Do we need to go through the redundancy procedure if we can offer alternative employment at a different site 20-miles away or less?

Yes – some employees might happily take up the offer, while others might be faced with lengthy travel time and expenses or even having to move house. However, in an Employment Tribunal case it is likely that this would be considered a ‘suitable’ alternative employment offer, though it will depend on many individual circumstances.

If the new job offered is similar or the same as the former in terms of pay, working hours, content and prospects, it is considered a suitable alternative. However, you will have to give redundancy pay to those who turn down alternative employment within a reasonable radius if it is not suitable for them, or their refusal is reasonable.

The assessment for determining whether an employee may reasonably refuse it is dependent on their individual circumstances. For instance, if an identical job is offered twenty miles away, it would probably be seen as reasonable for the employee to refuse it if it posed problems with regards to travel time and expenses or domestic commitments.