30-day collective consultation
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 180 days' gross pay each where the dismissals take effect on or after 6 April 2026, up from 90 days (TULRCA 1992 s.189(4), as amended by the Employment Rights Act 2025). The week's pay is uncapped for protective-award purposes. The tribunal sets the period punitively, by the seriousness of the employer's default, not by the employee's loss. ACAS guidance: collective redundancies.