Blackburn with Darwen Council confirmed this week that they are to cut 1000 jobs over the coming months, equating to approximately one quarter of their workforce.

Further to this, Manchester City Council have announced 2000 redundancies across their offices to meet the £109 million of savings to be made over the next financial year.

If you are faced with the threat of redundancy, is important to understand your legal position and rights.

You should obtain accurate information regarding your entitlements for notice pay and statutory redundancy pay and other monetary entitlements.

You also need to understand the processes involved in redundancy, including selection and consultation, so that you know fair procedures are being followed.

If you are called into a meeting with your employers, you need to be aware of the difference of formal and informal “off the record” meeting and understand the implications. If in doubt, you should clarify this in advance of the meeting going ahead.

If you suspect that redundancy may be on the cards, it is recommended that you seek advice from a specialist employment solicitor as early in the process as possible in order that you can make the most of your position.