Safeload Coverage
An employer relocation assistance package is a way for employers to lure prospective employees who don’t live where a company is located. Relocation assistance helps cover the costs when it comes to moving. Of course, not all relocation packages are the same.
The Moving Help® Marketplace will explain what employer relocation assistance is, what can be included in it, the types of relocation packages, why you need to know what’s inside the package, and how to negotiate it.
What Is Employer Relocation Assistance?
Relocation assistance is a package employers can offer to prospective or current employees to help cover the cost of moving for a new job. Although sometimes it could be for a current job an employee does but at a different location.
Employers can give reimbursement, upfront lump sum, direct payment, or temporary housing. No package is the same, and no one-size-fits-all package works either.
You also are allowed to negotiate your employee relocation package.
What Can Be Included in Your Relocation Package?
Many different items can be included in a relocation package. Some of the items may include:
- Movers or moving labor
- Moving trucks
- Visits to the new city
- Temporary living expenses
- Buying a house
- Selling a house
- Security deposits
- Breaking lease agreements
- Auto travel and/or fuel reimbursement
- Food
- Airline flights
- Miscellaneous expenses
What Are the Types of Relocation Packages?
The four most common types of relocation packages are lump sum, reimbursement, direct payment, or temporary housing.
A lump sum is where the employer sets an amount of money to help with the employee’s own moving expenses. The employee is responsible for scheduling everything themselves. They have to make sure they don’t go over their limit of the lump sum as well.
A reimbursement is where the employee pays for everything themselves first while knowing they’ll get reimbursed by their future employer. Employees will need to keep all receipts for proper reimbursement. Of course, the employer will only reimburse so much money, which the set amount will be agreed upon by both sides.
Direct payment is usually where the employer pays the vendors/different companies directly themselves. They pay for the billing directly for those companies. The company will sometimes have vendors they work with directly, but the employee will coordinate the moving details themselves.
Temporary housing is where the employer pays for the employee’s housing on a temporary basis. Typically, temporary housing comes fully furnished.
Potential Payback Clauses
Like with anything important, you should read the fine print. Some companies may require you to work with the company for a certain period of time. Some companies may require one year, two years, or five years. It all depends on the company.
No matter what, you should ensure whether your employer relocation assistance package has a payback clause in it, and how long you must work for that company, so you don’t have to pay it back.
Why You Need to Know What’s Inside Your Employer Relocation Assistance Package?
It’s important you know what’s inside your package when it comes to the employee relocation assistance. This will help you figure out how you’ll move for your job. This will ensure no surprises are met when you try to get reimbursement for your move.
You need to make sure you read the fine print.
Negotiate Your Employee Relocation Package
Just like with anything when it comes to the hiring process, you can negotiate your relocation assistance package. You can ask for more money, more incentives, or other areas that could make your job relocation process easier.
Of course, each company, each manager, and each HR team will be different, and each group will have what they’re willing to concede and what they’re not willing to concede.
At the end of the day, you, the employee, and your future employer need to find some middle ground in an agreement that works well for both sides.
Employer Relocation Assistance Can Happen
When you’re working with a potential employer or even a current employer on your job relocation, you should always work toward something that works for both sides when it comes to an employee relocation package.
Be sure to understand everything that’s included in the package, how it works, and how it can make your job relocation move easier.
If you’re looking for moving assistance, check out the Moving Help Marketplace. Moving Help has more than 7,000 Service Providers across the United States and Canada, who offer labor-only services such as loading and unloading services.
