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Monthly Archives: June 2010

New UK Coalition Government Announces Policy Priorities – Potential Relocation Impact Possible

June 16, 2010 – 5:17 pm

After May’s dramatic UK General Election results, the new Coalition Government has announced its first set of policies. Taking place on 25 May 2010, the Queen’s Speech traditionally follows a new Government coming to power and outlines what the Government’s priorities are for the coming year.

The Speech touched on several areas that may potentially impact relocation to, and within, the UK in the future, although further policy planning work is still needed before the exact details can be published.

The UK Government plans to introduce an annual cap on non EU immigration although the actual limit is yet to be announced.  The UK introduced a new “points based” immigration system in 2008 which has already placed tighter guidelines on UK employers who employ non EU nationals and is expected to remain in place. (more…)

By Rob Abbott | Posted in EMEA | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments

Relocation for the Whole Family: How to Make Everyone Happy

June 14, 2010 – 10:27 am

As the school year winds down in the U.S. as well as internationally, many families who are preparing to relocate—either with joy or trepidation, or perhaps a little of both—have an additional level of angst to manage if they are moving with children. In the case of older children, who resent being torn away from their friends and their school and are afraid of not fitting in in a strange, new place, the relocation is often a very hard sell. 

Many companies offer services such as cross-cultural training and career-finding assistance to spouses of assignees, but children are often the forgotten element in relocation. The assumption is that children will have no trouble adjusting to their host country, but this is a misconception. Children can, and often do, have considerable trouble adjusting to a new location. But since children can’t always articulate their feelings and may not express their fears verbally, adjustment issues are often left unaddressed or undiscovered until the relocation is a done deal and the family has arrived in the host country.   

At Cartus, we’ve found the best approach to youth training is to have the family work together to prepare for and adjust to their international assignment. Children not only learn about their host country and its culture but also about themselves, their strengths, and the skills they will need to succeed during the parent’s assignment. Such cross-cultural training is recommended for children ages eight and older.  (more…)

By Kurstin Kohnowich | Posted in Intercultural | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments

Canadian Government to People: No Housing Drama Here

June 8, 2010 – 5:05 pm

From my home in Montreal, I have a good view of the U.S. real estate market. The housing correction has had a serious impact on the American economy. As home values have decreased, many people owe more on their mortgages than their homes are worth. The number of foreclosures and short sales has increased significantly.

The Canadian government has recently implemented new standards to prevent a similar occurrence in this country. The impact of these rules on relocation is that employees being transferred to higher cost cities such as Toronto and Vancouver might not qualify for a new mortgage based on the higher value of homes comparable to those in their origin location. These employees would consider buying more affordable homes, or renting. (more…)

By Linda Lachapelle | Posted in Real Estate | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments

Cartus & Primacy Roundtable Seminar in Singapore a Success!

June 7, 2010 – 3:59 pm

Cartus & Primacy APAC held the first in a series of Roundtable seminars on 2 June at the Raffles Hotel in Singapore.

Entitled, Looking Forward – Challenges & Strategies for Global Mobility Policies and Practices, the one day session presented the results of Cartus’ 2010 survey which was followed by a Panel Discussion on trends and issues in the APAC region with a group of distinguished panelists including Cartus corporate clients and leading experts from the world of global mobility. Topics such as localization, trailing spouses, cultural barriers and differences, and expatriate ROI, which are key concerns of HR practitioners in the region, generated much interest and discussion from the participants. (more…)

By Kenneth Kwek | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments

Energy and Optimism Mark ERC Spring Conference

June 4, 2010 – 4:26 pm

I just returned from Worldwide ERC®’s U.S. Spring conference and what struck me most was the overall sense of optimism from the attendees. Conference attendance was up 27% and the energy and enthusiasm of the attendees was encouraging to see. While business and global economic challenges remain, it was encouraging to see companies talking about business growth and signs of recovery.

We definitely had a “wow factor” and it was great to see the unified presence of Cartus and Primacy standing side by side in our booth. Based on our experience of working with many clients over the years that have gone through a merger or integration, we have seen firsthand the perils of not taking the time to do things right and not taking into account important issues like company culture. We are focused on a strategic and responsible integration that offers the best solutions for our clients, prospects, and our employees. Based on the conversations that I had with conference attendees, there was a general feeling that we are living up to what we have said we would do. (more…)

By Kevin Kelleher | Posted in Cartus News | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments
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