Lovely Christmas Bonus

From the outside, it seems mad that your wife won't consider moving to Leeds but is happy to move to Canada.
 
What is the deal with your shares? I owned shares in my previous company and as per T&C's I had to sell them when I left employment (in effect shares treated as 'forced sale' so offer rate was terrible).
 
Nursie said:
From the outside, it seems mad that your wife won't consider moving to Leeds but is happy to move to Canada.
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It's presumably down to the immediacy of the move; whereas emigration to Canada is a much longer, more planned out process (one assumes).
 
Maybe see if you could work 2 days from home and three days at the office? Also try to negotiate a pay rise into it to cover the cost of staying in hotels and the like.

As you say, you're planning to move to Canada in a few years so whats a couple of nights a week in Leeds going to do?
 
boxman2000 said:
What is the deal with your shares? I owned shares in my previous company and as per T&C's I had to sell them when I left employment (in effect shares treated as 'forced sale' so offer rate was terrible).
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I can choose to keep, or sell them.
If I sell them, which I am, the other shareholders have first option to buy them at a fair market rate calculated by an independent evaluator.
 
If you quit the job, you don't get the redundancy payout.

Just say you won't/can't move and wait for them to offer redundancy which after 6 years should equate to a sizeable chunk of change. I would also think that any reputable company contract would require 1-3 months notice for redundancy.

When they mention out sourcing to me that usually means they want cheap labour and will probably end up going to India or China for development work. With this in mind don't forget about the 10% stake you have in software shares as the value could plummet.
 
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Clav said:
Negotiate yourself a fat pay rise and move to Leeds
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MadMossy said:
When they mention out sourcing to me that usually means they want cheap labour and will probably end up going to India or China for development work. With this in mind don't forget about the 10% stake you have in software shares as the value could plummet.
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They're not outsourcing anything. In fact, every facet of the business is done in-house. If I don't move up there, they're going to replace me with someone local.
 
HEADRAT said:
It's just a job, why would he want to live away for half of the week!
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It depends on various things imho.

I've done it, didn't like it but needs must at the time. Benefit of doing it was put me in a great position for future career moves to land me in the job I am in now.

Happy to say back 'at home' now and happy as ever, but wouldn't be in this position if it wasn't for the period living away.

I guess if I was in the OPs shoes I'd start looking for a new role in Bristol and take the redundancy. Bristol isn't exactly a small place shy of work, there should be enough there to get something.
 
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I'd certainly hold for redundancy - see just how much the company value you.

Lots of companies try and force this issue, then when it boils down to it over time just leave remote staff where they are.

I'd maybe even say to your company that you will try and work out a move and look into the logistics/financials just to delay proceedings. It'll give you some time certainly and give you more perceived power while they wait for you.

Does your current contract cover you for travel expenses to Leeds?

I would also be tempted to take some legal advice, if only to be in a strong position to threaten when the redundancy comes about and receive a larger redundancy payout for less fuss.




They have a point regarding you being the senior dev and wanting both leadership and knowledge transfer etc in house with the team. It just sucks from your view given that you've invested a lot of time and effort.


Best of luck with it mate.


eta: Bristol to Leeds.... I wouldn't either. Leeds isn't bad, but it is more grim up North!
 
All small companies that expand have to go through a few big transitions and the one you work is doing the same. It reads as if they want you to continue but would like you to move.

The one lesson everyone in every job learns sometime or another, is that no-one is irreplaceable, and companies never owe workers anything above what the law stipulates.
 
Tripnologist said:
That's what I've just learned.
During the year where we built most of our software, I was working 16-18 hours a day, 6 days a week, which I will never get back. Oh naive stupidity.
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It's a hard lesson to learn, I was lucky I guess in that it was in May, and not a particularly special time of year. Gutted for you that it's happened now.

I would hold out for redundancy, do not quit. It might be worth investigating if you can do 2 or 3 days a week in Leeds, it would certainly show willing and if they flat out refuse without even considering then you know for certain what they actually think of their staff.

Personally? I would be looking for a new job the minute I'd been told.

Importantly, speak to an employment lawyer. I'm not certain where the law stands on your contractual obligations - eg if you refuse to move to Leeds you may void any entitlement to redunancy payout - it might be seen as quitting.
 
Tripnologist said:
They're not outsourcing anything. In fact, every facet of the business is done in-house. If I don't move up there, they're going to replace me with someone local.
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Can they though?
Are they likely to find someone local with your skillsets, considering what you've done for the company these past 6 years?

You've said your wife won't move, but if she did, it would be a small test to see if she could handle being away from her family. If she couldn't then Canada would be a flop for sure, albeit Canada > Leeds on just about every level i would imagine.

Hold out for redundancy, would be my opinion, and sell the shares if they're worth more than peanuts.
I'm sure you get find employment again pretty quickly with your CV.

What's your timescales for your move to Canada?
Could consultancy/freelance work be an option in the meantime?
 
Banzai_Joe said:
Can they though?
Are they likely to find someone local with your skillsets, considering what you've done for the company these past 6 years?

You've said your wife won't move, but if she did, it would be a small test to see if she could handle being away from her family. If she couldn't then Canada would be a flop for sure, albeit Canada > Leeds on just about every level i would imagine.

Hold out for redundancy, would be my opinion, and sell the shares if they're worth more than peanuts.
I'm sure you get find employment again pretty quickly with your CV.

What's your timescales for your move to Canada?
Could consultancy/freelance work be an option in the meantime?
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The system I helped build is finished and well documented, so yes, they'll be able to replace me.

My wife can handle living away from her family, but she wants to spend as much time with them as she can before we move, hence the main reason she
doesn't want to move to Leeds now.

Not moving for a couple years, so I'm going to need to find a full time job. My area of expertise is actually in great demand these days, so I doubt I'll have trouble finding a job, it's just finding the right one which might take some time.

I'm going to see what they offer me for redundancy, and that will dictate how quietly I go, I think.
 
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