By Julie DeLong, A-1 Freeman Moving Group
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed our lives and ways of doing
business. As a company owner, director, or manager, keeping your employees safe
while ensuring social distancing is a challenge. If you have employees in
different countries and states or if you are bringing new employees on board, sometimes
a relocation may be necessary. However, relocation during these uncertain
periods is difficult and gathering knowledge before acting is critical.
Here are the vital issues you need to consider before deciding whether to
relocate an employee currently.
Plan
The first step when relocating employees, especially during a
health crisis such at COVID-19, is to plan effectively. When creating a plan,
the following steps are crucial:
- Create a list of all employees both within and outside
the country. Include all employee contacts and locations on this list, as
well as where the employee needs to relocate to.
- Establish a dedicated communication channel that
accommodates the whole company to ensure that all relocating workers
receive relevant updates and give feedback.
- Establish a crisis committee to liaise with the top
management and find solutions for relocations. This committee should do a
deep dive on each relocation to research all options extensively while
keeping all government directives in mind.
- Partner with different travel agencies and moving
companies for travel alerts.
- Keep all government policies regarding social
distancing, essential services, and travel bans in mind as you plan.
Create Policies
- Establish policies that support remote working to
ensure social distancing, if necessary. Policies that increase your
employees' risk of contracting coronavirus should be eliminated.
- Establish clear policies that support workers. Think
about forming a fund for hardship premiums for workers in areas where
necessities are challenging to access due to limited supplies or the
increase in prices.
- Recognize that some relocations will need to be delayed
until workers have safe places to work.
- If relocation is necessary, restrict it to critical
employees. This policy should also establish safety measures to be taken
before, during, and after the trip to ensure that all workers stay safe.
- Discuss relocation options with your professional
moving company partner. The moving
company should have a plan in place to keep both their workers and your
employees safe throughout the relocation process.
- Review your relocation policy with your professional
movers to make sure that your employees receive the greatest value from
your relocation budget.
Ready to Relocate?
At A-1 Freeman Moving Group, we understand that relocation of
employees is challenging anytime, but can be even more arduous during a global pandemic.
We are taking necessary precautions to ensure that you and your employees stay
safe. Contact us today for more information on all your relocation needs.
Request a free quote
