Can they have their cake and eat it too? (expat edition)

June 8, 2018 3:23 AM

A friend of mine currently working in Cameroon for Company A has been offered an expatriate job abroad (Cote d’Ivoire) and will be joining Company B in an executive role with full relocation and expat benefits. His wife works for Company C in Cameroon and has requested a transfer in a similar job at Company C’s Cote d’Ivoire office. Her chances are good. In addition, Company B is also willing to offer the wife a job in Cote d’Ivoire if Company C doesn't accommodate her request for transfer. So all is good, right? Not quite.

They want to know how the wife (who doesn't want to change employers) can extract some financial assistance towards moving and relocation costs from her current employer (Company C), even though she is the trailing spouse. They know it’s a stretch but how can she frame this so Company C feels enclined to assist her financially? Company C is a multinational company and could easily afford it.

posted by Kwadeng to Work & Money (5 answers total)

As far as company C is concerned, she is not a trailing spouse, she is an employee who is moving. If they are a big multinational they almost certainly have existing standard relocation packages, and she either does or doesn't qualify for one. Has she already been told they will not pay for relocation? Has she looked around for company policies on relocation assistance?
posted by the agents of KAOS at 4:44 AM on June 8, 2018 [3 favorites]

Response by poster: Has she looked around for company policies on relocation assistance?

She is going to follow her husband anyway, and would like her employer to accommodate her request to do so, by offering her a job in the destination country AND throwing a few benefits in as well. It is by no means an employer-initiated international move. Hence this question.
posted by Kwadeng at 5:29 AM on June 8, 2018

It doesn't have to be employer initiated. My sister requested an international transfer because she wanted to move, and got it covered with relocation benefits. If your friend wants any relocation assistance, the absolute first step is to know what the company says is available.
posted by the agents of KAOS at 5:32 AM on June 8, 2018

The last big company I worked at had an internal jobs board that listed openings and whether it includes regional or global relocation. They wouldn't create a job for someone but also wouldn't deny relocation just because the employee was moving because of their partner. Also note the relocation did have some catches - it was taxed as if income, plus had to be repaid if the employee quit soon after.
posted by JonB at 5:39 AM on June 8, 2018 [2 favorites]

If her hypothetical job at Company B is better in some way(s) than the one she is offered at Company C in Cote d’Ivoire, she might use that as leverage with Company C.

Something to the effect of, "Hey Company C, I really want to continue working with this company and I'm so grateful that you've offered me the Widget Manager role in Cote d’Ivoire. I just received a job offer from another company there. They want to make me Senior Widget Manager and pay me 10% more than I would make if I stayed here. I'm willing to forgo the title and raise if you can throw in $n of relocation assistance."
posted by schroedingersgirl at 5:40 AM on June 8, 2018 [1 favorite]