Saving Time and Money While Moving: Tips From a Mum

As an office manager, it falls on you to help your staff prepare for office relocations. In many cases, a relocation simply means moving the entire office from one building to another. There are times, however, when you may need to handle several office relocations based on the duties your staff handles and how the corporate office wants to handle the move. For example, you may have administrative staff relocate to a main building in a busy downtown office complex while your tech staff relocates to home offices or smaller offices elsewhere. If you are facing this type of office relocation, consider the following ways to help your staff prepare.

Working with Professional Removalists and Storage

One of the first things you need to do is confirm with your staff if your relocation will be handled by a professional removalist or moving and storage company. Once you confirm this, the next step is to prepare them for this by telling them what they need to pack and what the moving and storage company will handle. In most cases, your staff will need to handle the move of their personal items like pictures or items they have purchased themselves. Computers and other equipment will be handled by the removalists.

Insurance and Damaged Items

One key point to ensure your staff understands is related to insurance and damage of items. This is especially important in cases where personal items will be moved by the removalists or moving and storage company instead of becoming the responsibility of the staffer. You need to let the staff know what to do in cases of damaged items, making insurance claims on those items, and ensuring the items are insured through the moving company to begin with. If they do not take the proper steps, and the items are damaged, the staff may not be able to have items replaced or receive any compensation to replace the items on their own if the items aren't insured.

Dates and Scheduling

You may have a staff that is used to corporate office relocations. In this case, the best way to help them prepare is to give them the dates and scheduling associated with the move. Try to focus on what days the office will be closed, if the closed days will be paid days or unpaid, and when they need to show up at the new location. These are all key points in helping your staff prepare for the new driving route to work as well as the financial aspects associated with the move.

These are just a few of the key points and ways to help your staff prepare with office relocations. Keep in mind, the most important ways to help them prepare is to make all the information they need readily accessible. This means instead of just telling them, make sure the dates and all other information are also visually available in the break room or somewhere in the office.