Notification of collective redundancies to BIS

As well as consulting employee representatives, the employer is legally obliged to notify the Secretary of State of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) of all proposed redundancies of 20 or more employees. This is done by completing an HR1 form and sending it to the Redundancy Payments Service, part of BIS. The form asks for information on why redundancies are being proposed and on the number of staff, by occupational group, likely to be affected. The employer also has to set out the proposed selection and consultation procedure.

If the number of proposed redundancies is 100 or more employees at one establishment, notification must be given to BIS at least 45 days before the first redundancy covered by the notice takes effect. If the number is between 20 and 99, the notification must be given at least 30 days before the first redundancy takes effect, and in any event before notice is given to terminate any contracts of employment. The employer must give a copy of this notification to employee reps. Failure to notify BIS of collective redundancies can lead to a conviction and a fine.