How to Successfully Relocate Employees for Your Business

Moving to or opening a new location is an exhilarating and kind of scary experience. A lot can go wrong, but the possibilities for growth are right there. That said, a stressful part of any move is when you have to relocate employees.

The difficulties of moving employees scale with distance, changing living standards, and regulations. The keys to managing the process in a smooth and efficient matter are simple. You need to cooperate with your employees and help them with the move.

The most important thing is to respect your employees and the difficulties of moving. Offering them assistance, as well as growth opportunities, is vital. Keeping your legal matters handled, especially abroad, is also key.

For a guide to how to relocate employees for your business, keep reading.

Don’t Short-change Your Employees

Make no mistake; employee relocation is going to be a stressful endeavor. People have lives, families, and other obligations in their current locations. In addition, many will have planned a long-term home there.

The last thing you want is to short-change your employees by forcing a move without proper compensation or incentive. The move should be a real opportunity for improvement and growth. When you relocate employees, you also need to consider living costs and standards.

Some cities are very expensive so a pay raise might be in order. Your employees won’t be happy if they have to take a cut in their living standards and may end up quitting. Regardless of living costs, pay should be competitive or higher than at the old location.

This is to incentivize the move and reduce friction. Some of your talented staff may be overdue for a promotion. If the new location can accommodate those kinds of moves, you should seek to implement them.

Whatever you do, don’t make your employees feel redundant or like they’re regressing in their careers.

Do Everything You Can to Make the Transition Smooth

You need to consider the logistics and legalities of moving employees. This is especially true if relocating to a different state or even country. You want to make sure you’re compliant with local labour and tax regulations.

The most important thing is to remember that you’re moving people, not stationary. You need to work with them and offer adequate relocation assistance. Making things as stress-free as possible is key.

Legalities

Whether you’re opening a new location or moving your old one, you’ll have a host of paperwork to deal with. Moving within the same state won’t be as big of a deal, but you might have local municipal rules to deal with. The big thing is when you move major jurisdictions, like overstate or international lines.

If sending employees to work abroad, you might want to look into an employer of record service. They can help you deal with all the forms and local regulations to keep you compliant. This includes proper handling of employee taxes and benefits, as well as any other requirements.

Being able to go through such a service opens up your possibilities. It lets you set up a team to work internationally without needing to create a separate legal entity. Whether they’ll be checking in remotely or you plan to set up an independent branch office, it’s worth looking into. A company looking to expand its business internationally needs to be aware of the legal aspects to be considered. An example is foreign company incorporation in singapore which would require the registration of business in ACRA among others.

You don’t want all your relocation efforts to go up in smoke because of legal complications.

Moving People, Not Things

It’s a fact that relocating your employees will come with moving costs. In all honesty, you shouldn’t force your employees to shoulder the cost. Instead, you should offer a generous but fair relocation package.

At a bare minimum, you should pay for the cost of a moving service and transportation to the new location. A couple of plane tickets is a small price to pay to keep talented employees that will help you grow. Housing is also a factor.

It wouldn’t be feasible for all companies to pay for an apartment for their relocated employees. That said, you should make every effort to help them find accommodation before they move. Some companies purchase units and rent them to their employees at subsidized rates.

This can help cut the costs of living in a more expensive city. At least lean on whatever connections or status you have as a business to get your employees fair deals. Don’t expect employees to jump at the prospect of giving up everything they have to move to a strange city without any help from you.

Pay raises and promises of promotions are only one factor. Helping them relocate with their families is another. You want to reduce stress and the financial burden of getting set up in their new location.

Respect Their Decision

The most fundamental thing to remember is to respect your employees’ decisions. You can’t force people to want to move, no matter what assistance or opportunities you offer. Some of them would rather stay where they are than risk a move.

This is understandable. Your employees have families, homes, and lives they may not want to uproot. Talk to them in an honest and open environment, making sure to tell them what options are on the table.

See if it’s possible to keep or accommodate old employees without relocating them. Talk to them and see if anything could change their minds, but keep the focus on their choice. Don’t force their hand or threaten them with termination.

You want to keep talented people working for you, so you must respect their feelings. Focus on relocating those who relish the challenge and are eager to seek those opportunities. Try to find a balance that works and won’t create hard feelings.

A happy workforce is a productive one. Spending the time and resources to work with employees will pay off in spades.

The Right Way to Relocate Employees

Before you relocate employees, you need to consider a handful of factors. These often come down to logistics, compensation, and respect. If you want a smooth and effective relocation, you need to work with your employees.

Making sure they’re happy and well-equipped for the move is crucial. You also want to make sure all your paperwork is in order. For more articles on dealing with your employees, give our website a quick look.