TUPE and change of location

This is going to be a long one so please bear with me but I am trying to support a friend who is about to give up on her (possible) right to redundancy. Let me explain......

There are 5 of us working for a national charity - whilst employed by the charity, we operate a contracted service and that service ends on 30 September. A private company have won the contract for a service that, whilst not the same as ours, is funded by the money that used to fund ours and is similar enough that TUPE applies. We are going through the due dilligence period with the private company talking to 53 people (mostly part timers so in total 36 full time 'people') with a view to filling 22 full time 'jobs'.

I have everything crossed that I will get taken on but my friend is in bits and wants to be made redundant. She is a single parent and has been retraining as this whole redundancy stuff has been going on for three years - such is the world of council commissioning.

The five of us affected are based in five different locations throughout the county and have 'Statements of Main Terms of Employment' that state our base but also state 'or such other location as the Association shall reasonably require.' The new company have two bases in the north of the county.

My friend currently lives about 2 miles from her base so travel time and cost is minimal and I believe she has lived in her current home throughout her 15 years employment with the charity.

She had to travel to one of the new bases for consultation meeting and it took one and a half hours to get there (and bear in mind this was school holiday time) and was a 110 mile round trip (she has calculated it would cost her approaching £200 a month in fuel.) According to AA routeplanner the other new office is about an hour each way and a 70 mile round trip.

She is all but ready to give up and has an interview for a much lower salaried job as she can't keep coping with the worry/stress. However I am urging her to get some proper advice as I think (optimistically) that she may have a case for constructive dismissal given the significant change in travel time/distance/expense.

I know change of location isn't an 'automatic' anymore but was hoping some of you wise and experienced people could give me your views - I don't want to give her false hope, the charity has given us enough of that these past three years.....- but neither do I want her to lose out on 15 years of redundancy money if she has a case.

Thank you so much for any advice/pointers you can give.

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