At-Risk Notification Letter

The letter placing an employee at risk of redundancy, explaining the pool, the process, their rights and the support available.

When to use it

Once the pool is confirmed and before individual consultation meetings begin.

Writing an at-risk letter people can actually understand

The at-risk letter is the moment a restructure stops being an organisational plan and becomes a personal event. It is also a legal document. It has to do both jobs: state the position accurately, and treat the reader as a person who has just had a difficult afternoon.

What the letter must cover

Why the proposal exists, that the employee is in a selection pool and what that pool is, what happens next and when, who they can contact, and their right to be accompanied where applicable. It should confirm that no decision has been made about individuals and that the purpose of the meetings that follow is genuine consultation.

What it should avoid

Jargon, euphemism and false comfort. "Impacted" tells people nothing; "your role is at risk of redundancy" tells them exactly where they stand. Equally, do not promise outcomes you cannot control — a redeployment search is a commitment to look, not a guarantee of a role.

Timing and handover

Issue it once the pool is confirmed and immediately after the individual has been told in person or by call, never before. Line managers should be briefed first using the Line Manager Briefing Pack, and the wider sequence should follow the Announcement Communication Pack.

Signposting support

Say what support is available and how to access it: employee assistance, time off to attend interviews, and outplacement or career transition support if it is being provided. People rarely absorb detail on the day, so the letter is where they will look again a week later. If you are commissioning support, the Outplacement Brief and Offboarding Checklist covers what good looks like.