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When do the statutory obligations apply?

Where an employer is proposing to dismiss as redundant 20 or more employees at one establishment within any period of 90 days, specific statutory requirements for information and consultation exist (see the Collective redundancy ― overview guidance note). The duty requires the employer to consult with appropriate representatives of the affected employees about ways of avoiding the dismissals, reducing the number of dismissals and mitigating the consequences of the dismissals. If an employer fails to comply with these requirements, a claim for a protective award of up to 90 days’ pay per employee may be made to an employment tribunal. This note deals specifically with the information and consultation requirements in a collective redundancy scenario. This UK obligation actually derives from a European Directive, the European Collective Redundancy Directive (98/59/EC).

Although the law applies to 20 or more employees at one establishment, the European Directive which it implements refers to establishments in the plural. In the combined case of Union of