Job relocation: Stress and the role of the family

Job relocation is an accepted feature of the career structure for an ever increasing number of employees. Moving from one work environment to another, coupled with relocating the family, can induce stress and so influence performance at work. This paper reviews the available evidence concerning possible roles the family may play in the relocation process. It is argued that a systemic approach is ideally suited to unravelling the complex relationship between work and home environments that underlies the process of individual and family adaptation to relocation. This relationship must be understood in order to provide constructive advice to employers concerning effective relocation policies.