Internships shouldn’t be considered a real relocation. True or False? False!
This is a common myth about interns. Although interns aren’t moving permanently, they're still employees who are moving to a new location for work and therefore, should be considered transferees.
It's up to your company whether you provide benefits to assist with that relocation. If you're managing an intern program or are planning to in the future, there are a few common misconceptions around intern relocations you should be aware of. Understanding the nuances of intern relocations will help ensure you’re providing valuable benefits that result in a successful relocation, and ultimately a successful internship experience.
Let’s take a look!
One of the most common misconceptions about intern relocation policies is that you don’t need one at all. This is a common mentality for a few reasons. Some companies feel that interns don’t need relocation resources because they’re not moving permanently. Others may feel it’s just easier and faster to handle each intern relocation in as a one-off scenario. Still others don't give it much thought until the last minute, and then leave interns to figure it out on their own.
The reality is, interns are an ideal population for a relocation policy. For starters, they're eager to get started working and often just as eager to start planning their move. However, it’s likely that this is their first time moving on their own and they need for guidance — where to live, how to get there, even what to pack.
If you don’t provide a structure for them to follow, they may get overwhelmed by the details. A relocation policy that clearly provides the what, when, and who of relocation will help them channel their energy and excitement towards planning and managing their move. Intern policies can be even more direct than full-time policies - detailing what benefits they receive, when they can expect to receive them, and who to reach out to with questions.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, another myth is the assumption that interns can simply leverage already existing policies designed for full-time relocations. While this is easy (you don’t have to create any new documents), it’s not necessarily the best use of resources for you or your interns.
First, you could be overspending on interns if you're providing the same relocation policy a full-time hire gets. The worst part is that you’re not only overspending on intern relocations, but the value your interns get from these policies is marginal.
For example, let’s say your new hire, full-time policy includes $7,000 for shipment of household goods and $1,000 for final travel. While your interns may need to pay for travel, they probably won’t need $7,000 to move their belongings because they typically:
This results in you spending more money than needed to relocate intern and your interns looking for other places to spend the money.
Instead of simply providing the same policy to your full-time hires and interns, consider making an intern policy that’s a scaled down or mini-version of your other policies that takes into considerations the unique needs of an intern relocation. For example, you may still give your interns direct bill benefits, but instead you may choose to cover short-term housing instead of the shipment of household goods. This approach can help you ensure that you’re not overcompensating your interns and are giving them benefits that are valuable to them and their situation.