Redundancy notice periods

If you are being made redundant, your job won’t end straight away. By law, you are entitled to a minimum paid notice period.

Your notice period goes up depending on how long you worked for your employer – your period of service.

For example, if you have worked for your employer for 5 years and 3 months you get 4 weeks' notice.

Your employer should give you notice of redundancy in writing when they tell you they are making you redundant.

The notice must give you the date your employment will end (date of termination).

Your notice period only starts when your employer gives you this notice and a finishing date. Your notice period does not start from when your employer tells you that you are at risk of redundancy.

You still get the same paid notice if your employer says you do not have to work your notice period.

Not having to work your notice period could mean either:

• You are paid as usual until the end of your notice period, but you do not have to work
• You get all your notice pay at once and your employment ends straight away (called ‘pay in lieu of notice’)

Your employer will tell you if they are giving you pay in lieu of notice or simply paying you as normal to the end of your notice period.

You may want to leave your job before the notice period ends, for example if you get another job.

If you want to leave your job before the end of your notice period, you must complete form RP6 (pdf) and give it to your employer.

Your employer can decide whether or not to allow you to leave in the notice period.

If your employer does not agree and you leave during the notice period, it may affect your entitlement to a redundancy payment.

If you are being made redundant, you are entitled by law, to paid time off during your last 2 weeks of notice to look for a new job. Your employer can ask for proof that you’re using the time off to find a new job.

You are entitled to take any outstanding holidays (annual leave).

If you cannot take your holidays during the notice period, you are entitled to payment in lieu of (instead of) holidays.

If you have been laid off or put on short-time work, this means that your contract of employment is temporarily suspended.

If your employer then decides to make you redundant, they must re-activate your contract to make you redundant. When your employer gives notice of redundancy, you are entitled to the full notice period.

If you have a complaint or dispute about your notice or pay during the notice period, you should begin by trying to sort it informally with your employer.

If you are unable to resolve the complaint informally, you can make a complaint to the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC).

You must use the online complaint form. All complaints must be made within 6 months. This time limit can be increased to 12 months if you can show there was a “reasonable cause” for the delay.

You can get more information about your employment rights from the Workplace Relations Commission. You can contact their Information and Customer service – see below.

The laws on redundancy

The laws on redundancy are set out in the Redundancy Payments Acts 1967–2014.