Is there a right to appeal?
There's no single legal procedure for redundancy appeals, but most employers offer one and it's good practice. Check your redundancy or appeals policy for the deadline, which is often 5 working days from the decision. If you weren't offered an appeal, you can still ask for one in writing.
Common grounds of appeal
- You weren't properly consulted before the decision.
- The selection pool was too narrow, or left out similar roles.
- The criteria weren't objective, or weren't applied consistently.
- Your scores were wrong, or you weren't shown them.
- You weren't offered suitable alternative work that was available.
- It isn't a genuine redundancy: the work is still needed, or someone else is doing your job.
- Selection was linked to pregnancy, maternity, disability, age or another protected reason, or to raising concerns at work.
- Your employer didn't follow its own policy.
Only use grounds that are true for you, and give the facts: dates, scores, names of roles.
At the appeal meeting
Ask for the selection criteria, your scores and the documents relied on before the meeting. Ask for the appeal to be heard by someone who wasn't involved in the original decision. You can ask to bring a colleague or union representative. Take notes, and ask for the outcome in writing.
Unfair dismissal and time limits
To claim ordinary unfair dismissal you usually need 2 years' service where your job ends before 1 January 2027, and 6 months where it ends on or after that date. Selection for an automatically unfair reason, such as pregnancy or whistleblowing, and discrimination, are protected from day one.
An internal appeal doesn't stop the clock. Before a tribunal claim you must contact Acas for early conciliation: within 3 months less a day of the dismissal where it took effect before 1 October 2026, and 6 months less a day where it took effect on or after that date. Our time limits tool works out your date.