Only around four out of ten expatriates are set to return home over the holiday period, according to a survey by health insurer Bupa International.

Around seven out of ten are not intending to move away from the country in which they currently live within the next 12 months, and more than half think the economic situation in their country of residence is better than their country of origin.

Dr Sneh Khemka, medical director of Bupa International, said, “There is no doubt that the economic downturn is affecting expats all over the world. Our survey shows that 56% of them are cutting back on spending due to the credit crunch, which may be why so many of them aren’t planning to spend the holiday season with family and friends.”

EU social security legislation will impact new expatriate assignments, says Deloitte

Up to half of all new expatriate assignments within Europe could be impacted by changes to EU social security legislation, according to analysis by business advisory firm Deloitte.

Although the legislation behind these changes was enacted a number of years ago, the regulations which implement the new rules were only passed earlier this month, beginning the six-month process of launching the new legislation on 1 May 2010. This is the first major change to EU social security legislation for more than 35 years, when the now well-established processes for obtaining E101 certificates were introduced.

Fiona Murchie looks at some of the themes emerging from ERC’s annual conference in Chicago.

Going to conferences, surely, is about engaging with likeminded people, building on ideas you didn’t even know you’d had and taking away useful nuggets for the future. It is important, no matter what the economic climate, to get out there and talk the talk, reaffirm, challenge and enjoy. That’s why I was so keen to attend this year’s ERC conference in Chicago. Yes, a lot of painful decisions have been made in the last year, jobs lost and companies restructured, but outgoing ERC president Al Blumenberg urged us to remember that “people pursue their most creative ideas in difficult times, so step into the storm and focus on new strategies.” His other ‘truth’ was the need to continue making connections with people, because it’s those connections that make us happy.

Relocation/mobility is, of course, a people industry, so we’ve no excuses not to follow Blumenberg’s advice in that regard!

With the current brake on mobility, due to the recession and the state of the housing market, alternative assignments are becoming increasingly popular choices for both domestic and international mobility. Sue Shortland explains some of the advantages – but also the pitfalls – of undertaking such types of assignment, and considers policy implications.

The use of short-term and commuter assignments has been a feature of the international relocation scene for many years now, with such alternatives to a long-term international assignment gaining in popularity, particularly since the mid-1990s. It was at this time that concerns began to emerge, in particular, over such barriers to mobility as dual careers, and such alternative types of assignment were seen to present a solution to family immobility. At this time, the expansion of air travel at affordable prices helped to promote these types of assignment.

In essence, alternative assignments enabled the employee to take up an international role and gain experience and cultural understanding by relocating on single status, leaving the family behind. They also seemed to be an excellent way to enable families to maintain their lifestyle at home – with children remaining in schools, and spouses and partners able to maintain their jobs and careers. The use of such assignment types also enabled families with commitments, such as elderly relatives to care for, to meet them. Box 1 provides a summary of the main reasons for using international short-term and commuter assignments.