HR File: Staying ahead of the game

Employers undergoing a redundancy exercise will often contemplate whether to permit an appeal against any resulting dismissal.

Redundancy is expressly excluded from the Acas Code of Practice on disciplinary and grievance (which provides for appeals in other contexts) and there is no right to an appeal granted in other guidance or legislation.

It can make sense not to offer an appeal in a redundancy process because of the uncertainty it creates and the knock-on consequences for other employees – if the appeal is successful then it follows that another employee who thought they were ‘safe’ may be losing their job instead (and that employee may themselves then appeal).