Voluntary redundancy: what to know before you volunteer

Volunteering for redundancyA dismissal that occurs when your employer no longer needs the work you do, either because the business is closing, a workplace is closing, or the requirement for employees to carry out that kind of w... can feel like taking back some control. Understand what you’re actually agreeing to before you volunteer, including what it doesn’t cover.

Your employer doesn’t have to ask for volunteers, or accept you if they do

There’s no legal requirement for your employer to run a voluntary redundancyVoluntary redundancy is when your employer invites people to put themselves forward for redundancy, usually alongside or instead of compulsory selection. Volunteering doesn't change your legal positio... scheme at all. Plenty of employers do it as good practice, since it can reduce the number of people who have to be compulsorily selected, but nothing forces them to.

Just as importantly, putting yourself forward doesn’t guarantee anything. Your employer can turn down a volunteer if it needs that person’s skills or role to stay, particularly in a smaller team where losing the wrong person would leave a genuine gap. Being accepted as a volunteer isn’t automatic just because you asked.

If you’re accepted, you’re in exactly the same legal position as anyone else made redundant

Here’s where people usually trip up. Volunteering doesn’t change your underlying legal entitlements. You’re still entitled to your full statutory redundancy pay if you qualify (two years’ continuous service), your notice pay, and any contractual enhancement your employer offers, on exactly the same terms as someone who didn’t ask to go.

You still count towards the collective consultation threshold

If your employer is proposing to make 20 or more people redundant at one site within 90 days, volunteers count towards that number just as much as anyone compulsorily selected. Your employer can’t sidestep the collective consultationCollective consultation is the legal process an employer must follow with employee representatives when proposing to make 20 or more people redundant at one establishment within 90 days. It is separat... duty, and the protective awardCompensation an employment tribunal can order, up to 13 weeks' gross pay per employee, when an employer fails to properly inform or consult staff before a TUPE transfer. that comes with getting it wrong, by pointing to how many people “chose” to go.

Volunteering also happens inside a wider redundancy process, and the same scrutiny that applies to that process applies here too. If you’re one of several people in the frame, see our case study on why a redundancy pool of just one person has to survive real scrutiny, and on why your employer should think about moving you into another role even if you never ask.

Can you change your mind?

Generally, yes, up until your employer has actually accepted your application and issued dismissal, though this depends on your employer’s specific voluntary redundancy scheme and your contract. Check what the scheme says about withdrawal before you apply, not after. Some schemes set a clear cut-off point; others leave it vague, which can work against you if you want to withdraw later.

Watch for pressure that makes it not really voluntary

If you’re being pushed, pressured, or made to feel your job is at risk anyway if you don’t volunteer, that changes the picture. A redundancy dressed up as voluntary but driven by pressure or an implied threat isn’t genuinely voluntary, and it’s worth getting advice before you sign anything if that’s how it feels.

Enhanced pay and settlement agreements

Voluntary schemes are often paired with enhanced (above-statutory) redundancy pay, sometimes offered through a settlement agreementA legally binding contract between you and your employer that settles any claims you might have in return for an agreed payment. You must take independent legal advice before signing one, and your emp.... If you’re asked to sign a settlement agreement, get it explained by a solicitor first, since it will usually ask you to give up your right to bring most tribunal claims in exchange for the payment. Your employer has to contribute towards your independent legal advice on this, so ask before assuming you have to pay for it yourself.

Use our voluntary redundancy checklist to work through what to check before you volunteer. If you’re weighing up an offer and want a second opinion before you decide, book a call to talk it through.