Relocation Assistance

Eligibility for Program

• Employees must be hired into a benefits eligible position for a period expected to exceed one year.
• The hiring department must have determined that the new employee is the most qualified applicant available to fill the position.
• The recruit must reside, at the time of hire, more than 50 miles from the Georgia Tech office to which the employee will report and the employee's commuting distance from the old residence to the new job must have increased by at least 50 miles one-way.
• Any employee who accepts relocation support pursuant to this policy must execute an Employment Relocation Repayment Agreement with GT before such expenses are incurred. The repayment process will follow the established procedure detailed in Salary Overpayment Repayment Process. 

Relocation Initiation & Funding Options
Provided that funds are available and that prior approval has been granted, relocation and moving support funds may be offered to the recruit. The following approvals for lump-sum payments are always required prior to an offer of employment being extended:

• the manager requesting the relocation,
• their manager;
• the unit Financial Officer;
• the appropriate Executive Vice President, Vice Provost, Associate Vice President, or Dean.

Offer letters may not be modified after approval from GTHR Talent Acquisition for staff employees or Faculty Affairs for faculty employees (including researchers) without approval from all original approvers.

The department’s HR Rep/Contact or Human Resources Business Partner (HRBP) will be responsible for obtaining the approvals.

Funds that may be used to assist in the relocation of a new employee are:

• Departmental General Operation/State Funds may be used to fund relocation for non-tenure-track faculty and staff or to supplement funds provided by the Institute for tenured/tenure-track faculty and research faculty.
• Departmental Georgia Tech Foundation Funds may be used to fund relocation for non-tenured/tenure-track faculty and staff or to supplement funds provided by the Institute for tenure-track faculty and research faculty.
• Sponsored Project Accounts may, in rare cases, allow for the payment of relocation expenses for specific personnel with prior written approval of the Director of Office of Sponsored Programs.
• Georgia Tech Research Corporation (GTRC), through the Office of Faculty Affairs or Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI), may support the relocation costs of new full-time research faculty. Please see Guidelines for Faculty Relocation for additional Guidance.
• The Office of the Provost, through the Office of Faculty Affairs, will support the relocation costs of new tenured or tenure-track faculty members. Departments may elect to supplement these payments, if the additional contribution is included in the original offer letter. Please see Guidelines for Faculty Relocation for additional guidance.
• Georgia Tech Athletic Association will support the relocation cost of Athletic Association coaches and staff. 

Departmental Sales and Services (DSS) Funds cannot be used for relocation purposes.

Moving of Laboratories
When possession of laboratory equipment and supplies is transferred to GTRC or GT, the department chair or dean must obtain the approval of the Provost, EVPR, and/or VP Research in order to accept the equipment. GTRC will initiate and facilitate the move of laboratory equipment. Departments should contact GTRC as soon as possible to coordinate the lab move to coincide with the new employee move. Payments will be processed directly through GTRC. Because the employee does not own the equipment, payment for these moves is not taxable income to the employee.

Repayment Provisions
Any employee who accepts relocation support pursuant to this policy must execute an Employment Relocation Repayment Agreement with GT before such expenses are incurred. The agreement will specify that the employee must remain employed on a regular full-time basis for at least one calendar year for 12-month employees or at least one academic year for 9-month employees. If the employee discontinues employment before the specified time period, the employee will reimburse GT. Reimbursement to the Institute will be pro-rated according to the number of months the employee has worked for GT and repayment may be waived if employment is terminated for reasons beyond the employee’s control. The repayment provision must be included in the offer letter.

Process: The repayment process will follow the established procedure detailed in Salary Overpayment Repayment Process. 

General Payment Procedures
Departments should submit a Request for Relocation Lump-Sum Payment form, along with a copy of the offer letter and the signed Relocation Repayment Agreement Form at least ten business days before payroll runs for the first month of employment. Payments will be included in the employee’s first paycheck.

Any exception requests to this policy must be approved by the President or appropriate executive vice president.

Disclaimer
Georgia Tech has the sole right to revise, amend, or discontinue this policy at any time.