Redundancy Australia 2026: 8 Scripts Before You Sign Anything

November 2, 2026

Redundancy Australia 2026: woman speaking into a gramophone horn as her words form a golden bridge over a harbour

Script library · Australia · November 2026

If you're made redundant in Australia, the National Employment Standards give most permanent employees of businesses with 15 or more staff between 4 and 16 weeks' redundancy pay plus notice, and in 2026–27 a genuine redundancy payment is tax-free up to $13,598 plus $6,801 for each completed year of service. Knowing that is half the job. The other half is saying the right thing in the room – so here are the exact words for eight conversations, and what to do if the answer is no.

4.7%

Unemployment, Sept 2026 – 39,000 fewer people employed

2,500

Jobs NAB plans to cut this financial year

21 days

Usual deadline to lodge an unfair dismissal claim

Why redundancy is suddenly everyone's question

Australia's unemployment rate rose to 4.7% in September 2026, with 39,000 fewer people employed than in August and underemployment up to 6.3% (ABS, 15 October 2026). Five days later NAB said it plans to cut up to 2,500 jobs – about 6% of its workforce – this financial year, while BHP confirmed cuts at its WA iron ore operations (ABC News, 20 October 2026). Add four RBA rate rises this year, and a redundancy can land on a household already stretched by its mortgage (our Melbourne Cup rate-rise repayment calculator shows how much).

Most redundancy guides stop at "check your entitlements". That's not where people lose money. They lose it by saying yes too fast, not asking for things in writing, and not knowing what to ask for. So this page is mostly words – the ones to use. If you are one of the 1,271 roles affected at Canva, we have also worked through what the Canva redundancy package is worth and how much is tax-free, and if your savings would only last days, see how to get from a week to a month of emergency buffer.

First, the numbers you're entitled to

Continuous service	NES redundancy pay	Minimum notice*	2026–27 tax-free limit
1 year	4 weeks	1 week	$20,399
2 years	6 weeks	2 weeks	$27,200
5 years	10 weeks	3 weeks	$47,603
6 years	11 weeks	4 weeks	$54,404
9 years	16 weeks	4 weeks	$74,807
10 years or more	12 weeks	4 weeks	$81,608 (at 10 yrs)

Sources: Fair Work Ombudsman fact sheet; ATO key rates and thresholds. *Notice: "5 years" means more than 3 and up to 5 years; more than 5 years = 4 weeks. Add one week if you're over 45 with at least 2 years' service. Tax-free limit = $13,598 + $6,801 × completed years (our calculation).

Three things surprise people. Redundancy pay drops from 16 weeks at nine years to 12 weeks at ten – the long-service leave you've accrued is meant to make up the difference. It's calculated at your base rate for ordinary hours, so overtime, bonuses and allowances are excluded; pay in lieu of notice, by contrast, uses your full rate including those extras. And businesses with fewer than 15 employees, plus casual, fixed-term and under-12-month employees, generally aren't required to pay NES redundancy at all – though an award or enterprise agreement can say otherwise.

For most people the tax-free limit is far above the NES amount. Our illustrative example: a woman on a $1,800 base week with six years' service gets 11 weeks, or $19,800 – well under her $54,404 tax-free limit. That's why script 6 matters only if you negotiate a bigger package.

The 8 scripts

Script 1 · When the rumours start (to your manager)

Context: Before anything is official. You want information, not reassurance.

"I've heard there may be restructuring. I'd rather plan than guess. Is my role under review, and if decisions are coming, roughly when? Which award or enterprise agreement covers me – I'd like to read its consultation and redundancy clauses."

If they say "I can't say": Accept it, then act as if the answer is yes: start your emergency buffer this week. Our worried-about-layoffs money plan shows what to do in the first month.

Script 2 · In the consultation meeting: redeployment

Context: A redundancy is only "genuine" if the job is no longer needed, the employer followed the consultation steps in your award or agreement, and there was no other suitable role you could have been redeployed into (Legal Aid NSW).

"Before we go further, can you tell me which other roles across the business – including related entities – were considered for me? I'd like to be considered for any suitable vacancy, and I'd like that request noted in writing."

If they say no roles exist: Ask for the answer by email. If you later see your job re-advertised or a suitable role filled, that record matters. Unfair dismissal claims usually must be lodged with the Fair Work Commission within 21 days of dismissal, so get legal advice quickly.

Script 3 · Get the payout breakdown in writing

Context: A single lump-sum figure hides mistakes. You want each line.

"Thank you. Before I sign anything, could you send me an itemised breakdown: redundancy pay and the number of weeks, notice or pay in lieu, unused annual leave and leave loading, long service leave, any final wages, and the date it will be paid? I'd also like to know my recognised start date for continuous service."

If they push for a same-day signature: "I'm not refusing – I just need 48 hours to check it." Then run the numbers through the Fair Work Ombudsman's Notice and Redundancy Calculator, which Moneysmart also recommends.

Script 4 · "Is the NES the floor or the ceiling here?"

Context: Some awards and enterprise agreements have their own redundancy clauses, and a registered agreement can be more generous than the NES.

"Can you confirm whether this offer is based on the NES scale, my award, the enterprise agreement or company policy? If there's a company redundancy policy, could I have a copy?"

If they won't share the policy: Look up your agreement on the Fair Work Commission website yourself, or call the Fair Work Infoline on 13 13 94. Your union, if you're a member, can check it too.

"Can I have that in writing?" is the most valuable sentence in any redundancy meeting. It costs nothing and protects everything.

Script 5 · Negotiating the package

Context: The NES is a minimum. Large employers often have room on extras even when the cash is fixed.

"I understand the decision. To help me land well, would the business consider any of these: an extra four weeks' pay, outplacement or career-transition support, keeping my laptop or phone, a positive written reference, and flexibility to attend interviews during my notice period?"

If they say no to money: Ask for the non-cash items one at a time. A reference and interview time are cheap for them and valuable for you.

Script 6 · To payroll: how will this be taxed?

Context: Only a genuine redundancy payment gets the tax-free amount ($13,598 + $6,801 per completed year in 2026–27). Anything above it is taxed as an employment termination payment, and unused leave is taxed separately.

"Will this be paid as a genuine redundancy payment? How many completed years of service are you counting, what's the tax-free portion, and how will the leave and any amount above the limit be taxed? Could you show me the estimated net figure?"

If they can't explain it: Ask for the payment summary details in writing and check them with a registered tax agent – especially if your package is large.

Script 7 · To your lender, before you miss a payment

Context: Moneysmart's advice is to act quickly: options may include a hardship variation, a temporary pause or reduction, or interest-only repayments for a period.

"I'm calling because my role has been made redundant and I want to stay on top of my home loan. I'd like to apply for a financial hardship arrangement. What options do you have – a temporary reduction, a pause or interest-only – and what will each cost me over the life of the loan?"

If they say no: Ask how to lodge a formal hardship request and complaint, and talk to a free financial counsellor. Our hardship scripts for lenders and utilities cover the follow-up calls.

Script 8 · To Centrelink: the waiting period

Context: Your payout counts as "liquid assets", which can delay JobSeeker by up to 13 weeks (see the table below). It may be waived for severe financial hardship.

"I've been made redundant and I'd like to lodge a JobSeeker claim now, even if a waiting period applies. Can you tell me how my liquid assets waiting period is calculated, and how I apply for a hardship waiver if my essential costs – rent or mortgage, utilities, medical – leave me unable to cover the wait?"

If they say the wait stands: Ask for the decision and the reasons in writing, and ask how to request a review. Claiming early still starts the clock.

How long Centrelink's waiting period could be

The liquid assets waiting period applies once your available funds reach $5,500 (single, no dependants) or $11,000 (partnered, or single with dependants). Under the Social Security Guide, singles subtract $5,000 and divide by $500; couples and parents subtract $10,000 and divide by $1,000; the result is rounded down and capped at 13 weeks. Funds your employer still owes you count too (Services Australia).

Your liquid assets	Single, no dependants	Couple or single parent
$5,000	No wait	No wait
$8,000	6 weeks	No wait
$11,500	13 weeks	1 week
$15,000	13 weeks	5 weeks
$20,000	13 weeks	10 weeks
$23,000 or more	13 weeks	13 weeks

Our calculation using the Social Security Guide formula. Other rules (for example, how leave payments are treated) can also affect when payments start; confirm with Services Australia.

The practical lesson: a single woman with a $19,800 payout should expect to fund at least three months herself. That's not a reason to panic – it's a reason to budget the payout as "three months of income", not as a windfall. Our guide to how big your emergency fund should be helps you size it.

Have the whole plan in one place

Scripts get you through the meeting. Layoff-Ready: The Income Shock Playbook gets you through what comes after: your Runway Number, a Bare-Bones Budget, the first 72 hours after a layoff and a 30-day rebuild plan. If the news has left you rattled, the free 7-Day Money Anxiety Reset journal takes ten minutes a day.

Your first-week checklist after the meeting

Write down what was said, who said it and when – the same day.
Get the itemised breakdown (script 3) and check your recognised start date.
Check your award or agreement for a better redundancy scale (script 4).
Confirm your final super contribution is paid – our payday super check shows how to see it in your fund.
Call your lender before your next repayment if money will be tight (script 7).
Lodge your JobSeeker claim early (script 8).
If something feels wrong about the process, get legal advice within days, not weeks – the 21-day clock runs from your dismissal date.

And look after yourself. Moneysmart points people to Beyond Blue (1300 224 636, 24 hours) when job loss weighs heavily. Talking it through with someone you trust is part of the plan, not a detour from it.

Quick answers

How much redundancy pay will I get in Australia? Under the NES, 4 to 16 weeks' base pay depending on continuous service, unless an award, agreement or contract gives more, or you're excluded (small business, casual, fixed-term or under 12 months).

Is redundancy pay taxed? A genuine redundancy payment is tax-free up to $13,598 plus $6,801 per completed year of service in 2026–27; above that it's taxed as an employment termination payment.

Can I get JobSeeker straight after redundancy? You can claim straight away, but a liquid assets waiting period of up to 13 weeks may apply if your funds exceed $5,500 (single) or $11,000 (couple or parent).

Your toolkit for what comes next

Walk out of the meeting with words. Walk into the next month with a plan.

Layoff-Ready is 100% digital – a PDF you download right after purchase and print or use on your phone, tablet or computer. Nothing physical is shipped, there are no shipping fees, and it's a one-time purchase.

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Sources