# Negotiating a Relocation Package



## herrmann.fernanda (May 11, 2016)

Hello guys. This is my first interaction here and I can feel I will find great advice and come across great people! 
My husband and I are originally from Brazil, but have been living in Australia for more than 10 years now. We live in Perth and it looks like there's an opportunity for my husband to be relocated by his company to Houston. He works in Project Logistics. The company is flying him to Houston at the end of May for personal interviews and to close the deal (if both parts are happy). So I will say there's a 95% of happening, but nothing has been discussed in regards relocating package or salary, what makes me conclude the salary offered would at least match his current in Australia. This would be our first relocation and I would like your advice about what would be a good deal for us. We live a very comfortable life in Perth and want to make sure the move would not only be a good thing for his career, but also we won't struggle ($$ wise), specially at the beginning. It's just the 2 of us, no kids, no pets. We own a house in Perth, that would have to be leased, would need to sell 2 cars and decide whether to put the belongings into long term storage or ship it to America (my first choice). We do believe to be staying in Houston between 3 to 5 years, but it could be extended. So, what would be considered a good relocation package for Houston (even more, what would be a realistic relocation package within the resource related industry at the moment)? For the ones that have been there, what was offered, or should have been, what would have been important. Thanks in advance!!


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

It really really depends on the company's relocation policies. Some companies offer a solid package up front and others nickle and dime the candidate to whatever extent they can.

First of all, you need to decide how bad you want the job. Are you willing to hold out for an all-inclusive relocation? (Which means, would you be willing to take a pass on the job if they won't or can't offer you all you want?)

A couple things to look for in the relocation:

Some sort of tax assistance - at least for the first couple of years. The US tax system is complex and complicated and for a newcomer, it makes sense to have the company pay for tax preparation. Tax equalization (so that you wind up with an equivalent salary to what you had back home) is nice, but may be limited to non-permanent positions. Note that just about all the "extras" in a relo package wind up being taxable to you in the US. (However, you get to deduct many, if not most of the relocation costs you incur.) 

Does the position require the use of a car? If so, is a car part of the package? (Not as common as it used to be.) 

Temporary housing on arrival - usually for a month or two or three - to allow you some time to find your own place and get familiar with the area. 

Things like vacation time are not usually negotiable in the US - what you get is what's in the company employee handbook. Also, note that medical insurance does not cover as much in the US as in many other countries, so you'll be out of pocket for "co-pays" which can add up quickly. 

Other folks will come through with other considerations, I'm sure. 
Cheers,
Bev


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## herrmann.fernanda (May 11, 2016)

Thanks for your input Bevdeforges. Very much appreciated.


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## Crawford (Jan 23, 2011)

In the relocation packages my company offered, the following were included and paid for by company:

- temporary accommodation (up to two months)
- temporary car rental
- shipping of furniture/oersonal effects
- discretionary amount of money for incidentals/deposits etc

In addition:

- details of repatriation would be included (sometimes jobs don't work out or redundancy happens). Does the company pay for this repatriation or is this down to the employee?

- at some point during the negotiations the question of whether the company would sponsor for a Green Card (if job/person was satisfactory) would have been discussed. Whatever was agreed would be included in the package documentation. 

- Vacation allowance 

- Medical insurance

Re-location pacakages depend A LOT on who is asking for the transfer - the employer or the employee. If the employee, the employer is less inclined to agree to a comprehensive package.


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## CBGB (May 11, 2016)

I always have a clause in my contract that should the position "not work out" or for whatever reason I loose my job, ( now that being by my own doing or the companies, 
That the company will pay all associated moving costs back to my starting point 
I have moved internationally 4 times now and on the last instance lost my job due to downsizing 
the company had to relocate myself , my family and all my belongings back to Australia at their cost
something to think about


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## Sardonicus (Mar 23, 2015)

CBGB said:


> I always have a clause in my contract that should the position "not work out" or for whatever reason I loose my job, ( now that being by my own doing or the companies,
> That the company will pay all associated moving costs back to my starting point
> I have moved internationally 4 times now and on the last instance lost my job due to downsizing
> the company had to relocate myself , my family and all my belongings back to Australia at their cost
> something to think about


This is key - I had this in my first relocation from the US to Country A, but did not from Country A to Country B, and when that job went south early on, I was in a bit of a lurch. 

Nowadays getting any relo at all is a challenge, but as Bev and others have said, it really really depends. See the similar thread on this I started recently.


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