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Want to stay on the right side of the law? We support businesses and public authorities and help them to promote good practice.
 
 

Redundancy & letting staff go

What you need to know

How we can help

Publications
 

How do I deal with redundancy situations?

As an employer you should have a policy and procedure in place for redundancy situations. These policies and procedures must be fairly and consistently applied to all employees regardless of:
 

  • sex
  • pregnancy or maternity
  • gender reassignment
  • married or civil partnership
  • religious or similar philosophical belief
  • political opinion
  • race
  • sexual orientation
  • disability
  • age


To do otherwise, on any of these grounds, is likely to amount to an act of unlawful discrimination.

Read our advice note for employers - Redundancy and the Coronavirus

Can I make a disabled employee redundant?

 

What about those on pregnancy-related absence and maternity leave?

 

Is length-of-service a factor when making redundancies?

 
 

 

Can I require staff to retire at 65?

No, since April 2011, you are no longer permitted to routinely require employees to retire at the age of 65. If you do, an employee may be able to complain about age discrimination unless you follow certain procedures and can justify the decision to terminate their employment at 65.

How should I deal with retiring my employees?

 

How do I retire staff in a fair, non discriminatory way?

 
 

How we can help

We believe that helping you promote and encourage good equal opportunities practice is as important as enforcing the equality law. Every year, the Commission helps hundreds of businesses and organisations comply with equality laws.

We recognise that employers' needs differ across sectors and businesses – so we tailor our services to meet employers’ varying needs.

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You can find useful information in our publication:
 



All employers should also follow the guidance recommended by the Labour Relations Agency in its publication:
 


If you are looking for a particular publication, you can search our publications database



Useful websites:
 

 

 

 
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