Staff judge an office move less on the removals than on how they were told. If someone first hears about it from a contractor measuring their desk, they’ve already decided how the business treats them.
This guide sets out what to tell staff, when to tell them, and what they need to do at each stage, from the first announcement to the first morning in the new office. For the project side of the move, see our office move project plan.
Before you announce: check what’s fixed
Before the first announcement, be clear about three things: what’s decided, what isn’t, and who people can ask.
If the move changes where people work, check their contracts too. The written statement of employment particulars has to say where an employee will be working and whether they might have to relocate. GOV.UK says changing a contract usually needs the employee’s agreement, and that employers should consult, explain the reasons and listen to alternative ideas. Some contracts include a flexibility or mobility clause, but Acas says employers can only use these to make reasonable changes. Whether a new location is within a reasonable commuting distance, the public transport options and staff with caring responsibilities are among the things Acas lists to consider.
That guidance applies in England, Scotland and Wales. Every situation is different, so take HR or legal advice if the new office is much further for some of your team.
The first announcement
Tell staff as soon as the move is decided. Rumours travel faster than plans. In our project plan, the first announcement sits right at the start, alongside signing the lease and ordering connectivity.
Cover:
- Why the business is moving.
- Where the new office is, and roughly when.
- What isn’t decided yet, such as the exact date or the desk plan. Saying so is better than guessing.
- How to raise concerns, especially about travel and access.
Then give people one place to find updates: a page on the intranet, a shared document or a pinned message, kept up to date by one named person.
A staff comms timeline
| When | Tell staff | What they need to do |
|---|---|---|
| As soon as it’s decided | Why, where, rough timing, what isn’t decided, who to ask | Raise any travel, access or caring concerns |
| Once the date is fixed | The move date, the move window (often an evening or weekend), the last working day in the old office | Try the journey to the new site; tell you about any access needs |
| When the desk plan is ready | Where each person or team will sit | Check their desk; ask now, not on the first morning |
| When the crates arrive | How packing works, the labels, what not to pack, the clear-desk deadline | Clear their desk; archive or shred what isn’t moving |
| The week of the move | Friday instructions, IT instructions, new access passes, arrival time and address | Pack their crate; take personal items home |
| First morning | Where to go, who’s on site, how to report a problem | Report anything missing or not working |
| After the first week | Thanks, and a short survey | Flag the small things before they become complaints |
Without a fit-out, the early rows come closer together. Our office relocation checklist has the task-by-task version.
What to tell staff about packing
Crates arrive well before the move, and each person packs their own desk into their own numbered crate. It takes about twenty minutes. Nobody else knows what belongs together, so it works best that way.
Tell everyone:
- label their crate with their name and new desk number
- take home anything personal or valuable
- don’t pack fuel, gas canisters, solvents or aerosols, which can’t travel
- keep cash, certificates and confidential originals out of the crates; they’re better carried by the business
- clear shared areas too: store cupboards, the kitchen and the fridge.
IT: what staff need to know
Most problems on the first morning are IT problems, so be specific. Tell staff:
- to shut their computer down properly, not just lock the screen
- whether to unplug and label their own equipment, or leave it, depending on your IT plan
- that the crew moves monitors and docks, while servers and network kit are your IT provider’s job
- to save their work where it’s backed up before they leave on the last day.
Ask a few staff from each team to test the new office before everyone arrives: log in at a few desks, print something and make a call. Then tell everyone how to report a problem on the first morning. Our guide to evening and weekend office moves shows how the weekend itself runs.
Access passes and the new building
Issue passes or fobs for the new building before the first morning, so nobody is stuck at reception. Collect the old building’s passes and return them.
Brief staff on the new building on day one: entrances, kitchen, toilets, and above all the fire exits and the assembly point. In England and Wales, GOV.UK’s workplace fire safety guidance says the responsible person must tell staff about the fire risks they’ve identified, and that the evacuation plan must show training for all employees on the escape routes and a safe meeting point.
Travel to the new site
Give staff the full address, the nearest stations and bus routes, parking and cycle storage, and anything different about the building’s opening hours. Encourage people to try the journey before their first day.
Listen to what comes back. A longer commute, a harder journey for someone with a disability, or a clash with childcare are better raised early, while there’s time to do something about them.
Get help with the move itself
We work to your staff timeline: crates delivered ahead, labels issued, the move run over an evening or weekend, and everything placed to the new floor plan so staff walk in to a desk that already works. If any staff are moving home as part of the relocation, we can quote their house moves too.
Request a quote, or read how we plan office moving around your trading hours.
Frequently asked questions
When should you tell staff about an office move? As soon as the move is decided, even if the date and desk plan aren’t. Say what’s fixed, what isn’t, and how people can raise concerns.
Do employees have to agree to an office move? It depends on their contracts and how far the new office is. GOV.UK says contract changes usually need agreement, and Acas says flexibility clauses can only be used for reasonable changes. Take HR or legal advice if the move is a long way.
What should staff do before a weekend office move? Pack their desk into their own labelled crate, take personal items home, shut their computer down properly, and unplug equipment only if the IT plan says so.