Lump Sum Policy Best Practices: Pros & Cons of a Core/Flex Program
When discussing lump sum policy, the core/flex policy is an attempt to provide greater flexibility and a better employee relocation experience for the employee while allowing the employer to meet global mobility objectives and contain costs. A perennial complaint of transferring employees is that relocation policies include benefits the employee neither wants nor needs, but do not include alternative benefits that better meet the employees’ needs.
These benefits go unused, which saves the employer money but can leave the employees feeling like their needs have gone unmet. Occasionally, relocating employees ask to trade undesired benefits for ones that are more relevant (e.g. an extension of temporary housing instead of spouse counseling). Most employers view these request as exceptions to policy and deny them.
With a core/flex program, companies often choose to retain a tiered methodology, with tiers typically differentiated by job grade or homeowner/renter status. There is also a trend to have a dedicated “executive” tier for higher-level employees. Within each policy tier, there are specifically defined (core) benefits. Companies determine which core benefits to include by analyzing historical benefits usage data. The core benefits do not have a monetary cap or limit, but employees must use them exactly as defined in the policy. Read More
A traditional fixed lump sum policy approach provides the 
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Too often, a company identifies an ideal candidate for a role that will require employee relocation and then communicates only with the candidate about the potential relocation. Ironically, the accompanying spouse/partner and family often endure the brunt of the move. 
Andrew Powers has more than a decade of business development experience as well as extensive relocation operations experience. With his diverse experience and commitment to clients and prospective clients, he is a skilled problem-solver who develops cost-effective mobility solutions. He will represent TRC in the metro New York City region.
As Manager, Client Relations, Stacy Barnette will be responsible for the day-to-day management of TRC’s Account Management team. Stacy has nearly 15 years of employee mobility experience, serving most recently as Senior Client Service Manager for a relocation management company. In addition to her client service experience, Stacy has extensive experience in client finance and reporting, gained at several major relocation management companies. Stacy is available at 
With the hard work of defining your company’s needs and vetting prospective relocation management companies complete, the final step of the selection process is negotiating the contract with your chosen