Work and business / B1

ri-DUND-uh-nsee/rɪˈdʌndənsi/

Redundancy is losing a job because the role is no longer needed: face redundancy; compulsory redundancy; redundancy pay. You are made redundant (UK); US English often says layoff. Fired / sacked means you are dismissed for conduct or performance — a different, blamer sense. Redundant as an adjective also means “not needed” for extra words in a sentence. Do not say “I was fired” if the factory simply closed.

Meaning

Losing your job because the employer no longer needs you, not because you did something wrong.

Examples

• “After the factory closed, two hundred staff faced redundancy.”
• “Voluntary redundancy was offered before any compulsory cuts.”
• “She used her redundancy pay to retrain as a plumber.”

Good to know

made redundant; redundancy pay. US: layoff. Conduct dismissal: sacked / fired. Extra unneeded words: redundant (adjective).

Near in meaning

layoff

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