How to Write a Hardship Paper for a Job Transfer
DISCLAIMER — “Federal employees can request hardship transfers to move for personal problems such as caring for sick parents, being closer to children after a divorce, gaining access to medical facilities for specific treatments for the employee or the employee’s family. These transfers can only happen under the condition that there is an open position or anticipated vacancy in the desired location. Further, agencies are not obligated to offer hardship transfers. There is no government-wide hardship preference; it is up to management. Check with your agency to see if it has a hardship transfer policy.”
Often, companies or government agencies will allow employees to request a job transfer based upon hardships they are experiencing in their current location. Hardships may include, but are certainly not limited to, a spouse moving to another location because of a job transfer, a divorce that takes children to another city or state, being unable to access needed medical facilities for your or your immediate family member’s chronic illness, or needing to care for sick parent. Whatever your reasons for requesting a job transfer based on hardship, preparing the appropriate paperwork is crucial to having your transfer approved.
Write your hardship paper in cover letter format. Place your name and contact information on the upper portion of the page and address it to the hiring manager at the location where you wish to transfer.
State your intent to apply for the open position, being sure to mention the position title in the letter. Then, describe your current role with the company and your professional qualifications just as you would in a job cover letter in a normal situation. Keep this brief, no longer than two paragraphs.
Write your reasons for requesting the transfer and describe the hardship in a concise, professional manner. For instance, you might write, “My husband has obtained a permanent position in Anywhere, California, taking with him our three young sons. I am requesting this hardship transfer to protect the best interests of my family, as they need a wife and mother present at this critical time in their lives.” Or you could write, “My elderly father has been diagnosed with dementia and my mother is no longer able to care for him alone. Being the only son, I feel it is best to move closer to my parents to assist in my father’s care and oversee my mother’s well-being.”
Close the letter with confidence and tell the reader when and how best to contact you. As an example: “I feel confident that my qualifications make me well suited to this position, and the alleviation of my current hardship will allow me to focus more on the substantial contribution I can make to the company in (transfer location). If you have any questions or would like to discuss this further, please call me at the number listed anytime.”