To think I have effectively been dismissed?

[Autumnwindinthewillows]

I worked at an office less than 5 mins walk from a major transport hub. The firm then moved to an office with no easily accessible public transport but the arrangement at the time (or so i thought) was that staff with cars would pick me up from the old office. With staff changes this is no longer happening and I cannot get to work without an hour long journey on public transport plus a 1.5 mile walk which is not feasible.

The bosses have basically reneged on the deal and said it is my problem so it would seem i am out of a job. Can I claim constructive dismissal?

Something becoming normal doesn't mean it's a good thing. Don't British employees take the most sick leave? I wonder if it's a factor.

"Especially for a minimum wage job. It's just an example of how the jobcentre are bastards"

I think in reality you'd just go to the interview and suggest it might be too far for you and you wouldn't get the job.
My job centre also expected me to look for work within a certain mile radius - travel to the next city would have wiped hundreds of pounds a month off my wages so I didn't look there.

"I know very many people for whom this is normal"

I don't know anyone who does it every day. It sounds like you chose to do it in Manchester though. It's a different matter if someone is forced.

I think the point is just because some places might choose to assist with costs for travel doesn't mean OP's work is responsible for her travel arrangements/commute.

I think that distinction needs to be kept clear on this thread given that at the start of it the OP was annoyed that management weren't compelling new colleagues to nip out of work to continue her free taxi service and she doesn't see why she should pay £10 for a taxi. The line between goodwill and entitlement has already been blurred in the OP's perspective.
If her work can/will accommodate her commuting issues then great, but that's goodwill on their part, not an entitlement.

I do know all the info in this thread as ive been following it. No need for you to be rude and tell me to stop posting...i am simply stating as others have also said that she shouldnt expect a company to be responsible for her commute regardless of her disability, its not up for a company to sort that out- she needs to.

I lived through a merger and the relocated people got some temporary payments for petrol or increased fees (after a lot of faffy paperwork) but it was just supposed to be a stop gap giving them time to relocate or find another job if it wasn't going to work out.

@snuggly yes thats really nice of that company but its not the case for a lot of others and its much more of a goodwill gesture than an expectation

Sorey typo! Meant @SnuggyBuggy in my above

I know people for who a 1.5 hour commute is normal. They are all impacted badly by it. I did a similar commute with a similar condition to the OP (schizo affective bipolar disorder) and it had a massive negative effect on my health and wound up with me having a major episode in which I couldn't get out of bed for a month and about five months in which I was basically a zombie (so minimal use at work).

I now have a 15 min commute and it's a major factor in my keeping the bipolar in remission. I wish people wouldn't minimize the impact of this sort of thing. The OP might not express herself well, but she's quite possibly being entirely accurate when she says this additional commute is making her sick.

Bipolar is a hard condition to manage and meds are only a part of it - getting the right structure and routine and managed stress is a massive part too. This kind of commute can be a total killer in that - it impacts on sleep (insanely important in managing bipolar), it drains energy which is likely to be physically much lower in a depressive episode, it means you don't necessarily have the time to do other important things like see a therapist or go to group support or pick up meds because you're always late home etc. The OP might not express herself well but all the people saying "bipolar doesn't stop you crawling 18 hours over broken glass to get to work" are missing a big part of what triggers the condition and how you manage it.

A job would have to pay really well for anyone to happily do a 3 hour daily commute.
OP there are really only two options:
Either you negotiate with your boss to get you a laptop so you can WFH two days a week, or
You look for another job but meanwhile you keep up your attendance in this job so you get a good reference.

There’s a chance ATW will cover a laptop if it is not your permanent workstation (ie you have a computer supplied by the organisation in the office) and you need it to enable you to work from home because of your disability. Another thing worth discussing.

@PengAly, exactly, a short term stop gap contribution to travel costs is the best case scenario, no one can reasonably expect their workplace to pay for a regular commute or provide transport.

I assumed the OP was very young and in a first job TBH. Surprised about the 17 year old DS.

I now have a 15 min commute and it's a major factor in my keeping the bipolar in remission.

There are various pieces of research, none of them terribly compelling, which claim to find the amount of money people are willing to lose to reduce their commute. I suspect the studies are too disparate to justify a meta-analysis, but if someone were to carry one out it looks like the difference between a fifteen minute commute and a ninety minute commute is at least ten grand.

I can believe it. Long commutes are total killers. Although in my case, committing to a short commute has meant that although job hunting takes longer, the fact that my health is stable now has meant my salary has since increased by over £10k.

Which doesn't mean offices can never move but I do think that a dramatic increase in commute time can be destructive enough that it's reasonable to be upset about it.

I wanted to revisit this thread to say a huge thank you to those who suggested Access to Work. I googled it and found a Disability Employment Adviser at the jobcentre who was incredibly reassuring and helpful plus i applied for access to work and it has been approved so i am very happy, and feel things are back to 'normal'

Hi OP.
Very glad to read your update. I knew Access to Work would be useful.
Take care