Employer forcing workplace relocation

Hello! I would be happy to help explain where you stand. Whether your employer can force you to move to a different workplace usually comes down to what is written in your employment contract and how reasonable the move is.

The legal position:

The first thing to do is look at your employment contract to see if it contains a mobility clause. This is a specific rule saying your employer has the right to change your place of work.

If you have a mobility clause in your contract, your employer generally has the right to ask you to move. However, they cannot use this clause however they like. Employment law requires them to act reasonably. This means they must give you a reasonable amount of notice, carefully consider how the extra travel time might affect you, and ensure they are not using the move to make your life difficult on purpose.

If you do not have a mobility clause, your workplace is fixed by your contract. Moving you without your agreement would usually be a breach of contract. Your employer would need to consult with you and ask for your consent to change your terms and conditions.

Sometimes, a forced move happens because your current workplace is closing down entirely. In the eyes of the law, this is technically a redundancy situation. Your employer might offer the new workplace as suitable alternative employment, but you may have the right to refuse it and claim redundancy pay instead if the new location is genuinely unsuitable for your lifestyle or commute.

It is also worth knowing that equality law might protect you. If the move affects you more harshly because of a protected characteristic, forcing the change could be discriminatory. For example, if a longer commute interferes with childcare responsibilities, it could be indirect sex discrimination. If a disability makes the new journey too difficult, your employer might be failing to make reasonable adjustments.

Missing details that might affect your situation:

To understand exactly what your rights are, a few details would be important. For instance, what exactly does your contract say about your place of work? How far away is the new location, and how much time or money will it add to your journey? How long have you worked for the employer, as you usually need two years of continuous service to bring unfair dismissal claims in England and Wales? Finally, are there any personal reasons, like caring duties or health conditions, that make the new location particularly difficult for you?

Practical next steps:

1. Read your contract. Dig out your paperwork and look for any mention of your normal place of work, travel requirements, or mobility clauses. This tells you your starting position.

2. Talk to your employer informally. Arrange a chat with your manager or HR and explain your concerns calmly. It is often best to try and find a compromise before things become heated. You could ask for flexible working, a hybrid arrangement so you do not have to travel every day, adjusted start times, or a temporary allowance to cover the extra travel costs.

3. Raise a formal grievance. If informal chats do not work and you believe the move is unreasonable, out of line with your contract, or discriminatory, you can use your company grievance procedure to officially look into your complaint.

4. Work under protest. If the date of the move arrives and you have not reached an agreement, you might decide to try the new workplace but state clearly in an email to HR that you are working under protest. This leaves your options open and shows you have not accepted the change permanently while you continue to dispute it.

5. Resign and claim constructive dismissal. If the move is a severe breach of your contract and your employer refuses to listen, you might reach a point where you feel forced to resign and take them to an Employment Tribunal. You need to be very careful here. Tribunal claims are stressful, take many months, and can be hard to win. This is very much a last resort.

I hope this helps give you a clearer picture of your options. Let me know if you would like me to explain any of these steps in more detail!