How to get my company to pay for my relocation?

[Rick Lee]

My company is 95% sending me to Phoenix, where I've wanted to move for quite a while. Job or house issues have made it very difficult until now. Old company was bought by a big, rich company with money to burn. They spared no expense in relocating folks who wanted to move to their new ops centers after closing down some others. My boss mentioned a possible reduction in base salary, since the cost of living is so much lower in AZ than here in DC. I was not thrilled about that. Then the HR boss came down here last week and told my boss they would not reduce my base salary, but wouldn't offer any relo assist. either. I figure that's still a better deal, since it's a one-time cost and is tax deductible. But I'm sure it's gonna be every penny of $5k at least and with my lady quitting her job here to start a new search there, this is a bit daunting for me. My boss said he'd rather hire someone local to that area than send me out there and then have to fill my seat here in DC and for a DC salary. But I reminded him that I require no training at all and can be up and running the day I land in PHX and have a phone and Internet access. And if he hired someone there, it'd take the company six mos. of flying the new guy all over the place for training and the ramp-up period. It'd be much easier to replace me in DC.

Anyway, I'm to the point where there's just about nothing I won't do to get out to AZ. I'm afraid my boss knows this and so I'm not really coming from a position of strength. He'd not try to shaft me at all, but he has to make a case to his bosses as well. What angle do I try for them to cover my relo.?

[frogger]

Try to convince your boss to cover some part of the relo costs if you think asking for full relo costs is a non-starter.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Jeez, stay and ask for a raise. Seems like your boss is more concerned about the costs of hiring new in DC than anything else.

[Rot 911]

Rick, pigs get fat and hogs get slaughtered. You want AZ more than they want you in AZ. I'd be happy with the same salary and I pay for the move. Yeah maybe you can convince them to pay some or all of the move, but that may also be all they need to say fuch it we will just hire someone in AZ. Less hassle, at least to them.

[Red Baron]

The bill for my relo package was almost 65k and paid by my employer, so the thought of 5k to get to AZ is hard for me to buy. The company paid commissions and closing costs on the house I sold in addition to 2% of loan value on the purchased home. The rest was moving costs and travel expenses etc. My point is that a relo package is a huge commitment from your employer and 5k would have not even scratched the surface for my move. Hell, the moving company was 13k!

Have they paid for relo in the past for other employees in the position you would be moving into? That should be an important question for you to ask. Have they or have they not paid relo for other employees in your position? If they have, why wouldn't they for you? If not, you'll probably need to plan and go it on your own finances.

[Rick Lee]

I'm pretty sure my company wouldn't touch paying for the sale of my house. I'm gonna rent it out for a while, which I can easily do and not lose any money. Since I'll be coming back to DC several times a year, for business, it will be no problem to check up on the tenants. The thing is that the market now is slow here and I can't base my start date in AZ on selling my house here. It could take a day, it could take 6 mos. I will probably have a friend or two drive one or more of my cars out to AZ and then fly them back. I have a small condo with a garage and a storage garage. And I don't have a lot of stuff that's hard to move other than guns and tools. Some friends who recently moved back here from CA got it done for $5k and that included shipping a car, them driving a U-Haul and having United Van Lines pack, ship and unpack the rest. So it can be done with some meticulous planning. I definitely do not have the kind of situation where I just hand my key to the movers, show up in PHX and all my stuff appears in my new place. This will take some doing.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Exactly - it sounds like you were the one pushing for the move rather than them. As such, count your blessings. You're getting what you want - twice. You're getting the transfer AND you're getting to keep your salary.

If you do it right, moving isn't all that expensive, just a pain in the ass.

[Rick Lee]

Honestly, I didn't even mention it until I overheard my boss in June saying he wanted to have someone in PHX. I jumped in and said "I'm your guy". He knows I've wanted to move there for a while. He has always said he wanted an office in this or that city and then always says it's gonna happen next quarter or whatever and it never happens. This time I wanted to make sure he knew I'd make it happen. A few weeks after I said I wanted it, I went to talk to him about it and he seemed pretty surprised and even a little upset that I hadn't mentioned this to him sooner. I thought taking a vacation there last year might have given him the hint, but I guess not. This is probably the best deal I'm gonna get and I ain't getting any younger. But I will ask for some relo. asst. This company gives $5k for adoption and $10k toward college tuition. In fact, a co-worker just started grad school at Columbia and talked my boss into letting her work part-time. They cut her salary, but gave her $10k for tuition. And there's no way she'll stay here after she gets her masters in a year.

[frogger]

Is the office going to be out of your new home, either initially or long term? If so, this is additional incentive for your company to contribute to your relo expenses. Just a thought.

[Rick Lee]

Yeah, I'll be working from home. But I'll be traveling a lot too, which will rack up far more in reimbursable expenses than I do here.

[jyl]

Well, personally, I'd ask for tuition assistance and go get the masters, rather than move to PHX, but that's just me . . .

Seems like a decent deal in the short-term, going to PHX with salary unchanged. Doesn't sound like you have much junk, probably can do the move for $5-10K, plus perhaps the rent you'll get on the condo will cover the rent on a PHX place making shelter costs a wash.

I'd call around and find a deal on a vehicle mover - should be not terribly much more than gas, motel, meals, and return airfare for your buddy, plus no chance of said buddy wrecking the car resulting in an "awkward moment".

However, what happens once you are in PHX? In a remote office, boss wasn't so thrilled about the idea, your salary will be already above local levels - is this a recipe for career and income stagnation?

[DonDavis]

Originally Posted by Kurt V

Rick, pigs get fat and hogs get slaughtered. You want AZ more than they want you in AZ. I'd be happy with the same salary and I pay for the move. Yeah maybe you can convince them to pay some or all of the move, but that may also be all they need to say fuch it we will just hire someone in AZ. Less hassle, at least to them.

Rick,
I tend to agree with Kurt. Especially if you plan on staying with this company.

If you do pursue it, maybe an incentive based approach would be a twist. "You pay me $X toward move and within 3-6 months I'll produce 10 widgets."

I know I being elementary but I think you get the idea. Just trying to help get you out here.

[Rick Lee]

Well, I'm not gonna just up and quit if I don't get my way. My boss is the best one I've ever had, he's fair and honest and will do what he can to keep me. So I don't abuse that situation. He wants someone in PHX too. He has to make the case to his bosses as well and I don't think he's gonna oversell it to them just so I get my way. If they paid for the move on a conditional basis, that would mean either I front the money or owe them later if I don't perform. I don't see that flying. I'm just gonna ask for $5k and push for it, but not too hard. I am nervous about the whole move. But I like this kind of nervous and I don't get it anymore in this job. Being thrown into a whole new scene right after I get married would be a pretty cool twist.