US Trends

what redundancy will i get

You’ll only know exactly what redundancy you’ll get by looking at your own contract, your employer’s policy, and your local law, but here’s how it usually works and how people on forums break it down when they ask “what redundancy will I get?”.

1. What “redundancy” usually means

In work/HR terms, “redundancy” is when your role disappears or the employer needs fewer people doing that kind of work (for example, restructuring, closure of a site, outsourcing, or cost-cutting).

Key points:

  • It is about your role , not your performance (in theory; in practice, it sometimes feels mixed).
  • The employer must follow a fair process (consultation, selection criteria, notice, etc., depending on your country).
  • You may get:
    • A redundancy payment (statutory and/or enhanced),
    • Notice pay ,
    • Holiday pay ,
    • Sometimes extras (e.g., outplacement support, keeping equipment).

2. Main types of redundancy you might face

When people ask “what redundancy will I get,” they often mean “what type and what payout?” The big categories used in HR and law are:

  • Voluntary redundancy
    • You are invited to apply to leave with a package.
    • Usually comes with a better payout or some incentive (e.g., extra weeks or months of pay) to encourage volunteers.
  • Compulsory redundancy
    • The company decides which roles go and who is selected.
    • You still get whatever redundancy you’re entitled to, but the terms may be more basic (statutory or contract-only).
  • Individual vs collective
    • Individual: only a small number (often with 1‑to‑1 consultations).
* Collective: a larger group, with group consultation and possibly union involvement.
  • Redundancy by situation (examples from employment law guides):
    • Surplus employees (too many people for the amount of work).
* Work of a particular kind stops or changes drastically (e.g., moving all IT to the cloud, closing a department).

* Place of work closes or moves and you can’t reasonably move.

* Outsourcing, where your work is moved to another company – sometimes you transfer (under rules like TUPE in the UK), sometimes you’re made redundant.

3. What money you might get (in general terms)

The actual amount depends on your country’s laws and your contract, but most systems look at the same ingredients:

  • Your length of service with the employer.
  • Your age (some systems pay more per year if you’re over a certain age).
  • Your weekly or monthly pay , usually capped at a legal maximum for statutory redundancy.
  • Whether your employer offers enhanced (above-legal) terms.

Typical components:

  1. Statutory redundancy pay
    • A legal minimum calculated by a formula (years of service × set number of weeks × capped weekly pay).
    • Usually only after a minimum period of continuous service (often around 2 years).
  2. Enhanced / contractual redundancy pay
    • Some employers improve on the statutory amount (for example, 2–4 weeks per year of service instead of the legal minimum).
    • You only get this if your contract, staff handbook, or a company policy says so.
  3. Notice pay
    • If they don’t make you work your notice, they usually pay you instead (pay in lieu of notice).
  4. Accrued holiday pay
    • Any holiday you’ve earned but not used is normally paid out on termination.
  5. Extras (case-by-case)
    • Outplacement support, training budget, keeping your laptop/phone, limited continued benefits, etc.

4. Quick HTML table: typical redundancy elements

You asked for structured content, so here’s a simple HTML table version:

html

<table>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Element</th>
      <th>What it is</th>
      <th>When you might get it</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>Statutory redundancy pay</td>
      <td>Minimum legal payout based on service, age, and capped weekly pay.</td>
      <td>When you have sufficient continuous service and your role is genuinely redundant.</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Enhanced redundancy pay</td>
      <td>Extra pay above the legal minimum (e.g., better formula per year).</td>
      <td>If your contract, policy, or union agreement offers better terms.</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Notice pay</td>
      <td>Pay for your notice period if you are not required to work it.</td>
      <td>When you are dismissed and the employer waives or shortens your notice.</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Holiday pay</td>
      <td>Payment for unused accrued annual leave.</td>
      <td>Normally on termination if you have holiday left.</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Voluntary redundancy incentive</td>
      <td>Extra lump sum or improved terms to encourage volunteers.</td>
      <td>If the employer is running a voluntary redundancy scheme.</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

5. How people on forums usually figure out “what will I get?”

On places like jobs or legal forums, when someone posts “What redundancy will I get?” , the first replies usually ask:

  • How long have you worked there?
  • What country/region are you in?
  • What does your contract/handbook say about redundancy?
  • Is it voluntary or compulsory?
  • Are they closing your site, your department, or just cutting numbers?

Then they:

  • Point the person to official calculators or government pages for statutory amounts.
  • Tell them to check their HR policy or union rep for enhanced terms.
  • Suggest talking to HR in writing and taking notes in any meeting.
  • Encourage them to ask directly:

“Please can you confirm in writing what redundancy payment, notice, and holiday pay I’ll receive, and how it has been calculated?”

6. What you can do next (step-by-step)

If you’re personally facing this and wondering “what redundancy will I get?”:

  1. Find your paperwork
    • Employment contract, staff handbook, intranet HR pages, any redundancy policy.
  2. Confirm the type
    • Ask HR or your manager: is this voluntary or compulsory , and are there enhanced terms?
  3. Ask for a written breakdown
    • Redundancy pay (formula and amount), notice, holiday, and any extras.
  4. Check official guidance
    • Look up your government’s or a reputable employment-advice body’s redundancy pages and compare with what your employer says.
  5. Get independent advice if unsure
    • Union, legal clinic, citizens’ advice, or an employment lawyer, especially if you think selection is unfair or the amount looks wrong.

7. If you tell me a few details…

If you’re comfortable sharing (no company names needed), tell me:

  • Your country,
  • How long you’ve been employed there,
  • Whether they’ve said it’s voluntary or compulsory,
  • Whether there’s any mention of “enhanced” or “generous” redundancy in your policy.

Then I can walk you through what you’re likely to get in much more concrete terms (still in general/information-only form, not legal advice).