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.
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