Collective redundancy

Where an employer proposes to make 20 or more redundancies at a single establishment within a 90-day period, strict rules on collective consultation apply. If you fail to comply with these rules, an employment tribunal can make a ‘protective award’, which is currently up to 90 days’ pay per affected employee. The exact amount will depend on what the Tribunal decides is fair in all the circumstances, depending on how serious the breach is.   

What is changing? 

From 6 April 2026 the maximum protective award will double from 90 days’ pay to 180 days’ pay per affected employee, making the potential cost of not complying with these legal requirements even more serious. 

What do I need to do? 

If you think you may need to lose 20 or more roles within a 90-day period, take early advice and build realistic timescales into your planning to allow for the collective consultation process.