HR1 Form
To notify us, you need to complete an online advance notification of redundancies HR1 Form. The Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) acts on behalf of the Department for the Economy to collect this redundancy information.
A Word version of the HR1 form is available on request. Please contact redundancies@finance-ni.gov.uk.
Further information on redundancies is available on the Department for the Economy Website: Advice on employment rights
Information for Employers
1. Requirement to notify the Department about potential redundancies
The government has a responsibility to help employees who are facing redundancy. For this to be possible, employers must provide advance notification of potential redundancies. This is required by law under the Employment Rights (Northern Ireland) Order 1996 (Amended 8 October 2006) and failure to comply without good cause may result in prosecution and a fine.
This information can only be provided in the form of an advance notification of redundancies HR1 Form.
All redundancy notification data is handled, stored and accessed in a manner which complies with Government and Departmental standards regarding security and confidentiality, and fully meets the requirements of the Data Protection Act. Access to this data is controlled by a system of strict business need access control. Individual returns will only be distributed to appropriate government departments and agencies who offer job brokering services and/or training services so that they can help your employees.
2. Your legal obligations
What you are required to do as an employer:
You are required by law to notify us of a proposal to make redundant 20 or more employees at one establishment. An establishment is the site where an employee is assigned to work.
You must notify us
- before giving notice to terminate an employee’s contract of employment in respect of any of these dismissals and within a 90 day period as follows -
- If 20 to 99 redundancies may occur at one establishment, you must notify us at least 30 days before the first dismissal.
- If 100 or more redundancies may occur at one establishment, you must notify us at least 90 days before the first dismissal.
- Please note - we will treat the date on which we receive your completed form as the date of notification.
You must send a copy of the notification to the representatives of the employees being consulted.
If it is not reasonably practicable for you to comply with the minimum notification periods you must make every effort do so as far as you are able and you must give reasons why you could not provide the information on time.
3. How to complete the form
To complete form HR1, employers must:
- complete the online form at advance notification of redundancies HR1 Form.
- type your answers in the spaces provided and tick boxes where appropriate
- provide a valid email address
- list the postal address of all site(s) where redundancies may occur
- provide a copy of this form to the representatives of the employees being consulted - there is a 'Save and Print' function on the online form
- inform NISRA as soon as possible if the circumstances outlined in the form change
A receipt will be issued in response to all notifications received.
4. How this information is used
The information about your company is commercially sensitive and we process it safely and securely. It is used by the Department for the Economy and Department for Communities for the purpose of assisting those facing redundancy.
NISRA collect the data on behalf of the Department for the Economy and produce aggregate redundancy statistics. The aggregate statistics are used to help monitor the economy. No individual business can be identified by the statistics produced. The aggregate statistical data are published on the NISRA website and in the Latest Labour Market Report.
The Privacy notices for NISRA, DfE and DfC are available here:
- NISRA Privacy Notice
- DfE Privacy Notice | Department for the Economy (economy-ni.gov.uk)
- DfC Privacy Notice | Department for Communities (communities-ni.gov.uk)
Useful links
- Employees - Redundancy and leaving your job (nidirect)
- Employers - Redundancy: the options (nibusinessinfo.co.uk)
- Employees/Employers - Redundancy Service | Department for Communities (communities-ni.gov.uk)
- Redundancy Payments - forms and advice