Research has shown that when in-house employees are responsible for management and details associated with an office relocation, 40% of these employees quit or are fired within one year of the relocation. Moving is a very disruptive activity and rarely does a relocation occur with perfectly planned execution, peace of mind or happy outcome. Routinely, employees - frequently administrative employees - are given the charge to coordinate and manage the logistics of relocation, including inventorying all the furniture, contacting moving companies, packing, move day coordination, unpacking and wrapping up after the move.
Most people do not do this job very often, at least not with the rigors and professional skills of people who do this every day. Be sure to convene the team of people who are going to manage the move in-house, make sure their skill sets are suited for the task and that they have a willingness to perform the job. Be sure also to address the issue that these duties are not covered in their job description and that their work on the new assignment will be recognized and compensated. Many of these employees must retain all of their other duties as well and the possibility exists that these duties may strain under the weight of the additional relocation management work. Provide them with a method to register any issues which may arise during the move management period so that a record can be kept and the employer can plan for and track employee concerns and stress.
It is good practice to retain a move management company who has the professional skill and leadership in hand - and who does this every day. These companies pay for themselves with their planning kits, needs assessments and mechanism for successfully achieving competitive bids.
At the end of the move in, a period of decompression will take place, both from the duties and from the actual move. Be sure to offer and provide a debriefing session with your employee afterward, giving them the opportunity to provide constructive input and update their employment file for having taken on the additional responsibilities.
Nothing contained herein is to be considered legal advice. Always seek legal advice when evaluating any legal document
