'We just wanted them to honor the contract': Couple moving for work discover they won't be fully repaid, HR director steps in to enforce policy

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  • 01
    Font - Company policy outranks a written contract? Okay, we'll stick to policy then. M Early last year my wife got a promotion which required moving across the state. Her company offered a very generous moving package which was formally written up in a contract which we had to sign and agree to before the promotion was official.
  • 02
    Font - One of the big draws was that the contract said it would pay for all closing costs and related fees for not only the sale of our previous house, but the purchase of our new house in our new city. I was a little dubious and had my wife clarify as there are "associated fees" due at closing which aren't really sale-fees, such as your pre- paid homeowner's insurance for the year, taxes, and HOA fees, but the contract said "all fees" and the HR specialist reiterated this so we were happy.
  • 03
    Font - Cut to a few months later. We've moved, rented short term, found a new home, closed, and moved into it. The final reimbursement check comes and it's about $1,000 short for all of our pre-paids. I wasn't shocked, but I double-checked the contract and yep - clear as day, "all fees" was included.
  • 04
    Font - So my wife reached out to the HR moving supervisor to check on this and she was pretty curtly told that we had been misled and that company policy was only to pay closing costs themselves and "all fees" just meant closing cost fees. That's always been company policy, we were told, and the contract wasn't literal on "all fees."
  • 05
    Font - This went back and forth for a day, my wife politely escalated it and we did get a sympathetic HR director but policy was policy so her hands were tied.
  • 06
    Font - Here's the malicious compliance, though. While company policy said we couldn't get the pre-paid fees reimbursed, she (the HR director) asked for ALL of our moving and rental receipts, as company policy DOES state that those would be paid.
  • 07
    Font - The HR director pored over our receipts and all for another day and reached back out with a formal letter which said "Sorry, company policy doesn't allow pre- paid reimbursement, so you won't get your $1,000. But I did find that you weren't adequately reimbursed for your move and short term rental per company policy and we have submitted a claim for you for that amount.' Another day later and we got a check for $5,800.
  • 08
    Font - We just wanted them to honor the contract, but following company policy to the letter got us another $4,800 we didn't realize we were owed so I'd say it worked out in the end.
  • 09
    Font - EDIT: To answer a common question about being owed the $1,000 per the contract...what we were told is that the contract we signed was supposed to have a company-policy addendum which had the definitions, and "all other fees" is defined in that as "excluding pre-paids, insurance, etc." So someone did goof by a) not sending us that and b) telling us that stuff was included. So while we could have hassled for that $1,000, it wouldn't be worth the time, fees, or money, especially when the com
  • 10
    Font - from experience that small claims court isn't always the way to go - tl;dr: property manager from the rental during this move fed us out of $1,800, ignored our lawyers, I had to f them by calling them out on a website since court wasn't worth it.)
  • 11
    Font - Bubba423 Way to go HR director! That's the kind of thing I love to see (read about).
  • 12
    Font - StolidSentinel Not all people are against you on things like this. They more often than not know exactly what they are doing. That extra money may mean nothing to some companies. I can't give things to employees in other departments, but I can dispose of things that are not deemed critical to the job in trash bins near them for example. Sounds like she's on your side but can't say that.
  • 13
    Font - nascentia OP That was the sense I got too. The person below her was being kind of stuffy but she rocked. I'm 100% positive she used MC to the fullest to get us the extra money.
  • 14
    Font - grauenwolf +3. Employee is happy and the company wasn't sued for breach of contract. This is exactly what HR is supposed to do, solve problems.
  • 15
    Font - scarletice I would also add that a good HR should also follow this incident up by getting that clause rewritten to accurately portray what the company is willing to pay. They really are opening themselves up to a lawsuit.
  • 16
    Font - redfoobar I think companies are often stupid in these kind of things. 1k is not a lot compared to the total yearly costs of employing someone. If you are happy with some skilled employee (obviously since she got a promotion) I would not risk an unhappy employee over a 1k one off cost. HR director understands this and made a good call here within the rules she was allowed to play.
  • 17
    Font - These kind of one off costs will pay back when you have happy employees that will go the extra mile. Also next salary negotiation might go easier when employees do not think they are getting screwed over other things. themselves
  • 18
    Font - + [deleted] Not sure $1k would have been worth the lawyer fees and the obvious burning of bridges with her employer, but policy does not override legit contract.
  • 19
    Font - Fireryman Guys a company paid for an entire move. I don't think 1000 dollars is the hill to die on especially when they got 4.8k after it. Some times we gotta remember that people can be 13 and post on here. Ye 1000 is rent for my small sty house. These guys probably raking it in
  • 20
    Font - nascentia OP The rental situation...it was perfect and it was h Perfect in that we were SUPER lucky to find a nice house in a nice neighborhood that would take four pets (3 cats / 1 dog) on super short notice for a 3-month rental.
  • 21
    Font - Property manager was wonderful while we lived there. Hell in that it was a big pain in the a to not get back our $1,800 security deposit after and to have to get lawyers involved and spend all of the money on that. But we are getting paid back now so it's working out! And thank you.

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