When to address possible move...

[LittleFredPunkinHead]

DH and I found out that he may be getting transferred to another city late summer/early fall. My company has an office in that city, and my sense is that it would probably be a positive move for me/my work group if I transferred there. (I'm working in a small satellite office right now. The office in the city we'd be moving to is a large one that will put me in direct contact with a business function of our company that I am heavily involved with, but pretty much only get to interact with via phone and e-mail right now).

I'm not sure when to address this with my boss though... Do I bring it up now- the fact that it's a possibility- or should I wait until it's a sure thing? Any thoughts? And please feel free to ask any questions- I'm probably not being very clear- my head's a bit muddled at the moment!

[ManteoChik]

I think I'd wait until you know its a sure thing. Is it possible for you to find out if there is an opening for you to transfer to the new office without having to tell your boss yet? I say this, because it would really suck for you to tell your boss now, make plans to transfer, they find someone to replace you, and then your DH's job transfer doesn't go through.

[LittleFredPunkinHead]

I'm not really worried about them replacing me... The work I do can be done anywhere (I actually telecommuted for about a year, and worked from a different office also). So if I moved to the other office, I'd be doing the same work so wouldn't need to be replaced.

I guess my main concern is, if I tell him ahead of time, is that me being proactive? Or is it me bothering him with details he might not need?

Or from the other perspective, if I don't tell him, would he see it as me being pragmatic and not bothering him with possibly unnecessary details, or is it me being secretive and trying to force his hand at the last moment?

Or, is this just me overthinking the whole thing? ;)

[ManteoChik]

Personally, I'd wait until I knew for sure if DH got the job and you'd really be moving. However, if you feel like you need to keep your boss in the loop you could always say something casual like, "I just wanted to let you know that (your DH) has interviewd for a job and there is a possibility that we could be moving in late summer/early fall. It's not set in stone yet but I just wanted to give you a heads up and I'll let you know when I've got more information."

[j*east]

I don't know your field, but I think it would be okay to at least say something, just like you told us. "DH may be transferred to This City in late summer or fall. Is there a possibility that I could transfer to the office there?" You're not just telling your boss info...you need some info from him or her to make your plans also. So I would emphasize that nothing is definite, but assuming you're in good standing at your job, they should be able to tell you if a transfer is possible or not.

I guess too it depends on the timing. Will your DH find out three months in advance of his transfer, or three weeks? If it's the former, you could wait until it's definite. If he's going to be expected to move very quickly, I'd start laying groundwork now. Whatever happens, good luck! :)