Know exactly what you're entitled to

Ireland has a clear statutory redundancy scheme, generous tax treatment of redundancy lump sums, and a pay-related jobseeker's payment worth up to €450 a week in the first three months. Here is what you are entitled to, and the deadlines that matter.

In England, Scotland and Wales you get statutory redundancy pay after 2 years' service, the first £30,000 of redundancy pay is tax-free, and New Style JSA can pay you for up to 6 months whatever your savings. Several rules are changing under the Employment Rights Act 2025, so check the dates below.

Northern Ireland has its own employment law. Statutory redundancy pay works like the rest of the UK but with a higher weekly cap, and several protections are different: unfair dismissal needs only 1 year's service, large redundancies need 90 days' consultation, and employers must follow a statutory dismissal procedure.

There's no federal right to severance pay in the US. What you get depends on your employer's policy, your contract and what you negotiate. But some important protections and deadlines apply to almost everyone, especially around health insurance, unemployment benefits and signing a release.

Canada's rules depend on who regulates your employer. Most people fall under their province's employment standards; we show Ontario, the largest, alongside federal Employment Insurance and the rules for federally regulated workers such as banks, airlines and telecoms.

Australia's National Employment Standards give most employees redundancy pay after 12 months' service, and genuine redundancy payments are partly tax-free. The deadline that catches people out is the 21 days you have to challenge a dismissal.

New Zealand has no statutory redundancy pay, so what you receive depends on your employment agreement. But your employer must have a genuine reason, follow a fair process in good faith, and you have 90 days to raise a personal grievance.