Question 1

Is this a legal entitlement calculation?

Accepted Answer

No. This is an indicative estimate based on the National Employment Standards (NES) redundancy pay table. Your actual entitlement depends on your award, enterprise agreement or employment contract, which may provide more than the NES minimum, and on whether Fair Work considers your situation a genuine redundancy.

Question 2

Why isn't there a state selector on this calculator?

Accepted Answer

Redundancy pay is set by the National Employment Standards under the Fair Work Act — a federal law that applies the same way in every state and territory, unlike things such as public holidays or long service leave, which do vary by state. One narrow exception: some Western Australian employees who work for a sole trader or partnership (rather than a company) fall outside the national system and can have different state-based rules — if that's you, check with WA's state industrial relations system instead.

Question 3

How many years of service do I need before redundancy pay applies?

Accepted Answer

Just 1 year of continuous service is the NES minimum — it's not a long-service entitlement. Someone with 5 years of service, for example, is well past that threshold and would be entitled to 10 weeks' pay at their base rate under the standard NES table.

Question 4

Why does redundancy pay drop after 10 years of service?

Accepted Answer

The NES table peaks at 16 weeks for 9-10 years of service, then drops to 12 weeks for 10+ years. This isn't a mistake — it reflects that long-serving employees are usually also entitled to long service leave, which is paid separately.

Question 5

What if my employer has fewer than 15 employees?

Accepted Answer

Small business employers (fewer than 15 employees) are generally exempt from NES redundancy pay. This calculator flags that automatically based on the employee count you enter.

Redundancy Pay Calculator

Frequently asked questions

Redundancy Pay Calculator

Frequently asked questions

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