A new survey from ACAS has found that nearly one in five employers (18%) are likely to make staff redundancies over the next year.

ACAS commissioned YouGov to ask British businesses about their redundancy plans in the next 12 months. The poll found that large businesses were more likely to make redundancies than small and medium-sized (SME) businesses. Three out of ten large businesses (30%) are likely to make redundancies and 10% of SMEs said they were likely to do so.

ACAS Chief Executive, Susan Clews, said:

"The impact of global events has seen some businesses facing difficult circumstances and our poll reveals that nearly one in five are considering redundancies in the year ahead. Redundancies at large organisations have been in the news recently and it appears that three in ten organisations that employ more than 250 employees are likely to make redundancies in the next 12 months. ACAS advice for bosses is to exhaust all possible alternatives to redundancies first but if employers feel like they have no choice then they must follow the law in this area or they could be subject to a costly legal process."

If an employer finds there are no other choices than to make redundancies then there are strict rules on consulting staff that they must follow. An employer must discuss any planned changes and consult with each employee who could be affected. This includes staff who may not be losing their jobs but will be impacted.

Employees should be informed of the reason for the redundancy and the selection process that is going to take place. The business should also confirm all the options it has considered to avoid compulsory redundancies wherever possible and invite employees to propose alternative ways to avoid compulsory redundancies.

The minimum consultation period varies depending on the number of employees that an employer wishes to make redundant. By law, employers who wish to make 20 or more staff redundant over any three-month (90 day) period must also consult a recognised trade union or elected employee representatives about the proposed changes.

For 20 to 99 redundancies, consultation must start at least 30 days before the first dismissal can take effect, and for 100 or more redundancies, it has to start at least 45 days before. For less than 20 redundancies, there is no set time period but the length of consultation must be reasonable.

If an employer does not meet consultation requirements, employees can take their employer to an Employment Tribunal. If successful, the employer may have to pay up to 90 days' full pay for each affected employee. Someone can also make a claim of unfair dismissal to an Employment Tribunal on the grounds that they were not consulted, or the consultation was not meaningful.

Employers should consider all possible options before considering redundancies as other solutions to their situation could be found through consultation with their staff, employee representatives and unions.

ACAS advisers have seen many examples of this joint working that's produced creative alternatives to job losses, such as part-time working, cuts to overtime, finding alternative roles and retraining.

Read ACAS's full advice for staff and employers about redundancies.