F lexibility is top of mind for many mobility professionals today. The changing demands of employees, somewhat fostered by the millen- nial generation, has resulted in corporate policy changes in many areas, such as flexible work arrangements and health savings accounts. Access to infor- mation and improving technology has allowed companies to meet this growing demand, resulting in more freedom of choice across their entire corporate policy landscape. Domestic mobility policies and programs have become a natural fit for increased flex- ibility, considering the somewhat variable nature of a standard policy or program. Mobility has never been a “cut and dried” process as there are far too many differing requirements for each transferee and their family. There have always been, and continue to be, exceptions to policy, which has been the traditional way to offer increased flexibility. Over the past decade, however, the mobility industry has gone one step further and designed a myriad of flexible options that organizations can adopt to meet these growing demands. In late 2017, TheMIGroup conducted a survey which indicated that flexibility continues to be a top trend, noting that the most important overall goal for mobility professionals was supporting the company’s business objectives while remaining flexible to changing business requirements. The survey also indicated that 39 per cent of the respondents had a core/flex program, 45 per cent had some form of lump sum, while only three per cent had a cafeteria- style program. Going forward, a full 33 per cent were considering implementing a core/ flex policy, 25 per cent a lump sum and 17 per cent a cafeteria-style program. With the recent changes to U.S. tax laws, we could see a substantial increase in the full lump sum approach in that country. There are a number of approaches an organization can take, and many companies already have separate policies to address individual types of relocation, such as permanent, rotational and short-term or long-term assignments. Apart from these, there are other options that can provide your company with the flexibility transferees are looking for as well as creating cost efficien- cies. Here we review the options. RELOCATION POLICY How to put flexibility in your relocation policy without increasing cost A FLEXIBLE APPROACH By Gail Reinhart 20 PERSPECTIVES Summer 2019