Company accom: Family in flat vs couple in house

[HotCrunchyCrumpet]

Company provide accommodation with the job. There is a wide variety in terms of quality and nearly all are flats, only very few houses. Company changed policy a few years ago that houses should go to families based on occupancy.

Couple in house prior to policy change is being asked to move to a two bed flat as they’re currently in a six bed house with garden so that a family can move in. Would you move if you were in the house?

So the couple likely have a reasonable need for a garden if they have pets.

You've not said how old your children are, so presumably they are at ages where it is reasonable for them to share a bedroom?

When will the company make a decision, or have they already done so?

@WhereYouLeftIt its not the best set up no…

I would resign myself to accept it. It makes sense, to be honest. A six room house for two people is far too much.
Sorry you have to leave the house.

@Swissrollover you put pets equivalent to DCs in terms of space/bedrooms needed? DCs are approaching 12/8.

Honestly think the company have screwed up doing it this way. Surely that means no one can ever settle properly if you can get moved round regularly?

I guess fine if this policy is very clear up front as you can make decisions accordingly on whether to take the job but I wouldn't be impressed with terms around housing changing after I joined.

If it was voluntary then no I wouldn't downgrade my own living situation because someone else had a bigger household, not a chance i'd move unless i actively wanted to downsize. Its the equivalent of a massive pay cut. If it was compulsory then I wouldn't have a choice but it would pretty much guarantee I'd start looking for another job ASAP.

But if it's been part of your remuneration package it would be like taking a pay cut, or being given a smaller company car as another employee needs the people carrier.

This thread presents an interesting conundrum!

It ends up being based on someone’s selflessness or selfishness as the package doesn’t consider the size of the accommodation. It’s the company’s fault completely but you end up blaming individuals

I would certainly consider my pets needs if being asked to voluntarily move out of my home of 6 years.

That being said, now you've stated the children's ages, you are in need of a third bedroom. What is your employer's position in this regard? Is there a different property that will be available, or are these the only 2 and a straight swap is the only option?

Well obviously you can't accept a 2-bed flat with a child of each sex at that age.

They’ve washed their hands and just said sorry the couple won’t move nothing we can do until another house becomes available. I know the answer is to look elsewhere but it’s never as straight forward as that

@HotCrunchyCrumpet Not saying that pets are equivalent to children. But it sounds like both families would find your flat unsuitable - you because it's too small, them because having pets probably means they need a garden. Unfair if someone has made the decision to look after animals based on having outside space to change those terms.

The issue is that the company doesn't enough appropriate housing for all of its employees, not that these people are being unfair or selfish in refusing to move somewhere that doesn't meet their needs.

The company need to find you suitable accommodation or pay rent for somewhere suitable. This couple living in a 6 bed house is irrelevant to your position. It sounds like the company are trying to blame them which is extremely unfair.

OP said it's because it was because accommodation was originally based on position in the company.

I can understand why someone on a salary where they'd normally expect to buy a large 4,5 or 6 bed house would be pissed off if asked to move into a 1 or 2 bed flat with no garden.

@HuongVuong3 good point re unfair blame . The company should provide alternatives but won’t do it does end up on the individual.

Are you overseas OP? I'm asking as I used to teach overseas and accommodation was part of my package.

If the accommodation was originally based on rank presumably the couple with the 6-bed house were/are very senior within the company, and by the same token OP you're not very senior at present with the offer of a 2-bed flat?

It's a very strange company that doesn't have the 'value' of the accommodation in the employment contract.

I hope you get it sorted.

What kind of pets do they have? Cats/dogs?

Is the apartment ground floor with a garden?

This is clearly a company fuck up, I wouldn't be too cross with the couple in the house.

If I had cats/dogs I'd tell the company they need to find a ground floor property with a garden before I'd move.

Is it a boarding school? We lived in boarding for a long time. First time we moved on site, we got what we were given without seeing it.

But then saw new joiners with more experience in boarding - they would always bring family to see accommodation before accepting role.

When we moved to a new school, we had to move to a specific property attached to the boarding house, but negotiated specifics: new kitchen, proper boundary round garden.

If I were in the house I'd struggle with the whole packing up and moving thing as I hate doing it but I would feel majorly aggrieved if I had a family in a two bed flat and a couple were in a 6 bed house. I would move of I were the couple providing someone do t for me.

I would consider the type of accommodation as part of my overall renumeration package.

If I was "downgraded" from a 6 bed house to a 2 bed flat, I would be looking for a substantial pay rise to compensate.

"When you couch it in terms of person A earning more money because they have a family to support, and a single person should earn less because they don't, it sounds a lot less reasonable."

That's kind of the principle of the working families tax credits.

Nope I wouldn’t move and have been expats in similar situations.

It’s on the company to find suitable and appropriate accommodation for your needs and they currently can’t. Not the other couple’s fault.

If the house had been part of the reason I accepted the job in the first place (and based on everything you've said they've been living there for a long time) I'd be extremely reluctant to move, in all honestly. You're essentially asking them to downgrade and forfeit a garden I'm guessing their pets enjoy? This fuck up isn't their fault. What happens if they decide to have children, but have been relegated to the two-bedroom flat?

So you could get moved about every year?! Wheres the stability?

No ones going to move from their allocated 6 bedroom house to a 2 bed flat by choice.