Redundancies & Restructures
Guidance and legal advice to ensure fair, compliant redundancies and restructures that minimise risk and support lasting business success.
When your business faces the need to reduce staff numbers or change its structure, it’s vital to handle the process properly. Redundancy and restructuring are complex areas of employment law that require careful planning and clear communication to minimise risk, avoid costly legal claims and maintain positive relationships. At Pinney Talfourd, we understand how challenging this can be, and we partner closely with you to deliver pragmatic advice, robust documentation and hands-on support that delivers the right outcome for your organisation and your employees.
Redundancies may arise due to business closure, relocation, or a diminished need for certain roles. Restructures often involve changing job roles or departments to improve efficiency or respond to changing markets. Both demand clear, fair procedures – consulting effectively with employees, applying objective selection criteria, and providing support for those affected.
We guide you through all stages: from planning and consultation, to selecting affected employees, managing appeals, and exploring alternatives such as redeployment or voluntary redundancy under the terms of a settlement agreement. Our goal is to minimise disputes and risk while preserving your reputation and workplace morale.
We also advise on collective redundancy processes when consultation across a large group of employees is legally required. Our employment law expertise ensures your approach aligns with current legislation.
Expertise rooted in trusted partnership
We don’t just provide legal advice; we become your trusted partner, supporting you through difficult business moments with professionalism and a clear plan that works for the long term.
Tailored solutions for each business challenge
No two businesses or redundancy scenarios are the same. We listen carefully and design strategies that respect your unique situation, goals, and values.
Proactive risk management
By anticipating legal pitfalls early, we help you avoid costly claims such as unfair dismissal or discrimination, keeping your business protected and employees fairly treated.
Clear, straightforward communication
We explain complex legal requirements in plain language, so you understand every step, feel confident in decisions, and can communicate openly with your teams.
Comprehensive redundancy procedure guidance
From establishing fair selection criteria to managing consultation and the appeals process, we ensure the entire process is compliant and transparent.
Support with collective redundancies
We guide you through the additional legal demands when making large-scale redundancies, ensuring consultation meets statutory timescales and content requirements.
Restructure expertise beyond redundancies
Our advice covers all types of business restructures, helping you reorganise operations and workforce effectively within employment law frameworks.
Recognised employment law team
Recognised by The Legal 500 for our employment law expertise, our team combines legal skill with real-world understanding to deliver exceptional outcomes.
Restructures under employment law
Effective restructures realign your organisation for future success. They also demand careful navigation of employment law to ensure fairness, compliance and trust.
A restructure often involves changing job roles, teams, or reporting lines to improve efficiency or adapt to market shifts. While not always involving redundancies, these changes can affect contracts, duties, or employee status, potentially leading to dispute if mishandled.
Pinney Talfourd advises you on whether proposed changes require employee consent, risks of potential claims, and the best way to consult and communicate with staff. We help you draft clear variation agreements, consultation documents, outcome letters and implementation plans and manage the process smoothly.
If redundancies are part of the restructure, we integrate both processes to maintain cohesiveness and minimise disruption.
Our approach balances protecting your business flexibility with respecting your employees’ rights, promoting transparency and trust throughout the journey. The result is a process that stands up to scrutiny, reduces the likelihood of disputes, and preserves working relationships.
Redundancies & Restructures FAQs
We understand you might be looking for answers, so we’ve compiled a list of frequently asked questions to help get you started.
If you propose to make 20 or more employees redundant within 90 days at one establishment, collective consultation rules apply. We can help determine when this applies and guide you through the legal consultation process.
Fair selection criteria should be objective and consistently applied, such as attendance, disciplinary records, skills, or performance. We assist you in designing these criteria to avoid unfair dismissal, discrimination and other employment related claims.
Employees have the right to be consulted and accompanied at meetings. You should consider alternative roles and offer appropriate notice periods. We help you ensure your procedures respect statutory and best-practice standards.
Yes, restructures can involve changing roles or contracts which require employee agreement or consultation. We advise on managing these changes to minimise disruption and legal risk.
Employees with two or more years’ continuous service qualify for statutory redundancy payments, calculated based on age, length of service, and capped weekly pay rates. We help you calculate and budget for these obligations accurately.
Our team of experts
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Your key contact
You can contact us now to book an initial consultation. Or for more information please contact Alex Pearce on the details below.
Alex Pearce
Partner