Employee Relocation – HR Issues

Where your employees are vehicles of valuable knowledge embedded in your organisation it is of paramount importance to make any office relocations as pain free as possible for your workforce.

There is a plethora of information regarding managing change within a business but nothing can compare to managing in action and something as big as relocating. To fully embrace the benefits of your business relocation your staff must be 100% on board.

An office relocation can be stressful for staff and create a multitude of changes for any organisation. There are a number of things to consider including staff consultations, employment law and changes to employment contracts. An office will usually create a massive task for HR managers who will play a central role in fully preparing staff for a myriad of changes.

Things to consider:

• Announce the move – Staff will not appreciate secrecy, be clear for reasons. Communication is key.
• Employment Law – Your staff have certain rights when it comes to relocation. When an employer moves, employees with a mobility clause in their contract have to move unless they can prove the request is unreasonable. A mobility clause says that employees have to move within certain limits, unless completely unreasonable.
• Hold forums – Allow staff to let their views be heard and this will enable any problems to come to light to be overcome.
• Reluctance to change – There will inevitably be those staff members, usually those who have been at the organisation the longest, who will not be willing to change or will find it harder to adapt to a new environment and perhaps new ways of doing things, allow extra consideration for these employees.
• Settling-in Period – There are bound to be a few hurdles in relocating, once everyone is in the new premises some staff may take longer than others to settle in. It is important to allow your staff time to settle in and act upon any feedback and suggestions from staff to make their working lives as easy as possible.

To speak to one of out industry experts about your business relocation, get in contact today.  

Office Space to Motivate

The power of your office space cannot be underestimated. The office environment is a very important factor contributing to output; remember a happy workforce in a productive workforce!

The best offices are the ones that are able to keep workforce's motivated, inspired and applied, on the other hand a dull and drab office environment has the power to stifle your workforce, making them resent their jobs resulting in low job satisfaction and low productivity.  

It is critical to promote an environment of freedom and creativity in our modern day environment which is rich in stimulants. Google provides the perfect example with their campus style Mountain View headquarters in California, they attract only the best fresh young talent and perhaps one of the reasons for this is that they have been successful in creating a conducive office environment.

Tips to create a motivational office space:

·         Colour: Forget dull drab office spaces, create a colourful office to brighten up the place and make things more cheerful and stimulating.

·         Personal Touch: Let employees make their own mark; bring in photos, and other personal items, let them be comfortable to be creative. Everyone is different so encourage people to do what they need to do to get the best out of them.

·         Space: Workers need space to feel free to experiment, to get creative and to be organised.

Zoning: Let people chat, bring different people together that wouldn't usually be able to. Create energy to let people talk and create a buzz about the place to rally morale.

·         Light: Allow natural light to flood your office or create interesting and effective lighting solutions.

If you are considering an office relocation to motivate and stimulate your workforce then get in contact with Edward Baden relocations today, we provide expert advice in every aspect office relocations including IT relocation and Public Sector relocations. 

Why Relocate?

There are numerous reasons why companies decide to relocate; we have explored just a few in our most recent blog:

1.       Cost: The primary reason why many businesses consider relocation is due to costs, these may be labour, operating, property or costs in adhering to environmental regulations.  If costs are too high businesses will look for a more favourable location.

2.       Space: Many businesses inevitably outgrow their facilities; taking on a larger unit with better, more modern facilities with room to accommodate future growth is sometimes the only option. 

3.       Market Presence: To increase your presence in the market or to become closer to suppliers/resources.

4.       Labour: To acquire employees with a more specialised labour skill set.

5.       Innovation: Closer to similar companies, entering a cluster of innovation (see previous blog entry)

6.       Quality of Life; It may be the case that it is just the preferred location of the directors.
 

 

Edward Baden are relocation experts, we have the expertise and resources to plan and manage moves of all sizes and complexities, so get incontact now to speak to one of our advisers today.

Location Location Location - Find your Innovation Hub

In this fast paced, technological age academics and business people alike are continuing to stress the importance of location for encouraging innovation and business development – and we think it’s time you took notice too. 

Locating your business in a cluster of innovation means that you can access a rich pool of specialised labour, benefit from knowledge spillovers, and local rivalry can create conditions for specialisation and innovation – All factors that are essential for a business to flourish!

Take Silicon Valley for example– a large number of computer companies relocated here just south of San Francisco in the 1950s, the technological benefits sprouting from their location were plentiful!

So why not consider a relocation for your business to ensure you are where you need to be - Here at Edward Baden we can help you and your business relocate to your innovation hub. We have a dedicated and highly skilled project team to plan and execute your move, facilitating timing and relationship building at every stage which we feel is critical.  Get in contact now to ensure your business location is not holding you back!