What should an at-risk of redundancy letter say?

It should tell the employee their role is at risk, explain the business reason for the proposal, set out the selection pool and the criteria, invite them to a first individual consultation meeting with a date and time, confirm their right to be accompanied, and explain how alternative vacancies will be considered. It should make clear that no decision has been taken — if it reads like a decision, the consultation that follows will not look genuine.

How long does redundancy consultation have to last?

For fewer than 20 proposed redundancies there is no statutory minimum, but consultation must be genuine and long enough for the employee to respond — usually at least two meetings over a week or more. At 20 to 99 proposed redundancies at one establishment in 90 days, collective consultation must begin at least 30 days before the first dismissal; at 100 or more, 45 days. Individual consultation still has to happen alongside the collective process.

Can an employee bring someone to a redundancy consultation meeting?

The statutory right to be accompanied strictly applies to disciplinary and grievance hearings, but in practice you should allow a colleague or union representative at redundancy meetings, and many contracts and handbooks give that right anyway. Refusing looks unfair and adds nothing, especially at the meeting where selection scores are discussed.

Do I have to offer alternative employment during redundancy?

You must take reasonable steps to look for suitable alternative vacancies across the business, including group companies where relevant, and the duty continues throughout the notice period. Employees on maternity, adoption or shared parental leave have priority over other redundancy candidates for a suitable vacancy, and that protection extends for 18 months from the child's birth or placement.

Is this letter enough on its own to make a redundancy fair?

No. The letter opens the process; fairness comes from the business case, the pool, the criteria, genuine consultation, the search for alternatives and a right of appeal. Use the letter alongside our redundancy process guide for the steps, and the redundancy pay calculator for the statutory figures.

Reviewed by David White · Director · MCIPD, BA (Hons), MA Strategic HRM · Updated 21 June 2026

Templates · Word · Redundancy Letters & Scripts

Redundancy 'At Risk' Consultation Letter

Free Word download for UK employers, written and reviewed by our HR team.

A single 'at risk' letter template as an editable Word document. This page provides the letter only. For the procedural steps that surround it, see our UK redundancy process guide. For statutory pay figures, use our redundancy pay calculator. For end-to-end programme support, see Redundancy Support for Employers.

What this letter covers

Notification that the employee's role is at risk of redundancy
The business reason for the proposed redundancies and the selection pool
The proposed selection criteria and how they will be applied
The date, time and format of the first individual consultation meeting
The right to be accompanied and to propose alternatives
How suitable alternative vacancies will be handled, and the timetable for the process

When to use this letter

Issue this letter at the formal start of your redundancy process, immediately after announcing the proposed redundancies to the wider group.

Where the at-risk letter sits in the redundancy process

1
Establish and record the business case
A redundancy exists where the requirement for employees to do work of a particular kind has ceased or diminished. Record the commercial reason before anyone is told, because it will be the first thing tested if a claim follows.
2
Check whether collective consultation applies
Proposing 20 or more redundancies at one establishment within 90 days triggers collective consultation with elected representatives: 30 days before the first dismissal for 20-99 proposed redundancies, 45 days for 100 or more. From April 2026 the protective award for failing to consult doubles to 180 days' pay.
3
Define the pool and the criteria
Select the pool on a rational, documented basis and use criteria that are objective and capable of being evidenced. Avoid anything that maps onto age, disability-related absence, part-time status or family leave.
4
Issue the at-risk letter and consult individually
This letter opens individual consultation. Consultation must be genuine and at a formative stage — the employee has to be able to influence the outcome, on selection, on alternatives and on the timetable.
5
Search for suitable alternative employment
The duty runs throughout the notice period, and an employee on maternity, adoption or shared parental leave has priority over other candidates for a suitable vacancy. That priority now extends for 18 months from the child's birth or placement.

How to complete it

Adapt the wording on your own letterhead for each at-risk employee. Always hand-deliver where possible and follow up with email and post.

Common mistakes we see

Sending the at-risk letter after the decision has effectively been made, so consultation is a formality
Choosing a pool of one without being able to explain why no one else was comparable
Using subjective criteria such as 'attitude' with no evidence behind the scores
Counting disability-related or pregnancy-related absence in an attendance criterion
Missing collective consultation because the 20-employee threshold was counted per site rather than per establishment as defined

Part of

This template is one letter inside a wider process. For end-to-end employer support, see Redundancy Support for Employers.

This template is provided for general use and does not constitute legal advice. If your situation is complex, contact one of our HR experts before sending or signing.