We have covered more of the emotional implications of moving office – when you are handling the potential fallout of your staff hearing the news – but what legal requirements do you need to adhere to?
As with everything in business, we know there will be many things to take into consideration, so it’s best to go in prepared. Your office lease is legally binding and dictates what’s required of you when you are leasing an office space. To ensure that you are taking the right information away from what’s written (and you’re reading all the legal jargon correctly) it’s best to instruct a Property Solicitor or Property Agent. Knowing that you have all the legal requirements sewn up will help you to look to the future positively and feel better able to create a positive move with your staff. And they are the first consideration here…
Employment law
As discussed, a relocation can be embraced in two ways by employees: with anxiety and fear or as a chance to create a new start. Either way, how you approach it can have a huge impact on morale and the productivity of your business both in the long and short term. No matter how they feel, you are legally obliged to take the following into consideration:
– the details of employee contracts – are you in breach?
– do employee contracts feature a mobility clause? Then it’s fine to change their place of work with reasonable notice. If there isn’t a mobility clause, you may be obliged to offer a redundancy package if the employee is not willing to relocate.
– if redundancies are necessary, how should they be handled?
Your office lease
This is likely to be handled by a Property Agent, who will negotiate your new terms to ensure you are paying a fair rental price and that the clauses are acceptable for your needs. It’s worth saying that you should never accept the first draft of the lease and you should negotiate. Don’t sign anything until you have sought legal advice from a Property Solicitor.
Your business contracts
Ensure that you notify your service providers, clients and suppliers that you will be moving, so that all your contracts are fully validated, and update your business contracts with your new address. Then don’t forget to update your website and email signatures, etc.
Leave on good terms
What are the conditions of your lease of your current property? Are there any terms that you need to meet before you leave, such as leaving it in a clean state, with maintenance complete and returning the property to its original state (without your bespoke additions)?
Are you ready to move office?
Whether you’re ready to go or still getting everything in place, we can help to ensure that you make your office move as stress-free as possible, while upholding your legal requirements. Get in touch with us today.