TAP No. 53: Relocation Expense Reimbursement


Scope

This policy applies to all full-time faculty and full-time staff employees.

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to define positions for which relocation expenses may be reimbursed for new hires to the University, identify amounts and types of reimbursable expenses, and provide procedures required for payment and administration of such expenses.

I. Eligible Positions

Employees relocating from outside the Pittsburgh Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area to accept the following positions may be eligible for reimbursement of relocation expenses:

  1. Vice Presidents, Deans and Athletic Director
  2. Full-time Faculty, Associate/Assistant Vice Presidents and other positions specifically approved by the appropriate Vice President

II. Expenses Eligible for Reimbursement

Expenses eligible for reimbursement are strictly limited to those that are considered to be a reimbursable moving expense by the University:

  1. Reimbursable expenses include: the cost of packing and transporting household goods and personal effects, storage expenses, and travel for members of a household (not including meals).
  2. Non-reimbursable expenses include, among others: those associated with the selling or purchasing of a house, home improvements to help sell a house, loss on the sale of your home, mortgage penalties, pre-move house hunting expenses, real estate taxes, updates to car tags and driver's licenses, return trips to your former residence, and fees associated with security deposits or breaking of a lease.

III. Reimbursement Limits

  1. Employees hired into Vice President, Dean and Athletic Director positions may be reimbursed up to a maximum of $20,000.
  2. Employees hired into Full-time Faculty, Associate/Assistant Vice President and other specifically approved positions may be reimbursed up to a maximum amount of $10,000 with approval of the appropriate supervisor (Vice President, Dean or Senior Department Head).
  3. Funding for relocation expenses must be provided from departmental budgets.
  4. Exceptions may be granted only with the written approval of the Chief Financial Officer.

IV. Requirements

  1. Reimbursable relocation expenses will be reimbursed only under the following conditions:
    1. Agreements to reimburse relocation expenses must be approved in advance by the appropriate supervisor (President, Vice President, Dean or Senior Department Head).
    2. An agreement to reimburse relocation expenses must be documented in a signed offer letter.
    3. Reimbursable expenses must be incurred within twelve months of the start date in the position; an extension of up to an additional twelve months may be granted with written approval of the appropriate Vice President.
    4. Effective January 2018, per the Internal Revenue Code, all reimbursable moving expenses are subject to tax withholding.  Reimbursement will be paid via direct deposit within a reasonable period of time following submission of required documentation.  Taxation of reimbursable moving expenses will occur after reimbursement.
  2. The University will directly bill approved vendors; arrangements for this are to be made through the Procurement and Payment Services Office.
  3. To be reimbursed for transportation and/or storage expenses that are not directly billed, at least three competitive bids must be received and documented, and the lowest bid accepted; the Procurement and Payment Services Office is available to assist with this process.

V. Related Information

TAP No. 4: Recruitment

VI. Violations

Violations of this policy will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and are subject to formal disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment.

VII. History

This policy was last updated on August 21, 2024.

VIII. Ownership of Policy

Office of the Controller, Procurement and Payment Services