(10 Jun 2022, 9:20 am)Ambassador wrote It's also an employees market as opposed to employers having the stronger hand.
Work-life balance has become important and that short journey along the A167 to the nearest Arriva depot versus the hassle of getting to a Riverside will come into play. Would you really want to sit on the bypass or Low Fell in traffic after a long driving shift or have a shorter commute home and see the family/dog/playstation/mates etc
I think this is where the lack of a legislative definition of what is a 'reasonable distance' to travel, following a compulsory relocation, will come into play. Washington is clearly the closest depot, but comes with its own challenges; inability to reach it by public transport for an early shift (oh the irony) and the lack of parking for those who may now need to drive in.
Riverside has pretty much unlimited staff parking, but how many of those nasty, congestion creating, private cars would be going on the road, if moving staff from Chester-le-Street to there? I can't see many opting to take 2 or 3 buses to and from work, so the private car is the natural choice.
Even then though, like you say, the desire to sit on the bypass or Low Fell in traffic is going to be far from desirable, and could very likely be argued as unreasonable commuting distance.