Advanced Notification of Redundancies – HR1 form
Source: gov.uk (2025-08-19)

Questions from the new HR1 demo

On 7 August 2025 we held an online demonstration of the new HR1 form that you will need to submit to give advance notification of potential redundancies. At that session a number of questions about the new form were submitted.

This document provides answers to those questions under common themes.

This will help you:
- Understand the new digital form in more detail
- See how common scenarios will work once the form is live
Advanced notification of redundancies (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/redundancy-payments-form-hr1-advance-notification-of-redundancies)

The government must help employees facing redundancy. To do this, advance notification of potential redundancies is required from employers. Failure to comply with the statutory notification requirements without good cause may result in prosecution and a fine, on summary conviction, for the company and/or officers of the company.

The Redundancy Payments Service (RPS), acting on behalf of the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, collects the information and distributes it to the appropriate government departments and agencies who offer job brokering services and/or training services.

This happens so that the government can help your employees. The information about your company is commercially confidential and may be used only for the purpose of assisting those facing redundancy. The other government departments and agencies are bound by the same confidentiality terms as the RPS.

You will be contacted directly by your local Jobcentre Plus and other service providers in your local area with offers of assistance during this notification/consultation period.

When should I submit an HR1 form?

You are required by law to notify RPS of a proposal to dismiss 20 or more employees as redundant at one establishment within a period of 90 days or less.

To notify us, you need to complete an advance notification of redundancies form (HR1) (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/redundancy-payments-form-hr1-advance-notification-of-redundancies) and return it to us.

An establishment is the site where an employee is assigned to work. If you operate from more than one site, each one is treated separately for notification and consultation purposes.

You must complete a form for each site where 20 or more redundancies are proposed. You must send a copy of the notification to the representatives of the employees being consulted.

If you have already notified us about one group of redundancies and you need to make further redundancies you should treat them as separate events. You do not need to add the numbers in 2 groups together to calculate the minimum period for either group.

1. Is the form intended for actual redundancies only, or should it also be used for potential redundancies / or those realistically expected after resourcing?

An employer must notify us of potential redundancies. The employer should provide their best estimate or worst-case scenario figure for potential redundancies, using the information available to them at time of HR1 submission.

Changes to the form

1. What are the key changes in the new form?

Changes to the new form:
- we have included links to Companies House, the Charity Commission and Mutuals Public Register, to assist with completion
- we have added a new redundancy reason: ‘Change in supply chain/loss of supply chain contract’
- the new form will not accept consultation start dates in the future
2. What user testing has been done to validate the form’s functionality and usability?

We have completed testing with users including with large businesses and smaller companies with 50 employees.

3. Is the form suitable for large organisations with multiple divisions, sites, and union engagements?

Yes. A form should be completed for each site where 20 or more redundancies are proposed.

In some cases, if the employer considers more than one site as being part of the same division or entity for management, consultation and reporting purposes, they can submit one HR1 form to cover multiple sites. They will also need to upload an attachment as part of the HR1 submission, listing the affected sites.

4. What sort of documents should be attached to an HR1 submission?

The following things can be attached to an HR1 submission:
- a list of addresses of sites where the redundancies proposed are spread over multiple locations
- further details about the reasons for proposed redundancies
Attachments are optional and mainly for cases like large employers with multiple locations. Most submissions will not require attachments.

5. Is there a cap on the number of attachments?

Yes. The current cap is four attachments due to technical limitations.

6. Can the questions distinguish between “number of people in scope” versus “number of proposed redundancies”?

As above, we require the total number of proposed redundancies. This can be a best estimate or worst-case scenario figure for possible redundancies if the exact figure is not known at the time of submission.

7. Is there functionality to export the form before submission for internal review and union sharing?

No. There is currently no functionality.

8. Can previously-submitted forms be accessed for comparison and record-keeping?

No. As the HR1 form contains sensitive information, there is no functionality to review or retrieve previously submitted forms.

9. Does the form include a confirmation tick box for sharing with staff representatives?

No. There is no tick box.

You will be asked to confirm that you have given copies of this form to all trade union and elected representatives at the end of the form in the declaration

10. Will the form accept a proposed dismissal date which is less than the required 30/45 days?

Yes, the form will accept a date less than the required period, however you will be asked for the reason why. Failure to comply with the statutory notification requirements without good cause may result in prosecution and a fine, on summary conviction, for the company and/or officer of the company.

11. If multiple people are responsible for redundancies, who should be named on the form?

The named person is for contact purposes; the declaration at the bottom is for the responsible person, which may differ from the main contact.

12. How should multiple reasons for redundancy be prioritised or entered?

This is up to the employer completing the form. If there are multiple reasons, you can use attachments to provide additional information.

13. Can a copy of the completed form be downloaded or sent by email for sharing with unions?

If you wish to retain a copy of the form, you must save and/or print the form as a PDF before pressing submit. The email confirmation you receive once a form is submitted will only state that your form has been received. It does not include a copy of the form.

14. Does the system allow “same day” dates for consultation commencement?

Yes, same day dates are accepted.

15. Is the occupational group breakdown still required?

No, this is not required in the new form.

16. Is a generic business email address compulsory, and what if one is not available?

Yes, an email address is compulsory. If a generic one is not available, the main contact’s email can be used.

The advanced notification of redundancies process

1. What happens if a submission is rejected? Does a new form need to be submitted each time?

Yes, if a submission is rejected the employer will need to resubmit the HR1 form. In some cases, we will accept an email from an employer which details a small amendment, but this will be made clear when the form is returned.

2. Has there been any discussion with R3 regarding insolvency scenarios and day-one dismissal notifications?

There is no change to the statutory requirements. Insolvency Practitioners are still required to submit HR1 forms.