Chris

The social cost of a long-distance job-move can be far higher than the basic financial cost of hiring a removal van and arranging house sale/purchase, though the emotional costs even of those things should not be under-stated.

I have taken the long-distance relocation option once before following a buy-out so I am well aware of the long-lasting implications, especially for those with families. I find the statement "they can move if they choose to" to be lacking in any understanding or empathy for the implications of it and I find the attachment of a smiley to that statement to be both highly patronising and, given the evident lack of understanding, misplaced in the extreme.