You may find yourself considering relocating employees for a variety of reasons: you are relocating your business, merging with another business, or opening another site. As businesses adapt to changing needs and opportunities, the process of moving an employee to another location becomes a significant consideration. In this blog, we’ll delve into the legalities and key factors surrounding relocating employees, providing employers with valuable insights and guidance on navigating this complex aspect of workforce management.

Redundancy due to office relocation

If the employee is adamant that they do not wish to move, a redundancy situation may arise as their job at their current workplace no longer exists.

The employee cannot unreasonably refuse any suitable alternative employment options. What is reasonable would depend on the circumstances. For instance, if the location is close and easy to get to and does not significantly disrupt the employee’s family situation, it may be unreasonable for the employee to refuse. Eligible employees may lose their redundancy pay if they unreasonably refuse.

If an employer decides to move premises, even if it is a very short distance, that is a potential redundancy situation given one of the statutory definitions of redundancy is a workplace closure. However, as mentioned above, employers can avoid a redundancy situation in this regard if they have a mobility clause in their contracts and can choose to exercise that clause as an alternative to making redundancies.

Again, any mobility clause must be exercised reasonably. If the new workplace is very close to the old one, that will not pose a problem. If, on the other hand, the new site is further away and would add significantly to an employee’s commute, it may not be reasonable to expect them to travel. There are not, however, set distance rules surrounding an office move and redundancy.