Collective redundancy: 180-day protective award
6 April 2026 In force
Employment Rights Act 2025 s.30. S.I. 2026/323 (Commencement No. 2), reg 5. Applies to: Great Britain. Checked 25 October 2026.
If an employer proposes 20 or more redundancies at one establishment within 90 days and fails to consult collectively, a tribunal can award up to 180 days’ pay per affected employee (it was 90). It applies to dismissals taking effect on or after 6 April 2026.
The whole-business threshold change (s.29) is planned for April 2027 (GOV.UK, 22 October 2026) and has no commencement regulations yet.
Who it affects
Employers proposing 20 or more redundancies within 90 days — rare under 50 staff, but possible for a firm closing a site.
What changes
- Maximum protected period for the protective award: 90 → 180 days.
- A separate change to count redundancies across the whole business (not per site) is planned for April 2027.
What to do
- If you might reach 20 proposed redundancies, take advice before the first notice and plan collective consultation of at least 30 days.
Documents to review
- Redundancy procedure (only if 20 or more redundancies are possible): Collective consultation trigger (20+ in 90 days); Protective award risk now 180 days’ pay.
Tick these off and export the dates to your calendar in the business plan tab.
Sources
- S.I. 2026/323 — Commencement No. 2 Regulations
- Employment Rights Act 2025, section 30 — Collective redundancy consultation: protected period
- Acas — Employment Rights Act 2025 (updated 20 October 2026)
A summary for employers, not legal advice. Where a change depends on regulations not yet made, details may differ from this page.
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