First: is it really a redundancy?
Redundancy means the job ceases to exist — the business closes, restructures, needs fewer people, or the work is done differently. It is about the role, never the person. If your “redundant” job is advertised or refilled weeks later, that’s not redundancy — it’s dismissal wearing a costume, and the Workplace Relations Commission treats it accordingly.
Notice: what you must be given
| Continuous service | Minimum notice |
|---|---|
| 13 weeks – 2 years | 1 week |
| 2 – 5 years | 2 weeks |
| 5 – 10 years | 4 weeks |
| 10 – 15 years | 6 weeks |
| 15+ years | 8 weeks |
Notice pay is separate from and additional to your redundancy payment — use the calculator for the redundancy part. An employer can pay in lieu of notice; they cannot skip it.
Fair selection
Where some roles stay and some go, selection must use objective criteria: skills, qualifications, performance records, or the long-standing “last in, first out”. Selection driven by pregnancy or family leave, union activity, age, or having made complaints is automatically unfair. Ask, in writing, what criteria were used — a fair process has an answer ready.
Your rights during notice
- Paid time off to job-hunt — with 104+ weeks of service you’re entitled to reasonable paid time off during notice to look for work or arrange training.
- Working out the notice normally — pay and conditions continue unchanged; annual leave keeps accruing.
- Leaving early by agreement — possible without losing the redundancy payment, but get the agreement in writing.
If something smells wrong
- Put questions in writing — selection criteria, the business reason, whether the role will be refilled.
- Check the maths — the statutory formula is fixed; if the offer is below it, that’s not an offer, it’s an underpayment.
- Don’t sign a waiver on the spot — severance agreements that waive claims deserve independent advice first; many employers will even pay for that advice.
- WRC within 6 months — unfair dismissal and redundancy payment complaints go to the Workplace Relations Commission; the clock runs from the dismissal date.
Frequently asked questions
How much notice must my employer give?
Statutory minimums scale with service: 1 week (13 weeks–2 years), 2 weeks (2–5 years), 4 weeks (5–10 years), 6 weeks (10–15 years), 8 weeks (15+ years). Your contract can promise more, never less. Pay in lieu of notice is allowed.
Can I take time off to look for a new job?
Yes. During the notice period, an employee under notice of redundancy with 104+ weeks of service has a right to reasonable paid time off to look for work or arrange training.
What makes a redundancy unfair?
Redundancy must be about the job, not the person. If you’re selected because of pregnancy, union membership, age, having raised complaints — or your "redundant" role is refilled shortly after — that’s unfair dismissal territory, and the WRC can award up to two years’ pay.
What is a collective redundancy?
When larger numbers are let go within 30 days (5+ in firms of 21–49, scaling up to 30+ in firms of 300+), the employer must consult employee representatives for 30 days and notify the Minister before the first dismissal.