To think that I should have been told about the office move?

[drtachyon]

I'm due to start back at work next week after maternity leave.

I've just discovered that while I've been away, my entire office has moved several miles down the road. This seems to have happened about a week ago.

I've been in contact with work regularly, and the office move has never been mentioned as even a possibility. I've only found out now because a colleague has made a throw away remark about the new office on Facebook.

I mean, seriously, when were they going to tell me? When I turned up next week and started ringing people in a panic because the car park was empty and the company name removed from the building?

AIBU to think that my line manager should have told me about the office move?

yanbu but it sounds like an oversight and the practicalities took over! Just call and ask.

I'm impatiently drumming my fingers and waiting for the lunch break to finish.

No chance of getting my line manager between 12:30 and 1:30, he always goes offf somewhere for lunch.

Don't let on you know now. Turn up next week at the old place and act confused.

Just one of those things that they slipped up on - I assume it's not too far and won't affect the way you get into work? My answer would be different if the move is going to inconvenience you.

Could be quite amusing to just turn up at the old place!

I'm not totally sure where the new place is, but if they've moved everyone there from the old place, it's unlikely to be far enough away to cause me a major problem.

They absolutely should have told you - weeks, if not months ago.

Unless your contract is temp, or states 'no fixed place of work' then an office move like this can have all sorts of fall out.

If they really have moved 'several miles down the road' i.e. a significant distance further away from your home, they may just have varied the terms and conditions of your employment without your consent.

I.e. you took the job on when you were travelling, say, 10 miles each way - they've just moved you to twenty miles each way - so you're now travelling 20 miles extra per day.

The impact of that needed to have been discussed with you, before it happened. They don't know that you can comfortably achieve the new commute in terms of cost/time/public transport/childcare restrictions and making a move like that without considering those is asking for tribunals.

It's not a 'slight-slip-up' that can be laughed off, it could have been/ might be be thousands of pounds in a 'constructive dismissal of woman on Maternity Leave....' tribunal, because they didn't tell you.

I like carriepooter's idea OP but a better one would be to stay in bed and phone them angrily late morning and insist on taking the rest of the day off because you're too upset to come in.

Take the next day off if they don't send you a Google map link.

Or go for the ginnybag option which should put the wind up the useless bastards.

To update - tried calling my line manager, but he's out of the office on business till next week. And uncontactable by mobile. Interestingly, it seems that they've managed to move the reception phone number with the office.

I have found out where the new office is though - it's closer to my house than the old one, but because it's more into the town centre, I'll have to go off the bypass sooner. So I'm hoping the different commute won't be a problem - it'll all depend on what the traffic's off that junction's normally like.

And regarding ginnybag's point about childcare - there's only a nursery right next door to the new office. Apparently the management have been telling staff this is one of the super advantages to the new office location. That's the sort of information that would have been nice to know when I was looking into childcare for DS.

yes that's annoying!

Leave the bastards!