Redundancy consultation period

[SarahBumBarer]

Is there any minimum consultation period if you are the only person in an organisation to be made redundant? If relevant my firm employs around 11,000 people. Does it make any difference if my redundancy is determined whilst on (or just going on) maternity leave (this is a genuine redundancy situation - no hidden maternity leave agenda on the part of my firm or anything like that).

I have not actually been made redundant but I can see it coming and just pondering my options for maximising redundancy pay, pay in lieu of notice, MA v JSA etc.

No minimum, no. 'Reasonable' is the key, and of course if you're consulting with only one person, you can reasonably do it pretty quickly.

Would it be one person selected from a pool with criteria, or just one unique role which is no longer needed. That would make a difference to how long 'reasonable' is as if a selection process and proposed criteria are involved that would usually take a bit longer.

Maternity leave doesn't make a difference to how long a consultation period needs to be, although allowances may need to be made for meeting attendance, that kind of thing.

Maternity leave does make a difference in that if there is a suitable alternative vacancy, a woman on mat leave must be offered it even if there are more suitable candidates.

Thanks Flowery. It's a unique role in my location - I am effectively a satellite department of another office and apart from the people in that other office I am generally off radar within my firm (which has been kind of nice). But now my equivalent department in the other office is being made a satellite of a third office and my boss relocated elsewhere. I very much suspect that I will now be seen (from a central perspective) as being too remote (effectively a satellite too far ) so from what you say the consultation would be relatively brief (apart from discussing relocation possibilities which is possible but not hugely attractive to me). It is helpful to know that they can't just expect me to be available for meetings the day after giving birth though!