Contract wording

[Siliconslave]

I've been pushing back about a new contract that included the wording:

"Your normal place of work is initially your home with attendance at meetings at venues as
requested by the Company, until such time as the Company establishes permanent office premises, at which point the Company reserves the right to move your normal place of work to
those premises."

As the roles supposed to be home based permanently, they've now edited it to:

"Your normal place of work is initially your home with attendance at meetings at venues as
requested by the Company."

Do you think it's fussy / necessary to get them to remove the 'initially' from the new wording, would that give them a way in to change the terms later down the line?

 

[Diagro]

I'd want it removed, as it still opens it up for meaning what it said previously.

 

[NotAGolf]

Yes, I'd be worried about the word "initially", BUT isn't there usually a term in the contract along the lines of "We reserve the right to change any terms in this contract providing we give you x months notice"?

In which case, I personally wouldn't bother chasing further as they can just change your contract and screw you over later down the line.

 

[NickK]

until such time as the Company establishes permanent office premises, at which point the Company reserves the right to move your normal place of work to

That could be anywhere and any country without the right to claim relocation? Role as advertised vs contract. I'd love to know if there's HR laws w.r.t to advertised vs contract.

I certainly know you should have an identified base office - and one that isn't magically up the other end of the country, however as NotAGolf says, typically there are general contractural clause changes being subject to X months notice as part of the agreement.

Personally I would want it removed - the advertised role is perm home working. The company can still change role position to an office. Perhaps they realised that moving home working to an office is subject to the normal notice and possible role in X location redundant now in Y location - if you want to relocate type of discussion.

 

[Siliconslave]

Asked for it changed there’s no contract change clause in the rest of the contract so hopefully all good.

The whole ‘we opened an office in Hull’ thing was the worry, don’t think it would happen, but….

 

[NickK]

Asked for it changed there’s no contract change clause in the rest of the contract so hopefully all good.

The whole ‘we opened an office in Hull’ thing was the worry, don’t think it would happen, but….

Just check the "staff hand book" too. Often companies will have the handbook referenced by the contract.

 

[Siliconslave]

got the update through this morning so trying to get hold of my manager to hand my notice in - eek!

 

[Diagro]

got the update through this morning so trying to get hold of my manager to hand my notice in - eek!

That took a turn. What happened?

 

[Siliconslave]

no turn, was on final negotiations on the new contract, they've accepted the wording changes i wanted, so have accepted that and need to quit this job now!

 

[Fishman]

Do you really need to quit one job to take another internally. Surely both parties can agree contract amendments. You will lose your years of service and the protection/redundancy benefits that brings

 

[Kenai]

Not quite sure what people are reading to make them think this contract is related to his current job?

Seems a fairly straight forward new job scenario to me - get new contract offer, get bits changed you're not happy with, agree contract, quit old job.

 

[Siliconslave]

Not quite sure what people are reading to make them think this contract is related to his current job?

Thanks, thought I was losing the plot a little there! It’s a new job I was second guessing myself on on the terms as was pushing back on a lot of things.

New contract has been agreed, old job has been quit. Many drinks have been had and now I’m trying to work out which tube line I’m on

 

[Thekwango]

Not quite sure what people are reading to make them think this contract is related to his current job?

Seems a fairly straight forward new job scenario to me - get new contract offer, get bits changed you're not happy with, agree contract, quit old job.

Indeed, tres bizarro as Del Boy might say, how they came to that conclusion Anyways, congratulations @Siliconslave

 

[HangTime]

I think it's because he never stated he'd applied for another job and used the term "new contract" which for a permanent employee could be interpreted to mean a new contract to replace an existing one at the same employer. It's talking about place of work and I expect there have been quite a few organisations drawing up new contracts for existing staff as a result of changes in working styles.

 

[Siliconslave]

fare point - can see how it could be read that way trying to wrap things up this week so i can get on with my 3 months of garden leave