Corporate Relocation

Company Relocation: Relocating your Office

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The third in our series on Office Relocation

Relocating an office can be both exciting and stressful, as well as being one of the most expensive decisions made by a company. This makes planning vital for a successful move. The following outlines key considerations when moving a company, from early planning stages to the actual move into new office premises.

The first step in relocating is to identifying the team responsible for organising the move, including a senior-level champion who will make decisions. Roles and responsibilities should be clearly identified for each departments involved in the planning process, including finance, facilities, IT, operations, marketing, human resources and senior managers. Moves can cause stress and anxiety, and keeping staff informed is a good way to avoid misunderstandings and confusion. Staff should have opportunities to provide feedback and access information about the move throughout the process. In some cases, engagement with trade unions and employees directly affected by the move is required under the Information & Consultation of Employees Regulations. Other stakeholders may also need to be engaged, including the parent company, board members, department heads, and regulators.

Finding the right location

Prior to planning a move, companies should identify requirements and priorities for the new location. Defining these will help ensure that the right location is identified. The location should have good access to potential employees with the skills needed to support the company. Consider transportation links and services, including public transport, highway and road access, and parking. The new location should allow employees to have a reasonable commute from their home and also be easy for clients and others to visit. There should also be local amenities for employees, such as shops, restaurants and other services. Once a site is selected, a full survey should be carried out to determine the condition of the building and identify potential issues that may affect costs as well as the design of the new office.
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Company Relocation: Relocating People and Employees

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The second in our series on Company Relocation

When a company relocates within or outside of the United Kingdom, they may also relocate their employees. From time to time, companies may also be required to relocate staff to other cities or countries. This might be the result of opening a new office or trying to meet operational requirements by having enough resources in different locations. Companies need to consider the rights of their employees when relocating people. At the same time, employees need to understand the conditions of their employment contract when they are asked to move.

Whenever a company relocates, employers are responsible for ensuring the rights of their employees are respected. This includes respecting the terms of any mobility clause in an employee’s contract. A mobility clause outlines the conditions and limits when an employee must move. This clause normally allows companies to force their workers to move, in accordance to the terms outlined in the clause. Employers are not required to provide compensation for employees if they relocate, unless this is identified in the employment contract. Employers must ensure that any request to move is reasonable. For example, asking an employee to relocate outside of the UK with only one day’s notice or if the move would affect the employee’s children’s education would not be considered reasonable requests.

It is important for employees to fully understand their employment contract and mobility clause, if present. Any employee with a mobility clause in their contract must move at the request of their employer unless they prove that the request to relocate is unreasonable. If proven that the move is unreasonable, the clause may not apply and the employee can request alternative arrangements. Employees without a mobility clause have the option to choose whether or not they wish to move. Continue reading “Company Relocation: Relocating People and Employees” →

Tips for Office Moves in London

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Moving office can be both equally exciting and daunting a prospect. Moving within the London area can also provide equal benefits, through lots of choice and removal options, and disadvantages such as traffic, parking restrictions and the general business found in the capital. Your office move will certainly disrupt your usual business for the duration and this can easily result in negative impacts. In order to limit the negative effects associated with the big move, here are some tips for office moves in London.

Planning

Planning is the most important part of this process and understanding its importance could make or break the success of the move. Communication is perhaps the most important so plan to have your phone line and Internet in place before the move. There could be nothing worse than having a delay on your line connection and being un contactable for longer than you need. During the move, forward phones to mobiles and look into mobile email access. Having a set layout of the new office will speed things up at the final stop. Based on this plan, make sure you have considered power points, network cables etc. Use the opportunity of the move to rid yourself of unnecessary clutter that as built up in the office place and ensure staff do the same. Continue reading “Tips for Office Moves in London” →