Hi All,

Hoping to pick your collective brains if I can:

My work has informed us that there is a strong possiblity that they're going to shut down the Sheffield branch of our offices and relocate to existing offices in Huddersfield, our contracts state that "the company may require you to work at other offices within a reasonable traveling distance".

My dilema is as follows, is there a firm definition of reasonable traveling distance? Are the company obliged to offer any form financial recompense for me having to buy a reliable motor and seeing a vast increase in my travelling costs?

To my mind, a forty mile round trip and the added expense and loss of time is a bit of a blow but does anyone know how a company would view this situation.

Thanks in advance for any advice.


SV

I think that Huddersfield would probably be considered reasonable, personally I'd be quite happy to only commute that far.

The first thing to do though is speak to your manager and ask him to respond to your concerns regarding travelling time and cost. If they are prepared to be reasonable then you won't need to take any further action and everyone's a winner.
Make sure you go into the meeting with some facts and figures. Ie an estimate of the extra time per day and per week that you will be travelling. An estimate of the cost involved in the extra travel. I wouldn't include the cost of buying a car in the first place, you might just have to accept that one on the chin.

I'd be surprised if they make any offer on the time issue, but i'd also be surprised if they don't make some offer on the financial side.

If you belong to a union rep it's probably worth discussing things with them first as they can represent everyone who will be affected, you have more power as a group.

If things don't go as planned, then you can take advice from the CAB and maybe talk to a solicitor.

Originally posted by Cyclone
I think that Huddersfield would probably be considered reasonable, personally I'd be quite happy to only commute that far.

Reasonable is relative. If you already travel further than that then it would seem reasonable, but to all those who use public transport to get the short distance into work and have no means of travelling to Huddersfield, it is totally unreasonable. It depends on circumstance.

I'd raise it with HR and see what the policy is. If they are of the opinion that they consider it reasonable and that's yer lot mate, I would look for another job. It probably won't come to that, though. People can be quite reasonable if you talk to them. I know that some people at a place I used to work got some travel allowance.

Thanks Cyclone, I'll go in prepared and see what they have to say. You never know, maybe they'll suprise me.

Thanks as well Spiffymonkey - edited due to me taking ages to reply

Contact a group of solicitors called Mean Business. They will tell you where you stand over the phone so you know what your rights are.They do this as they hope if there is an issue they can represent you and hence make money.

Hi all

Aoplogies for the resurrection of this near ancient thread but we've finally moved up to Huddersfield and it's great.

It takes me just under 45mins to get in (15mins more than when I worked in Sheffield!) we've got better offices, a canteen, smoke area and the office is slap bang on Emley moor surrounded by green fields and you can watch the livestock go about their business.

The best part is that the firm have had to compensate me for the relocation etc which has worked out quite nicely - £££ :D

All in all SV is a happy chappy.

Cheers Swan,

Always good to hear the outcome of what was an interesting thread, having been a similar position myself.

Good stuff Swanny :thumbsup:

Can you let us know what it's like when it gets to January though, cos Emley Moor seems to get middling of snow and ice.:D

Originally posted by owdlad

Can you let us know what it's like when it gets to January though, cos Emley Moor seems to get middling of snow and ice.:D

Thanks guys, I will do - From what I understand it becomes a bit Narnia-like then.

Yesterday was so misty that even standing 30 yards away you could barely see the transmitter tower!! It's like being sat at the feet of Minas Tirith!! :hihi:

did you have that meeting with your manager then, or did they just pre-emtively offer you more $$$ to sweeten the deal?

Originally posted by Swan_Vesta
Thanks guys, I will do - From what I understand it becomes a bit Narnia-like then.

Yesterday was so misty that even standing 30 yards away you could barely see the transmitter tower!! It's like being sat at the feet of Minas Tirith!! :hihi:

Didn't I read on a thread somewhere about the threat of cancer and television transmitters ....... did they compensate you for that?

(joking btw but I thought I would get it in before some of the more serious ones on here divercify off ......)

I had the meeting and they offered me a monthly mileage allowance which worked out pretty nicely - The time factor was not too much of an issue and there appears to be a greater level of flexibility as well. All in all a nice little earner.

Our old site used to be next to a mast carrying loads of RF and some of the chaps who'd been there a long time were a bit strange to say the least. God knows what'll happen being sat next to this beast!