confused about several things

ab7167

I have a couple of questions (well, more than a couple..) would anyone be able to help me?

I expecting to be told tomorrow that either my job is at risk or I am required to accept a pay cut to keep my job. I know that management can ask us to do anything, but we don't necessarily have to agree.

So...

1./ If I am offered redundancy - can they require me to relocate to another office? The nearest alternative would be 60 miles away, with a really awful commute on minor roads, up to 2 hours each way. Can I refuse to accept this? Especially as I have childcare to consider, that doesn't open at 6am!

2./ I've been there 3 years - I assume the most I can expect is 3 weeks pay and 4 weeks notice?

3./ If they go down the pay cuts route - would this affect future redundancy payments if it doesn't work?

4./ And how about our pensions? Presumeably as this is paid as a percentage of salary, the contributions would go down.

5./ I am hoping to have another baby soon - if I can manage to remain employed until the 25th week, will they have to include contractural maternity pay in any settlement? Or only statutory (less than contractual)

6./ Would any consulation period count towards employement - obviously with the maternity issue I want to be employed as long as possible.. (or remain employed period, but we'll see if that happens...)

Sorry if this is a bit complicated.

A

p00hsticks

I'm not an expert I'm afraid, but I'm pretty sure of the answers to some of your questions.

1. no, they can't make you relocate - if you refuse then they can make you redundant.

2. The BEST you can hope for is more - your employer can CHOOSE to pay you as much as they want as redundancy and may have specified details in your employment contract. They have to pay you at least the statutary minimum. That depends on your age, but assuming you're aged between 24 and 41 then as you say you've worked for over three years it'll be three weeks pay, up to a maximum of £350 per week. And similarly the minimum notice period would be one week per year worked, so three weeks.

3 & 4. Yes, if you accept a pay cut it would affect both your redundancy apy i you are later made redundant and also your pension contributions.

I can't answer 5, buit as far as six goes, my understanding is that you are considered employed until your notice period finsihes - so any consultation period and subsequent time working your notice counts as employment

Pee

ACAS are the people to speak to.

ceridwen

Err...I beg to differ on whether an employer can make someone relocate - it depends somewhat on who the employer is. Some employers at least ARE able to make staff relocate - but ONLY up to a certain amount of travel time away from their home. So you do need to check the position with your own particular employer in that respect - I suspect that, whoever your employer is, that they wouldnt be able to make you spend 4 hours per day commuting. So - check your own employers policy and work out EXACTLY how long it would take you to get from home to proposed new workplace - to the minute.

willster181

Your company can offer you suitable alternative employment - and if you refuse this offer then you lose your entitlement to redundnacy pay. However in this case i dont think that asking you to travel 60 miles to work would be considered reasonable.

ceridwen

You DO seriously need to check exactly how long a commute your company can make you do. As I recall - I read the other day that the DWP can make claimants take into account jobs some horrendous and totally unrealistic distance away as being viable propositions to ask for - think it was 90 miles (may be wrong on that distance? - but I do know it was a lot lot further than REALLY is reasonable). Think things are more reasonable when it comes to how far an existing employer can make one travel for work than that - but you DO need to check this out for sure.

ab7167

Well, we have had the news - there will be redundancies, but no pay cuts and no relocation unless you want to.

So consulation starts on Monday - and I guess we will just have to wait and see!

Thanks for the advice.