When an interviewer asks why you were made redundant, the honest answer is usually short: the role was removed for business reasons. The difficulty is not the facts but the advice around them, much of which is either too anxious (“hide it”) or too relaxed (“it says nothing about you”). This article tests seven common beliefs against official guidance and recruiter advice, then gives illustrative answers you can adapt.
Where the article refers to law, it uses UK guidance from GOV.UK and Acas as a clear worked example, and the UAE’s labour law for readers in the Gulf. Rules differ by country.
Myth 1: “Redundancy” is just a polite word for being fired
The facts: both are dismissals, but for different reasons. GOV.UK describes redundancy as a form of dismissal that happens when employers need to reduce their workforce. Acas describes it as usually a type of dismissal when a role is no longer needed, for example because a business is closing, changing the types or number of roles it needs, or changing location.
Acas also says that where the reason is an individual’s conduct or performance, it is not redundancy. So if your role genuinely disappeared, you can say so plainly. If the real reason was your performance, describing it as redundancy is inaccurate, and the advice for being dismissed applies instead.
Christ the King’s careers guidance makes the practical point: it is not you as an individual that has been made redundant, it is your position.
Myth 2: It is safer to say you left by choice
The facts: this is the riskiest option, not the safest. Acas notes that a detailed reference can include the reasons for leaving the job. In the UAE, the experience certificate that employers must provide on request under Article 13(11) of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 states the reason the contract ended. If your account differs from either, the interviewer has a credibility problem that did not exist before.
Hays advises being open, honest and succinct about redundancy, and states that there is no stigma related to it, adding that employers are rarely sceptical of a candidate who has experienced redundancy.
Myth 3: Redundancy says nothing about your performance
The facts: sometimes it does, and you should be ready for that. When a whole team, office or company closes, selection is not about individuals. But when an employer reduces a group of similar roles, someone has to choose who goes. Acas lists examples of selection criteria employers may use, including standard of work or performance, skills, qualifications or expertise, attendance record, and disciplinary record.
That means a well-prepared interviewer may ask, “Why were you selected and others kept?” Know the answer. If the whole function went, say so. If selection was by criteria, say what you understand them to have been, without guessing or inventing a score. If you do not know, it is fine to say the decision was made at a level above you and to describe your results in the role.
Myth 4: You need to explain the company’s finances
The facts: one sentence of context is plenty. “The company lost its main contract and closed the Dubai office” is enough. Long explanations about poor management decisions sound bitter, and Christ the King’s guidance warns against appearing bitter or resentful about your previous company or your situation. Hays similarly advises against blaming or talking negatively about your previous employer.
Also remember confidentiality. Details of restructures, client losses or unannounced plans may not be yours to share.
Myth 5: Volunteering for redundancy looks like you wanted out
The facts: it depends on how you explain it. Acas notes that before deciding on redundancies, employers may consider alternatives such as offering voluntary redundancy. Taking a voluntary package is a legitimate choice, and a clear reason makes it a positive one: “The team was being cut by a third and voluntary redundancy was offered. I had been planning to move into project management, so I took it and completed my certification.” The weak version is the one with no plan attached.
Myth 6: In the UAE, there is no such thing as redundancy
The facts: the word does not appear in the UAE’s main labour law, but the situations it describes do. Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, as published by MoHRE and in force as of November 2026, lists the cases in which an employment contract ends. Article 42 includes permanent closure of the establishment and the employer’s bankruptcy, insolvency or economic or exceptional reasons that prevent the project continuing, subject to conditions in the Implementing Regulation. Article 43 allows either party to end the contract for a legitimate reason with written notice of between 30 and 90 days.
When you describe it, you can say your contract was ended because of restructuring or downsizing, using plain terms that match your termination letter and experience certificate. This is general information, not legal advice; for your own case, contact MoHRE on 600590000 or the labour claims line on 80084.
Myth 7: Once you have explained it, the question is over
The facts: the redundancy itself rarely worries interviewers for long. What follows does: how long ago it happened and what you have done since. If you have been out of work for some months, prepare a short account of that period as well, focused on what you did and why you are ready now.
Illustrative answers
These examples are illustrative. Use your own facts and keep to a similar length.
| Situation | Core message |
|---|---|
| Whole office or company closed | The decision was about the business, not the people |
| Selected from a pool | Honest about the selection, strong on results |
| Voluntary redundancy | A deliberate choice linked to a plan |
Office closure
“The company closed its regional office in March and all twelve roles in the team were removed. In my three years there I managed the supplier onboarding process and cut average set-up time by about a week. I am looking for a similar role in a business with a longer-term presence in the region, which is one of the reasons I applied here.”
Selected from a pool
“The marketing team was reduced from six to four, and the two most recently hired roles were removed, including mine. I had been there fourteen months. In that time I took the email programme from monthly to weekly sends and ran the website migration, and my manager has agreed to act as a reference.”
Voluntary redundancy
“My employer offered voluntary redundancy during a restructure. I had already decided to move from operations into data analysis, so I took the package and used the time to complete a SQL and Power BI course and two portfolio projects, which I am happy to walk you through.”
Each answer gives the fact, a result from the role, and a forward-looking close. None blames anyone, and each could be confirmed by a reference.
Make your documents agree
Hays recommends showing start and end dates by month and year so the timeline is clear, and keeping the focus on recent accomplishments, which it says are no less valid because of the redundancy. Update your CV with those achievements using the resume builder, browse resume templates if you want a layout that leads with results, and check the wording against the job advert with the ATS resume score checker.
Frequently asked questions
Should I put redundancy on my CV?
You do not need to write the word, but show accurate month-and-year dates. Hays advises being open, honest and succinct, and focusing on recent accomplishments in the role. Explain the ending at interview or in one line of a cover letter if it helps.
Is ‘laid off’ the same as ‘made redundant’?
In everyday use, yes: both describe losing a job because the employer needed fewer people or different roles. Use whichever term is normal where you are applying, and make sure it matches what your previous employer will confirm.
What if I was made redundant twice?
Explain each one briefly and factually. If both were in the same sector, say what you have learned about choosing stable employers and what you asked about the company’s plans before applying.
Can I say I left to look for a new challenge?
Only if it is true. If the role ended because it was removed, say so; a reference can include the reason for leaving, and an inconsistent story causes more concern than the redundancy itself.
Do I need to mention my redundancy payment?
No. The interviewer needs to know why the job ended and what you offer, not the financial terms of your exit.
Sources
- Redundancy: your rights, GOV.UK
- Check your redundancy is fair, Acas
- How you’re selected, Acas
- What employers can say in a reference, Acas
- How do I explain redundancy on my CV and during a job interview?, Hays Australia
- The dreaded interview question: why did you leave your last job?, Christ the King Sixth Forms
- Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 Regarding the Regulation of Employment Relationship and its amendments, UAE Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation