Redundancy

[lino]

Loosehead. I was given two copies of my Contract of Employment. Told to read them and raise any queries I might have. If everything was ok I was to sign one of the copies and hand it back. I was told this is not a legal requirement, so did not sign anything. I still hold both copies. They are just bog standard contracts they have to legally issue. They are advised by a consultancy company.

[Loosehead]

you do not have to start a new thread each time. Add to the old one.

I don't really know but I would imagine that even though you haven't signed the paper contract you have been working there for some time and have therefore tacitly accepted the employment. I would therefore say the employer is within their rights to ask you to move to a new location. Check this with the CAB or the local Employment department.

[antiguru]

Loosehead is correct. What you have been given is actually a statement of terms and conditions of your employment. The contract is very simple. You turn up, they pay you, so effectively you agreed to the terms the first time you went to work after they gave them to you.

Employers have a legal obligation to provide you with this statement and so many ask for a signature and a returned copy to prove that you have received it.

I haven't seen your previous question but I'm assuming it involves them asking you to move location. Employers can make reasonable requests like this, but there is sometimes some debate about what counts as reasonable. If the employer wants you to move to a location that is not commutable from your current home, even if he is offering you a relocation allowance, it could be a redundancy situation. Remember, redundancy is just when the job ceases to exist in its current form or undergoes some substantial change.

Hope this helps.