travelling distance for work

[thevoice111]

hello

my employer has advised me that i am in consultation for potential redundancy

as from the 1st June 2020

 

i have been to a second meeting on 15th June 2020 where he advised me that there was suitable employment available at another 2 sites

 

both sites are at least a 2 hour journey both ways i do not drive so will have to use public transport

this involves bus then train then bus again

 

both sites are more than 60 miles travel for me both ways would this be considered as unreasonable

would i still be entitled to my redundancy if i refused these offers

 

[London1971]

https://www.acas.org.uk/your-rights-during-redundancy/taking-another-job-with-your-employer
 

Some good information in the above link. Takeaway is that commute time can have a bearing on if it is a reasonable alternative or not.

 

Its worth being honest and just telling your employer that it’s an impossible commute. What other alternatives are there.

[thevoice111]

thanks for your reply

at the second meeting i was advised

that if i said no to the other jobs

i would be resigning my job

and lose my redundancy

[London1971]

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/work/leaving-a-job/redundancy/your-employer-offers-you-another-job/
 

This above is actually better. Have a good read through it. All needs to be done in writing anyway, don’t agree to anything verbally.

 

It’s also possible they are doing it to try and get out of paying you redundancy.

[thevoice111]

thanks for this link

i will read it now

[ericsbrother]

can you give us a little more info on the 2 other job possibilites? Are they working under the same management team for example, ie if the employer divides its sites into areas or regiosn do they fall in the same area?

What is the job function, woudl you ber expected to travel as part of the rle, ie if you are an area manager nd have to visit several locations then asking you to move  would be more acceptable than asking someone who does shop floor work in a single branch.

Are they willing to pay your relocation expenses? (would you like a new house?). You could suggest this before you say no as that will put them on the back foot should they still want to claim you "resigned"

[Manxman in exile]

This is going back about 18 years ago and was in the NHS.  My employer wanted to redeploy me from a base in Norwich to Cambridge.  (about 80 miles each way; 90 - 120 minutes journey time and I'd have had to use public transport).

 

I successfully argued that this was not a suitable alternative and got redundancy.

 

Whether this would still be the case or not, and whether it was an easier argument to make in the public sector rather than the private sector, I don't know.  But that's what happened to me.

 

(I was also fortunate in that I was snapped up by another NHS trust within my notice period - obviously didn't get a payout but kept a job).

[thevoice111]

thanks for the reply

the jobs are based in Scotland region of a major building company

i am based in Glasgow

one of the jobs is based outside Stirling

the other is based outside Edinburgh

the job is site labourer

[thevoice111]

thanks manxman for the info

gives me hope

[Manxman in exile]

I'm no expert and in fact I was surprised they accepted my argument.  Everybody else told me I had no chance.

 

Don't rely on me and don't get your hopes up, but it might well be that the jobs they are offering you are "suitable employment".  But I think the question should be whether they are "suitable alternative employment".

 

I would argue that the offer of a job two hours away and 60 miles away is not a suitable alternative job for a site labourer - even more so if you don't drive and have to rely on public transport.  But other people may think it's a perfectly reasonable offer - although they may be getting paid more than a labourer.

 

Don't suppose you're in a union?

 

See what others say.  I think I was probably lucky to get away without having to commute to Cambridge.  You may not be so lucky.

[thevoice111]

thank you 

no union

[ericsbrother]

Clearly they wont be wanting to buy you a new house so you need to dress up your questions during this consultation period to make it look like you would be interested in relocating if they can meet your request or maybe put on a minibus to collect you and drop you home instead.

You need to be getting everything down in writing and ask aboout someone else sitting in on the interviews to take notes that both parties the signoff as being a true and accurate record of the meeting.

this may well make them drop the nonsense about resigning and pay you the redundancy rather then risk an Employmet tribunal hearing where they will most likely get the same outcome but have a shedload of costs  added for their recklessness.

They hope that you are willing to just skulk off so you might get an offer of statutory redundancy on the promise you dotn discuss this with anyone else. they cant stipulate that but also consider the delay in getting what is due if you fight everyone else's batlle as well.

[London1971]

Perhaps you can tell them that you are recording the interview on your

phone, because it’s better than taking notes.

 

Do they know that you don’t drive and would need to take public transport 60 miles?

[thevoice111]

thanks for the replies

yes London they know i use public transport