Employee Considerations during an Office Relocation
There are some important guidelines to follow as far as staff are concerned to make sure the office move gets buy-in from all those involved.
An office move can bring about a major change for any business (and hopefully one for the better!), it's also a major change for your staff too. An office move may alter the way in which your staff travel to and from work, the time it takes to travel to work, a change in nearby facilities – and it can also alter their employment contracts. You need to put enough time aside when planning an office move to consult with, reassure, and listen to your staff - keeping their interests at heart throughout the moving office process.
Some employees may feel resistant to change and fear over the security of their future within the company. This is why it's important to hold regular updates for your staff about the office move, and this can also help to get buy-in and make everyone feel involved in this important stage of your company's development.
Updating your staff could be done in the form of face-to-face meetings, updates (and photos) on the intranet or notice board about the progress of the office move, and nearer the time of the move you might even want to hold a company tour to the new office so everyone can visualise their new surroundings and feel less anxious about how the office move will affect them.
Providing staff with a clear and consistent message about the reasons behind the office move will also help get your employees on board with what you are trying to achieve. You will want to minimise any negative vibes surrounding the office move and ensure that you promote the positives to staff at all times throughout the process.
As far as employment contracts are concerned, there are legal issues that companies need to be aware of when moving office. For example; if there is a “mobility clause” in their contract then an employer may be able to change an employee’s place of work without their agreement. Remember also that an employees work place location is contractual and you will need to alter their employment contracts following the office move. Ask a Property Solicitor to clarify any legal issues you are unsure of.
More information can be found in the free HR & Employment Law Checklist and for further reading about HR’s role during an office move read the HR Guide to moving office.
