The company I work for is closing the office where I and my colleagues
work and wants to move us all to an office 30 miles away (1 to 2 hours
away, depending on traffic).

Our contracts say,"Your normal place of work is XXX. You may be
required to work elsewhere." I thought that means I may have to visit
customers. HR say it means they can move the office and not pay any
relocation expenses.

Searching the web I think we may be redundant, but may not depending
on our circumstances. Obviously the office manager job is no longer
needed. Some of us have no cars and kids in local school, others are
more free to move but their partners don't want to.

One other question - my notice period is so long it makes it
impossible to find a new job, if I do find a new job can I get out of
my notice period, and if I am redundant to they still need to give the
notice in the contract?

I tried a free consultation lawyer I found on the web, but he never
returned my call.

On Sun, 27 Jan 2008 22:05:04 +0000, wrote:

The company I work for is closing the office where I and my colleagues
work and wants to move us all to an office 30 miles away (1 to 2 hours
away, depending on traffic).

Our contracts say,"Your normal place of work is XXX. You may be
required to work elsewhere." I thought that means I may have to visit
customers. HR say it means they can move the office and not pay any
relocation expenses.

This is an obvious try-on. If they no longer have an office at XXX, it
cannot be your "normal place of work", so they can't comply with the
terms of the contract.

Searching the web I think we may be redundant, but may not depending
on our circumstances. Obviously the office manager job is no longer
needed. Some of us have no cars and kids in local school, others are
more free to move but their partners don't want to.

One other question - my notice period is so long it makes it
impossible to find a new job, if I do find a new job can I get out of
my notice period, and if I am redundant to they still need to give the
notice in the contract?

I think this may well be constructive dismissal, in which case you
don't need to give any notice.

I tried a free consultation lawyer I found on the web, but he never
returned my call.

You need proper legal advice, even if you have to pay for it.

--
Don Aitken
Mail to the From: address is not read.
To email me, substitute "clara.co.uk" for "freeuk.com"

In message , at 01:10:04 on
Mon, 28 Jan 2008, Don Aitken remarked:
You need proper legal advice, even if you have to pay for it.

also try: http://www.acas.org.uk and
http://www.emplaw.co.uk/
--
Roland Perry

On Mon, 28 Jan 2008 01:10:04 +0000, Don Aitken
wrote:

On Sun, 27 Jan 2008 22:05:04 +0000, wrote:

The company I work for is closing the office where I and my colleagues
work and wants to move us all to an office 30 miles away (1 to 2 hours
away, depending on traffic).

Our contracts say,"Your normal place of work is XXX. You may be
required to work elsewhere." I thought that means I may have to visit
customers. HR say it means they can move the office and not pay any
relocation expenses.

This is an obvious try-on. If they no longer have an office at XXX, it
cannot be your "normal place of work", so they can't comply with the
terms of the contract.


What do you mean a try on?
In my experience most companies say that your normal place of work
will be "xxx" - that does not mean that they have to provide an office
at that location for ever more.
If there are good business reasons for closing that office then they
can do.
I believe that if the OP can demonstrate that thirty miles is
unreasonable relocation, then he may be entitled to redundancy.

wrote in message
...
The company I work for is closing the office where I and my colleagues
work and wants to move us all to an office 30 miles away (1 to 2 hours
away, depending on traffic).

Our contracts say,"Your normal place of work is XXX. You may be
required to work elsewhere." I thought that means I may have to visit
customers. HR say it means they can move the office and not pay any
relocation expenses.

Searching the web I think we may be redundant, but may not depending
on our circumstances. Obviously the office manager job is no longer
needed. Some of us have no cars and kids in local school, others are
more free to move but their partners don't want to.

One other question - my notice period is so long it makes it
impossible to find a new job, if I do find a new job can I get out of
my notice period, and if I am redundant to they still need to give the
notice in the contract?

I tried a free consultation lawyer I found on the web, but he never
returned my call.

what end result are you seeking?

1) to be allowed to leave early if you find an alternative job
2) redundancy money
3) relocation expenses.

(1) will be much easier than (3).

tim

what end result are you seeking?

1) to be allowed to leave early if you find an alternative job
2) redundancy money
3) relocation expenses.

(1) will be much easier than (3).

It depends. Most of the part-time staff are effectively being fired
because there's no way they can be expected to do a 3 hour round trip
for a 3 hour working day and it may even cost more in travelling costs
so they'd like some money. The rest of us would like to leave or at
least not to be out of pocket if we don't/can't in the time available.

In message
, at
19:35:04 on Mon, 28 Jan 2008, remarked:
what end result are you seeking?

1) to be allowed to leave early if you find an alternative job
2) redundancy money
3) relocation expenses.

(1) will be much easier than (3).

It depends. Most of the part-time staff are effectively being fired
because there's no way they can be expected to do a 3 hour round trip
for a 3 hour working day and it may even cost more in travelling costs
so they'd like some money. The rest of us would like to leave or at
least not to be out of pocket if we don't/can't in the time available.

Office relocations often involve the employer putting on a minibus, or
allowing the employees a travelling (time) allowance out of the working
day. None of that in this case, I suppose.
--
Roland Perry