Help! Do they have to offer me redundancy? Location change.

sangie595

The two year disturbance package is a deal breaker for you. If they refused redundancy or redeployment then you would have to go to a tribunal, and with that package I'd be safe laying bets that you'd lose. I'd put the chances of you losing 95%+. You will also never win an argument that you should be paid for traveling time to work.

I know your employer - they are not renowned for negotiating. In fact, you've already given enough away for me to identify the actual job and job holder with one phone call. So if I can do it, so can your employers. I suggest that you edit this down and take out the specific information. You don't need that for advice here.

I'm also going to tell you what they will almost certainly tell you. Why on earth is it impossible for your husband to take a share of the responsibility for picking up his child, that then allowing you to look at a range of options. It's direct discrimination, you thinking that it's your job and not his!

If you sit on this and simply go with "no, I can't" and "no, I won't", then you are going to lose your job and quite possibly your redundancy, pension and all the other benefits that you get. Maybe they will be inflexible, but right now it's you that is coming across as inflexible, and that will count against you.

Your employer does have home working. Could you look at combining home working, flexible hours and your husband doing his share of pick ups to make a better scenario?

Be careful how you express certain things - your "contract" does not contain an absolute list of your job tasks - what you do and whether it is a "lower role" can change at the drop of a hat. Remember that redeployment includes jobs that you can do even if they are paid less!

I'm guessing you are not in a union. In which case I strongly advise you to start reading your policies- I think you may be unpleasantly surprised by what they say and how little room to manoeuvre you could have. And don't waste your money on a lawyer until they have refused redundancy - there is nothing that they can do except bill you unless you are going to a tribunal. If you can't afford childcare, you can't afford a solicitors bill for doing stuff that won't help you one little bit. The package, the process - it's all fixed and non-negotiable. So they have nothing to do but tell you that. I've just told you, and I'm not charging!

Come back here when you have more information, but in the meantime do as I said and read all those policies inside out. And don't post quite so much identifying material. Most of the time it matters less than people think, but in this case you are potentially saying that you can be got rid of easily! That's something you never tell an employer!

lincroft1710

Knowing it is council and most councils are cost cutting like there is no tomorrow, I think it is most probable that your office would be closed. Unless of course you can make a case showing that it would not be viable to close the office.

MrsMuffin

sangie595 wrote: »

The two year disturbance package is a deal breaker for you. If they refused redundancy or redeployment then you would have to go to a tribunal, and with that package I'd be safe laying bets that you'd lose. I'd put the chances of you losing 95%+. You will also never win an argument that you should be paid for traveling time to work.

I know your employer - they are not renowned for negotiating. In fact, you've already given enough away for me to identify the actual job and job holder with one phone call. So if I can do it, so can your employers. I suggest that you edit this down and take out the specific information. You don't need that for advice here.

I'm also going to tell you what they will almost certainly tell you. Why on earth is it impossible for your husband to take a share of the responsibility for picking up his child, that then allowing you to look at a range of options. It's direct discrimination, you thinking that it's your job and not his!

If you sit on this and simply go with "no, I can't" and "no, I won't", then you are going to lose your job and quite possibly your redundancy, pension and all the other benefits that you get. Maybe they will be inflexible, but right now it's you that is coming across as inflexible, and that will count against you.

Your employer does have home working. Could you look at combining home working, flexible hours and your husband doing his share of pick ups to make a better scenario?

Be careful how you express certain things - your "contract" does not contain an absolute list of your job tasks - what you do and whether it is a "lower role" can change at the drop of a hat. Remember that redeployment includes jobs that you can do even if they are paid less!

I'm guessing you are not in a union. In which case I strongly advise you to start reading your policies- I think you may be unpleasantly surprised by what they say and how little room to manoeuvre you could have. And don't waste your money on a lawyer until they have refused redundancy - there is nothing that they can do except bill you unless you are going to a tribunal. If you can't afford childcare, you can't afford a solicitors bill for doing stuff that won't help you one little bit. The package, the process - it's all fixed and non-negotiable. So they have nothing to do but tell you that. I've just told you, and I'm not charging!

Come back here when you have more information, but in the meantime do as I said and read all those policies inside out. And don't post quite so much identifying material. Most of the time it matters less than people think, but in this case you are potentially saying that you can be got rid of easily! That's something you never tell an employer!

Thank you very much for all your advice. I will edit down the information as i was worried I could be identified.

Unfortunately my husband will not be able to collect her as his fixed working hours and then his commute mean he would be even later getting to her than me! I do see your point though. He would be doing the drop offs as I wouldn't be able to get to work on time otherwise. (even with a breakfast club).

I absolutely agree that being paid to commute wouldn't be appropriate and wan't suggesting that. In the disturbance allowance policy it specifically states this.

My employer doesn't have homeworking in my job. So this would not be an option.

I am not trying to be inflexible or difficult, I have not been offered redundancy only a change of location that as a family will not work for us. I am trying to look at all the options and so far i cannot see how it can work. I appreciate that there are many working families out there that do make it work but this change of circumstances is going to make it impossible.

I just want to be able to do my job and not leave my child on a street corner! I have never stated I cannot afford Childcare, I have paid 90% of my salary on it for the past 3 years. The problem i have is that the length of the after school club finishes before we would physically be able to get to her due to a much longer commute.

Thanks once again to everyone who has taken the time to comment. I appreciate it and taken note of your advice. I will now delete the previous posts due to identification.

From a business point of view, there are so many cuts and it does make sense to close the office, so can't really argue against it. From a personal point of view, it means the end of my much loved career.

Kind regards,

Mrs Muffin.

MrsMuffin

If anyone who has quoted my posts, could delete them i would be really grateful, I din't realise how easy it is to identify me!

Mrs Muffin

sangie595

MrsMuffin wrote: »

If anyone who has quoted my posts, could delete them i would be really grateful, I din't realise how easy it is to identify me!

Mrs Muffin

To be fair, I have an advantage that others wouldn't have. But so do your employers!

Nicki

Why does your 4 year old have to go to after school club? Could you not put her with a childminder after school who will collect her at the end of the school day and keep her until you are able to get to her?

Alternatively can you employ a student for an hour a day to pick her up from after school club and take her home and give her tea?

Surely either of those make more financial sense than giving up your job with nothing to go to?

getmore4less

Suitable alternative should look att all asspects.

..........
There are no suitable office spaces for me to work from at that office. This will mean that I end up doing work that is not in my contract, and is of a lower position. They will offer disturbance allowance for 2 years which would equate to around £2 per day, this does not cover the extra costs.
I!!!8217;m really sad about the situation as I do love my job but by moving offices, it will not be that same job
...........
have been told that Voluntary redundancy is not an option as they said that the location is being made redundant but not my role (although there is nowhere for me to go to!). My contract does state my place of work as my base. I feel that I have no choice but to quit my job as the alternative they are offering is not suitable.
...........

Location, probably close enough to be suitable and the disturbance allowance would make making any case on that grounds harder.

Focus on the important bits, the role is not relocating it is being removed and the alternative is not suitable

AS soon as you raise the location/family etc you undermine any case against the alternative job not being suitable.

I suspect there will be counter measures in place for counter any non suitability arguments.

MrsMuffin

Nicki wrote: »

Why does your 4 year old have to go to after school club? Could you not put her with a childminder after school who will collect her at the end of the school day and keep her until you are able to get to her?

Alternatively can you employ a student for an hour a day to pick her up from after school club and take her home and give her tea?

Surely either of those make more financial sense than giving up your job with nothing to go to?

It is in a tiny village with no other options. There simply are no child-minders to do a pick up. I have no idea where to even start with looking for a student to do a pick up for an hour. The extra cost on top of the after school club, plus extra commuting cost is starting to become too expensive, but thank you for your suggestions.


Kind regards,


Mrs Muffin

sangie595

Ah, I wondered about that. So a huge part of the problem overall is not the relocation, but the fact that you live in a difficult place. That isn't going to factor in to the employers concerns. But I'm just wondering, are got the only parent in the village? Would it be possible to come to a quid pro quo arrangement to trade time or skills with someone in the village? They do the pick up and tea after school, and you and your partner do something for them?

sangie595

getmore4less wrote: »

Suitable alternative should look att all asspects.





Location, probably close enough to be suitable and the disturbance allowance would make making any case on that grounds harder.

Focus on the important bits, the role is not relocating it is being removed and the alternative is not suitable

AS soon as you raise the location/family etc you undermine any case against the alternative job not being suitable.

I suspect there will be counter measures in place for counter any non suitability arguments.

I've maybe misread this, but I am not seeing that the role is being removed. I read that the role is relocating. But the OP had said that if they located to another site they would end up doing other things, not that this was a change of role. I don't think that there is an "alternative job" - the job that the OP had will remain and they will remain in it.