Lay-offs and short-time working
Overview
Your employer can ask you to stay at home or take unpaid leave if there鈥檚 not enough work for you.
A lay-off is if you鈥檙e off work for at least 1 working day. Short-time working is when your hours are cut.
How long you can be laid off
There鈥檚 no limit for how long you can be laid off or put on short-time. You could apply for redundancy and claim redundancy pay if it鈥檚 been:
- 4 weeks in a row
- 6 weeks in a 13-week period
Lay-off pay entitlement and short-time working payments
You should get your full pay unless your contract allows unpaid or reduced pay lay-offs.
If you鈥檙e unpaid, you鈥檙e entitled to guarantee pay.