Sorting office Marple

[stockport claret]

The Bredbury sorting office is allso involved with this .Rumour has it and its rumour only at the moment next to green lane there is a large plot of land that belongs to stockport fencing the post office is looking at buying or renting this for parking of there vans .,

The plot of land has been rented by Royal Mail from Stockport Fencing for many years now. There have been offers to sell/buy the land over the years but either the price has been too high or no funds available.
The site is currently used to park part of Stockport delivery offices small van fleet.

[Dave]

But a lot of them choose to take the job because they could walk to work.

 

But the fact of the matter is that most - if not all - of those staff will have signed a contract with a mobility clause in it.  A clause that says they agree to a move like this. 

And the moral of the tale is - read the small print. 

[andrewbowden]

Depends whether they want employees who are loyal and prepared to go the extra mile for the company and the customers. Or employees who feel aggrieved and take every opportunity to exploit and abuse the system. You reap what you sow.

You know what, some will feel annoyed.  Others will just shrug, and get on with it.  Others will celebrate as it will mean they can get to work more easily than before.  Every relocation I've had, there's been winners and there's been losers.  First time it happened to me, I got a commute that was five minutes longer (company consolidated sites).  Second time it was reduced by 20 minutes (company moved to bigger premises.) 

In both cases, the employer did the maths.  They looked at where its employers were based.  What was their likely travel time, travel costs.    They tried to soften the blow by offering assistance to those whose travel costs were impacted negatively by the move.  There are ways to soften the blow.  There are things that can be done.

But the fact of the matter is that most - if not all - of those staff will have signed a contract with a mobility clause in it.  A clause that says they agree to a move like this.  A clause most of them will have agreed to before starting the job.

You can find a copy of the Royal Mail's seasonal worker engagement contract online at
http://www.royalmailgroup.com/sites/default/files/Christmas%20Casual%202016%20Terms%20Of%20Engagement%20V1_0.pdf

Here's its mobility clause:

Your initial place of work during any engagement will be shown in your offer
letter. However, the needs of Royal Mail require mobility. During any period of engagement therefore, you may be required to work elsewhere other than at your initial place of work. You will not be required to work outside the UK in the course of your duties.

It's gloriously vague.  But it's there in black and white.  This is obviously a seasonal contract, but I'd put good money on the standard contract being similar.

The only recourse someone has here is if they can prove the request to work elsewhere is completely unreasonable (see https://www.gov.uk/employer-relocation-your-rights).

i.e. Royal Mail telling staff in Marple that they must relocate to Oban in the Scottish Highlands is probably unreasonable.  Telling them they need to go to Stockport, isn't ever going to be so.

[Cyberman]

Then the reality is, that if it's that much of a problem, they'll need to find another job.  Subject to the terms of an individual's contract, it's really not a particularly unreasonable ask for an employer to say to their staff "sorry, but we're moving your job five miles down the road." 

Depends whether they want employees who are loyal and prepared to go the extra mile for the company and the customers. Or employees who feel aggrieved and take every opportunity to exploit and abuse the system. You reap what you sow.

[andrewbowden]

But a lot of them choose to take the job because they could walk to work.   Hence the job they choose to take is being removed from them.

Then the reality is, that if it's that much of a problem, they'll need to find another job.  Subject to the terms of an individual's contract, it's really not a particularly unreasonable ask for an employer to say to their staff "sorry, but we're moving your job five miles down the road." 

I've had location moves a couple of times - one seven miles, one nine.  I've been there.  It was only the one that said "Yep, you'll need to move 200 miles" where I put my foot down (and took the redundancy cash.)

[ringi]

I think you'll find most employers will simply assume that the member of staff will sort themselves out regardless of shift.  After all, few nurses live right next to hospitals.  Not all the fire staff working at Marple will live in Marple.  And how many of Asda's shift workers will be able to walk back to their abode when they finish their shift.

Basically, if you take a job with anti-social hours, be prepared to get to your workplace.

But a lot of them choose to take the job because they could walk to work.   Hence the job they choose to take is being removed from them.

[andrewbowden]

I understand the point you are trying to make and if you'd referred to Stockport Fire Station then you would be correct. However, Marple operates an "On Call" system outside of normal hours and all firefighters have to live within 5 minutes of the station.

That I  clearly wasn't aware. 

But obviously there are many other examples. 

[admin]

Not all the fire staff working at Marple will live in Marple.

I understand the point you are trying to make and if you'd referred to Stockport Fire Station then you would be correct. However, Marple operates an "On Call" system outside of normal hours and all firefighters have to live within 5 minutes of the station.

[andrewbowden]

Remember that there is no public transport at the time they need to get to work, so "reasonable" should take into account walking to the new location.

I think you'll find most employers will simply assume that the member of staff will sort themselves out regardless of shift.  After all, few nurses live right next to hospitals.  Not all the fire staff working at Marple will live in Marple.  And how many of Asda's shift workers will be able to walk back to their abode when they finish their shift.

Basically, if you take a job with anti-social hours, be prepared to get to your workplace.

[ringi]

Remember that there is no public transport at the time they need to get to work, so "reasonable" should take into account walking to the new location.

[amazon]

Most contracts I have had have had a definition for "reasonable", documented in miles.  After all, businesses move location all the time, and you don't want arguments about these things.

The Bredbury sorting office is allso involved with this .Rumour has it and its rumour only at the moment next to green lane there is a large plot of land that belongs to stockport fencing the post office is looking at buying or renting this for parking of there vans .,

[andrewbowden]

Most contracts I have had have had a definition for "reasonable", documented in miles.  After all, businesses move location all the time, and you don't want arguments about these things.

[marpleexile]

It depends what it says in their contracts. If there is a mobility clause, providing for the possibility of relocation of the place of employment, then they would have to move with the job, or leave.

If there is no mobility clause then the employer may have to make them redundant, and pay the appropriate level of compensation.

Or offer to redeploy them to a suitable alternative role - which if refused would mean that they aren't eligible for redundancy as it would then be their choice that they are leaving, not the company's.

That, of course, comes down to what you deem to be "suitable". Common sense says that for almost all of the staff in question a move to Stockport would be suitable and reasonable*. However, Unions often have different definition of this from the rest of us...

*of course there is always the potential that the personal circumstances of a particular individual will mean that in their case it is not.

[Dave]

The postmen and women are having a meeting to decide weather to start industrial action about going to green lane stockport ,surly if a firm realocates and you keep the same job its up to you to get there .or find another job .

It depends what it says in their contracts. If there is a mobility clause, providing for the possibility of relocation of the place of employment, then they would have to move with the job, or leave.

If there is no mobility clause then the employer may have to make them redundant, and pay the appropriate level of compensation.

[amazon]

whether

Been quite nice today .