Forced Move

Hermia

eamon wrote: »

Its been knowedge for a number of years that the Civil Service has been actively moving out of comercial rented quarters and trying to better utilise existing estate. In theory the savings should be substantial. I wonder if the OP happens to be working for a Quango like body. If that is so its possible that the boss does have authority.

I am assuming the boss would still have to have reasons for his choice? He couldn't move into a costlier office just because it was near his home I presume. If the new premises are cheaper I can't see the OP getting very far with their complaints.

Tiddlywinks

Are you a civil servant?

Have YOU contacted your union?

Have YOU asked HR about the moving process and the forced change to your home station?

Have YOU used your internal grievance procedures about the process?

Instead of asking strangers on here (strangers who cannot know the logistics of your set-up) why haven't you approached those who are able to give informed advice?

Tiddlywinks

Tallyboom wrote: »

Sorry didn’t make it clear, the move was requested by my boss, he has tried to get the move to the new location for years. There are no business related reasons for moving (although if he put a business case in I have not had sight of that).

I found it very hard to believe that your boss engineered the move without submitting (and gaining approval for) a good business case.

I have had to relocate teams and it involved a whole raft of processes. Cost / benefits analysis, environmental impact data, H&S and risk assessment, Memorandum of Understanding with the 'host business' etc. Plus, consultation with HR and the local TUS was essential.

Just because the move is beneficial to your boss doesn't mean that it was in any way underhand.

It's perfectly possible for the move to have clear business benefits AND be closer to your manager's home.

With the total and very high profile squeeze on all public sector funding, it's extremely unlikely that the move is purely for personal convenience.

Manxman_in_exile

Tiddlywinks wrote: »

I found it very hard to believe that your boss engineered the move without submitting (and gaining approval for) a good business case.

I have had to relocate teams and it involved a whole raft of processes. Cost / benefits analysis, environmental impact data, H&S and risk assessment, Memorandum of Understanding with the 'host business' etc. Plus, consultation with HR and the local TUS was essential.

Just because the move is beneficial to your boss doesn't mean that it was in any way underhand.

It's perfectly possible for the move to have clear business benefits AND be closer to your manager's home.

With the total and very high profile squeeze on all public sector funding, it's extremely unlikely that the move is purely for personal convenience.

My experience too.

DieHard

I work for the DWP and we are all moving next year. It is only a mile and a half away from the old site but my bus pass doesn't cover it so I will have to pay extra or walk.

Our move is tied in with the employer deal, they always said they would have to save money to pay for the increase in wage which meant being relocated. Some offices are going to have to move 10 miles plus to relocate to the same site. So some people were luckier than others.

When we told we were all given the announcement at the same time and it was given to us by a grade 6 (who I have never met before in nearly ten years of working there) so it went much higher than my boss.

We also got official notification and our manager had to fill in a form noting our concerns, the impracticalities etc.

You don't say if you work for the DWP but it sounds like it has been badly handled and you are not getting the chance to voice your opinion or getting the right information about the move which means that you can't fully appreciate the reasoning behind it, because the way you have outlined it sounds totally wrong to me.

No one should be left with the feeling their manager has engineered the move because it is closer to where they live, it is just not possible that could be the reason.

I don't post here much because a lot of people here just give like it or lump it advice with no real feel for the person asking the question or their circumstances. I got some really rubbish advice here that could have meant I opted in and I am glad I didn't take it. I stuck to my guns and opted out of the employer deal and it turned out I don't have to work the night or the weekend after all. If I had listened to people on here I would have weakened and signed it.

In this case the moves are going on all across the Civil Service so they are happening.

Is there any one you can discuss the alternatives/ explore your options with? At our place we could at least talk it through and discuss why it was happening.

DieHard

Tallyboom wrote: »

I will continue working the hours we currently are (with the attitude if we’re late we’re late, if we have to leave early then tough). Long term this wont be accepted though and I assume our boss will raise the issue with us not working our contracted hours.

it would be interesting to know what part of the Civil Service you work in? Can you not work any hours you want anyway? Since the Employer deal there are no core hours. I only have to fix one day a week which in my case is the Thursday and they can only make me fix either the start time or the finish time (I do 5pm) not both.

We can basically come as go as we please as long as we have the flexi time and our manager can't do anything about it. It is great, you used to have to ask for a half day flexi and get permission but now as long as you take a dinner you can work for an hour if you want. A couple of people come in at 1pm (it is really busy before one so they just skip all that) some even come in at three sometimes or leave at ten in the morning.