Whether you are relocating an entire team or transferring a single employee to a new location, moving is a huge undertaking, and not just for your business. While this may be an exciting opportunity for your employee, moving is one of life’s most stressful events after divorce and the death of a loved one.
A move—no matter how small or local—pulls focus and can leave the transferee feeling scattered, disorganized, and stressed out. As their employer, you may be wondering how you can support your employees through this experience and help them stay on track so they can get back to work sooner.
Some of the most valuable ways you can support your employees through a move are by:
- Helping them arrange the move
- Offering services for their family
- Paying their moving expenses
- Lightening their workload
- Giving them time off, flexible work hours, and/or remote work options
- Providing a reasonable relocation package
Let’s take a closer look at what providing these types of support can include.
Helping Them Arrange the Move
With so much to take care of, offering to arrange the logistics of the move is one of the simplest and most straightforward ways to aid an employee with their relocation. Whether you are working with a moving team or a shipping provider, offering to book the entire service for them, or connecting them with a carrier your company already works with, anything you can do that will allow them to easily check this item off their list is invaluable.
Offering Services for Their Family
Supporting your employee’s entire family, including their spouse or partner and any children, through the relocation can help smooth the process and ease the transition for everyone. Services for their entire family can include things such as:
- Offering job-finding services for partners
- Assisting with childcare arrangements
- Providing information regarding schools in the area
- Offering psychological support in the form of social workers or therapists for any member of the family who may need help coping with the changes taking place
Paying Their Moving Expenses
It will come as no shock to read that moving is expensive. Between renting a vehicle and/or hiring a moving team or shipping company, transferring utilities and services, and buying or renting a new place, the expenses can quickly add up. And, the further your employee is moving, the more expensive it will become. Some cross-country or long-distance moves can cost thousands of dollars. While there are ways to cut costs, directly assisting employees by covering most or all of their moving expenses can help ease the strain.
Learn more about moving costs:
- The Ultimate Moving Costs Checklist
- How Much Does It Cost To Move Out of State?
- The Cheapest Way to Ship Anything
Lightening Their Workload
If they aren’t a new employee, they will likely need to be able to wrap up or hand off projects without acquiring new work in the week or two leading up to the move so they can complete their preparations, especially if they’re moving with children. This can include packing, running errands, filing paperwork, updating their address at various institutions and businesses, and generally completing all the things on their to-do list that have to get done before relocating.
Giving Them Time Off
In addition to lightening their workload, allowing employees time off, flex time, or remote work options can help facilitate a smoother relocation process. If they have the time to pack, move, unpack, and get organized before they have to be back in the office, it will ensure your employee lands in their new role ready to go and a little less frazzled than they would be otherwise.
Providing a Relocation Package
Whether you are bringing on a new employee from another part of the country or transferring a long-term employee (or several) between offices, offering a comprehensive relocation package can certainly help smooth the transition. A good relocation package includes much of what we have already mentioned, such as moving costs, but can also include things like:
- House hunting expenses
- Home buying and selling
- Job services for their partner
- Travel expenses
- Temporary housing
- Lease break coverage
- Additional expenses (things like child care or language classes)
Learn more about what a reasonable relocation package should include.
Conclusion
A move will be stressful no matter how easy or straightforward it is. Make the process as painless as possible for your employee(s) by:
- Helping them arrange their move
- Offering services for their family
- Paying their moving expenses
- Lightening their workload
- Giving them time off
- Providing a relocation package
Discover more ways to help your employees during a move:
- 7 Ways to Keep Employees Motivated During a Relocation
- 10 Rules for Successfully Relocating Employees
About the author: Stephanie Rosenlund is the Director of Strategic Solutions at TSI, the long distance move and shipment provider for thousands of businesses, families, and individuals every year. Stephanie knows all the tips and tricks to make your move or shipment simple and specializes in freight shipping and interstate relocations. In her free time, she loves exploring the world with her husband and two kids.
