Redundancy pay in Australia: why 10 years can pay less than 9, and what recruiters ask next
Redundancy pay in Australia comes from the National Employment Standards (NES). If your employer is not a small business, the minimum is 4 weeks' pay once you have at least 1 year of continuous service, rising step by step to 16 weeks at 9 to 10 years, then falling back to 12 weeks once you reach 10 years. Most small business employers don't have to pay it, and employees with less than 12 months' service usually don't get it, although they may still be owed notice. Below is the full table, how notice sits beside it, and what a recruiter wants to see from you next.
The NES redundancy pay table, row by row
The NES are the minimum employment entitlements that have to be provided to all employees in the national workplace relations system, regardless of the award, agreement or contract. Redundancy pay is one of them, and Fair Work publishes the scale on its redundancy pay and entitlements page.
| Continuous service with the employer | Minimum redundancy pay (non-small business employer) |
|---|---|
| At least 1 year but less than 2 years | 4 weeks |
| At least 2 years but less than 3 years | 6 weeks |
| At least 3 years but less than 4 years | 7 weeks |
| At least 4 years but less than 5 years | 8 weeks |
| At least 5 years but less than 6 years | 10 weeks |
| At least 6 years but less than 7 years | 11 weeks |
| At least 7 years but less than 8 years | 13 weeks |
| At least 8 years but less than 9 years | 14 weeks |
| At least 9 years but less than 10 years | 16 weeks |
| At least 10 years | 12 weeks |
A payroll officer in Melbourne who started four and a half years ago sits in the 4 to 5 year row, so the floor is 8 weeks.
The table is a floor, not a ceiling. Your award, enterprise agreement or contract can give more, but a contract can't provide for less than the minimum entitlements in the award or the NES. If you are not sure which award covers your role, our guide to finding your modern award and its MA000 code walks through it.
Why 10 years can mean less than 9
The drop from 16 weeks to 12 weeks at the 10-year mark is in the official table; it is not a typo. Long-serving employees should also look at long service leave: for most employees it comes from state or territory laws, which set how long you must work to get it (for example, after 7 years) and how much you get.
The small business exception, and who else misses out
Most small business employers don't have to pay redundancy pay under the NES. Other Fair Work rules draw the small business line at fewer than 15 employees, for example for unfair dismissal and the right to disconnect, so check the redundancy page for how your employer is counted rather than guessing from the size of the team you see each day.
Length of service is the other gate. Employees with less than 12 months' service usually don't get redundancy pay, but they may still be entitled to notice. If you joined a business ten months ago and your role goes, the question to ask is about notice, not a redundancy payment.
Notice, redundancy pay and final pay are separate
Notice is about time, or pay instead of time. Redundancy pay is a separate amount based on service. Final pay is where both should show up. Our guide to the notice period in Australia and why recruiters ask about it covers the notice side in full; here is the side-by-side view.
| Entitlement | What decides it | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Notice of termination | Continuous service: 1 week for 1 year or less, 2 weeks for more than 1 year up to 3 years, 3 weeks for more than 3 years up to 5 years, 4 weeks for more than 5 years, plus 1 extra week if you are over 45 with at least 2 years' service | It must be given in writing, and it can be worked or paid out |
| Redundancy pay | Continuous service from 1 year, on the table above | Whether your employer is a small business, and whether your award, agreement or contract gives more |
| Final pay | Everything owed when the job ends | Pay slips must be given within 1 working day of pay day, so the last slip is where you check both amounts |
A worked example: a warehouse team leader in Adelaide who is over 45 and has 6 years' service at a large company. Notice is 4 weeks for more than 5 years, plus the extra week for being over 45 with at least 2 years' service, so 5 weeks. Redundancy pay is in the 6 to 7 year row, so at least 11 weeks.
On a visa? Same entitlements, separate visa questions
Visa holders and migrant workers have the same workplace rights and protections as all other employees in Australia, including pay, leave, protection from discrimination and final pay. (Fair Work's page for visa holders and migrants), so the redundancy table applies to you exactly as it does to an Australian colleague.
The visa side is a different question. An employer can't cancel a worker's visa: only Home Affairs can grant, refuse or cancel visas, and contacting the Fair Work Ombudsman will not get a visa cancelled. But a Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) holder may work only in the occupation they were nominated for and only for the nominating business (or, in some circumstances, an associated entity). Losing that job raises questions about your visa conditions, so check them with a registered migration agent before you plan your next move. Every genuine agent has a Migration Agents Registration Number (MARN) and is listed on the OMARA register.
If English is not your first language, you can call the Translating and Interpreting Service on 131 450 and ask them to call the Fair Work Ombudsman on 13 13 94.
If it does not feel like a genuine redundancy
An employer can't take adverse action against an employee because of protected attributes such as race, sex, age, disability, pregnancy, religion or carer's responsibilities.
Time matters here. To apply for unfair dismissal, you must have worked for the employer for at least 6 months, or 12 months for a small business (fewer than 15 employees), and you must apply to the Fair Work Commission within 21 days of the dismissal. If a small business employer follows the Small Business Fair Dismissal Code, the dismissal will be considered fair. For the wider picture of what protects you at work, see our guide to workplace rights in Australia.
Your first week after the redundancy conversation
- Get it in writing. Where NES notice applies, it must be written. Keep the letter with your end date.
- Find your row. Work out your continuous service from your start date and read the table above for your minimum redundancy pay.
- Check the exceptions. Ask whether the business counts as a small business, and check your award, agreement and contract for anything above the NES.
- Confirm how notice is handled. Worked or paid out, and confirm your last day before promising a new employer a start date.
- Read the final pay slip. Look for notice and redundancy pay as separate lines.
- Sort out the visa side early. If you hold a 482 or another employer-linked visa, check your conditions and speak to a registered migration agent.
- Watch the 21-day window if you think the dismissal was unfair.
- Update your CV while the details are fresh.
How a recruiter reads "made redundant" on your CV
From the recruiter's side of the desk, a redundancy is about the role, not about you. What employers want is a clear one-line reason for the gap or the move ("role made redundant in a restructure"), followed by what you actually did and achieved in the job.
Before your last day, ask your manager for a written reference and collect copies of certificates, licences and training records. When we put candidates forward at Talynx, we check references and certificates, run video interviews and, where the role needs it, arrange a practical test, so having those papers ready helps. For the CV itself, Build AI CV can help you rebuild one around the duties in the ads you are targeting. Optional: a verified Talent Tabloid profile lets employers check your experience and can help your application stand out.
Then aim your search. Our guide to the Internet Vacancy Index and how to use job-ad counts shows where advertising is holding up,, and our read on the unemployment rate and why some employers still cannot find staff explains why occupation and location matter more than the headline. The Talynx jobs page lists current vacancies in Australia and New Zealand, including employer-sponsored roles, searchable by position, country and region or city. Candidates never pay Talynx a fee to apply or a placement fee.
Common mistakes with redundancy pay
- Assuming more service always means more pay. The table peaks at 16 weeks for 9 to 10 years and drops to 12 weeks from 10 years.
- Treating notice and redundancy pay as one amount. They are separate entitlements and should appear separately on your final pay.
- Expecting a small business to pay the NES amount. Most small business employers don't have to, although your award, agreement or contract may say otherwise.
- Accepting a phone call as notice. Where NES notice applies, it must be in writing.
- Thinking the employer can cancel your visa. Only Home Affairs can, but your visa conditions still need checking with a registered migration agent.
- Leaving without references. Ask before your last day.
Frequently asked questions
How much redundancy pay do you get in Australia?
Under the NES, a non-small business employer must pay at least 4 weeks for 1 to 2 years of service, rising to 16 weeks for 9 to 10 years, and 12 weeks for 10 years or more. Your award, enterprise agreement or contract can give more, never less.
Do small businesses have to pay redundancy in Australia?
Most small business employers don't have to pay redundancy pay under the NES. Check Fair Work's redundancy page for how your employer is counted, and read your award or contract, because they may still provide a payment.
Is redundancy pay the same as notice?
No. Notice is a set period, 1 to 4 weeks plus an extra week for some workers over 45, which can be worked or paid out. Redundancy pay is a separate amount based on years of service, so you can be owed both.
Do visa holders get redundancy pay in Australia?
Yes, on the same terms as everyone else. Visa holders and migrant workers have the same workplace rights, including pay and final pay. The visa itself is a separate matter: check your conditions with Home Affairs and a registered migration agent.
Why is redundancy pay lower after 10 years of service?
The NES table itself drops from 16 weeks at 9 to 10 years to 12 weeks from 10 years. Long-serving employees should also check their state or territory's long service leave laws, which set when that leave is earned and how much it is.
Key takeaways
- NES redundancy pay runs from 4 weeks to a peak of 16 weeks, then 12 weeks from 10 years.
- Most small business employers don't have to pay it, and under 12 months' service usually means no redundancy pay.
- Notice is a separate entitlement and must be given in writing.
- Visa holders get the same workplace entitlements; visa conditions are a separate check.
- Unfair dismissal applications are due within 21 days.
Tags & Keywords
