Redundancy Selection Criteria Guidance - August 2026

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4. Selection Criteria

Once the Authority has determined the selection pool, it will apply criteria to decide which employees from the pool will be provisionally selected for redundancy. The Authority will ensure that, as far as is possible, the criteria applied are objective, in that that they are not based on the subjective opinion of the individuals applying the criteria.

The Authority will, strive to use criteria that are measurable and supportable by documentary records, data or other evidence, for example attendance, performance appraisal and supervision records (where appropriate), capability or disciplinary records etc.

In collective redundancy situations, selection criteria and weighting will be drawn up in consultation with recognised Trade Unions and will be agreed by the relevant Director (or their nominated representative) and Assistant Chief Executive (People, Digital and Policy) or their nominated representative. Care must be taken in agreeing criteria to ensure that it is not directly or indirectly discriminatory.

Some selection criteria are automatically unfair. The Authority will not select an employee for redundancy based on any of the following reasons:

  • Pregnancy, including all reasons relating to maternity.

  • Family, including parental leave, paternity leave (birth and adoption), adoption leave or time off for dependants

  • Acting as an employee representative.

  • Acting as a trade union representative.

  • Joining or not joining a trade union.

  • Being a part-time or fixed-term employee.

  • Their age, disability, gender reassignment, gender identity and gender expression, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion, belief or non-belief, sex and sexual orientation.

  • Pay and working hours, including the Working Time Regulations, annual leave and the National Minimum Wage.

  • Asserting a statutory right.

The selection criteria that the Authority uses will depend on a number of factors, including the needs of the service at the time and the roles under consideration.

The following list gives examples of the criteria that the Authority may apply:

  • Attendance: To determine an employee's attendance record, the Authority will examine attendance records in the 3 years leading up to the commencement of the redundancy consultation. The Authority will not take account of absences due to pregnancy, maternity, other family-friendly leave or disability.

  • Disciplinary: To determine an employee's disciplinary record, the Authority will examine personnel files for formal warnings and recorded informal disciplinary concerns identified through the informal/formal stages of the Disciplinary Policy*.

  • Capability records: To determine an employee's capability record, the Authority will examine personnel files for formal improvement notes and recorded capability concerns identified through the informal/formal stages of the Capability Policy*.

  • Job performance: To determine an employee's performance record, the Authority will examine appraisal documentation and supervision records (where appropriate).

  • Relevant knowledge and skills: The Authority will undertake a knowledge and skills audit within the established pool relevant to the job role, service users, customers and the Authority.

  • Relevant qualifications and training: To determine an employee’s relevant qualification and training record, the Authority will examine personnel files and Learning & Development records. This may also be identified via a skills audit.

  • Length of service (only as one of a number of criteria and following the completion of the Equality Impact Assessment).

The particular selection criteria used will be determined, depending on any relevant business requirements, at that time, taking into consideration any need to retain specific knowledge, skills and a balanced workforce.

(* Note: Recorded disciplinary/capability concerns identified through the informal/formal stages of the Disciplinary / Capability policies can be in the form of letters or memos to individuals; files notes; diary notes or minutes from meetings. Incidents for which there is no written record are not sufficient. Records of incidents which have never been raised with the individual concerned will not be used).