TRC Global Mobility
Home / Relocation Policy

Category: Relocation Policy

Employee Relocation and Duty of Care: Communicating with your Employees and Always Knowing Where They Are

| June 21, 2021

common law duty of careThe COVID-19 pandemic revealed that many companies lacked effective emergency communication plans with their employees on relocation or assignment. The situation was fluid and communication, too often, was neither timely nor adequate. Some employees made emergency decisions on their own with little assistance or resources.

Some employees and their families left their belongings in the host location in a rush to get back home—only to discover they would be gone indefinitely. Other assignees could shelter in their host location, but they lacked the space and resources to work from home effectively. Higher frequency and quality communications would have assisted these employees in making crucial decisions with less work disruption. Read More

Employee Relocation and Duty of Care: Physical and Mental Health Considerations

| June 7, 2021

dury of careDuty of care is a longstanding common law principle. In the employer-employee relationship, the duty of care definition refers to the company’s obligation to take reasonable actions to protect its employees and safeguard their health and safety. For relocating employees, the duty of care is the legal and moral obligation of an employer to ensure the welfare of employees and their families throughout a relocation or assignment.

The sudden pandemic-driven disruption of business and threat to all employees underlined the importance of regular risk assessments and appropriate mitigation. For those assignees and their families living outside of their home country, it was difficult to know if the best response to the crisis was to shelter in place or return home, but one thing that’s for sure, is that one of the most fundamental parts of duty of care is safeguarding the physical and mental health of employees and their families. Read More

Work from the Office? Work from Home? Work from Anywhere?

| April 6, 2021

remote work policyThe remote work trend was supercharged by the pandemic when even more conservative companies were forced to experiment with a dispersed workforce and implement a remote work policy. Most companies are still sorting out what their post-Covid work environment will look like, including whether and how they will permanently incorporate remote work, whether they will maintain their current office space and locations, and how they will configure these offices. Read More

How to Become a Relocation Expert in Four Easy Steps…or Just Look Like One!

| February 12, 2021

employee-relocation-experts-toolkitMany companies today lack in-house relocation experts and little or no experience with corporate relocation. They identify the perfect candidate for a position—but she lives on the other side of the world. Or they need to move a current employee to a different company location as soon as practical, but they don’t know where to begin. Forced to make decisions quickly, and with limited knowledge, they can easily over or undershoot the relocation benefits package, incur unnecessary taxes, run afoul of immigration laws or incur a host of other problems.

Though the employment market has been disrupted by the COVID pandemic, the long-term trend of talent shortages continues unabated. Employee relocation can be a powerful tool to help your company recruit and retain talent—but where do you begin? It is far better to have at least a basic relocation policy and program ready for use when needed than to risk losing a prized candidate or delaying the start of a project. Read More

How Will Employee Relocation Emerge from the Pandemic?

| December 21, 2020

global mobility trendsIt is safe to say that none of us will be sorry to see 2020 end? The year brought personal and professional challenges for almost all of us, and real hardship for too many families.

All major events bring unanticipated consequences, and the coronavirus pandemic changed how and where we worked and collaborated. In some cases, it accelerated trends that were already underway. Incredibly, all of this happened within the span of a few months! Read More

Opportunities for Cost Reduction within Your Company Relocation Policy

| December 14, 2020

company relocation policy cut costsEffectively managing a company relocation policy and the program costs requires a comprehensive approach. You must first consider your company’s culture and overarching talent management objectives, as these give you a sense of the degree of cost control that might be possible. Ultimately, your plan will likely include a combination of smaller adjustments and refinements and larger policy shifts.

For some companies, it is easier to phase in more sweeping changes over several years. This approach also allows you to analyze the preliminary results and refine your plan as needed. A successful initiative will reduce excess costs, better align your relocation benefits with employee needs and expectations and support your talent and business objectives. Read More

Ways to Reduce the Costs of Your Corporate Relocation Program

| November 20, 2020

American Dollar BillsThe pressure to reduce global mobility services costs began before the current pandemic, but Covid-19 is certainly accelerating that process. As we slowly return to normalcy, companies will want to consider how they can preserve some of these cost savings while still achieving their talent management and business objectives.

Cost-reduction initiatives are definitely not one size fits all.  In this eBook, we suggest areas to review.  And while not all will apply to your company, with almost any corporate relocation program, there is at least some opportunity for cost savings. Read More

Developing a Company Relocation Policy with a Relocation Management Company: What is Important to You?

| September 5, 2020

developing company relocation policyOften, the decision to reach out to a relocation management company (RMC) stems from an immediate need to move an employee. Still, it is worth giving some thought to the bigger talent mobility picture as well. Consider your company’s culture and the type of employee relocation experience you want to provide. Is a happy employee and a seamless experience most important? Is cost-control paramount? Companies typically try to align their relocation support with the level of employee benefits they provide overall. Read More

Top Relocation Companies Serve as Partners, Not Vendors: What the RMC Relationship Should Look Like

| August 19, 2020

top relocation companiesA relocation management company (RMC) can function as an outsourced department of your company, managing the entire talent mobility process and equipping you with the technology to monitor your employee relocation program. For many companies, this is precisely their objective: to minimize their involvement in day-to-day relocation operations. Other companies prefer a higher level of involvement and consultation, at least for higher-profile relocations. This is always your choice. Regardless, when you need to relocate an employee, you initiate the move by simply contacting your RMC. Read More

Are Relocation Expenses for Employees Taxable When Paid by an Employer?

| July 10, 2020

relocation expenses for employeesThe short answer is “yes”. Relocation expenses for employees paid by an employer (aside from BVO/GBO homesale programs) are all considered taxable income to the employee by the IRS and state authorities (and by local governments that levy an income tax). This includes household goods transportation, temporary living expenses, miscellaneous allowances, lump sum payments and more. Read More

Posts navigation