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Back—a Year Early—by Popular Demand! Cartus’ 2012 Global Policy & Practices Survey is Ready for Your Responses!

Posted by Alison Sedney | January 27, 2012
Back—a Year Early—by Popular Demand! Cartus’ 2012 Global Policy & Practices Survey is Ready for Your Responses!

One of the initiatives that supports the ongoing guidance Cartus delivers to our clients is our industry-leading research team, now in operation for more than a decade. Over the past several years, we have covered topics ranging from Emerging Markets and Biggest Relocation Challenges to specialized areas such as China, India, and the Middle East.   

Now we invite you to take part in Cartus’ premier research effort: our Global Policy & Practices survey. This year’s survey, the fifth in our continuing series, covers a number of areas key to global relocation managers: move types and trends, emerging challenges, and best practice approaches. If you are an HR manager who’s responsible for your company’s global mobility program, we encourage you to participate! Simply provide your contact information at the end of the survey, and we’ll gladly share with you a free copy of the results! As always, be assured that your responses will remain completely confidential. The survey will be open through mid-February.

The Global Policy & Practices Survey is produced in partnership with the following leading organizations:

Americas:
National Foreign Trade Council (U.S.)

EMEA:
Re:locate magazine (U.K.)
Mondissimo (France)

APAC:
Singapore Human Resources Institute

Please click here to enter the survey. 

Email this contributor at alison.sedney@cartus.com.

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Cartus’ New Mobile App to Launch Soon!

Posted by Kevin Kelleher | January 24, 2012
Cartus’ New Mobile App to Launch Soon!

Though I can’t say I was one of the first or earliest users of apps, I must say that I’ve quickly become one of their biggest fans. Apps enable us to do everything from locating our cars in crowded parking lots to managing our bank accounts. With all the apps out there now, it’s hard to believe we ever lived without them.

That’s why I could not be more pleased to announce that within a few short weeks, the new Cartus Mobile App will be available for our clients and their transferring employees, consolidating key relocation information and putting it – virtually – at their fingertips.  The app, to be launched first for the iPhone platform, will feed critical information through its News Feed, facilitate communication with contacts, and enable easy tracking of key milestones – and it’s just the beginning of continual enhancements that we’ll be introducing throughout the year.

To get an idea of why we’re so excited, take a look at our new video on the Cartus YouTube Channel and see all the functions our app will have. It’s coming soon to the iTunes store!

Email this contributor at kevin.kelleher@cartus.com.

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Cartus Supply Chain Alert: Brazilian Port Delays May Slow Delivery of Household Goods

Posted by Jim Edwards | January 23, 2012
Cartus Supply Chain Alert: Brazilian Port Delays May Slow Delivery of Household Goods

In addition to hosting the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics, Brazil is playing an increasingly important role in the world economy, and expatriate workers are increasing in significant numbers.  This is contributing to an issue of key importance for organizations moving employees into and out of that country: significant delays and increased costs associated with customs clearance at Brazilian ports for both imported and exported household goods.

Brazilian customs authorities recently published a new regulation that includes special inspection procedures. Because there are large numbers of containers in transit and a shortage of Brazilian customs employees, there have been delays in the release of imported goods for periods ranging up to 180 days.

These slow processing times can create problems such as:

  • Additional—and possibly excessive—port storage and demurrage costs, approximately a 15-25 percent increase in origin or destination charges
  • Damages from invasive customs inspections

 
Cartus is working with its suppliers to ensure that the status of goods in transit to and from Brazil is updated frequently.

Clients are invited to contact their account executive for updates on this issue.

Email this contributor at jim.edwards@cartus.com.

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Help for the Holidays: Cartus Gives Back

Posted by Amy Meichner | January 20, 2012
Help for the Holidays: Cartus Gives Back

As chair of CartusCares, our charitable giving committee, I am constantly amazed by the generosity demonstrated by our employees. The past year was no different … as it is year-round, the spirit of giving at the close of 2011 was alive and well at Cartus, all around the world. In each of our regions, in every office, our employees came together to think, plan, and act on behalf of others: not only children (although they are top of mind during the holidays), but also those perhaps less fortunate financially, less able bodied, or serving their countries far from home. A brief roundup of end-of-year activities, from Europe to Asia to the U.S., is as follows:

In our Swindon, UK office, funds were raised all year for their chosen 2011 charity, the Prospect Hospice. From a parachute jump, a six-mile walk, and an eight-story rappel down a stadium wall to multiple raffles and a jumble sale, they hit the ground running and never looked back. In December, the Supply Chain Management team organized a Christmas raffle to benefit the hospice; gifts received from suppliers, clients, and assignees were donated as raffle prizes, and more than £600 were raised. Early returns indicate an estimated £2,600 raised for the year. (more…)

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Ushering in a Dragonific Year!

Posted by Maggie Qu | January 19, 2012
Ushering in a Dragonific Year!

Chinese New Year, known as “the Spring Festival” here in China, starts on January 23. This year is the Year of the Dragon—a mythical creature in the 12-year cycle of animals in the Chinese zodiac related to the lunar calendar. This 15-day celebration is an important time for family reunions, and often, it is the only time each year that most people return to their ancestral homes to be with their families and friends.

In China, Chinese New Year is a much-anticipated celebration, and many start the celebrations by visiting the popular temples to offer incense, prayers, and donations in the hope of enjoying a better year. Locals also enjoy feasting on various must-have Chinese New Year essentials such as fish, eight treasures rice—a glutinous rice cake with red beans and other treasures like peanuts and dates—dumplings shaped like gold ingots, and niangao, which are sliced, glutinous rice cakes. Each dish is a homonym, or symbol, for phrases about luck, wealth, togetherness, abundance, or success.

Finally, Chinese New Year is not complete without lighting up the sky with fireworks! According to a Chinese legend, a terrible monster by the name of NianShou would appear on New Year to frighten people and animals, but NianShou has an aversion to the color red, bright lights, and loud noises, so to this day, locals keep him away by celebrating with red lanterns and lion dance performances as well as by setting off loud firecrackers and fireworks.
Enjoy the celebrations, and have a wonderful, dragonific year!

Email this contributor at maggie.qu@cartus.com.

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Plan Ahead So the London Olympics Don’t Make a Five-Ring Circus of Your UK Moves

Posted by Jane Bergman | January 11, 2012

The London 2012 Olympic Games will be held July 27-August 12. With travel and logistical disruption inevitable throughout the summer, now is the time for organizations moving employees into and out of London to make plans to accommodate their relocation programs.

In a one-hour Cartus eLearning session, participants listening to Daniel Natoli, director, Client Services EMEA at Cartus, will:

  • Gain a better understanding of the possible disruptions the London Olympics may have on UK relocations.
  • Receive insight on policy adjustments that may help facilitate London-based moves.

 
There will be three sessions of this event to accommodate attendees in multiple time zones.

Session 1 for Europe, Middle East, and Asia (EMEA): Wednesday, January 18 at 2 p.m. UK time/3 p.m. CET.

Session 2 for the Americas: Wednesday, January 18 at 2 p.m. Eastern Time

Session 3 for Asia Pacific: Thursday, January 19 at 4 p.m. Singapore/Shanghai time.

If you are a client representative who is interested in attending the eLearning and have not received an invitation to this session, please email your request to cartusevents@cartus.com.

Email this contributor at jane.bergman@cartus.com.

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Hear It Here: What You Should Consider When Moving Employees to Emerging Markets

Posted by Shelley Northrop | January 5, 2012

In a podcast, Karen Menendez of the Cartus Intercultural and Language Solutions group interviews Cartus team member Jenny Castelino on the subject of emerging markets. Jenny, who is based in Singapore, discusses issues for companies sending employees to emerging markets including the importance of candidate assessment and talent management, the value of employing a city-by-city plan, and changes in selling strategies.  You can also visit our Emerging Markets microsite for additional information on mobility program development and preparation for emerging markets, as well as profiles on different emerging market locations.

Email this contributor at shelley.northrop@cartus.com.

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Meeting of China Advisory Board Provides First-Hand Market Insight

Posted by Dan Shao | January 3, 2012
Meeting of China Advisory Board Provides First-Hand Market Insight

We recently hosted our 2011 China Advisory Board meeting in Suzhou which was attended by senior HR leaders from companies such as Rhodia, Takeda Pharmaceutical, Techtronic Industries, Lenovo, Staples, Agfa to name a few. At the event the group discussed current mobility trends and issues in China including increasing activities and challenges in relocating employees into Tier 2 and 3 cities, and the new social insurance regulations that address foreign workers in China. This two-day meeting was an ideal platform for Cartus to get first-hand market insights from China’s top HR executives and to debate best practice solutions for key mobility issues. The valuable insights from our China Advisory Board members continue to guide us as we grow our market presence in China. If you are expanding your presence in China or beginning to move employees here, visit Cartus’ China microsite. I look forward to hosting our next China Advisory Board meeting in 2012!

Email this contributor at dan.shao@cartus.com.

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Looking at U.S. Real Estate Including the Critical Mortgage Sector

Posted by Pat DeDonato | December 22, 2011
Looking at U.S. Real Estate Including the Critical Mortgage Sector

Much discussion of the U.S. real estate market has centered on the availability of credit. In the latest edition of the U.S. Property Market Watch, Cartus Home Loans answers five questions on mortgage lending including:

1) Why are loans being denied?
2) Is there anything the government can do to get loans approved and get the economy going?
3) Does CHL see any change in the rules for condo lending? Do lenders have a solution to this?
4) What is the average time to approve a loan? Is the average time longer or shorter? What has changed?
5) What questions does CHL commonly hear from clients?

This issue also includes charts that provide national statistics for price changes, pending home sales, inventory, and foreclosures, and it also offers data for markets across the country, from Las Vegas and Seattle to Miami and Washington.

Email this contributor at pat.dedonato@cartus.com.

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Season’s Greetings!

Posted by Kevin Kelleher | December 21, 2011

The team at Cartus would like to wish our clients, suppliers, and all the members of our community the best of the season. Please watch our Cartus Holiday Video for greetings from our offices worldwide.

From all the members of our Cartus family, thank you for an amazing 2011 and we hope you enjoy a bountiful 2012.

Email this contributor at kevin.kelleher@cartus.com.

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