Consulting Employees before you Move Office
Best practice suggests companies should consult with their employees and keep their staff concerns at heart throughout the moving office process
Staff are at the centre of every business and require consideration when carrying out an office relocation. Moving office can affect not only your staff’s working schedule but also their daily lives, as they plan around a new working location.
Moving office will be an exciting time for most - with a new workplace to look forward to, but for others, a change in workplace can be unsetting. There may also be fears over redundancy or paycuts and personal situations, such as childcare responsibilities or the care of an elderly relative can make drastic differences to how an office move affects an employee so it is important to remain considerate to staff needs.
HR plays an important part in ensuring that everyone is regularly updated and staff have opportunity to voice their concerns surrounding the office move. There are also certain contractual obligations, that as employers, must be adhered to. You may have an existing mobility clause within your employment contracts, so check that this is being adhered to before committing to new offices. See the HR & Employment Law Checklist for more detail. Seeking professional legal support will help you to address any queries surrounding employment law and your obligations under law as an employer.
Finally, getting your staff involved with the office move is a great way to boost morale and get vital input from your workforce. They may have great ideas about office design or suggestions to help the office removals process along. But you’ll never know unless you ask, so make sure your staff are up to speed with your office move from the start!
Read the HR Guide to Moving Office for more best-practice tips about your role as an employer.
