Jan 11, 2025
Uprooting your life to relocate for a job isn't easy, especially if you have a family. For the perfect role or salary, it may be worth it.
But what if you pack up and board a flight to another state only to learn that there's no job waiting for you? That's what happened to job-seeker Demetrios Hasty, who flew from North Carolina to Reno for a job at Tesla that fell through immediately, affecting his whole family.
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As he shared with Reno’s KOLO-8 ABC, his four children were excited about the prospect of moving to Reno: “I told my kids in the first place when I got offered the job that we were moving here. They were excited and everything. It’s just a big disappointment from me to them.”
Out of pocket and out of luck
Hasty had applied for the job through Tesla and then through a third-party hiring company called Superior Skilled Trades (SST). He was offered the job and flew out to the Reno area on a Sunday to start work at Tesla on Monday.
He had to spend $60 out of pocket to take a certification course before starting, and needed Monday to finish the course. He was then rescheduled to start Tuesday, but Tesla would not allow him to take a rideshare to work.
So Hasty arranged for a bike to get from his motel to arrive at Tesla on time on Tuesday morning. He got up at 3 a.m. to make the trek. When he arrived, he was told he wasn't on the schedule. Tesla informed him that he needed a different mode of transportation. Hasty arranged for a carpool ride, but he was immediately laid off by SST on behalf of Tesla.
Stranded in Reno, Hasty found his way to Catholic Charities of Northern Nevada who offered him gift cards and a place to stay until he could take a flight home, courtesy of SST.
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How to avoid the double cost of moving and being laid off
Hasty paid a steep emotional and financial price to relocate for a job that fell through. To avoid a similar fate, job seekers should vet an employer thoroughly before accepting a job that requires relocation. Read company reviews on Glassdoor. See if you have any LinkedIn connections that can provide insights on the employer.
Depending on your job function and the employer’s work-from-home policies, you may want to negotiate a deal to work remotely for the first couple of months to make sure it's a good fit. That way you can avoid a situation where you move and are miserable but stuck in the new job because you can't afford to move back home.
Above all, don’t quit your current job or move for a new one until you have an official offer and contract. Ideally, that contract should cover your moving costs (called a relocation package) or offer some compensation for your move.
If you are laid off after relocation, read your employment contract carefully to see what recourse you have. Consider contacting an employment lawyer to discuss your rights. You may be entitled to severance, state unemployment benefits and financial assistance returning to your home community.
Even if the company has no legal obligation to help, it doesn't hurt to try negotiating with your employer to recoup your losses. They may do so as a gesture of goodwill or to avoid bad press.
If you've been laid off due to restructuring, consider pivoting into a different role at the same company. If you're willing to be flexible, your employer might be able to find you a new position. You can also try finding temporary work in your new locale while you search for another job.
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Maurie Backman has been writing professionally for well over a decade. Since becoming a full-time writer, she's produced thousands of articles on topics ranging from Social Security to investing to real estate.
