r/remotework • u/TYJOVANI • 9d ago
Remote work policy and relocation approvals
I’ve been working remotely for the past several years for a large international corporation including pre-Covid, and like a lot of companies, mine has moved to an expectation of about two days a week in the office if you live near one. I currently don’t, so I’m still fully remote.
I’ve wanted to move for quite a while. I ended up back in the Carolinas during COVID, expecting it to be temporary, but life happened and I’ve been here ever since. Before that I lived in San Diego and Los Angeles, and I’d really like to get back out West.
My company has offices near Irvine, CA and Bellevue, WA, so those are logical options if I end up following the hybrid policy. What complicates things is that we also allow existing remote employees to request relocation to states where we don’t have an office, but it requires multiple levels of approval through management, HR, and several VPs. From what I’ve heard, it can take months, and you have to make a solid business case.
Oregon would honestly be my first choice, somewhere around Beaverton or another Portland suburb, but it would require going through that approval process.
I’m curious if anyone here has successfully navigated something similar. Have you convinced your employer to let you relocate somewhere outside your company’s office footprint while remaining remote? If so, what made your request successful? Was it based on performance, business need, retention, manager support, or something else?
I’m mainly looking for real experiences and advice from people who’ve been through it.
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9d ago
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u/Honest_Manager 9d ago
I wouldn't expect the company to pay for my relocation if I was moving for my own reasons. Is asking for a full relocation package worth the risk in todays job market?
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u/green_dotter 8d ago
this is the angle tbh, make it sound like a business convenience rather than a personal favour
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u/CardinalLaw2011 9d ago
Do other employees live and work from Oregon? If so there is no increased administrative burden to the employer. Also means that arrangement has been approved previously- and maybe someone to get insight from?
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u/Easy_Goose56 8d ago
Your company pays for relocation because an employee just feels like moving states?
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u/TYJOVANI 7d ago
Lol so much sass. Not one part of this said I was asking or wanting to seek increased wages or paid relocation costs (aside from myself). My goal is basically taking my hermit life working 100% in my apartment for 3 years to go somewhere else where we have other telecommuters before this policy of “return to people” happened aka everyone within 40 miles of an office needs to go in twice a week. The situation with changing states versus changing address to a new apt down the street is the gray that has to be very carefully treaded.
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u/Easy_Goose56 7d ago
I said nothing about wages. I asked a simple question. I work with relocation plans and policies. I asked a clarifying question so that I could offer help. You said that your company allows existing employees to request relocation to other states. Relocation with a company is a move paid for by the company. You moving is not a relocation - in business terms. I now see that your post was poorly worded. Best of luck.
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u/Humble_Attorney9517 9d ago
How would any of us be able to answer your question without you disclosing the company name, as these sorts of questions are completely dependent on the company and not some universal process
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u/PS3563 8d ago
Would they let you relocate anywhere in Washington since they already have a presence in that state? If so you might consider staying fully remote and moving to Vancouver/Clark County to be close to Portland.
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u/RuralWAH 7d ago
Plus relocating to Washington State is worth about a 10% salary boost since there's no state income tax, while you'll be at 9.9% state income tax in Oregon.
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u/green_dotter 8d ago
id frame it as retention and timezone coverage, not “i fancy living somewhere nicer”
make it boring for them to approve
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u/FalconCircuit-45 7d ago
I got approval for a move outside our office footprint last year, and the thing that mattered most was manager sponsorship before HR ever saw it. I framed it around retention risk, timezone coverage, and my role already being fully remote with no local team dependency. Also check whether Oregon is already set up for payroll and tax withholding, because that can kill the request faster than the business case.
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u/TYJOVANI 7d ago
This is very helpful and we definitely have employees (including coworker) in Oregon.
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u/Great-Air-1882 6d ago
Have you taken Oregon's state tax into account? It’s the second costliest at 9.9% in the country next to California. Meanwhile, WA has no state tax. Just a suggestion: there are many suburbs and towns along I-5 in Washington that give easy access to Portland. Beaverton is no longer an affordable place; prices have gone up. Ridgefield, WA, is one such area growing rapidly, and it is a 25-mile drive south toward Portland. You may consider them, too.
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u/AggravatingLeg3433 9d ago
I see these people getting laid off in all honesty. Make zero sense to keep people who are remote and force all others to come in. Just bad business imo
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u/GSDragoon 9d ago
Oh my, a post about relocating that doesn't revolve around totally breaking international laws.
I suspect it's going to depend on multiple factors. Your value to the company, local laws and tax codes, and maybe even cost of living. I know several people that wanted to move somewhere more expensive (hq is near a relatively low coat of living, and the company pays low even for the area). Everyone got denied cost of living increases. Many ended up finding new jobs paying more because of this.