Situation · 20-99 redundancies

30-day collective consultation

Triggered when an employer proposes 20 to 99 redundancies at a single establishment within a 90-day window. The clock runs from when consultation begins (not from the at-risk letter).

When the 30-day rule bites

The duty in TULRCA 1992 s.188 requires meaningful consultation to begin in good time and at least 30 days before the first dismissal takes effect. The 30 days is a floor, not a target; the obligation is to consult fully even if that takes longer.

What must be covered

Ways of avoiding the dismissals
Reducing the numbers proposed
Mitigating the consequences for those affected

The employer must also provide statutory information in writing under s.188(4): reasons, numbers, descriptions, selection criteria, calculation of any non-statutory payment, and the proposed time period.

What happens if the employer skips it

Affected employees, through their representatives, can claim a protective award of up to 90 days' gross pay each (uncapped for protective-award purposes). The tribunal sets the period punitively, with 90 days as the starting point in deliberate-breach cases. ACAS guidance: collective redundancies.