A worker was recently offered a position at the French Embassy where she had to move from Rhode Island to Washington DC. The employee was given three weeks for the relocation. It was a ‘do it yourself’ relocation whereby she had to move without the help of the new job. Despite the job being with the French Embassy she was not given any funds or a moving company to make things easier. Instead the worker needed the help of her friends and family, along with a hired moving truck to make the trip.
Sadly the tale of this worker is just one of many when it comes to relocation in recent years. Many employers are unwilling to help with relocation costs. They are not going to pay for a move or in some cases cannot afford to offer help for a move.
The economy has certainly had an effect of the available revenue companies have for relocation of their employees. It was shown that in 2011 about 9% of all jobs offered were made with relocation funds or packages. The strain it puts on employees has somewhat affected them taking the jobs. For some it is not a matter of refusing the job as they may be unemployed where they currently live, but for others it may mean refusing to move due to the financial constraints the employees are under with their homes, mortgages and families. Moving is certainly not a viable option for some, especially if they are in a high amount of debt.
Lance Grooms
