Leader’s Corner - Rising to Challenges in the Mobility Landscape As organizations continue to globalize and look for countries in which to expand, they are experiencing unique challenges regarding how to best manage different constituencies (for example, an increasingly multigenerational and multicultural workforce), as well as providing best in class service to both internal and external customers. Another issue of increasing relevance is managing business travelers, both to ensure compliance and maintain safety

controls. With many countries and economies struggling, there has been an increase in compliance related issues for companies when travelers trigger tax events, due to time and frequency in certain countries. With an increase in the frequency of natural disasters and criminal activity, there is also greater focus on safety for those same travelers. “Stealth expats” have been talked about for years in the mobility space, but these triggers have increased companies’ willingness to address these issues more aggressively and thoughtfully.

Another area of challenge includes a workforce that is paid in many different currencies, the tax issues that arise from that reality, and how to handle employees in places like Malaysia or China where it can be difficult to pay in local currency.

Technology and innovation continue to be important as well, with continued, increased focus on the customer experience and cost savings. These emerging challenges in the industry center around true workforce mobility, and involve getting the global mobility team “a seat at the table” when expansion and growth/development strategies are being discussed by senior leadership. That way, better management of a multigenerational and multicultural workforce, better tracking of employees for compliance with travel and tax, and meaningful innovative technical solutions can be implemented. Our goal is to partner with our service providers and clients for innovative solutions, and to go to market together when we see a need. We continually discuss our strategic focus with our clients, and find ways that they may help to drive it or contribute to it.

Relo in the Know Xerox Relocation & Assignment Services

Third Quarter Newsletter, 2014

Kelly A. West Vice President, Chief Operating

Officer

Nine out of 10 organizations report having a talent management function at their organization. This finding is not surprising in light of recent trends in managing an employee’s organizational journey from hiring and development, to engagement and retention. Interestingly, the connection between talent management and talent mobility appears to be falling short.

Only 4 percent of companies believe that companies are doing an excellent job linking talent mobility with their talent management strategy. Three out of 10 believe their firm is doing a good job, which two-thirds think their organization is doing a fair (50 percent) or poor (16 percent) job.

Nearly half of respondents indicate hat Mobility reports into Human resources at their company. Just over on-fifth (22 percent) state that Mobility reports to Compensation and approximately the same number (18 percent) indicate its Talent Management. Five percent state Mobility reports to Finance, and 1 percent indicate Transportation.

In This Issue

Leader’s Corner

Article: Prime Minister Modi talks visas during his visits to the US

AIRINC Mobility Benchmarking

RAS Employees Around the World

RASipe of the Month

Article: Ebola virus triggers travel and immigration restrictions

Article: What’s Happening Now in Pet Transport

Article: Workers in Europe enjoy much more paid time off

PIO cardholders will get lifelong Indian visa, Prime Minister Modi announces at Madison Square Garden

NEW YORK, Sunday, September 28, 2014

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday told a rapturous crowd of Non-Resident Indians that Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) cardholders will get lifetime Indian visa and that American tourists will be given visa on arrival. Modi, who arrived at the packed Madison Square Garden to a rousing welcome, announced the merger of PIO and Overseas Citizens of India plans to facilitate hassle-free travel to the Indian diaspora.

Read more

Click here for a free copy of AIRINC’S Mobility Outlook Survey

What factors in your industry are influencing your mobility program?

What functions do assignees fill in your organization?

Back Row - Left to Right: Jitender Kumar, Deepak Verma, Arun Kumar, Deepak Kashyap, Mohit Jain, Shelendra Sharma , and Devendra Negi Front Row – Left to Right : Shruti Seth, Alison Bandy (Dallas, TX), LaQuita Morrison (Dallas,TX), Seema Chopra, and Vikram Yadav.

Jane Carvalho, International Consultant located in Brazil, accompanied Kelly West, our Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, to the Worldwide ERC Global Workforce Summit in São Paulo, Brazil. Jane is pictured with her testimonial in recognition and appreciation of outstanding and devoted ser-vice to developing and delivering the very first Worldwide ERC Summit in Latin America.

RASipe of the Month

This month’s RASipe is brought to you by Jay Ingebretsen, Move Management Coordinator in Denver, Colorado, USA

Dallas, Texas, USA Compensation and Benefits Finance Team members traveled to India to meet and train with their colleagues in person

Ebola virus triggers travel and immigration restrictions

Sept. 9, 2014

The outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus in

West Africa has prompted numerous nation-

al responses affecting travel and immigration

rules and procedures around the world. The

disease has infected an estimated 3,685

people and claimed 1,841 lives as of Aug.

31, according to the most recent World

Health Organization figures.

The U.S. Department of State has

issued an alert notifying U.S. citizens of

travel restrictions, reduced aviation

transportation and screening that will remain

in effect until Feb. 27, 2015. The Centers for

Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention has

issued Level Three travel warnings for

Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, advising

against any nonessential travel. The CDC

has also issued a Level Two warning for

Nigeria, notifying travelers of the outbreak of

Ebola in that country. The World Health

Organization and CDC have also published

and distributed interim guidance to public

health authorities, airlines and partners in

West Africa on evaluation of risk from people

coming from countries that have been

affected by the virus. Measures can include

screening, medical evaluations and

movement restrictions for up to 21 days (the

incubation period of the virus). People who

display symptoms may be prevented from

boarding airplanes. The State Department is

advising that anyone who does travel to the

affected countries should purchase medical

insurance that covers medical evacuation for

the Ebola disease since the cost of a

medical evacuation is very expensive.

Policyholders should confirm that medical

care and evacuation services are available

at their travel destination prior to travel.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration

Services has also enacted an interim policy

affecting nationals from Guinea, Liberia and

Sierra Leone in the U.S. to extend their

stays so they won't have to return to

dangerous areas.

Saudi Arabia and Qatar have

suspended visas for nationals from Guinea,

Liberia and Sierra Leone. Saudi Arabia has

also temporarily banned work permits to

citizens of the three countries.

The ban does not include Nigeria, where

there have been 21 cases and seven

deaths.

Air travel to and from Ebola-affected

countries has been curtailed or temporarily

suspended by some international, regional

and local air carriers. British Airways has

suspended all flights to Liberia and Sierra

Leone for the rest of the year, Air France

has suspended all flights to and from Sierra

Leone, and Emirates Airlines has suspended

flights to Guinea.

Many countries are now conducting

vigorous screening of all visitors who arrive

from Ebola-stricken areas. All African

countries have implemented measures

aimed at screening and preventing spread of

the disease. Procedures vary from country

to country and may include travel

restrictions, medical clearance and health

screenings at borders. Last month, India

began checking travelers for high

temperatures indicating fever and has

recently installed thermal scanners at all

international airports, where all visitors are

now required to be scanned.

What’s Happening Now in Pet Transport

Continuing Flight Embargoes

Airlines continue to impose heat embargoes

on snub-nosed pets due to their potential for

respiratory distress in high heat conditions.

More Complex Pet Moves

There is an increasing number of highly

complex moves involving destinations that

require considerable long-range planning

and a complicated documentation process.

Pre-planning for many locations, due to

document and health requirements, as well

as issues of quarantine, can extend to six

months in advance. However, moves within

the continental United States usually take

weeks to plan, instead of months, depending

on the pet's needs and routing available.

Workers in Europe enjoy much more paid time off, as mandated by

law, than employees in any other part of the

world, according to Mercer’s latest

Worldwide Benefit and Employment

Guidelines. The report provides an overview

of employee regulation and employment

practices across 64 countries worldwide. It

helps multinational organizations define their

benefit policies across the countries in which

they operate. Statutory holiday entitlement is

the amount of vacation time off that, by law,

employers must provide to their employees.

The UK leads the way with 28 days each

year (although certain public holidays can

count toward this total), followed by Poland

with 26. Some countries, such as Austria,

also mandate one or more vacation bonus

payments. Read on...

Figure 1; Sample Countries With the Most Paid Vacation Days

Figure 2: Sample markets With the Fewest Paid Vacation Days