My work is moving......some advice please

[superunknown]

Hi all

I am hoping somebody can help me with this.

The company I work for is relocating in a few months, this means it will double my travel time and also result in me working less hours because of the extra time needed for traveling.

Are there any laws that company's relocating have to follow. For example taking into consideration of extra fuel costs and loss of earnings etc?

I have been working there for just over 10 years.

My feelings are I should not loose out in anyway financially because of this.

ty :wink:


Steve

 

[Jorden]

Hi Steve

When the company I last worked for moved, they had to pay the staff travelling expenses for the extra milage we had to travel, at company car rate, for the first 2 or 3 years after the move. The only exceptions to this were those with company cars, who got nowt. That was a 'blue chip' company, so I'm guessing they were following the letter of the law...

Dennis

 

[dedee]

Steve,
in my blue chip company (I've moved twice in 23 years) there was, IIRC, a cut off of 20 miles from old building to new. If the new location was over the cut off the company
a) would not force you to move - ie make you redundant.
b) pay extra travelling costs, again IIRC, for 6 months if you decided to go.
Full relocation packages ie help with removal costs etc were offered on a case by case basis.

If the new location was less then 20 you either went with them at your cost or resigned.

Andy

 

[Adam]

My employment specifies that I will be prepared to work anywhere in the south east.

Have a look at your employment contract - what does it say about place of work?

Adam

 

[RogerS]

Other than what may be specified in your employment contract, I don't believe that there is any statutury legislation to cover this (ie force companies to reimburse employees for additional travel costs/time).

 

[beech1948]

Hi,
Sorry to say but I do not think there is any legislation to cover this.

My experience is of Blue Chip companies who tend to be more generous eg a years relocation costs are fairly typical but can be only a few months or even 2-3 yrs. If its a smaller company then maybe they won't be so generous.

I would guess that you will need to talk to your HR person/ manager/ union rep or whatever else you have. Just asking is the first step of course.
regards

 

[Evergreen]

Hi there.

In a previous existence, I used to handle HR issues as part of my job. I may be a bit out of date now but I'm pretty sure that Roger and beech1948 are correct. Their advice is sound and just what I would give. Sorry I can't be more help.

Regards.

 

[superunknown]

Thank you for all your help and advice

Its still a bit of a worry really. If what you are saying is right, there's not much I can do

I think I will go and have a chat with CAB so I know for sure where I stand.

I don't have a contract, well only a verbal one and we don't have any unions.

I have spoken to the works foremen and he makes light of it and says I might be lucky if he's (the boss) in a good mood.

They are a very old fashioned company VERY set in its ways. My boss has only mentioned to me one time in person that the company is moving and that was over 3 years ago! So now all I get to hear is rumors etc that its weeks away and that the new workshops are nearly ready. I have nothing official. Very frustrating.



Steve

 

[the_g_ster]

Hi, Nola, sorry to hear about the awkward employer.

Having reviewed the above responses then I would say they are pretty to the point. The interesting issue is that you don't have an employment contract, do any of your peers have a contract of employment?

Your employer really should have a contract of employment with you and all staff to lay down the terms and conditions you are expected to work under from pay to holiday, sickness etc. This is to protect yourself and them. Many contracts stipulate as standard the fact that you may be required to work anywhere in the UK with some kind of notice. Given you have no contract then unless they state otherwise you have an "implied" contract of employment with them, I very much doubt from my experience that this makes any provision for compensation for moving your workplace. The CAB may be able confirm this.

It's also frustrating that your employer fails to understand that rumours are counter productive, and that all thier staff would probably be more productive via better morale if you felt even basicly aware of the firms intentions to move.

 

[Jake]

To my shame, this only just rings faint bells from a course I did at uni ten years ago, so I can't give any concrete advice. If you have no union and no written contract, there is still a contract - it will just be based on 'implied terms' which will be derived from normal employment and industry practice. It will depend how far extra you have to travel - there is no requirement that your employer must remain in the same place forever. If it is 30 miles, you might have a point, under 10, forget it. The remedy theoretically would be that they would be forced to make you redundant and give you the appropriate pay-off (a week's pay per year worked) rather than pay your travel costs for the rest of history.

 

[RogerS]

Steve

A quick Google produced this Definition of redundancy which at first sight may be applicable to you as gut feel says that that will be the route you may, reluctantly, have to go down.

If you are made redundant then you are entitled for the company to pay for your legal representation to review their redundancy documentation/offer.

If you do need to use a solicitor then I can recommend one to you from personal experience. Not the cheapest but equally not the most expensive but he does specialise in Employment Law. pm me if you want more details.

And this link explains a bit about implied contracts and the fact that your employer is breaking the law if you do not have a written contract of employment.

On a positive note, I've been made redundant twice in my working life and on both occasions other, better avenues opened up. My other advice is to talk to as many people as you can about it, the ideas and suggestions that you'll get may get you thinking about all sorts of ideas and options that maybe you might not have thought about. It worked for me.

Good luck!

 

[beech1948]

Hi again,
Interesting that you do not have a contract of employment. I thought that there was legislation to say that an employer must provide you with one. I could be wrong but in all my jobs for past 10 yrs I have been told that the employer must provide the contract within 3 months...most provide one as I joined.

I think you have a couple of problems to deal with. First let me ask that you please pardon me in advance if I am wrong here but its difficult to do more than form opinions over email.

1) You feel that you can't ask about this. I would say that you are wrong to feel this way. I would say you have a duty to yourself to ask and get an answer.

2) Join a union and get their protection re employments rights around you

3) Ask your Foreman, in writing if necessary, to answer your query about are you moving or not and to where. I think 3 years of rumour and no clarity is outrageous

4) Approach the Boss and ask...he's a human also...he may be impatient but thats his issue not yours....tell him how unhappy you and others are.

Hope this helps.

regards

 

[beech1948]

Hi again again,
I forgot to say this......consider finding another job and ditching these people...after all if they moved too far away you would be in this position anyway so react now.

You may find something better and more money.

regards[/b]

 

[superunknown]

Thanks you again for all your excellent posts.

All in all its a worry. I think you are all right I should have a contract of employment and after some reading on various links and help from google I am pretty sure that its law.

This makes me more cross about the situation, but I don't think I can do anything about the contract. Nobody working there has one, and its a long established well known (although very small) company within what we do. Some of the empoyees have been there over 25 years. The moving is really only an issue to 2 of us because it either shortens or makes the travel time the same for the rest. And the other chap has worked there for 26 years and does not really seem to want to 'rock the boat'.

I have commented again to the works foreman about how unhappy I am with no better response than before, he is a good friend to me too, and that makes it a little difficult. So my plan is to go and talk to the man himself and say how unhappy I am. A very unapproachable man, but its got to be done.

At the end of the day I don't want to move to the new place unless I get more money.


Thanks again all, its a massive help.

I will keep you posted to how I get on.