LRD guides and handbook June 2014

Law at Work 2014

Chapter 11

Looking for work

[ch 11: page 346]

While under notice of redundancy, employees have the right to reasonable paid time off during working hours to look for alternative work, provided they meet the qualifying conditions (see below: Qualifying for redundancy rights).

There is no fixed amount of time off employers should give. If an employer refuses time off or payment for time off, employees can make a claim to a tribunal (section 52, ERA 96), but the maximum an employer can be ordered to pay is 40% of weekly earnings. The complaint must be made within three months of refusal. As with all tribunal claims, there is now a tribunal fee for making this claim. For many workers, the fee is likely to eclipse the amount at issue (see Chapter 1).