The organization, a long-term BGRS client, sought alternatives to U.S. domestic employee relocations for certain specialist roles in locations where dual-careers and children’s educational needs could not be easily accommodated.

In developing a commuter program, their objectives included:

• Enhancing the employee experience by offering choice while securing assignment acceptance
• Defining mobility type and consistent and equitable eligibility criteria
• Developing a formal benefits structure and governance around program administration
• Establishing program performance reporting to measure program uptake, cost, and employee satisfaction
• Ensuring the program can be administered as part of their broader outsourced mobility management solution

BGRS’s Mobility Experience Solutions group conducted a comprehensive business requirement gathering across key client stakeholders, including the mobility program manager, head of compensation and benefits, and head of tax and compliance. A tailored advisory services solution was designed to:

• Define domestic commuters as a formal mobility option with clear distinctions from remote work and extended business travel
• Develop a commuter benefits structure including eligibility criteria, duration of benefits, and package tiers
  • Due to the rarity of U.S. domestic commuter policies and limited availability of market data, BGRS supplemented the benchmark data with tailored benefits identified through client consultations to develop the policy and governance framework
• Create cost estimates by location and benefit type then further align into a 3-tier program based on assignment length and seniority
• Deliver a stakeholder framework outlining roles and responsibilities between the hiring manager, mobility team, Human Resources, mobility management service partners, and the commuting employee
• Implement a reporting framework to track commuter volume, renewal dates, benefits usage, and overall program cost.