Employee relocation never works out cheap, and that goes double where top of the line executives of the company are concerned. Still, you need to keep your skilled workers happy so they perform well at the work place, so you should look at the expense as an investment. Technically sound employees know that value that they bring to the company, and so it is best to make them as comfortable as you can afford, since they deserve it anyhow.



There are some norms that have helped companies in the past - for instance real estate arrangements for the relocated employee. For example, it became popular in the eighties for the company to retention an employee's house if he needed to relocate for the firm, and the house just wasn't selling. This is a very sensitive issue, since it can make the company look desperate in the watchful eyes of the competition and critics. Some may very well make a mockery out of the company for doing so, and by some we mean critics like page three publishers and critics.

Some other issues are not as hard as that to figure out. You need to provide some relocation expenses to the employee, especially if you are not assisting him in any other way. It may seem a little over doing it, to provide these expenses as a norm, but then it is only fair that you do your bit for an employee that is relocating just for the firm's sake. Looking at this from another perspective, the employee may look at the amount suspiciously, if it seems a little low at first glance. But all said and done, to do away with the expense accounts when you relocate employees would be a wrong move, no doubt.

Before you go ahead with granting the relocation expense account, it is wise to have a discussion with the employee in question. Try and find out more about the personal situation of the employee and grant funds accordingly. For example, a person with a spouse should be granted more money for relocation of two people.

People with children should be given even more. On the other hand, a single person would be satisfied with an apartment near the work place, so maybe you could arrange that for him or her, at least till they can find the place of their choice. Some companies offer shared accommodation for many employees in the same apartment complex, and provide transportation for all, and that seems to work very well with single people.

It is definitely tricky to keep every relocated employee happy while you give more to some and less to another as relocation expenses. Therefore it is best to let the company have hard an fast rules as to the criteria when funds are released.