If you’re thinking of relocating your business to another town, city or even country, what can you reasonably and legally expect from your employees? It could be a permanent arrangement or a temporary relocation to deal with a shortage of staff, resources or possibly a secondment opportunity.
An employer must give serious thought to how such a move will be perceived by the employee. Whether there is clause clearly stated in their contract or an implied clause, the relocation might not be seen favourably by those involved. When an agreement is reached, the most important first step is to set everything down in writing and agree upon terms of the relocation. It’s never a good idea to leave these conditions down to good faith as you want there to be no misunderstandings or communication breakdowns. This is the hard part and it’s often easier for businesses to leave the finer details of relocation to an Employee Relocation Company who specialise in this area. For more information, visit http://www.dtmoving.com/relocation-services
The finer details of relocation include factors such as:
· If it’s an overseas move, what currency will they be paid their salary in?
· The length of the relocation
· Where will they live?
· Does the employee have the necessary immigration permits for the country in question?
· Will the company be covering expatriate costs and the costs of repatriation?
· What is the impact on childcare provisions or length of commute and working hours?
· What about house sales and removal/shipping costs?
As you can see, there are many factors involved in an employee relocation which is why it makes sense to hire a specialist business to help.
One of the reasons why companies choose to relocate include wanting to be in a better position to attract labour and talent. Many businesses find that a move to a city centre area will see an increase in high-quality applications for vacancies partly as a result of being better connected, having easier transport networks and the benefits of not having to get stuck in traffic trying to get to meetings in the city.
Relocation packages also need to reflect current trends and culture. In the past, a package would normally have contained assistance in selling a property but the latest generation of so called ‘millenials’ are a generation of renters so need to have an attractive package that appeals to their needs.
It’s also important to plan ahead. Will the culture and personnel of the business still be the same in five or ten years’ time? Both the business and the building must have the ability to adapt to change and the willingness to grow. Flexibility in working styles is another factor to consider. Will all employees need to be relocated? Some people prefer a physical desk but others might be happier being able to work from home for the majority of the time. Technology is such now that colleagues can converse with each other in real-time wherever they are in the world.
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