Questions to Ask an Employer Before Relocating for Work

The questions

Open any question to see why it works.

1. 1

   Why does this role have to be there rather than remote?

   The reason shapes everything else. A role that needs you on a factory floor is different from one that needs you in an office because a senior leader prefers it, and the second reason can evaporate with one reorganisation.

2. 2

   Is the move a condition of the offer, or a preference?

   Ask before you negotiate anything else, because it sets the leverage. If it is a preference, a delayed start, a hybrid arrangement, or a trial period are all on the table, and none of them are if it is a condition.

3. 3

   What exactly does the relocation package cover, in writing?

   Verbal descriptions of packages are consistently more generous than the policy document. Ask for the actual policy, then read what it says about pets, cars, storage, second trips, and anything you own that does not fit in a container.

4. 4

   Is it a lump sum or reimbursed expenses, and is it grossed up for tax?

   Relocation money is often treated as taxable income, so a headline figure can arrive materially smaller. Grossed up means the company covers that tax. If nobody in the conversation knows the answer, ask for it from payroll in writing.

5. 5

   What is the deadline to use it, and what happens to anything unspent?

   Packages usually expire, commonly at twelve months, and unspent money is rarely paid out. Knowing the deadline changes the order you do things in, particularly if you plan to rent first and buy later.

6. 6

   Will you pay for a house hunting trip before I have to decide?

   One weekend in the actual neighbourhoods answers questions no relocation brochure will. A company unwilling to fund a trip before you commit is telling you something about how the rest of the move will be supported.

7. 7

   How long is temporary housing covered, and what standard?

   Thirty days is common and is usually not enough if you are selling a home or waiting on schools. Ask about the standard too, since a studio for a family of four technically satisfies the policy.

8. 8

   Do you help with selling my house or breaking my lease?

   Some employers cover realtor fees, a lease break penalty, or losses on a quick sale. These are among the largest costs of a move and among the least likely to be mentioned unless you raise them directly.

9. 9

   If I leave within a year or two, do I owe any of this back?

   Clawback clauses are standard. What varies is the length, whether repayment is prorated by month, and whether it still applies if the company makes you redundant. Ask to see that agreement before you accept anything.

10. 10

    If the role is eliminated after I move, what happens?

    You will have relocated your household for a job that no longer exists. Ask whether severance would include a return move, and whether the company has ever done that for anyone, which is a different question.

11. 11

    How does the salary compare to local pay for this role, not to what I earn now?

    A raise that is smaller than the cost of living difference is a pay cut in every way that matters. Ask what the internal band is for the destination location and where the offer sits inside it.

12. 12

    What would my take home pay actually be there?

    Income tax varies by state, province, or country, and some cities levy their own. Social contributions and mandatory insurance differ too. Get an estimate in writing rather than doing the arithmetic on the offer letter alone.

13. 13

    What do people at my level pay for housing and childcare there?

    Ask for specifics rather than a cost of living index, which averages across things you will not buy. If the answer is that colleagues commute an hour to afford a house, you have learned the real shape of the salary.

14. 14

    Does my partner get any support finding work?

    Some employers fund job search help or introductions, and some do nothing. Ask early, because a partner's stalled career is the most common reason relocations fail and people leave within two years.

15. 15

    Who handles the visa or work permit, and what does it mean for my family?

    Ask who sponsors it, who pays, how long it takes, and whether your partner is permitted to work on the dependent status. Ask what happens to that status if you resign or are let go, since it is often a matter of weeks.

16. 16

    How many people have relocated for this company recently, and are they still here?

    This is the closest thing to a reference check on the move itself. A company that has relocated people regularly has a process. A company that has not is going to improvise using your money and your time.

17. 17

    Can I speak with someone who made the same move?

    The most useful conversation available to you, and refusing it is informative in itself. Ask them what surprised them, what the package missed, and how long it took to feel settled.

18. 18

    What is the expectation about travelling back, and who pays?

    If your family stays behind at first, or your parents are elsewhere, trips home become a large recurring cost. Some packages fund a set number of flights for a period, and almost nobody offers it unprompted.

19. 19

    If I want to move back or go remote in two years, is that possible?

    Nobody can promise this, so listen instead for whether there is precedent. A manager who names two people who did it is giving you real information. Enthusiastic reassurance with no example behind it is not.

20. 20

    Can everything we have discussed be written into the offer letter?

    The closing question. Relocation promises are frequently made by a hiring manager who will not be your manager in a year, and anything not in the letter does not survive that. Ask politely and expect it to be routine.