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We heard from the CEO that we are moving our office to a neighboring town for the following reasons:

  • we could be closer to a major city with an airport, so that existing/potential customers would (more likely) come visit us

  • have a more corporate looking office for appearance

  • have an office that is better structured for collaboration

We are a quite small office and slightly more than 40% of the employees are unhappy about this, given that it will entail a significant increase in commuting time and costs.

There are alternative, closer towns that would meet the requirements, but the CEO dismissed them (they are e.g., too "industrial looking").

We are still evaluating alternatives, so nothing is concrete yet. But the move will certainly happen, our current office is just not fit.

What is the best way to navigate this and try to have this relocation happen to a closer town?

Is it possible to have an in-person meeting with the CEO? We are a small company, but they are traveling for two weeks.That being said, they want to relocate asap, so, we should be giving some feedback asap. I wanted to gather advice on the how and what to say/do.

Thanks a lot in advance!

brhans's user avatar
brhans
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askedyesterday
Lilla's user avatar
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    How far through the process of relocation are they? Floating ideas, decision made in principle, contracts on new office already signed...? Are there constraints such as the current building being unfit, or its lease ending, that forces them to move quickly? This will make a difference to how well feedback now will be received and its chance of changing minds.Commentedyesterday
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    @DarkCygnus The main issue to us is time. Even with covered commuting costs, we would be unhappy.Commentedyesterday
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    How far away is the proposed office location from the current location, and how much does this affect the average commute? Are we talking going from 10 minutes to 20 minutes each way, or are we talking going from 30 minutes to an hour each way? Is the new office in the same canton as the old one, and if not, does that make a difference in the available public transport options?Commentedyesterday
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    The communication disconnect between company and employees is usually that the company sees wages before taxes and net working time, and the employees see wages after taxes and commuting cost and include the commute time in "work" time because it is no longer free time. Effectively, the change in work location is a reduction in hourly wages for most of the employees, so it should be fairly obvious to HR that, uncompensated, it will make people look for the door.Commentedyesterday
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    I suspect the only "feedback" that will make the CEO pay any attention is a stack of resignation letters from the 40% of employees that are not happy. Depending on the length of your notice periods, they may all be done by the time the CEO returns. Perhaps that 40% can form a new company in the old building with 40% of the old customers.Commented11 hours ago

3 Answers3

16

Since you are a small company, it means that it is likely you can fit all in a room with the CEO and politely express your points of view. The CEO might act on them, or might not. If they do not, then there is nothing you can do.

On the other side, rest assured that the CEO did not come to you with the information of the relocation just because they do not want to upset you, or because they value your input much. The employees are NOT the first people to find out about the important changes in the company. They are usually the last, after the heavy work was already done.

It means that the CEO already solved most of the problems for moving. It is possible that the new offices are already mostly finished to be used. Also, it is 99% sure that they took into consideration that a lot of people would leave the company, and accepted that loss. The CEO already has a strategy for catching up and recovering.

If you search the internet carefully, you will see that sudden relocations have happened before, and the CEO's did not change their minds just because the employees were unhappy.

And please do not forget that the CEO's reasons for moving might be totally different compared to the ones advertised. In that case, your chances of winning the negotiation are slim to none.

If I were now in your situation, I would surely update my CV, and most likely get ready to switch companies (if the commute is not a realistic option). If you wait until the moving is inevitable, you make your life less funny - because many of your colleagues will be hunting the same jobs that you would be hunting.

In situations like this, "team" and "teamwork" tend to be volatile terms. Also, you need to decide which team is more important: the team of your CEO, or the team waiting for food at home?

I wish you all good luck navigating this situation, to a positive outcome.

DarkCygnus's user avatar
DarkCygnus♦
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answered23 hours ago
virolino's user avatar
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    Leases expiring, rent prices increasing, property taxes increasing, there are lots of considerations to moving a company. You are indeed correct most everything probably was considered and solved alreadyCommented16 hours ago
  • Your examples are indeed very good. I actually had in mind some reasons stemming from the personal needs of the CEO.Commented15 hours ago
  • It also could be as simple as the CEO wants the building to look more professional for some reason. At the end of the day that would still be a valid reason to move THEIR company.Commented14 hours ago
  • However ‘solved’ things are, nothing is certain until after the relocation is completed…  I worked for a company that had a new office building built from scratch in a town 20 miles away, and after many months of preparation told us that the move was definitely happening and the company couldn't afford not to move.  Then, after a change of management, they told us the company couldn't afford the move, and it was all off!  (To make it all up to us, they provided free ice-creams all summer.  I'm sure that mollified the folks who were half-way through moving house…)Commented5 hours ago
  • "Also, it is 99% sure that they took into consideration that a lot of people would leave the company, and accepted that loss. The CEO already has a strategy for catching up and recovering." you put a lot of faith in people! It may be the case, or it may absolutely not be the case at all. My guess is probably rather that they expect most people to just accept things.Commented4 hours ago
10

Moving locations is a fact of (corporate) life and there isn't whole lot you can do about it.

An office move is a significant investment in terms of money, disruption, and temporary loss of productivity. So chances are that your company is not doing this on a whim but has thought this through carefully.

Every move will come with some amount of unhappiness and attrition. That is expected and your company will have factored in some of this into the decision.

Your best shot here would to be present a "rational" (not emotional) argument that points towards a mistake in their impact assessment.

and slightly more than 40% of the employees are unhappy about this

Slightly over 40% may be a point of leverage here. However it's not clear how you got this data and what specifically "unhappy" means. There is a big difference between "being grumpy for a week and then settling in" vs "handing in your notice". If you can show that there is a significant attrition risk ("definitely will quit", "actively looking for a new job" etc.) for more than 10% of the workforce and that choosing an alternative location would reduce this significantly (say to less than 5%) then you might have a leg to stand on.

answered16 hours ago
Hilmar's user avatar
3

If a direct discussion with your CEO doesn't produce any results, there's a couple of avenues that could be worth exploring, in order to understand your rights under Swiss employment law and how you can oppose or mitigate the impact of moving office.

  1. Works Council (or Employee Representative Body). If your company has over 50 employees, you can start a Works Council to put forward your concerns and negotiate with the management.
  2. Allow a mediation agency to help with your dispute and find a way that can benefit both parties
  3. Labor Courts. You'll probably need some assistance here, but Swiss Labor Courts can arbitrate in situations where employees are in conflict with their management.

Worker representation and workplace conflicts in Switzerland

answered19 hours ago
Snow's user avatar
1
  • Also some insurance policies and the like may include "assistance juridique" services which enable you to talk to a law professional who may be able to assist.Commented4 hours ago

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