You have finally landed your dream job at one of Microsoft’s offices, and now you feel beyond excited and quite stressed about the move. Getting a job in a new city or even a completely different country means that you need to pack up your entire life, find a new home and get started in the new role within a matter of weeks.
Luckily, many tech companies offer generous relocation assistance to new employees, and Microsoft is no exception. At Levels.fyi, we are taking a closer look at Microsoft relocation package and what benefits you can expect to receive.
What is a Relocation Package?
When a company offers long-term employment to an employee in a location that is further than 50 miles from their current work location, that employee may qualify for a relocation package. This package will typically cover reasonable moving and work-related expenses.
Generally, relocation packages are offered for senior management roles, but some companies provide relocation support to workers of all levels. For example, the Microsoft relocation package is offered to any employee from mid-level management roles to senior directors.
What’s a Good Relocation Package?
Specific relocation packages can vary from company to company, but they are always intended to offer the employee peace of mind and make the job offer more attractive.
At the minimum, a good relocation package should cover the following:
- Transportation fees and flight tickets
- The moving of furniture and boxes
- The hiring of professional movers and packers
- Housing allowance or temporary accommodation
Additional benefits can include:
- Language and culture orientation classes
- Home assistance such as cleaners
- Private education for children
- Temporary childcare services
When evaluating a job offer, it is important to take the full picture into consideration, including the relocation package along with the base salary and the potential bonus. You can visit Levels.fyi to review total compensation for various positions at Microsoft and other companies.
Microsoft Relocation Package Options
Relocation packages at Microsoft are typically customized based on your level in the company and your lifestyle, such as whether or not you own a home. However, it is important to understand what options are available and what you can choose from
Relocation Assistance vs Lump Sum
Similar to most large companies, Microsoft offers two standard structures to choose from:
- Relocation Assistance
A relocation assistance package includes:
- Relocation allowance to help you cover expenses like getting a new driver’s license, rental deposit, and more. The allowance usually ranges from $2,000 to $5,000.
- Storage containers and moving assistance
- Flight tickets
- Temporary housing (typically for 2 months)
- Temporary transportation or a car rental (typically for 2 months)
- Relocation assistance, such as helping with bank account setup, a tour around the city, and more.
- Lump Sum
With the lump sum option, you receive a single cash payment that you can use toward your moving expenses. Microsoft employees report that the lump sum amount can vary between $12,000 for a cross-country move to $25,000 for international relocation.
Relocation Assistance for Homeowners vs Renters
If you are a homeowner, you can expect additional benefits such as a house-hunting trip to the new location prior to the final moving date itself. As part of the relocation assistance package, Microsoft will also cover closing costs associated with the purchase of a new home.
If you are currently renting, on the other hand, the Microsoft relocation assistance will cover the expenses associated with breaking your lease early.
Work-from-Home Relocation Options
In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, Microsoft has announced that they will provide their employees with an option to work from home permanently, even after Microsoft’s offices re-open.
Under the new rules, most employees will be able to work remotely up to 50% of their work hours, and some may even work fully remotely if they receive permission from a manager. Employees will also be allowed to relocate domestically or even move internationally with the proper approval.
While Microsoft employees will be able to move for remote work, their benefits and compensation will change accordingly depending on the company’s geopay scale. Microsoft will cover home office expenses, but, unfortunately, won’t cover relocation costs in that case.
What to Consider When Offered a Relocation Package from Microsoft
When negotiating your relocation package, it is important to consider what matters to you most, as you don’t want any drastic changes to your lifestyle.
Follow these steps when negotiating your relocation package:
- Estimate how much the move would cost. Calculate the basics like the cost of flights, transportation, moving services, and temporary housing. Make sure that estimated costs are comparable to the offered relocation package.
- Consider additional expenses. Think about additional costs that you may encounter. For example, if you have kids, they might need to go to school with high international students. Or, a new location might be associated with a higher cost of living, so you would need additional benefits to give you more room to breathe.
- Negotiate accordingly. Once you know what to ask for, you can revise the offer and negotiate accordingly. If you aren’t sure how to negotiate, job offer negotiation services from Levels.fyi present a great option to make sure you get everything you need from your Microsoft relocation package.
Negotiate the Best Relocation Package with Levels.fyi
While landing your dream job at Microsoft was certainly not easy, the challenges don’t end there. Luckily, Microsoft relocation packages are intended to make the moving process smoother and eliminate much of the stress.
When reviewing your relocation package, remember that it is not one-size-fits-all and, most importantly, it is negotiable. Use salary negotiation services from Levels.fyi to ensure that you receive the best employee relocation benefits possible and have everything ready on time to start your new job.