When originally conceived, the typical domestic relocation package was a generous suite of benefits. Companies tailored these relocation packages for senior level managers who owned an often-expensive home, planned to buy a new one at the destination and had considerable personal effects to move. They frequently centered on a Guaranteed Buyout Program, where the company would buy the employee’s home if s(he) could not sell it in a timely manner. Because these were executives, the objective of getting them in place at the destination as quickly as possible trumped cost considerations. Read More

SHRM’s 2018 Employee Benefits Study assessed the prevalence of more than 300 employee relocation benefits and found that lump sum payments are the single most popular relocation benefit offered by the surveyed companies, offered by 28% of responding companies. Other relocation benefits most offered in 2018 included temporary relocation benefits (16% of companies), location visit assistance (16%), reimbursement of shipping fees (12%), and cost-of-living differentials (11%).

However, just as important as understanding the most popular benefits to relocating employees is understanding which benefits are less popular. Because companies periodically reassess their relocation policies to ensure they are remaining competitive in the marketplace and offering benefits employees currently want and use, it’s important to know which benefits have become less necessary and desirable. Read More