Whether you’re hiring for a new branch of your business or planning to move your office, offering a relocation assistance package for employees can give you an edge in the labour market. This is what many employers opt to include in their offerings, especially for talents whose positions are quite challenging to fill.
But before you decide to offer this, you must first make sure you understand what such a transfer benefit truly entails. This article will help you learn what a typical relocation package is and answer corporate relocation FAQs that employers have about it.
1. What is a relocation assistance package?
As its name suggests, a relocation assistance package aims to make an employee’s move to the company’s desired location much easier.
However, this isn’t offered to everyone. Most of the time, it is provided for positions that require long-term employment in a location over 50 miles away from the worker’s current home.
The most basic employee relocation assistance package covers moving and other work-related expenses. This helps ease the financial burden that comes with the move and the pressure and stress that the employee may experience in the process.
2. Why do employers need to offer relocation assistance?
The primary goal of relocation assistance is to ensure that the worker adjusts to the new position and location as quickly as possible to perform his job to the best of his abilities. But, of course, there’s more to it than that.
By offering help for the move, an employer relieves its employees and their families of the burden of the transfer. This can provide peace of mind for the worker who might otherwise think twice about staying with the company due to the burdensome change.
Plus, it also paints the company in a better light. Since it is offered as an employee incentive, the company will have a reputation boost, not to mention unhindered access to great talent.
While the decision to move for work may be affected by the company’s location, it still boils down to the overall hassle and cost of the relocation.
3. What is included in a relocation assistance package?
Generally, relocation assistance programs offer perks and essential services that make moving easier. Below are some examples of what you’ll find in a sound relocation assistance package:
Moving and Travel Costs
Employers can offer financial assistance to cover removal services and travel expenses on moving day, which may include airfare, petrol, or train tickets.
Packing and Unpacking Services
Some third-party removal services provide packing assistance to make the employee’s relocation less stressful. Upon arrival at the destination, service providers can also help the personnel unpack.
Moving Insurance Coverage
Although removalists may try their best to keep items in perfect shape, accidents can still happen during transport. In this case, having insurance coverage for the move offers peace of mind in case of damaged or lost items during the relocation.
Temporary Accommodation
When an employee needs to begin work on a specific date, an alternative solution would be to offer temporary accommodation. This will help companies save on expensive hotel stays.
Your alternative accommodation options include hostels and house-sharing programs. Some corporate relocation providers also have this as an add-on service for companies relocating with their employees.
Destination Services
Although less common, destination services are as important in an employee relocation program, especially an overseas move. This typically covers a one-time orientation trip to help the worker know more about his new neighbourhood.
In some cases, this could also include:
- Accommodation
- Meals
- Airfare
- Ground transportation
- Tour guide and orientation fees
Some companies also offer this to allow the employee to scout potential houses or apartments they could move to.
4. What other benefits can be offered in a relocation assistance package?
Besides services from third-party providers, you can also choose to offer the following to ease the stress and pressure that may come from employee relocation:
Flexible start dates
Most new hires can start two to four weeks from the signing of the contract. However, those coming from somewhere far may need more time before they can begin working.
For this reason, make sure you incorporate flexible start dates when creating a relocation program, especially for international talents. To avoid unnecessary misunderstandings, you must ask new hires how much time they would need to acclimatise.
Over time, this will help your company create a more realistic timeframe for the needed workforce that will prove to be useful when making decisions that could affect operations. It also fosters a positive working relationship with employees and can help improve retention.
Free visits
Separate from destination orientation, you can also offer additional free trips to help employees get to know the new place they will be working in better. They can also use this to find a new house or apartment, thereby reducing the time during which temporary accommodation is needed.
Family Support
There are many cases wherein employee relocation failed because the worker’s family wasn’t able to transition to the new place well. Given that your company is the reason why they need to uproot from their home, you need to make sure that everyone is well settled, including your employee’s family.
You’ll need to help people who depend on your employees to become used to the destination, too. Tap your resources and network to help them find a new job as well as schools and childcare.
Home-Selling and House-Hunting Assistance
Companies can also provide real estate assistance to employees, covering both selling and buying a new home.
You can help them sell their old home through paid advertisements or provide reimbursements for lost profit from putting their house up for rush sale.
If not already included in the free visits, house-hunting trip assistance may include childcare, transportation, meals, and accommodation expenses.
Cost of Living Adjustments
Moving from one place to another can also come with living cost adjustments. If possible, the employer can offer relocation bonuses or pay adjustments to cover the difference, especially if the destination city or country has higher tax rates.
Boost Talent Appeal and Retention with Relocation Assistance
Your company can tap the best talent when you choose to expand your reach to other areas. Attract and retain them with an enticing relocation assistance package with the help of this article.