8. REDUNDANCY

Collective consultation — If an employer proposes to dismiss 20 or more employees the employer must consult with the union or other representatives with the aim of reducing or eliminating the need for redundancies. Currently, the period of consultation is 30 days if 20-99 redundancies are proposed and 90 days if the figure is 100 or more. However, from 6 April 2013 the consultation period where 100 or more people are at risk of redundancy will drop to 45 days. If the employer fails to consult, a tribunal can award compensation in the form of a “protective award”.