Issues with Notice

LegacyUser

Hi all,

Unreg for this one - but such a specific issue I'm probably identifiable anyway!

I work for a huge global company, been there nearly 3 years and have just been offered a similar job but with much better pay/terms etc with a competitor. This happens a lot in my team, I can count nearly 10 people who have left since the start of the year to go to competitors. In my company there is a Senior Manager who is your go-to for wellbeing and professional development etc. I informed this Senior Manager on Thursday that I was leaving and that I would be handing in my notice officially this Monday - everything was very amicable, he was disappointed I was leaving but knew me well enough to know I couldn't be talked out of it.

Yesterday afternoon I was called to a meeting with that Senior Manager and my current team leader (same grade), they informed me that when they told the person in charge of the whole team that I was leaving he has insisted that I spend my leaving period in the London office. I asked what I would be doing in London, since it is unusual to travel there without a specific need, they answered that they would "have to find me something to keep busy".

I have a clause in my contract that I "may on occasion be required to work from another office" I am questioning if this counts as a requirement given that there is no work to do. I have worked in the London office once since the start of the year and that was because there was a specific need for it.

When joining my current team there was a verbal agreement that we would not have to work away from home unnecessarily - it was the main reasons for me joining (Although this was all verbal, there were are other people who can corroborate this. I do not want to travel to London unnecessarily because I volunteer during the week and it would leave my group short of volunteers - when I raised this during the meeting they just shrugged. I asked what my options were, and they suggested that I take my notice period as holiday - however that would mean I wound be substantially over the pro-rata holiday amount for the year and I can't afford to do that.

So my question is - is this allowed? So many people have left in similar circumstances recently and without this happening. I have a case open with my company's HR, but I don't know how long a response will take and the expectation is that when I officially hand in my notice on Monday I will then book a flight to spend the rest of the time in London.

(tl;dr: Employer is making me take my notice period in London - I don't want to. Any advice?)

I'd find a way to enjoy some time in London at their expense. Travel after 8am Monday, back by 5pm Friday. Expense the hole out of it.

skallywag

Unless they can justify the reason for you to work out your notice in London then it makes no sense to me, unless it is being done out of pure spite. The immediate possible reason which springs to mind would be that you could train your potential replacement who is currently working from London, but judging from their comments this does not seem to be the case.

From a manager's perspective I see nothing at all to be gained from this, there is noting positive ever going to come from pissing off an employee who is on the way out.

OP, I would confront these people again and insist on being told as to why this is required. I would not leave it drop until I receive a satisfactory response.

beauf

You'd probably be best talking to someone with expertise in the area. Like Employment Law. You're probably identifiable by this thread. I would put all everything in writing. I would put it in writing asking them to confirm in writing this request to move to London. Perhaps listing where you've worked previously in this role, for how long and for what reason you worked in London. Don't go beyond that, no requests to work in Dublin or anything else. Perhaps they'll read between the lines and drop it.

jimmycrackcorm

UnregNoticeIssue wrote:

So my question is - is this allowed? So many people have left in similar circumstances recently and without this happening. I have a case open with my company's HR, but I don't know how long a response will take and the expectation is that when I officially hand in my notice on Monday I will then book a flight to spend the rest of the time in London.

Refuse to travel until your case with HR has been qualified. I presume that your case is that this is simply a vindictive action and let it draw out. They will have to clearly define why you need to be based in London instead. If this doesn't follow a pattern of regularly working in London then you can let HR know you will take a case to the WRC after you leave.

However you might have stymied your chances as this happened before you handed in your actual notice.