Redundancy Australia
Losing your job is exactly when you can least afford to guess. Here’s what Australian law guarantees you — redundancy pay, notice, and every dollar your final pay must include — in plain English.
Last updated: July 2026 · Fair Work Act 2009 (ss 117–123, NES) · FY 2026–27
What is Redundancy in Australia?
A redundancy happens when your employer no longer needs your job done by anyone — the role disappears, not the person. When that’s genuine, the National Employment Standards give permanent employees two separate money entitlements: redundancy pay on a scale of 4 to 16 weeks of base pay depending on your years of service, and notice of termination (or payment instead of it) of 1 to 4 weeks, plus an extra week if you’re over 45 with at least two years in.
The law’s fine print decides who actually qualifies: you need at least 12 months of continuous service, employers with fewer than 15 employees are generally exempt from redundancy pay, and casuals don’t accrue it at all. On top of both entitlements sits your ordinary final pay — wages to the last day and a payout of every hour of untaken annual leave. The tools below turn all of that into your number.
Redundancy 2026–27 Key Entitlements
| Entitlement | Amount | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Redundancy pay | 4–16 weeks | By years of service · Fair Work Act s 119 |
| Minimum notice | 1–4 weeks | +1 week if over 45 with 2+ years · s 117 |
| Untaken annual leave | Paid out in full | What you’d have been paid taking it · s 90(2) |
| Minimum service to qualify | 12 months | Continuous service, casual periods excluded · s 121 |
| Small business exemption | < 15 employees | Generally no NES redundancy pay · ss 121, 23 |
One famous quirk to know before you count on 16 weeks: at 10 or more years of service the scale drops to 12 weeks — it’s written into the Act, not a payroll error. And these are minimums: your award or enterprise agreement can be more generous, never less.
What You’ll Find in This Section
- Redundancy Pay Calculator: your weekly pay and years of service in, your redundancy pay and minimum notice out
- Redundancy Pay & Notice Table: the full statutory scales, year by year, straight from the Fair Work Act
- Complete guide: how final pay works — everything your last payslip must contain when you leave, however you leave
📋 Entitlements verified — Official sources: Fair Work Act 2009 (Federal Register of Legislation) · Fair Work Ombudsman — P.A.C.T.
⚠️ This is general information, not financial, tax or legal advice. KnowMyGovt is an independent service with no affiliation with or endorsement by the Fair Work Commission, the Fair Work Ombudsman or the Australian Government, and is not responsible for decisions you make based on it.
