1 in 3 employers likely to make staff redundant by next year

The findings come from a survey of 1,000 businesses by conciliation service Acas, which also revealed that larger employers are more likely to lay off staff than smaller firms.

Kevin Rowan, director of dispute resolution at Acas, told PA: “The results of our poll reveal that a third of businesses are considering redundancies by the start of next year.

“Organisations should look at all possible alternatives to redundancies first, but if employers conclude they have no choice, then they have legal requirements they must follow.

“This means they must consult with staff early to seek their views, or risk being subject to a costly legal process.”

What is redundancy?

Redundancy is when you dismiss an employee because you no longer need anyone to do their job. This might be because your business is:

• changing what it does
• doing things in a different way, for example using new machinery
• changing location or closing down

Strike action has begun at Glasgow Caledonian University, as staff walk out in a dispute over job cuts and possible compulsory redundancies 👇

𝘝𝘐𝘋𝘌𝘖: 𝘊𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘯 𝘔𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘴 pic.twitter.com/PrDaPmAnZl

— The Herald (@heraldscotland) June 3, 2026

Advertisement

For a redundancy to be genuine, you must demonstrate that the employee’s job will no longer exist.

Redundancies can be compulsory or non-compulsory.

What are my rights as an employer?

Employees have certain rights and may be entitled to redundancy pay if they’re made redundant.

All employees under notice of redundancy have the right to:

• reasonable time off to look for a new job or arrange training
• not be unfairly selected for redundancy

Employers must try to find suitable alternative employment within the organisation for employees they’ve made redundant.

Employees can try out an alternative role for 4 weeks (or more if agreed in writing) without giving up their right to redundancy pay.

You must be fairly selected for redundancy, for example, because of your level of experience or capability to do the job.

You cannot be selected because of age, gender, or if you’re disabled or pregnant. If you are, this could be classed as an unfair dismissal.

Are you worried about keeping your job? Let us know in the comments