With the constantly changing picture, and uncertainty surrounding travel plans, quarantine rules and home viewings, relocation support has become even more invaluable to ensure clients are properly looked after and kept safe during the pandemic.

New Normal

As relocation support services recommence, a new way of working needs be taken into account to reflect this new environment and keep everyone as safe and informed as possible. Many of our client companies are starting to resume their relocation programmes and feel more confident using professional relocation support for their employees knowing a comprehensive health and safety policy is being adhered to. As this is the case most companies are happy to work to our guidelines, although we always ask if there are any additional procedures they would like us to include in our service.

We know that even with the easing of restrictions, the risk of the virus will not be eliminated, so it is important to introduce necessary adjustments now to protect consultants, clients, transferees and their families. Our COVID-19 Policy is designed to reduce this risk as much as possible and work with the client to see what they are most comfortable with and how the service can be delivered to suit them.

Safety and Comfort

At TRC, we are confident on delivering these adjustments and balance this to ensure the customer experience is not compromised. One key part of the service that is affected, is that of travelling together with the consultant by car on the day of the home search. Although our guidelines are geared towards situations when a client and consultant will travel together, we fully appreciate that not all consultants and assignees will be comfortable with this (even with the correct safety measures in place). We have therefore introduced an adapted service whereby the assignees can either meet their consultant at the chosen properties, or travel separately in their own cars.

The key here is to always be sensitive to each assignees’ individual feelings and discuss how we propose to work with them, adjusting our practices where possible and manage expectations – especially when their experiences and views can differ depending on which country they are travelling from and what their home country’s COVID situation is like. Some are more relaxed than others!

Remote Working

At present more of our work is carried out remotely with assignees being offered virtual viewings and video conferences with consultants. By spending this extra time at the start of the process, time out on the road actually viewing properties with their consultant can be kept to a minimum or clients can view properties on their own.

For the occasions that accompanied viewings and orientation tours are needed, our guidelines are designed to offer assistance. All of our clients, transferees and their families will have received a copy of our policy, and also been asked to sign a disclaimer concerning their health just prior to their home search day. Letting agents too follow strict guidelines and arrive at the property first to open all doors and ensure that the property is empty.

Like most sudden changes, we, along with others in the industry, have adapted very quickly and this has now become the ‘norm’. We are very confident that our services can still be delivered in a valuable way and in fact offer more security to the client in these tricky times.

View Our Covid 19 Policy for clients

If you are relocating during the Covid 19 pandemic Briars are happy to help play our part in delivering support and our HR team provides international mobility services, including work permits and employee tax planning to help smooth the process.  To find out more, please feel free to contact us at info@briarsgroup.com.

The Relocation Consultancy is an independent relocation company based in the UK, with over 25 years of experience. They offer corporate and private relocation services and have an in-depth knowledge of the challenges involved when relocating employees. For further information contact info@relocationconsultancy.com

Kate co-founded Briars in 1991 with Andrew Brierley. She specialised in tax law and today continues to advise clients on international operations, particularly land, expand and exit! In her spare time Kate is a Past Master of the City of London Guild of Entrepreneurs and a Director of CCARHT (Cambridge Centre for Applied Research into Human Trafficking).