The UK is facing the highest wave of redundancies since the pandemic. According to the CIPD (2025), one in four employers ran a redundancy programme last year – and one in four expect to make further cuts in the next three months.
For HR Leaders managing this at scale, across multiple sites and business units, outplacement for large organisations has never been more important – and the stakes have never been higher.
And from April 2026, they got higher still.
Changes introduced under the Employment Rights Act have doubled the maximum penalty for failing to comply with collective redundancy consultation rules – from 90 to 180 days’ pay per affected employee, with no cap. Getting the process wrong is no longer just an HR risk. It’s a financial and reputational one that sits squarely at board level.
But the legal framework – as important as it is – only tells part of the story. The other part is the human one. And that’s exactly where we come in.
The changing legal landscape
Most HR Leaders will be well across the fundamentals of collective consultation. What’s worth focusing on right now are the significant changes introduced by the Employment Rights Act – and what’s coming next.
From April 2026, the maximum protective award for failing to comply with collective consultation rules doubled to 180 days’ pay per affected employee, with no cap. This materially increases the financial exposure for any organisation that gets the process wrong.
Looking ahead to 2027, the Act introduces further changes that are particularly significant for large organisations operating across multiple sites. Under current rules, the collective consultation trigger is applied per establishment. The Employment Rights Act will shift this to an organisation-wide threshold – meaning the total number of redundancies proposed across the whole business will count, not just those at any single location.
For HR Leaders managing dispersed workforces, this changes the picture significantly. What currently looks like several separate, site-level exercises could soon become a single, group-wide collective consultation obligation. It is worth reviewing your approach now, ahead of that change.
Note: the specific threshold figure for the 2027 change remains subject to ongoing government consultation. For the latest guidance on legal requirements, we always recommend referring to Acas: Collective consultation for redundancy.
What the law doesn’t cover: the people experience
The legal framework sets the minimum. It tells you how long to consult, who to notify, and what to document. What it doesn’t tell you is how to handle the human reality of what your employees are going through.
Redundancy consistently ranks among the top ten most stressful life events. The psychological impact can be long-lasting – and it doesn’t stay with the people leaving. It ripples through the whole organisation.
“Organisations can sometimes treat redundancies as a transaction or a legal headache as opposed to focusing on the deeply personal and emotional experience their employees are facing. By taking a singular approach, those who might face greater challenges (such as those with caring responsibilities limiting their options, neurodivergent employees or the oldest and youngest impacted), can be overlooked.”
Amy Cosgrove, Assoc. CIPD, Head of Client Services, Chiumento
The consistency challenge for large organisations
For HR Leaders managing redundancy across multiple sites and business units, one of the most significant risks isn’t just the legal process – it’s inconsistency.
A poorly handled exit in one part of the business reflects on the whole organisation. When it lands on Glassdoor or LinkedIn, it doesn’t come with a footnote about which site it happened at. The board sees one organisation. The talent market sees one employer brand.
Communication sits at the heart of this challenge.
“Poor communication, be that too vague or too infrequent, can add an additional layer of stress to everyone involved, even those whose roles are not directly impacted. Communication needs to be considered, clear and frequent to help everyone through this kind of turbulent change.”
Amy Cosgrove, Assoc. CIPD – Head of Client Services, Chiumento
What good looks like from the employee’s perspective
Understanding what employees actually need during large-scale redundancy helps HR Leaders design a process that is both legally sound and genuinely supportive.
“Great communication, with questions being addressed before even being asked. Support that is appropriate for each individual in line with their needs – fairness does not equal sameness. Practical help on taking the next step such as fair financial packages, CV help and career coaching – giving the sense that the employer really does care.”
Amy Cosgrove, Assoc. CIPD – Head of Client Services, Chiumento
This is particularly relevant at scale, where the temptation is to standardise everything for efficiency.
But standardisation and personalisation aren’t mutually exclusive. The right outplacement partner can deliver consistent quality across every site while ensuring each individual receives support that reflects their specific situation and needs.
What good outplacement for large organisations looks like
When assessing outplacement support for a large-scale redundancy programme, HR Leaders should look for:
- Consistency across sites: The experience your people receive should not depend on which site they are on. Look for a scalable solution that maintains quality across dispersed teams and varying headcounts.
- Individual, human coaching: Volume does not mean generic. Every person going through redundancy deserves support that reflects their circumstances, career stage and emotional needs – not a one-size-fits-all programme.
- Support at every level: From volume programmes through to executive transitions, the right provider should work effectively across your whole organisation.
- Practical career support: CV development, LinkedIn optimisation, interview preparation and career strategy – delivered by experienced coaches who understand the current market.
- Emotional support where needed: The best outplacement recognises that redundancy is not just a career event – it is a life event. Emotional support, available as part of a tailored programme, can make a significant difference.
- Easy to roll out: At scale, the last thing HR needs is a provider that creates more complexity. Look for a clear, straightforward process that is simple to manage from the centre.
Advice for HR Leaders approaching this for the first time
Large-scale redundancy is one of the most demanding things an HR team can manage. Amy’s advice for those facing it is grounded and direct.
“Communicate (there’s a common theme here!) clearly and consistently. The situation will be difficult enough without introducing confusion or uncertainty. Design a process that feels fair, flexible and genuinely considers individuals’ needs, and don’t forget to support those managers who are delivering the difficult messages too. This might be an extremely emotionally taxing situation for all involved so prioritise emotional wellbeing however you can.”
Amy Cosgrove, Assoc. CIPD – Head of Client Services, Chiumento
That last point is one that is often overlooked. Line managers tasked with delivering redundancy news are not always prepared for how it will feel – and without support, that emotional weight can have a lasting impact on their own engagement and wellbeing.
Summary: getting outplacement for large organisations right in 2026
The legal landscape around large-scale redundancy has changed significantly in 2026, with more change on the horizon. But the organisations that navigate this best are not just the ones with the most watertight process – they are the ones that understand redundancy as a human experience, not just a legal one.
For HR Leaders, that means:
- Taking legal advice early and staying across the Employment Rights Act changes
- Communicating clearly, consistently and frequently across every site and level
- Designing a process that is fair without being identical – fairness does not equal sameness
- Supporting managers as well as the employees directly affected
- Choosing an outplacement partner that delivers consistent, individual support at scale
How Chiumento delivers outplacement for large organisations
The organisations that navigate large-scale redundancy well don’t just emerge with a cleaner headcount. They emerge with stronger cultures, higher trust, and workforces that have seen, first-hand, what kind of employer they work for. Getting this right isn’t just about managing an exit – it’s about making change work for everyone it touches.
That means combining the right process with the right people support. Technology can help at scale – consistent delivery, digital tools, accessible resources for dispersed teams. But it’s the human element that makes the difference: coaches who understand that redundancy is a life event, not just a career one, and support that meets people where they are.
We work with HR Leaders across the UK to deliver outplacement that is consistent, personal and easy to manage from the centre – across every site, every level, every transition. From volume outplacement programmes to executive transitions, we help people land, not just leave.
If you are planning large-scale restructures and are considering group outplacement options, we’d love to talk. We have contemporary, affordable solutions designed to support your people individually – however many there are and wherever they are based.
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Iona works across Chiumento’s Digital Marketing Executive. Working on blog and comms projects, Iona helps to shape how the organisation talks about change, redundancy, and the employee experience. With experience in the education, law, and HR sectors, she brings a cross-industry perspective to workforce planning and organisational change. Iona contributes to content that supports HR leaders through restructuring and is particularly interested in how clear, human communication builds trust during times of uncertainty. She holds a BA in Illustration and brings a creative, insight-led approach to everything she writes.