Can employer normally force you to temporarily transfer ?

spupazza

Hi my boyfriend is working for a forecourt retailer. Due to renovation the gas station will be closed for a few weeks, after which it'll be completely rebuilt in the same exact location. The company wants to force the employees working there to use their holidays + temporarily transfer to other stations until the new station is completed.

Employee's contract says that they are employed to work in that specific station and nowhere in the contract is mentioned that they should accept transfers if the need should arise.
Each employee on the contract is hire to work between 8-40 hours a week, but he has always worked every week between 30-40 hrs a week.

1-Should he be forced to accept the temporary transfer to a different station?
2-If he has a right to refuse, should he be paid while the station is closed?
3-If he has a right to be paid, how many hours should he be entitled to be paid? 8 like the minimum mentioned in the contract or the average hours he usually has been working?

Mrs OBumble

The company doesn't have to offer hours elsewhere: they could just put everyone on a short-term , unpaid layoff.

vargoo

https://www.workplacerelations.ie/en/Workplace_Relations_Services/Info_Cust_Serv/

Ring them or solicitor

salmocab

Something not right they are renovating then they are knocking it down?
The holidays part is a pain but the rest sounds quite reasonable. They could probably put him on temporary lay off if they wanted.

This is an odd hill to die on imo. If he was entitled to 8 hours pay for not working but could get 30 hours working at a different location, why would he take the 8 hours?

OMM 0000

I think your boyfriend should be reasonable and work in a different station while this one is closed.

I would be unhappy about using my holidays "as I've already planned to use them for another holiday later in the year".

He should aim for a compromise.