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Employee Communication Plan for an Office Move

What to announce, roughly when, and through which channel — a sequence that heads off confusion before it costs productivity.

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Short answer: Announce the move 6-8 weeks out, send a logistics update 2-3 weeks out, and a final reminder move week — covering commute, parking, desk assignment, and IT access proactively rather than waiting for questions to trickle in.
Why this is worth planning, not improvising

Confusion costs productivity before the move starts

When employees get caught off guard by an office move, the productivity loss starts before the physical relocation even begins. People end up speculating, checking with coworkers, and stressing over commutes or desk changes rather than focusing on their jobs. Sending a short, clear communication plan early is a low-cost way to stop that, and it doesn't need to be elaborate to work.

Communication timeline
6–8 weeks out
Initial announcement
2–3 weeks out
Logistics update
Move week
Final reminder
Best channel
Live meeting + written recap
A printed checklist on a clipboard beside a cup of coffee
Answering questions before they're asked
What to announce, and roughly when

A three-stage sequence

A first announcement six to eight weeks out should cover the fact of the move, the new location, and the reason. That reason might be growth, lease end, or cost — naming it sets expectations early. Two to three weeks out, send a logistics update. Cover the actual move date, what employees need to do to prepare their own desks and files, and any changes to commute, parking, or building access. A final reminder the week of the move, with the exact schedule and what to expect on day one at the new space, closes the loop.

Questions employees will actually ask

Answer these before they're asked

The same questions recur in most office moves: commute and parking changes, whether desk assignments are changing, what happens to personal items left at a desk, whether there's a dress-down or work-from-home day during the physical move, and who to contact with questions. Addressing them in the announcement heads off the trickle of individual questions that otherwise fills an already busy week.

Choosing the right channel Email works for anything that needs to be referenced later — dates, logistics, FAQs. A team meeting or all-hands works better for the initial announcement, since it allows questions in real time and signals leadership is taking the change seriously. Using both — a live announcement followed by a written recap — covers people who miss one or the other.
A template to adapt

Start from a ready-made FAQ

Our office move announcement employee FAQ template is a ready-to-adapt starting point for the logistics-heavy update, covering the specific questions above in FAQ format.

Resistance, remote staff, and who sends it

Handling the parts a template can't script

Employees bring concrete worries: a longer commute, a routine that gets upended, or just resistance to change. Treat those concerns as legitimate. That usually lowers friction faster than repeating the business rationale for the move. Set up a brief, separate window for individual questions outside the group announcement. That way anyone facing a particular hardship has a way to speak up without derailing the broader meeting.

Remote and hybrid employees still need the core facts, but the emphasis changes. Commute and parking details matter less. Confirmation that remote-work policy continues and how mail or deliveries will be handled matter more. Send a version suited to each role instead of one generic announcement.

Who should send it, and handling commute hardship A company-wide move typically lands better when the initial announcement comes from executive leadership, signaling the decision was deliberate at the top — HR and facilities can then handle the logistics follow-up. For employees facing a genuinely difficult commute change, decide on a specific process (a conversation with HR, a temporary remote accommodation) before the announcement goes out, rather than improvising case by case afterward.
A corkboard with pinned index cards connected by string
Sequencing what gets announced, and when

Frequently asked questions

When should the first move announcement go out?
Six to eight weeks before the move, covering the fact of the move, the new location, and the reason (growth, lease end, cost).
What should the logistics update cover?
Sent 2-3 weeks out: the actual move date, what employees need to do to prepare their own desks and files, and any changes to commute, parking, or building access.
What questions do employees usually ask?
Commute and parking changes, whether desk assignments are changing, what happens to personal items, whether there's a work-from-home day during the move, and who to contact with questions.
Email or a meeting — which is better for the announcement?
Both, ideally: a team meeting or all-hands for the initial announcement (allows real-time questions), followed by a written recap via email for anything people need to reference later.
How should I handle employee resistance to the move?
Treat specific concerns (commute, disrupted routine) as legitimate rather than dismissing them — this reduces friction more than repeating the business rationale. A separate window for individual questions helps surface hardship cases without derailing the group meeting.
Should remote employees get a different announcement?
The core facts stay the same, but the emphasis shifts — commute/parking matter less, while continued remote-work policy and delivery/mail handling matter more. A role-appropriate version avoids remote employees sitting through irrelevant logistics.
Who should send the announcement — CEO or HR?
A company-wide move typically lands better from executive leadership initially, signaling a deliberate top-level decision, with HR and facilities handling logistics follow-up. A single-department move can reasonably come from that department's manager.
How should genuine commute hardship be handled?
With a specific process decided before the announcement goes out — a conversation with HR, a temporary remote accommodation, or a transition period — rather than a generic 'let us know' line and case-by-case improvisation.

Sources

Published 2026-09-06. Reviewed against sources current as of that date — see how we rate.