisdiction, so it is important to act quickly, check the applicable time limit, and seek advice as soon as possible.
Yes, if the employer did not have a fair reason or did not follow a fair process, the dismissal may be challenged as unfair dismissal in addition to any notice or redundancy claim.
If you were dismissed without working notice, you may be entitled to pay in lieu of notice, outstanding wages, and any redundancy-related payments that should have been made.
It can. Fixed-term employees may have notice rights and, in some cases, redundancy rights if the contract ends early or the role ends in a way that meets the legal definition of redundancy.
Yes. If redundancy selection or dismissal was influenced by a protected characteristic, the employee may have both redundancy or notice claims and a discrimination claim.
If a business transfer occurred, employees may have transfer protections that preserve terms and continuity of service, and a dismissal linked to the transfer may be unlawful in some cases.
Yes. You can often negotiate a settlement, ask for corrected redundancy pay, challenge the notice period, or seek a reference and other terms to resolve the dispute.
Ask for the reason for dismissal, the redundancy selection method, consultation records, calculation of notice pay and redundancy pay, and a breakdown of all sums owed.
Resigning can affect your rights, so it is usually better to get advice first because you may still be able to claim if you were dismissed or pressured out without proper notice or redundancy process.
You can seek help from an employment lawyer, union representative, advisory body, or workplace rights service to review your documents, explain your rights, and help you make a claim.
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