Falkirk Council is fully committed to the recruitment and retention of high quality employees. As part of this commitment the Relocation Policy aims to provide reasonable financial assistance to new employees who are required to relocate to the Falkirk area to take up a new position with Falkirk Council. This Policy is in line with the Council's Equal Opportunities Policy.

It is acknowledged that expenses will be incurred when moving house, and the policy is designed to reimburse newly recruited employees, in relation to these expenses. 

Application of the policy is subject to prior approval. New employees will be made aware of the policy at the time of their recruitment and should be advised of their eligibility or otherwise by their line manager.

The overriding principle is that all expenses incurred should be for the purpose of costs associated solely with relocation and all claims must be substantiated.

The policy is applicable to all newly recruited employees within Falkirk who meet the eligibility criteria outlined below:

• Permanent employees
• Fixed term or temporary employees whose contract is for a period of 2 years or more.

Payment of relocation expenses is dependent upon the new employee:

• Living out with the Falkirk area boundary at the time of their appointment (greater than a 30 mile radius)
• Relocating to within the geographical area of the Council (see Appendix 1)
• Acquiring a sole permanent residence in the Falkirk area; second homes do not qualify for relocation allowance.

The policy is limited to one member of each household. Reimbursement of Relocation allowances will not be paid to an employee whose partner or other member of the household has already obtained employment in the area and has received financial assistance from the Council or another source.

Where possible, an employee undertaking relocation should move within six months of the date of taking up their new position. In exceptional circumstances this period may be extended, normally up to 12 months, on authorisation from the relevant Service Director.

Relocation assistance will only be open for a period of 12 months from the date employment commenced and all reimbursement claims must be submitted within this timescale. Any claims made after this period shall not be eligible for reimbursement.

N.B. In exceptional circumstances, the Chief Executive may authorise situations where an employee does not meet the criteria, but where due to skill shortages within the area, the interests of the Council are served by relocation.

Relocation expenses will be reimbursed up to a maximum of £6000. This sum may be increased to meet special requirements of disabled employees and should be discussed and agreed with the relevant Service Director.

Reimbursement is available for costs which are incurred during the process of relocation. Employees should sign the Relocation Reimbursement and Termination Agreement (Appendix 2) prior to claiming any expenses. Any expenses should be agreed in advance between the employee and their line manager.

All claims for reimbursement should be completed on the Relocation Claim Form (Appendix 3) and forwarded, along with receipts of all expenses, to the employee's Line Manager and then Human Resources for approval. Human Resources will then forward the approved form to Finance Services for payments to be processed. Receipts must be provided with all reimbursement claim submissions.

Costs associated with the relocation process may include:

Removal of household effects

Reimbursement under this heading will be made for the cost of removal of furniture and effects, including insurance.

Reimbursement will cover one move, where the move is direct from the former principal place of residence to the new place of residence, or for two moves where the employee is required to live for a period of time in temporary accommodation or to put furniture into storage.

The choice of method of transportation will be a matter for the employee. However, reimbursement will be based on the lowest of three quotations, which must be submitted to their Line Manager for approval.

Storage

The cost of temporary storage of household furniture and effects, until a new permanent place of residence is found, up to a maximum of 12 months. Reimbursement will be based on the lowest of three quotations, which much be submitted to their Line Manager for approval.

Legal and Other Fees

Reimbursement will be made for the costs directly associated with the sale of the employee's old house and purchase of a new house, such as reasonable advertising costs, survey, legal, estate agent and mortgage redemption fees.

Where an employee is currently renting and wishes to buy a property, all legal fees associated with the purchase of the house will apply.

Settling-in allowance

A lump sum of up to £500 may be authorised in respect of a settling-in allowance to meet ad hoc costs associated with moving house, for example, purchase of new curtains, fixtures and fittings or installation of electrical goods.

Temporary accommodation

In the case where temporary accommodation is required pending a house move, the Council cannot undertake to provide temporary accommodation but will provide a weekly allowance up to a maximum of £95.00. This allowance will be paid for a maximum period of 39 weeks after which, the situation will be reviewed.

Employees must confirm in writing that they are maintaining two homes and if their former principal residence is mortgaged that it has been placed on the property market for sale or rent.

Assistance, in the form of contact details of local Letting Agencies, can be given to new employees requiring temporary accommodation. The new employee can contact Human Resources for this information.

Rented accommodation

Reimbursement will be made for costs associated with obtaining permanent rented accommodation. This will cover removal and storage of furniture and personal effects, travelling and settling-in allowances. The conditions of these are as outlined within the specific sections.

Travelling

In order to assist an employee to take up the appointment, travelling costs will be reimbursed in the following circumstances:

• Return journeys for the employee and partner for one pre-employment visit to the area to view housing, prior to taking up the new appointment
• One return journey per month following an employee's appointment to their previous permanent residence. The purpose of the visit will be to either visit partner/dependants who are still living at the previous address or to supervise the sale of the property. These visits can be taken up to the point of moving to new permanent residence
• Travel and subsistence costs for the employee and dependants who normally live with them, when moving from the old to the new home.

Reimbursement for travel is based on standard rail fares. If a private car is used, reimbursement will be made on the mileage incurred and paid at the public transport rate.

Mileage allowance

As an alternative to the weekly accommodation allowance, and subject to prior approval from the employee's Line Manager, an employee may commute on a daily basis from their existing home providing it is within a reasonable travelling distance of their place of work.  Mileage will be paid at the public transport rate and should be claimed on the Relocation Reimbursement Claim Form.

This allowance will only be paid for a maximum of 26 weeks and only applies where an employee is unable to move to their new permanent accommodation immediately. 
It is not possible for employees to claim mileage and the weekly accommodation allowance in the same week.

Note: This mileage allowance is separate from any casual or essential user allowances which may be paid as part of an employee's travel between other work locations.

Reimbursement claims must be claimed using the relevant form (Appendix 3). Payments will be processed through the Accounts Department and employees will receive reimbursement, via cheque, within 30 days. 

In exceptional circumstances, such as payment of removal, legal, estate agent or surveyors fees, where the amount may be in excess of £500, employees may receive a cheque advance. This payment must be authorised by the employee's line manager and Head of Service and will only be made upon receipt of the appropriate paperwork/receipts from the Company (such as a letter or invoice confirming the appropriate fees).  

The Director of Finance Services will keep a record of all transactions. This will include copies of all receipts, the undertakings signed by the employee regarding expenditure and repayment of reimbursed expenses.

New employees will be entitled to:

• One day's leave for house hunting where this takes place after they have started work with the Council;
• Up to 2 days paid leave for moving house where this takes place after they have started work with the Council.

This leave will be granted to new employees who are required to relocate to the local area to take up their new position and who fulfil the eligibility criteria for assistance through the Relocation Policy. This is a one-off entitlement in relation to the terms of the relocation assistance. All leave requests must be discussed and approved in advance with the employee's line manager.

Should an employee leave within 12 months, any relocation leave taken will be deducted from their outstanding annual leave or salary where appropriate.

Employees will be required to repay any relocation expenses should they leave the Council's service within 2 years of taking up the appointment. The amount to be repaid will be pro-rated to 1/24th of the sum involved for every full month short of 2 years service.

It will be the responsibility of the employee and their Line Manager to discuss any repayment of relocation expenses that are due. The Line Manager will be responsible for ensuring that Finance Services (Payroll) are notified if an employee is required to repay some element of the allowance. This notification should be made as soon after the employee has resigned to allow Payroll to make the necessary arrangements.

The repayment of relocation expenses will not apply where the Council terminates the employment, unless the termination is for reasons of discipline. 

N.B. In exceptional circumstances, if an employee is required for personal reasons to cease their employment with the Council, the Chief Executive may give consideration to waiving the repayment due. The employee and/or their representative will be able to make a case for this.

This Policy is implemented with effect from 01 December 2008.

The Head of Human Resources in conjunction with Services and Trade Unions will monitor and review the policy as necessary.