The useful starting point
Separate the proposed job change, the payment calculation and any document you are asked to sign.
A redundancy enquiry may involve a proposal still being discussed, a decision already communicated or a document offered when employment ends. These are different starting points. Explain which applies and provide the employer’s actual communication. Avoid assuming that a payment figure answers every question about the process. This guide helps prepare the meeting; it does not calculate entitlements or decide whether a redundancy is genuine.
01 / Practical step
Identify the stage of the process
Keep the proposal, invitation to consult, decision letter and any response date together. Record what has happened in a short sequence. Tell the lawyer whether you have been asked to respond, attend a meeting or sign an agreement. Ask the office to confirm whether it can assess the material before the relevant date. A meeting reservation alone does not mean the office has accepted responsibility for that response.
02 / Practical step
Gather the employment context
Prepare your contract, variations, role description, relevant policy and any award or agreement information you have. Include length-of-service records and the employer’s payment breakdown if available. Do not guess which industrial instrument applies. Ask the adviser what else is needed to check the process and the figures. Fair Work’s redundancy information provides general context, while the specific employment arrangement still needs assessment.
03 / Practical step
Separate payment and release questions
A proposed payment breakdown and a deed or release can raise different questions. Ask what each amount represents and which assumptions need checking. If you have been offered an additional payment in exchange for signing, show the complete document and covering message. Request advice on the document’s effect rather than comparing only the total amount. Ask whether the quote includes proposed changes or a conversation with the employer’s representative.
04 / Practical step
Prepare questions about communication
Write down what remains unclear about consultation, other roles, final arrangements, return of property or references. The lawyer can help distinguish legal questions from administrative details. Keep communications factual and preserve copies. If you are still working, ask how advice and contact can be handled privately. Explain any separate concern about discrimination or another workplace issue rather than assuming redundancy advice automatically covers it.
05 / Practical step
Illustrative example: two documents, two tasks
An employee receives a redundancy letter and a separate proposed release. One legal quote covers a consultation; another includes a written review of the release. The employee asks both offices whether checking the payment breakdown and proposing amendments are included. That clarifies the comparison without treating either fee as the cost of resolving every employment issue. The example is invented and does not determine an entitlement.
- Proposal or decision correspondence
- Contract and relevant employment documents
- Payment breakdown
- Complete release or settlement proposal
- Dates and questions requiring attention
06 / Practical step
Capture the advice and the next responsibility
Before the meeting ends, ask what further records are needed and who will communicate with the employer. Keep the advice, document version and agreed next step together. If a revised offer arrives, ask whether it needs further review rather than relying on advice about an earlier version. Confirm the cost of additional correspondence and make sure any approaching response date remains visible while the proposal is being considered.
Clear answers
Questions before you take the next step
Can I rely on an online estimate of redundancy pay?
Use general information cautiously. Ask an adviser to assess the applicable arrangement and the employer’s breakdown rather than assuming a generic figure applies.
Does reviewing a release include negotiation?
Only if agreed. Confirm whether the lawyer will explain the document, draft changes or negotiate, and how additional work is charged.
Sources and scope
The linked sources support the official context. Our comparison examples and preparation frameworks are original editorial tools. Examples are illustrative, not reports of client matters.
- Fair Work Ombudsman — redundancy ↗
Official general redundancy information; not a calculation for an individual employee. Link and context checked .
General preparation information. No individual legal assessment or professional legal review is claimed. How this content is prepared →