How to tell someone their role is redundant

By Stefan Savva, Founder · Checked against the Fair Work Ombudsman and the Fair Work Commission on 28 October 2026 · 6 min read

Tell the person in private, in person if you can, in the first minute of the meeting, and in plain words: their role is redundant, it is about the role and not about them, and here is what happens next. Then hand over the letter, stop talking, and let them react.

This guide covers the meeting where you confirm the outcome, after consultation has finished. It is written for the manager or HR person in the room. It is general information, not legal advice.

Get the timing right

The outcome meeting comes at the end of a process, not the start. Before it, you should have consulted the person as their award or agreement requires and looked for other work for them in the business. If the first the person hears about a change is the meeting where their job ends, consultation has not happened, and the redundancy may not be genuine. Our guide to redundancy consultation explains what has to come first.

Pick a time that gives the person room afterwards:

Early in the day and early in the week, so they can talk to someone and reach your HR contact with questions.
Not before a holiday, a birthday you know about, or a major work deadline that they are leading.
Not by phone or video if it can be helped. If the person is remote, use video, never email or text, and send the letter straight after.

Prepare before you walk in

Have everything ready so the person leaves with answers, not a promise to get back to them:

The letter, with the last day, notice, redundancy pay and final pay worked out. Our redundancy letter templates cover what it should say.
The numbers checked against the Fair Work Ombudsman's notice and redundancy pay fact sheet and the award or agreement.
A second person in the room, usually HR, who takes notes and can answer questions about pay and leave.
What support is on offer, such as time off to look for work during notice, a reference, an employee assistance programme if you have one, and any outplacement you are paying for.
The practical answers: what happens to their laptop, phone and access, whether they work the notice period, and who will tell the team.

The first two minutes: a script

Open with the news. People stop hearing anything once they realise what the meeting is about, so a long warm-up only makes it worse. Adapt this to your own words:

"Thanks for coming in. I'm afraid I have difficult news. As we discussed during consultation, the business has decided that the [job title] role is no longer needed, because [business reason]. That means your role is redundant, and your employment will end.

I want to be clear that this is about the role, not about you or your work.

We looked for other roles you could move into, including [roles considered], and we could not find one that suited. [Name] is here to take you through your pay and entitlements, and this letter sets everything out in writing. Your last day will be [date].

I know this is a lot to take in. Take whatever time you need."

Then stop. Silence is fine. Do not fill it with reasons the decision was hard for you.

The rest of the meeting

Keep the meeting short, usually 15 to 20 minutes. The person will not take in detail today, which is why the letter matters.

Walk through the letter briefly: the last day, notice, redundancy pay and final pay.
Explain the support, and how and when it starts.
Answer questions honestly. If you do not know, say so and give a time you will come back by.
Do not argue the decision or reopen it. If the person raises something new, such as a role they believe they could do, write it down and say you will consider it. Then do.
Agree what happens today. Offer them the rest of the day off with pay, and ask whether they want to tell their colleagues themselves or have you do it.

What not to say

"I know how you feel." You do not, and it shifts the meeting to you.
"It could be worse" or "this could be an opportunity." The person may come to see it that way. It is not yours to say.
Anything about performance, age, health or family. A redundancy is about the job. A comment that links the decision to the person can turn a genuine redundancy into a discrimination claim. See genuine redundancy: the three tests.
A promise you cannot keep, such as a reference you will not give or a role that might open up later.

The hour after

What happens after the meeting is what everyone else in the business sees:

Do not walk the person out unless there is a genuine security reason. Escorting someone who has done nothing wrong tells the whole team they did.
Tell the team the same day, plainly: whose roles are affected, that it is about the roles, and what changes for everyone else.
Check in a day or two later. People often have their real questions once the shock wears off.
Send a written summary of anything you agreed in the meeting.

If several people are affected

If you are making several people redundant at once, tell each person individually, on the same day, before anyone else hears. Plan the order so no one learns from a colleague first. If you are considering 15 or more redundancies, you must also notify Services Australia in writing before the dismissals happen (Fair Work Ombudsman).

Common questions

Can you tell an employee they are redundant by phone or email?

An employee should hear in a private meeting, in person or by video if they are remote. Notice must then be given in writing, which can be emailed or texted only if the person agrees to receive it that way.

Should someone else be in the redundancy meeting?

A second person, usually from HR, should be in the redundancy meeting to take notes and answer questions about pay and leave. The employee should also be offered the chance to bring a support person.

How long should a redundancy meeting take?

A redundancy outcome meeting usually takes 15 to 20 minutes. The person will not take in much detail on the day, so the written letter carries the entitlements and the next steps.

Should an employee leave the workplace straight after the meeting?

Offering the rest of the day off with pay is kind and usually wise. Walking the person out under supervision should be kept for a genuine security reason, because the team reads it as a sign the person did something wrong.