Skip to main content
OCT
07
0

Two More U.S. States Conform to Revised Internal Revenue Code

Maine and South Carolina have conformed their state tax law to the Internal Revenue Code (Code) as amended by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) of 2017. Neither acted to exclude the elimination of the deduction/exclusion for moving expenses from the legislation, so moving expenses will not be deductible or excludable in those states beginning in 2018, and continuing through 2025. 

Worldwide ERC® has closely monitored the activities of states as they reacted to the passage of tax reform. The most recent report on those activities was published 5 September 2018. Those referencing that article should note that although the text suggests that Mississippi does allow an exclusion, that state is not included in the list of those allowing the exclusion, which is the correct position. 

Maine enacted conformity legislation 12 September 2018, conforming its tax law generally to the Code as it was in effect on 23 March 2018. It did not adopt the $10,000 federal limitation on the deduction for state and local taxes, and it also created a personal exemption deduction in Maine to replace those lost in the TCJA. It also did not adopt several of the changes pertaining to corporate taxes. However, it will now conform to the federal denial of tax breaks for moving expenses. 

South Carolina conformed to the Code in legislation signed into law 3 October 2018. The law conforms to the Code as in effect on 9 February 2018. As in Maine, the legislation creates a state personal exemption deduction, and also decouples from a number of business tax provisions enacted by the TCJA. But South Carolina will now conform to federal law denying tax breaks for moving expenses. 

Consequently, as of 7 October 2018, only 12 states continue to permit an exclusion from income for moving expenses; Arizona, Arkansas (which recently confirmed that conclusion in Opinion 20180831 issued 25 September 2018), California, Hawaii, Iowa (for 2018 only; Iowa will conform to federal law beginning in 2019), Kentucky, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.

Worldwide ERC® members who gross up for taxable moving expenses and wish to avoid gross up for amounts excluded from state income tax will need to alter their procedures to take account of these new additions to the roll of states denying an exclusion for 2018.

  374 Hits
OCT
07
0

New China Residency Rules Increase Taxes on Foreign Workers

China has revised its residency rules, effective 1 January 2019. The changes could adversely affect foreigners who work in China.

Currently, foreign nationals working in China are taxed in China only on their Chinese income, unless they are residents of China for at least five years. After five years, such individuals are taxed on their worldwide income. However, the law requires residency for five “full” years before the tax on worldwide income takes effect. An absence for over 30 days on a single trip during the year, or more than 90 days over multiple trips during the tax year, will result in the individual not being treated as a resident for that year. Wise expatriates in China take advantage of these exclusions in their fifth or sixth years in China.

The new law eliminates the current “full year” standard in favor of one that treats the foreigner as being a resident if the individual is in China for at least 183 days during the year. This standard is the same or similar to that employed in many other countries, including the United States, and will mean that foreigners will likely be taxable on worldwide income after five years working in China. Also, it is unclear whether regulations under the new law will retain the five-year rule at all. If it is not retained, foreign workers could face immediate tax increases.

As a result, companies with long-term expatriate employees working in China will need to closely monitor the implementation of the new law. It could result is in significant tax increases for such workers if they have income from outside China in addition to wages there (such as rental or investment income from their home countries).

Companies with expatriate employees in China could face significant increases in costs due to tax equalization policies, or may need to consider whether it is cost effective to locate employees there for a long term.

  407 Hits
OCT
07
0

U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement Signed

In July of 2017, President Donald Trump instructed United States Trade Representative, Robert Lighthizer to initiate discussions to amend the United States–Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS) which was originally signed in 2012. This kicked off multiple rounds of negotiations that resulted in President Trump and South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in signing a revised KORUS agreement on September 24, 2018 while in New York at the United Nations General Assembly.

The renegotiation of KORUS is in line with one of President Trump’s main campaign promises to negotiate trade deals that he believes are fairer to the United States. Currently, South Korea is the United State’s sixth largest trading partner. As of 2016, the U.S. had a $17 billion trade deficit with South Korea, something the White House mentions as part of the motivation to renegotiate this deal.

The auto industry is central to many aspects of the new KORUS agreement. Under the new terms, each American auto exporter will be able to increase the number of cars they export annually to South Korea from 25,000 to 50,000. The deal also extends a 25% U.S. tariff on Korean trucks that are imported. In return, the U.S. has agreed to exempt South Korea from the 25% tariff on global steel. However, a quota was put in place, limiting the amount of South Korean steel imported to the U.S. at 70% of what it was before.

It remains to be seen if the new caps on U.S. auto exports will help cut into the trade deficit. A study done by the American Automative Policy Council demonstrated that in 2016, Americans imported $16 billion of Korean cars as compared to $1.5 billion worth of American cars sent to Korea. Prior to the renegotiation, most American auto manufacturers were not reaching the 25,000 cap on car exports annually, so it is unlike for the cap being lifted to impact the trade deficit too drastically.

On a whole, there are not many substantial changes in the new version of KORUS. A new deal however, has let President Trump have a signing ceremony and tout this agreement as “deal that’s fair for the United States and fair for South Korea.”

Trade agreements have a significant impact on the business relationships between countries and thus the relocation of individuals between not only the countries involved in the agreement but others as well. Depending on the terms of a renegotiated agreement, companies could make shifts in the locations of their operations and personnel in the U.S., South Korean and around the globe.

  408 Hits
OCT
07
0

International Recognition for Outstanding Foreign National Research

This article originally appeared in the October 2018 edition of Mobility Magazine.

Foreign national employees who are researchers and scientists who meet certain criteria can apply and be sponsored for permanent U.S. resident status in a way not available to others.

U.S. employers can—and should—consider the Employment-Based First (EB-1) preference category to save considerable time[1] and costs in sponsoring their foreign national population for green cards.[2] This article will provide an overview of the requirements for the EB-1B Outstanding Researcher green card category,[3] and provide an assessment that fleshes out the criteria the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) uses to determine whether a foreign national qualifies for the relevant category. While assessing the case, the article also provides best practices and tips for presenting a successful Outstanding Researcher green card case to the USCIS.[4]

Qualifications for an EB-1B Outstanding Researcher Green Card Case

Unlike the standard for an EB-1A Extraordinary Ability applicant, according to which the applicant must have garnered “sustained national or international acclaim in the field of endeavor,” an EB-1B Outstanding Researcher must be recognized internationally as outstanding in a specific academic field—a lower threshold than that required for an Individual of Extraordinary Ability.

To qualify as an Outstanding Researcher, the foreign national must have at least three years of experience in teaching or research in the stated academic field. Experience in research while working on an advanced degree will be acceptable only if the foreign national has acquired the degree, and (1) if the teaching duties were such that he or she had full responsibility for the class taught or (2) if the research conducted toward the degree has been recognized within the academic field as outstanding. In addition, the sponsored position must be a research position with a university or institute of higher education, or with a private employer, assuming the private employer has at least three full-time researchers and documented accomplishments—such as patents—in the research field. Further, to qualify, the foreign national must meet at least two out of eight stated USCIS criteria.

Related: 4 Tips for Cutting the Travel Visa Hassle

Continue reading
  429 Hits
OCT
04
0

Mobility 4.0: Global Talent Mobility and Integrated Tax Compliance

This article originally appeared in the October 2018 edition of Mobility Magazine.

Part 2 in a series on Industry 4.0: Immigration, tax, and innovation impact on global talent mobility.

2018 marks the beginning of a new era in global talent mobility. It is widely anticipated that Industry 4.0 will create massive growth and productivity, and will change the global flow of goods and services. Along with Industry 4.0 comes our own Mobility 4.0—not only the convergence of technological innovation on the workforce, but also the narrowing and redefinition of immigration talent profiles and integrated tax compliance.

Numerous countries are redefining global talent as a tax revenue source. Starting this year, the way in which multinational enterprises (MNEs) will strategize immigration for its global talent will be refocused through a lens of multiple new tax considerations both at home and abroad.

In Part 1 of “Mobility 4.0,” we focused on immigration changes. In Part 2, we will discuss the impact of integrated tax compliance on talent mobility.

“Given numerous business priorities, global executives appear to be focused on human capital the least. Despite the clear impact Industry 4.0 will have on workforces in every industry and geography, many executives do not express urgency when it comes to tackling the challenges of the future of the workforce. Talent and human resources are at the very bottom of their strategic discussions, and only 22 percent of respondents believe that the uncertain impact of Industry 4.0 on their workforces will have a significant effect on their organizations. Incongruously, the vast majority of executives still believe they are doing all they can to prepare their workforces for Industry 4.0.” — Forbes, “How the World’s Top Executives Are Approaching the Fourth Industrial Revolution,” 22 January 2018

In June 2017, ministers from 67 countries and jurisdictions signed onto, or announced their intention to sign onto, a new precedent in global taxation, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) Base Erosion and Profit Shifting, or BEPS, Convention. Developed over the past decade with input from more than 80 countries, BEPS encompasses 15 action plans to equip governments with domestic and international multilateral instruments to address tax avoidance and bring better matching of information found in well over 2,000 bilateral tax treaties.

Continue reading
  449 Hits
OCT
03
0

The Lowdown on Gross-Up

This article originally appeared in the October 2018 edition of Mobility Magazine.

How to rightsize your policy to fit company needs.

Julie was recruited to take on an executive role at a fast-growing startup, but it required her to relocate from Chicago to Cleveland. The company’s recruiter considered Julie a “purple unicorn,” which means a rare find, and offered her a generous salary of $350,000 with a competitive relocation package of $30,000. Julie and her family decided to transition to a smaller city because of this opportunity. In addition to being a boost to Julie’s career, the move led to a larger house in a quiet suburb complete with an exceptional school district.

Months passed as Julie and her family settled in to their new community. After spending the holidays in the new home, Julie met with her accountant. Much to Julie’s surprise, she owed more than $11,000 in income tax.

“It’s due to the reimbursements you received for your relocation expenses,” the accountant explained. “It wasn’t grossed up properly.”

Julie was not expecting this financial liability and felt her company had overlooked a large detail in an otherwise well-planned relocation.

Continue reading
  427 Hits
OCT
03
0

U.S. IRS Clarifies Stance on Business Meals Provided During Entertainment

In Information Release IR-2018-95 and Notice 2018-76, released 3 October 2018, the Internal Revenue Service says that it will continue to allow a 50% deduction for business meals provided at or during an entertainment event. However, those meal costs must be separately incurred or invoiced.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) enacted in late 2017 included a provision repealing any deduction for business entertainment costs beginning in 2018. Previously, 50% of those costs had been deductible provided that they were “directly related” to the active conduct of trade or business, or directly preceded or followed a “substantial and bona fide business discussion.” Business meals were also 50% deductible provided they met a number of substantiation requirements and were not “lavish or extravagant.” Consequently, prior to the TCJA both business entertainment and meals were 50% deductible and there was no reason to separate the meals from the entertainment.

Following enactment of the TCJA, questions arose as to whether business meals should themselves be considered “entertainment,” and if not, whether those meals that were directly associated with entertainment should also be nondeductible.

The new IRS Notice resolves those issues favorably for taxpayers. It clarifies that business meals are not in and of themselves considered entertainment. It also says that such meals provided during or at an entertainment activity remain 50% deductible if “the food and beverages are purchased separately from the entertainment, or the cost of the food and beverages is stated separately from the cost of the entertainment on one or more bills, invoices, or receipts.” It goes on to caution against attempts to circumvent the loss of the entertainment deduction by inflating the costs of associated foods or beverages.

The Notice provides examples permitting deductions for food and drinks purchased separately at a baseball game, and food and drinks that are separately stated on an invoice for tickets for a suite at a basketball game where food and drinks are provided in the suite.

Although the Notice is welcome news for business taxpayers, it will also require additional work to substantiate the separate payment of meal expenses whenever there is any associated entertainment.  

Continue reading
  436 Hits
OCT
02
0

Think Bold: Do You Know Who You Are Moving?

The topic of how global mobility can best support an organization’s overall talent strategy remains a hot one, and a crucial part of that conversation is fully understanding who your global talent is, why they are the right fit, and what their individual and unique needs are. With many companies seeing significant shifts in the demographics of their assignees, are your policy elements, product offerings, and how you deliver services keeping up with the pace of change?  

A cross-section of industry panelists will explore some of these major issues in a “Do You Know Who You Are Moving?” session at the 2018 Worldwide ERC® Global Workforce Symposium.
 

In Seattle later this month, Trish MacDonald, director of global mobility for Westinghouse Electric Company, Debbie Convery GMS, SPHR, director, global programs and operations at Nike, Dr. Walter Woolf, V.M.D, founder & CEO of Air Animal Pet Movers, and Krissa Denning MBA, GPHR, mobility program manager at Microsoft Corporation will discuss why it’s important to rethink global mobility program product offerings and service delivery to better support organizational goals through talent deployment.  

Drawing on their unique industry perspectives, they’ll walk through various demographic and other shifts in the mobile workforce that demand new approaches to global mobility. They’ll share ways in which their companies are attuned and responding to the changing needs of transferees while simultaneously supporting the company’s vision. And in keeping with what could be new understandings about “whole-family” viewpoints, Denning and Woolf will offer their perspectives on why the commitment to transporting assignees’ pets is an important one, and why companies need to think outside the box when it comes to the pets’ portion of the journey, both at the beginning and far beyond the end of initial assignments.

Get ready to benefit from experienced industry professionals – and join the conversation on 18 October 2018 at 2:30 p.m. PST. Register today for the 2018 Global Workforce Symposium!

  422 Hits
OCT
02
0

The Mexican Business Culture: What to Know About Doing Business in Mexico

As one of the most important emerging markets in the world, Mexico is expected to continue to be a draw for the mobility industry. As in other world regions, successfully doing business here hinges heavily on understanding Mexico’s unique business culture. Here are a few tips to help your remote mobile teams speed their immersion into the Mexican business culture:

Understand the Context

Mexico is generally considered to be a “high-context” culture, meaning one in which connections have developed over years of interaction and a shared understanding of expectations. In high-context cultures like Mexico, mobility teams should be prepared to invest time in establishing relationships.  Communication is less formal, less explicit and decisions are built through long-term relationships and face-to-face interactions.

“In Mexico’s high-context culture, communication is much less direct as many ideas are inferred through vague communication, and direct remarks such as “If you don’t sign I will go with your competitors” can be taken as rude, over-aggressive and insulting,” notes Mexico Business Associates. The takeaway for mobility teams and assignees on the ground is to be patient and embrace the process of building relationships, which over time can build business.

Here, It’s Personal

Mexico is a country where family and personal relationships are priorities. So it should be no surprise that Mexican business associates are prone to mixing business and personal relationships. It’s not uncommon to be invited to a colleague’s home for dinner, or even a weekend gathering.

Without the context of that personal relationship, little if any substantive communication can take place, and necessary levels of trust are inadequate to undertake most business arrangements.

Continue reading
  483 Hits
OCT
01
0

Top Articles for September

Throughout the month of September, Worldwide ERC®’s articles highlighted a broad range of mobility topics – from the future of mobility and cyborgs, to talent mobility policy. Check out the five most-read articles from September and discover valuable insights to drive your organization’s mobility programs and policies forward.

1. China Individual Income Tax Changes Will Impact Expats

Changes to China’s Individual Income Tax (IIT) proposed in June are expected to take effect in October of 2018, with full implementation on 1 January 2019. The changes will change tax computations for both residents and non-resident workers earning income in China.

Continue Reading →

2. U.S. IRS Says 2018 Reimbursements for 2017 Moves are Tax Free

In Notice 2018-75, 2018-41 IRB 1, issued 21 September 2018, the Internal Revenue Service holds that 2018 reimbursements or employer payments for employee moves occurring in 2017 remain excludable from the incomes of the employees.

Continue Reading →

Continue reading
  438 Hits
OCT
01
0

Negotiators Reach Deal on Revised NAFTA

Trade representatives of the United States, Canada and Mexico reached a tri-lateral agreement (USMCA) on revisions to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) hours before the imposed deadline.

On 27 August, the Trump Administration announced that the U.S. and Mexico had reached consensus on a 16-year agreement. Canada had until 1 October to conclude its negotiations in order to be part of the deal.  

U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister, Chrystia Freeland and Mexican Economy Secretary, Ildefonso Guajardo concluded the last rounds of discussions on 31 September in Washington, DC. President Trump had imposed a deadline of 1 October in order for him to provide the required 60-day notice to Congress in time for Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto to sign the agreement prior to leaving office. The agreement will still need to be ratified by the legislative bodies of the three countries. 

Trade agreements have a significant impact on the business relationships between countries and thus the relocation of individuals between not only the countries involved in the agreement but others as well. Depending on the details of a new agreement, companies could make shifts in the locations of their operations and personnel in the U.S., Canada and Mexico and around the globe. 

Central to the new deal is an increased requirement for more of a vehicle’s parts to be assembled in North America to avoid tariffs. The new agreement raises this level to 75% up from 62.5% in the original NAFTA. The deal also mandates an increasing percentage of parts on tariff free vehicles to come from “high wage” factories with a minimum wage of at least $16/hr. This could cause some suppliers to shift work away from Mexico to the U.S. or Canada, or to a lower wage country outside of North America. 

The new deal will also open Canadian dairy markets to increased U.S. exports. Canada has also agreed to end a system that it used to keep the prices of some milk products low. U.S. drug companies will also now be able to sell pharmaceuticals for 10 years in Canada before facing generic competition. The Chapter 19 provision, which helps resolve trade disputes between the three countries, was kept in place, a win for the Canadians. The new agreement contains increased intellectual property protections that have been updated to include new technologies that were not around when NAFTA was originally negotiated. The deal also calls for higher safety and environmental standards and states that Mexican workers must have more of an ability to organize and form unions. 

Continue reading
  396 Hits
OCT
01
0

Data Visualization in Mobility

You might think you don’t know what data visualization is, but you’ve probably seen it more than you know. You might have been to Selfiecity and looked at how people in different global regions take selfies. Or perhaps you went looking for a reason city buses bunch up when there’s a slight delay. Or maybe – just maybe – you’ve used it to demonstrate a mobility initiative.

In the Worldwide ERC® report The Perfect Storm: Talent Mobility Leaders Decode the Future, it is noted:

“One of the ways to present data most effectively and persuasively is through data visualization, a technique used to communicate data or information graphically or pictorially, which allows patterns and trends to be detected. Processing in the visual cortex is faster than in the cerebral cortex—in other words, people can ‘see’ faster than they can ‘think’—meaning data can be more quickly understood when given a visual cue.”

Data Visualization in Daily Mobility Activities

Elena Anderson-de Lay GMS-T (Brookings Institution) experienced data visualization first-hand when a colleague in the finance department asked her to look at a dashboard, which applied this technique, to ensure it was clear to a non-finance person. Anderson-de Lay saw that it enabled a quick understanding of complex data and looked for ways to apply it to her mobility work.

At the time, she was trying to secure a “green card” for a healthcare expert who was working to combat counterfeit drugs. He was using social media to communicate about the problem to students, the media and other healthcare experts. Concurrently, her organization’s communications team was measuring their social media amplification rates, and she saw an opportunity.

Applying what she’d learned from the communications team and her finance colleague, she used the healthcare expert’s social media statistics with data visualization to illustrate the impact of his work, presented the data to immigration authorities, and ultimately the green card was approved.

Continue reading
  422 Hits
SEP
30
0

4 Surprising Findings About Employee Relocation

This article originally appeared in the October 2018 edition of Mobility Magazine.

As an HR leader, your goal is to get the right people to all the right places to grow your business. But it’s important to realize you’re not moving goods—you’re moving people! Amid the trials, chaos, and excitement of moving, what matters most to their relocation success? Unique challenges face each employee and family. If unaddressed, these challenges can threaten their ability to thrive—derailing momentum.

After surveying 3,078 employees and spouses/partners IMPACT Group supported across the globe, surprising trends emerged on what relocating talent needs to flourish in the new location.

Related: 10 Questions to Ask Your Employer Before Your Relocation

1. When they are well-supported, engagement soars for transferees.

In fact, 75 percent of transferees report being highly engaged post-move! Against the national U.S. average of 33 percent and the global average of 15 percent, this is astounding considering the day-to-day challenges, hoops, and roadblocks they encounter even during the smoothest of relocations.

Continue reading
  479 Hits
SEP
27
0

Worldwide ERC Announces Three New Directors to the Board

Worldwide ERC® and the Worldwide ERC® Foundation for Workforce Mobility are pleased to announce the addition of the newest members to their respective boards.

Board of Directors

The Worldwide ERC® Board of Directors welcomes Merritt Q. Anderson, Vice President of Employee Experience and Engagement with GitHub, Inc. of San Francisco, CA, USA; Sigrid Nauwelaerts, Talent Mobility EMEA Director with Johnson & Johnson in Beerse, Belgium; and Shelby Wolpa, Vice President, People Operations with InVision in Austin, TX, USA. Each new director will begin to serve a three-year term as of 1 January 2019.

“Worldwide ERC® is boldly embracing industry disruption, seeking new opportunities and innovations to enhance the ways in which we empower mobile people. Merritt, Sigrid and Shelby bring an ideal blend of skills and regional expertise to help guide those efforts.  Their individual and collective strengths will help us continue to foster readiness for growth into new consumer markets, and our abilities to meet the workforce planning and talent strategy needs of the future. We’re honored to welcome such highly respected, innovative leaders to the team.”
–Sue Carey, SCRP, SGMS-T of Baird & Warner, and Chair-Elect of the Worldwide ERC® Board of Directors

Foundation for Workforce Mobility  

The Worldwide ERC® Foundation for Workforce Mobility is also pleased to announce three new additions to its Board of Trustees. Karen M. Gerba, SCRP, GMS, Head of National Corporate Relocation Mortgage with HSBC Bank in New York City,  NY, USA; Gary M. Grund, Senior Vice President, Budd Van Lines in Somerset, NJ, USA; and Zeke Oaks, Vice President, Alexander's Mobility Services in Eagan, MN, USA will also begin a three-year term in January 2019.

“Karen, Gary and Zeke bring not only considerable industry acumen and experience to their new roles, but impressive track records of volunteerism and leadership. We’re very pleased to bring individuals of their character and commitment to the Foundation’s fundraising, outreach, charitable event, and scholarship program initiatives.”
–Kathleen Baker, CRP, GMS-T, of Cultural Awareness International Inc. and Foundation Chairman

Please join us in welcoming the new members of the respective boards!

  412 Hits
SEP
27
0

Think Bold: Oops! Global Mobility Blunders

How often do organizations talk about lessons learned? Why do unforeseen events happen? In a “Global Mobility Blunders” session at the 2018 Global Workforce Symposium, Trish MacDonald, Director of Global Mobility for Westinghouse Electric Company will take an honest look at how organizations can prevent mobility mishaps through lessons learned from previous experiences.

Compliance violations. Lost productivity. Escalating costs. Damage to an organization’s reputation or credibility. These are just a few of the scary phrases that can keep global mobility teams up at night and are some of the possible outcomes of mobility missteps.

Nobody likes a blunder, but let’s be honest, they can and do happen. In Seattle next month, I’ll be joined by panelists and industry veterans Teela Gleason, Senior Vice President, Suddath Relocation Systems and Kati Keith, Manager of Global Mobility, Sealed Air, where we’ll walk through a few actual scenarios that had a commercial, financial or assignee impact, why they happened, and how they could have been avoided.

We’ll provide an exploration of how clearly defined global mobility processes—both internal to the organization and externally with suppliers—can help avoid costly mistakes. We’ll review how a combination of specific individual responsibility, audit and oversight policies and procedures can go a long way toward minimizing both the number and consequences of mobility blunders.

While we may shake our heads at these seemingly avoidable mistakes with hindsight, they are important to discuss and share, helping us all avoid making the same or similar ones down the road. So, get ready to benefit from our decades of collective experience – and join the conversation on 18 October 2018 at 3:30 p.m. PST.

Continue reading
  441 Hits
SEP
26
0

Is India on Your Mobility Radar? Hear What the Experts Say

Companies looking for global mobility opportunities will find no shortage of reasons to consider India.

What’s the draw? Consider that India has one of the youngest workforces in the world, skilled talent that is embracing the gig-economy career path, connectivity and infrastructure that supports global mobile operations and a burgeoning R&D and tech hub.

But establishing mobile operations in India doesn’t come without its challenges. Among them are new work VISA rules and immigration policies, growing protectionism worldwide and a new norm in the critical mobility skills that will be needed.

If India is on your radar for mobility placements in 2019, don’t miss Worldwide ERC®’s upcoming India Global Mobility Summit, 31 October 2018, in Bengaluru. This one-day, intensive workshop is the ideal opportunity to gain insights into the need-to-know information for doing business in India. We are bringing together nearly a dozen Indian HR, immigration and global talent mobility leaders from some of the world’s largest brands, to share their unique perspectives in this full-day workshop. Among the presenters you’ll hear from are:

Dharmesh Kothari, global talent mobility leader with Genpact, who joins panelists on a discussion of Aligning Mobility to Effectively Support Business Objectives. Kothari wrote in a recent International HR article:

“The biggest challenge faced by mobility leaders is how can we ‘anticipate change’ and be an effective ‘trusted advisor’ to our business stakeholders in keeping them informed on impact in a real-time manner.”

Sandeep Musalgaonkar, head of immigration operations with Infosys Limited. He and three colleagues will address how businesses are redrafting their talent deployment strategies in light of increased protectionism. As fellow panelist Nandakumar Kirupanandam noted in the book, Enhancing Employability @ Soft Skills:

Continue reading
  425 Hits
SEP
25
0

U.S. House of Representatives Passes FinCEN Improvement Act

On 12 September, the U.S. House of Representatives passed by voice vote the FinCEN Improvement Act of 2018 (H.R. 6411).

While the bipartisan legislation moved swiftly through the House without any objection, it is uncertain as to whether the Senate will have sufficient time to consider the bill before the end of the year.

H.R. 6411 is only four pages, but it strengthens three key duties of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). First, although since its inception FinCEN has assisted law enforcement agencies on domestic as well as international issues, H.R. 6411 would codify the domestic charge. Second, the legislation would officially add tribal law enforcement agencies to the list of law enforcement partners for FinCEN. Finally, and most relevant to mobility, FinCen as a clear duty would have “matters involving emerging technologies or value that substitutes for currency” as part of its anti-terrorism and anti-money laundering efforts.

FinCEN was established as a bureau under the U.S. Department of the Treasury on 25 April 1990, through Treasury Order Numbered 105-08. The bureau is responsible for protecting the integrity of the U.S. financial system primarily through efforts to thwart money laundering. In regard to the real estate and mortgage jurisdiction, FinCEN has set the reporting requirements and issued advisories on real estate transactions which are more prone to involve money laundering.

In a guidance released on 18 March 2013, FinCEN added virtual monies to its definition of currency. The language of H.R. 6411 reinforces that expanded definition which will further emphasis that responsibility.

The increased use of virtual monies and emerging technology for other types of alternative transactions, especially in the purchase or sale of a home, has a direct impact on the mobility industry. As the U.S. enforcer and regulator on many of these transactions, FinCEN would officially have a larger role in overseeing transactions of organizations moving employees domestically in the U.S. and around the globe.

Continue reading
  412 Hits
SEP
25
0

Reduce Costs with a Better Policy Exceptions System

Sep 26 2018

Published in: Ask the Experts

| Updated Apr 27 2023

This article originally appeared in the September 2018 edition of Mobility Magazine.

Tips on developing a structured mobility process, tracking, and reporting.

Exceptions are unexpected allowances and benefits provided to an international assignee that are outside of the scope of an international assignment policy. Often managers sign off on exceptions, looking only at the direct cost and not realizing there can be large associated tax costs.

Besides cost issues, policy exceptions can create compliance risks, policy implications, and a lot of administration to track the exceptions, all of which could lead to significant budget overspend.

Continue reading
  396 Hits
SEP
25
0

The Human Needs Behind Global Mobility

The relocation journey is as unique as the employee taking it. So how do you design and evaluate an experience that isn’t for you? Susan Benevides will lead a discussion at the Global Workforce SymposiumLeveraging Experience Design to Elevate Your Mobility Program—to answer that question. We asked Susan to discuss “design thinking” from a mobility standpoint and share some of her insights ahead of her session at the 2018 Global Workforce Symposium. Register today to join the conversation!

In the mobility industry, there are layers of complexity. When you think about it, the market base of relocation management providers includes every single company in the world that moves employees. In the context of an ever-evolving world—economies, political systems, people groups, technological advancement, new opportunities—my bird’s eye view is painted with every industry, each with a vast variety of companies with their own unique blends of culture, language, leadership style, resistance to change…each company a sea of employees on their own individual journeys with personal preferences, shaped by past experiences and personal lives (or their “come-to” state).

This is the problem when we speak of “the experience”—complexity. Because within that jungle of companies, planted within the broader HR ecosystem, sits a mobility professional on their own unique journey up their own (often challenging) side of the mountain we call “employee attraction, acquisition and retention.” And this person is tasked with delivering (tens, hundreds, thousands of) employees to their destination points for the sake of their companies—happy, healthy and productive. Without a magic wand or flying carpet.

Today, the best tools available to companies to cut through these complex layers and simplify elements of the employee journey are experience design methods. When mobility managers and HR leaders come to us with their programs, policies and budget constraints, you can almost feel the anxiety underlying their tireless optimism. Even with the best program design, policy benefits and budget bandwidth, mobility is just not that simple.

My “a-ha” moment came some years back as we were developing employee personas and journey maps with an experience design firm. It was a fascinating undertaking and introduced me to the mindset of “design thinking,” which encourages organizations to develop human-centered products, services, and internal processes—to focus on the people for whom they offer solutions. It requires companies to look beyond personas to each unique individual. It moves us from customized solutions to personalized encounters.

Continue reading
  404 Hits
SEP
24
0

Think Bold: The Future of Global Mobility: Cyborgs?

Where do you think the future of mobility is going? According to Christopher Chalk, CRP, SGMS of Siemens Corporation, the future is in AI. Christopher will moderate a panel at the Global Workforce Symposium – Artificial Intelligence: Disruption of Mobility Concepts. It’s an opportunity to hear panelists’ thoughts on the near and distant future of AI, what we can expect, and what we must ensure never, ever happens.

Don’t forget to sign up now for Global Workforce Symposium and save your seat for this inspiring and eye-opening discussion.

There has been lots of talk in all spaces about artificial intelligence (AI), robots and chatbots, including global mobility, but what does this really mean for global mobility professionals and our world? Robots packing and loading moving trucks? Not in my lifetime, but trucks that drive themselves with a human co-pilot? They’re already here.  

I believe we will see exponential investment in AI in the global mobility space and many of the strategic projects we are involved in will touch AI in some way.

Global mobility professionals are already laying the groundwork to roll out robotics (software robots, as opposed to physical robots) and AI. At Siemens, we have successfully deployed robotics in global mobility which is a big, first step. The ideal Robotic Process Automation (RPA), or more simply bot, is for repetitive, administrative tasks. Ordering tax services, expat allowances, household goods shipments and other service-type orders lend themselves to this readily.

The future of all global mobility programs will include AI, which, at its core, is a computer program that replicates human intelligence and decision making. Robots and AI are two distinct concepts but are sometimes confused and used interchangeably. The terms truly overlap when you consider an AI robot, which is where I believe global mobility is headed, along with many other business lines and functions. AI-powered bots are capable of processing and verbally responding to complex questions and will carry out approved requests even using voice recognition to authenticate the user.

Continue reading
  406 Hits