redundancy advice please

cornishrose

this is my first post under this name...tho i visit this site often....i am really stressed

i love my job, am employed by a very large college - i work as an education assistant with young people however the job in this context is stopping as they are being educated elsewhere. we have been told our role is finished. but the college does not want to make redundancies and so we will be offered alternatives which seem to be
a completley different role [working with computers and input not student] or a similar role but at one of their other establishments - a round trip of 70 miles a day - i do not think either are viable alternatives and would rather have the meagre redundancy but a manger says if you don't accept the alternative you will have been deemed to be effectively resigning.

i am neither computer literate or a competant driver [ i am also covered by the disability discrimination act - i had cancer and am on medication that does cause joint pain] do you think i would have a fair chance of arguing with them.....i really want the job i had but that will go.
the college are not well known for their compassion

jdturk

cornishrose wrote: »

this is my first post under this name...tho i visit this site often....i am really stressed

i love my job, am employed by a very large college - i work as an education assistant with young people however the job in this context is stopping as they are being educated elsewhere. we have been told our role is finished. but the college does not want to make redundancies and so we will be offered alternatives which seem to be
a completley different role [working with computers and input not student] or a similar role but at one of their other establishments - a round trip of 70 miles a day - i do not think either are viable alternatives and would rather have the meagre redundancy but a manger says if you don't accept the alternative you will have been deemed to be effectively resigning.

i am neither computer literate or a competant driver [ i am also covered by the disability discrimination act - i had cancer and am on medication that does cause joint pain] do you think i would have a fair chance of arguing with them.....i really want the job i had but that will go.
the college are not well known for their compassion

sorry to hear the problems, I don't know regarding your situation but I am worried that you still drive if you feel you are not a competant driver, maybe you should look into doing pass plus which should help your driving.

cornishrose

thank you for answering...perhaps competant was not the right word...i do drive but i hate driving..i just drive locally on roads i know...i did pass my test a long time ago and have never had an accident or caused one....its just that i much prefer public transport and only drive when i have to.....my medication just makes me achy rather than impairs my driving.....[i am hoping that by mentioning my joints they will be more sympathetic] than me actually explaining what a wuss i am at driving....thanks for your concern.

proplusplus

Hiya,

Sorry to hear about your situation.

There's some great advice here:

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/Employees/EmploymentContractsAndConditions/DG_10028541

extract below:

When refusing to move becomes redundancy
If you don't want to move with your employer, you may become redundant because:

>the job at the current location no longer exists

>you're being offered an alternative, but you refuse the offer as not suitable to you.

Whether you get a redundancy payment depends on a number of factors, including how long you've been working for your employer. However, the most important question is whether you've ' unreasonably' refused an offer of suitable alternative work.

There is no fixed distance which is 'reasonable'- it depends on your particular circumstances. If the new location is just a few miles away and you can drive or easily take public transport, it will probably be unreasonable to turn down the offer. If, however, it involves a difficult journey, even if it's only a few miles away, or affects personal matters like your family situation or children's education, it may be reasonable to say no.

When you are facing redundancy there is a right to a trial period in any alternative job you are offered - check the link below for more information.

Redundancy is a dismissal so you can always consider an unfair dismissal claim if you feel badly treated.

Best thing is not to stress too much, and from the government advice, it sounds like you have the grounds to argue the case with your employer.

Hope it goes well for you - maybe take the trial period, you never know it may be better than you expect

proplusplus