United Kingdom: Redundancy/Layoff

Duncan Lewis Solicitors unveils a comprehensive video series addressing critical employment law matters, from grievance procedures and whistleblowing protections to discrimination claims and settlement negotiations. Each video breaks down complex legal rights and workplace protections into practical guidance for employees navigating challenging situations. The series covers upcoming legislative changes and provides actionable steps for workers facing unfair treatment, redundancy, or dismissal.

The UK government has significantly increased penalties for employers who fail to comply with collective redundancy consultation requirements, doubling the maximum protective award from 90 to 180 days' gross pay. Additionally, new legislation will introduce an organisation-wide trigger for collective redundancy obligations, fundamentally changing how multi-site employers must track and manage redundancy proposals across their operations.

When employers propose to dismiss 20 or more employees within 90 days, collective redundancy obligations trigger detailed consultation requirements under UK law. A recent EAT decision in Micro Focus v Mildenhall clarifies that employers need only consult on future proposals, not past dismissals, though tribunals will scrutinize whether separate proposals were engineered to avoid the 20-employee threshold.

From 1 January 2027, dismissing an employee for refusing to accept changes to core contractual terms known as “restricted variations” covering pay, pensions, working hours and shift patterns...

From 6 April 2026 employers will face a number of changes to statutory payment rates and employment law compensation limits.

The Government's consultation for collective redundancy seeks views on the level and methods for the new threshold.

The draft Bereaved Partner's Paternity Leave (BPPL) Regulations 2026 were laid before Parliament on 15 January 2025 and will come into force on 6 April 2026...

Employers proposing 20+ redundancies at one establishment within a period of 90 days must go through a process of collective consultation before making any redundancies.

A number of provisions in the Employment Rights Act 2025 ('ERA 2025') are coming into force on 6 April 2026. We set out the key changes.