They reckon I live too far froim their office. Okay, it is an hour and a half commute but it is actually closer than the last office I worked at.

They reckon people get fed up of the commute if it is more than 40 miles so have a policy against recruiting any further away. I want the job but not enough to relocate.

I need some convincing arguments about why they should recruit me anyway. So far I have –

1)Lots of the time I will be on clients site.
2)My mother lives 10 miles from their office so I can stay there occasionally if necessary.
3)I have worked mainly from home for the last 20 years and it has always been a success.

Any other angles you guys can think of?

They dont have to put up with your ugly mug in the office all the time?

Good point Rich – they will have more of a chance with the ladies if I am not there acting as a babe magnet.

I will take the job & if I get fed up with the commute, then I will relocate 😉

it's difficult. If they have a 'policy' then you may be on a loser. If it's just 'guidelines' then talk to whoever interviewed you and explain the above.

Can you get the train? Then work on train reducing office hours / better work-life balance

Just tell them you want the job that much you're going to relocate and spend the rest of your career with them 'looking' for the right place.

Claim you will move when the economy makes it more viable to do so then conveneintly forget, if you work hard enough and you're invaluable eneough they won't really give a monkeys in a years time as long as you're turning up on time and not winging about your commute.

My first job post-uni involved three hour each way commute to a job in London from Wisbech. I wanted the job so much I didn't care, although the Hatfield train crash messed it all up and I had to quit.

Train not an option.

I am going to try for the 'Still looking for somewhere suitable' approach I guess.

LeeW has the right idea. Once you're in the job they won't have any power to force you to relocate any more than they would be able to tell you what car you can drive. And in any case as long as you do the job well and fulfill your contractual conditions they won't care. And if they were to sack you later for not relocating then I'm pretty sure you'd have a good/watertight case for wrongful dismissal.

Just need to find out if it is policy or preference. Can they get me to sign something saying I WILL relocate within x months?

Just need to find out if it is policy or preference. Can they get me to sign something saying I WILL relocate within x months?

Sure, they might, but like most stuff in contracts it won't be enforcible. Tell them what they want to hear.

"I like to get an 80 mile training ride in everyday but two 40s would do…"

Edit – I misread the 40 miles bit. You may need to buy a super fast road bike

WorldClassAccident – Member
Just need to find out if it is policy or preference. Can they get me to sign something saying I WILL relocate within x months?

Say you'll sign it if they pay your removal and legal costs etc 🙂

Why don't you want to move?

Ask for a relocation allowance? I got one moving from Somerset to Newcastle which helped massively.

Tell them you will live 50 miles from work but want to ride in, it'll take 3 hours.

Don't want to move because I like where I am and have wife's family around here. If I move near the office we will be near my family and they are **** nuts!

isn't it geographical discrimination? is it cos you is black (country)? or sumfink like dat.

How's your recent employment track record?
There's a possibility they may be questioning your longterm commitment if you're unwilling to relocate.

If I move near the office we will be near my family and they are **** nuts!

Being nuts runs in the family then? 🙂

Perhaps they're right, travelling 3 hrs / day to work seems nuts to me.

I had the same problem…..except i'd been unemployed for 6 months had no choice but to accept the offer.

My commute is a 106 mile round trip which takes between 1.25 to 1.5 each way.

Turns out they're the best employer i've ever had, they treat me well, pay enough to cover my travel expenses and allow me to work from home when possible.

We had every intention of moving but looking made us realise we love where we live too much to move so it's a long commute that is tough at times but it's worth it.

If you have a proven track record in working from home i'd say you don't have problem IMO.

Employement record is good – 2 x 7 years followed by 2 years for the last 3 jobs.

Offices in Manchester, London, Great Missenden, European Region (Germany, France, Spain, Nordics) and now Berne, Switzerland so not afraid of travel.

I actually enjoy an hours drive each end of the day as it gives me a chance to wind up and unwind so when I am home everything is sorted in my mind.

JulianA – I am just plain stupid, my family are deliberately nuts.

seriously, 40 miles? I live about 60 miles from our office and have happily commuted daily for 10 years in/on a combination of car, train and bike. Currently doing between 30 and 50+ miles a day on the bike, the rest by rail. Love it (with the odd exception of the trains being a P.I.T.A as they currently are in the snow, but that's what working from home is for)

Really never considered it to be a problem and, for example, if you work in London then it's not unusual, surely? If you live outside the M25 then it's not going to take much to be more than 40 miles out of work and there are thousands of people who do that on a daily basis.

woffle – I know. That is what I thought too. Apparently it is because they are one of the industries best employers in the employee satisfaction surveys. They make sure they only employ satisfied people I guess.

it is an hour and a half commute

Tell you will drive faster.

well you wouldn't have applied or gone to the interview if you thought it was too far.

the guy I work with drives from West Gower to the Brecon Beacons every day as he has far better weather down there and is where he's always lived, work don't care, he's there and he's awake, more awake than me who roles out of bed almost 2 hours later to get to work at the same time

Just give them your Mum's address as yours – sorted 😉

They are within their rights to make living within 40 miles a condition of employment. If you tell them you are going to relocate and have no intention of doing so you are in the wrong.

Whether the stance is reasonable or not is another matter – I believe it is but can see the argument the other way.

Giving a blanket radius is stupid. 40 miles of motorway – cinch. 40 miles of single track road – mental.

Just show them your car, they'll see why you want to spend so much time in it.

(It is you with the flash motor, isn't it?)

Our employment contracts require people to relocate if they live too far away – although it's not enforced and those affected tend to commute weekly and stay in a local B&B / work 1-2 days at home a week. Although, technically they are in breach of contract.

TJ – sound of reason as always. I can live with the lie, can they?

Evolve

Working 9-5 in an office is old fashioned – are they that sort of company? Not sure I'd want to work for them if they are.

Oh and tell them they will probably get more hours from you if you work at home…

depends what kind of 40 miles it is, as said above. My commute is 24-26 miles depending on the route I take, and can take from 50 minutes (when the schools are off) to double that or more if traffic goes against me. Which being as part of it is on the M62, it usually does 🙁

My journey consists of travelling from the north side of Bradford to between Barnsley & Wakefield. The motorway section typically takes no more than 25 minutes, but getting across Bradford and/or Leeds to the motorway is another issue entirely.

Before this job my commutes took me into Hillsborough (sod of a drive down the A61 from M1 J36); across the Pennines into Rossendale (42 miles, nice drive, only Keighley & Colne between me & work), and before that, down the M1 to Rotherham. Before Rotherham I was local to work. I've been doing this since 1997 & you get used to it

Agree it really depends on the roads you have to commute on.

I did Southampton to Poole for about 18 months, only 35 miles or so each way but the last 8 miles from B'mouth to Poole used to drive me crazy. So much so I contempated taking the bike, parking up in a random layby and cycling the last stretch.

Other options I considered (before getting a job 2 miles from home)
– train & folding bike combo
– motorbike

Use your mums address and tell em you have relocated.

– train & folding bike combo

Works for me!

I'd use your Mum's address if they insist. My brother-in-law did exactly that when applying for some local jobs whilst he sorted out the relocation from Devon up to Sussex. Just meant he could get things rolling – it's usually nothing more than an address for admin / paperwork anyway

I'd be inclined to be a little more honest than woffle is suggesting. By all means tell them you're looking to relocate when you're settled/out of negative equity/the economy is better etc but don't pretend you HAVE relocated. You can be binned for more or less any reason in the first 12 months and some people would sack you on principle if they think you've pulled a fast one.

As everyone has said, once you're in, working well and part of the family, they're not going to care too much that you've changed your mind about movin.

Buy a caravan and set it up in the office carpark during the week. I suggest you also get a big awning to spread out a bit. Make sure the bog flushes straight onto the carpark itself.

Sorted