Reimbursement of Moving Expenses for New Employees

Policy identification number: To come...

File: Business & Finance Policies / Finance and Administration Policies

Reimbursement of Moving Expenses for New Employees

Policy Summary

To establish criteria for payment of moving expenses to new faculty and staff when moving expenses are offered as part of the employment offer. 

Policy Owner

Vice President for Finance and Administration

Approval Date

October 15, 2019

Effective Date

Search Terms

r, moving, expenses, vpfa 

Scheduled for Review

 Fall 2024

Policy Statement

Eligibility

Payment and/or reimbursement of relocation and moving expenses is allowable when expenses are included as a formal and specific component of a written offer of employment made to the applicant (the employee) and accepted by the employee in connection with employment at the College.  Reimbursement of moving expenses is not meant to be granted routinely, but may be offered to prospective faculty or other employees as an inducement to accept an offer of employment.  To be eligible for moving expense reimbursement, the employee’s relocation must meet the following conditions. 

1. • Full-time position – the employee must be assigned to a full-time, salaried position and must have agreed to work on a full-time basis for at least one year.
   • Distance – the distance between the employee’s new work location and the former residence must be at least fifty (50) miles.

Methods of Payment

The college recommends using a moving allowance (set amount) as the preferred method in order to limit administrative costs.  This set amount payment will be made to the employee through the payroll process after the employee start date.  The set amount must be included in the offer letter.

The employee may have the College issue a purchase order through the procurement system, by contacting the Purchasing Office.  The amount processed as a direct payment to a moving company is considered part of total moving allowance included in the offer letter (not an additional amount). The amount paid to the vendor is considered taxable income to the employee and will be deducted from the set amount paid to the employee.

Timing of Payments

Payments to employees will occur after their start date and after their position is fully active in the college payroll system.

Reason for Policy 

This policy is to provide guidelines in accordance with the College policies.  Relocation and moving expenses for faculty and staff may be provided if funds are available in the department or school/college/unit budget.

Responsibilities

For following policy:  All employees

For enforcement of policy:  Controller, Director of Purchasing

For oversight of policy:  Vice President for Finance & Administration

For notification:  Policy Librarian

For procedures implementing policy: Controller, Director of Purchasing

Definitions

Moving Expenses:  all expenses for moving and pre-move house hunting

Revision History

October, 2019 - Because of changes in tax law, all moving reimbursements are now taxable.  As such, all payments for moving expenses will be made through the payroll system.

April, 2018 - eliminated references to non-qualified and qualified plans based upon changes in federal tax law