Relocating Your Business? What About Your Employees?

Posted on 10/09/2016

When you plan for a business relocation, there is no escaping the need for employee relocation as well. If you are a big company, you need those people who have been slaving away for you to keep the business going. But not all of them will probably be able to undergo moving house to the new location and this is where it gets complicated. A lot of employees will probably have homes and families, and not something they can easily leave behind. You need to decide whether you want to let those people go and deal severance cheques, or you want them along and do everything in your power to make the move easier and more welcoming. And here is how to do it.

1. Offer a tour.

Tell your employees where you will be taking your business. And then make a tour of the city or country for the employees and their families so that they can see for themselves where you are going. They should be the ones who decide whether to come along for the ride or stay back and find something more local. It’s a tough choice either way, but at least you will provide information.

2. Help with finding housing.

You should get involved with the house search that your employees will undergo if they decide to stick by you. Help them in any way you can – provide a good estate agent, show them nice neighbourhoods, hire somebody who will actually be able to provide all that information. If you will make somebody undergo relocation, you should help as much as you can.

3. Pay for the move.

If you are a wealthy businessman and you have a thriving business, then it is only natural that you at least cover the moving expenses. Pay for the removal company and the petrol your employees will use to get to the new address. Pay the removal van hire to those who consider themselves self-sufficient enough to do it themselves. Pay anything that will relate to the relocation of the employees.

4. Pay initial housing costs.

When the employees are settled at their new homes, you should help them in any way you can. Especially if you didn’t pay for their move, you should at least cover some of the initial costs they will have at their new home. Many companies today offer the so called retrenchment packages which deal with such costs. Just make sure you have the budget for such offers, because most likely everybody will want one.

5. Offer a raise.

And then there is the easy way out. Those who decide to stick with you will be deemed loyal employees. If they have a choice and they choose you, despite the hardships that moving home will create for them, they should be rewarded. A nice raise will motivate anybody to do more work and it will be a perfect stimulus for an employee to do the jump you are asking of them. Also, the same raise will eventually ease the costs in the long run, so everything will be balanced out.

And these are some of the ways to handle an employee relocation. You will be hard-pressed to make a choice when the business is moving, and that choice will be hard on your finances. So before you offer anything to the employees, make sure that you can actually pay for it. After all, you will want to continue working after the move as well – and a prospering company will need finances both for its employees and for itself.