Redundancy Notice and Outcome Letter

The confirmation letter following consultation: the decision, the reasoning, the payments, the notice and the right to appeal.

When to use it

After the final individual consultation meeting, once consultation is genuinely complete.

Confirming a redundancy outcome in writing

The outcome letter is the document most likely to be read by a solicitor. It should be accurate, complete and human — three qualities that are easier to combine than most employers assume.

What it must confirm

That consultation is complete and the decision is now made; the reason for redundancy; the selection basis where relevant; the termination date and notice arrangements; the redundancy payment calculation and any enhanced element; outstanding holiday and other payments; the return of equipment; and the right of appeal with a deadline and a named recipient.

The tone question

People remember this letter. A sentence that acknowledges the contribution someone has made costs nothing and changes how the whole process is remembered. Avoid template language that reads as though it was generated for someone else — because it was.

Timing

Issue it only after the final individual consultation meeting, once representations have genuinely been considered. A letter dated before the last meeting is the single clearest evidence that consultation was a formality. Where a collective process applies, the notice must not take effect before the statutory period expires — check the Collective Consultation Timetable.

Setting up what comes next

Include the practical detail people will need in the following week: final pay date, references, continued benefits, and how to access outplacement or career transition support. The Outplacement Brief and Offboarding Checklist covers the handover, and the Redundancy Appeal Process and Hearing Record covers what happens if they challenge the decision.

Our guides include worked examples of outcome letters that are both compliant and readable.