In the case of corporate employee relocation, there are laws governing this move and they cover both the employee's rights and the rules any assisting entity has to follow. There are also ethical rules and regulations that control the conduct regarding all aspects pertaining to the entire relocation process and all professionals involved in it. Although these rules are different for employees that intend on hiring a company that specializes in relocating, they are by no means less important.



The Worldwide Employee Relocation Council, or ERC, is the agency that is the association for all relocation professionals and regardless of whether or not one of its 15,000 members is certified by the agency or not, they all are required to follow the code of conduct. The rules of the ERC undergo slight changes each year and this is based on the current civil rights politics. The basic concerns and fundamentals, however, have not been changed since the organization was founded in the middle of the 1960's.

The first and foremost rule states that there is to be absolutely no discrimination tolerated against an employee to be relocated. This can be in regards to housing or any other aspect associated with moving and pertains to personal characteristics of the employee to be relocated, such as gender, race or sexuality. Although the company paying for a relocation service seems to tolerate about anything, the relocation specialists that have an ERC certification have to consider this clause requiring non-discrimination as being binding and a basic, fundamental rule.

This code of ethics also applies to the relations between the relocation specialist and the company contracting the relocation services. Any professional who is certified by the ERC is required to serve both the company and relocating employee. The agreed rules of relocating employees take into consideration that problems arise and especially if an employee seeks more services from the hiring company's relocation specialists. The relocation specialist is responsible to ensure that the services provided are clearly explained and understood by both parties involved and that has to happen before any further actions take place.

Although it may be obvious, the relocation specialist that is certified is not allowed to take any illegal actions that are regarding the accepted rules for the employee relocation and it does not matter who is making the request. However, they are not forced to tell about an employee that has asked for an illegal service or on the company that asks for it. There is a rule that forbids the telling of secrets between a relocation specialist and their two different clients. It is necessary to keep a form of privacy, just as a doctor has to do.

Rules for employee relocations that professional relocation specialists are required to abide by may seem to be obvious and based on common sense, however, the countless number of difficult or complicated situations that are handled well due to the adherence of all on these rules just shows how valuable they really are.