Qualifying for redundancy rights

To qualify for statutory redundancy pay and time off to look for work, you must be:

• an employee, which includes apprentices on an Apprenticeship Agreement; and

• have two years’ continuous service by the dismissal date (see Chapter 10: Continuous service).

There is no minimum number of working hours. There is no cap on age.

Employees do not qualify for statutory redundancy pay if they:

• accept an offer of suitable alternative employment by their employer (see page 445);

• unreasonably refuse suitable alternative employment (see page 445); or

• are dismissed for misconduct (section 140, ERA 96).