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Tips for Employees During a Business Move

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Is your employer is planning an office move? Business moves are complicated and require a lot of planning, preparation, and the staff's combined efforts and teamwork. As an employee, it's likely you will have roles and responsibilities during the relocation, even if your employer hires office movers.

Get information from your boss

As soon as you are informed your office is moving, your boss should supply you with information about the relocation and your responsibilities. If you have any questions about the move's specifics, be sure to ask your employer before moving day arrives.

Some things to know include:

  • What am I responsible for packing? Am I only required to pack my desk? Will I have to sort through and pack files? Help move office furniture?
  • Is my employer hiring office movers?
  • Will I have to work remotely during the moving process?
  • Will I receive overtime for any extra hours put in moving the office?
  • If the move is long distance, will I receive relocation compensation to move with the company?

When packing anything in the office, if in doubt--don't throw it out. Always ask your boss before tossing away items.

Packing the filing cabinet

If your duties include packing the filing cabinet, make sure to get instruction from your employer or supervisor about preferred organizational strategies. Don't throw any files away if you are unsure of their importance and find out what to do about documents containing confidential information.

  • Sort through your documents and create three categories: take, shred, and recycle. Outdated and unnecessary paperwork (as designated by your employer) can be discarded—but if it contains any confidential information, it should be shredded rather than recycled.
  • Sort through the remaining files and organize them using whatever system you plan to continue in your new location. Pack files in a file box, small enough to keep your documents organized and stationary during transit.
  • Mark each box with a brief description of contents (for example, invoices) and the desk or department it will be kept in your new office. You should also indicate if the box contains confidential documents,

Packing your desk

You will most likely be responsible for packing your own desk, even if your employer hires office movers.

  • Make sure you are aware of the time schedule for packing your desk, and the deadline for emptying its contents completely. Your boss will likely want your desk items packed up and removed from the office prior to moving day.
  • Empty your desk drawers and eliminate old office supplies, such as dried up pens, crumpled paper and mostly-filled notepads. Pack files neatly in a box and label the contents clearly. Pack usable office supplies separately from paperwork and files.
  • Pack personal items displayed on your desk in the earliest stage of your move. Coffee cups and picture frames should be wrapped with protective packing paper or bubble wrap to ensure they don’t break during the move. It's a good idea to take the box containing your personal and decorative items home before the move and bring them to your new office yourself. Your personal belongings may not be covered under insurance if moved by the office movers.

Preparing and packing your computer

While your employer will likely hire professionals to transport your computers and set them up in your new office, you may have to take steps to prepare yours for the move.

  • Be sure to back up all of your important data to a hard drive or cloud service prior to moving day. This will also make it a cinch to get some work done from your laptop while your office is in transition.
  • Remember to remove all disks from your computer and pack them separately.
  • Turn off the computer and disconnect all cords.
  • Loosely bundle the cords and label them accordingly to remain organized during your office's transition. Wrap a piece of tape around the wire, and label it with the computer part to which it connects (monitor, printer, etc).
  • The best material for packing computers and other electronics is the original packaging. If you no longer have your original boxes, your office movers should have sturdy cartons to pack your equipment.
  • If you are packing your own computer, make sure to wrap each piece in protective packaging, such as packing paper, bubble wrap or foam padding. Use crumpled packing paper to fill any negative space in the carton to keep the computer stationary during transit.

Nicole La Capria  Posted by Nicole La Capria on June 24, 2014

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