If International Assignments Are the Fabric of Global Business, then Change Is the Common Thread

There are serious challenges when it comes to the management of international assignments and delivering against business objectives in a changing global marketplace. Andrew Wholey, with KPMG in the U.K., writes in order to remain competitive in a dynamic, global marketplace, where national and international rules and administration are constantly in flux, the best strategy for most organizations is to accept that change is inevitable and take the steps necessary – and he examines a few potential steps – to evolve the international assignment program in ways that will best position the organization to take advantage of the changes it anticipates, and the changes is encounters.
Read the article.

Imagine 2010: What the Future Might Hold in Store for Expatriates

Sydney-based IES director Sandra Cittadini, takes a peek into the future and muses on what expatriates and expatriate programs might look like in the year 2010 – not that far away actually! She contends that the challenge for HR will be to implement compensation and benefits programs that are attractive and flexible enough to satisfy all their employees – who represent a diverse spectrum of ages, interests, demands, and commitments – while enabling the company to remain market competitive and cost efficient.
Read the article.

Can Technology Really Add Value to an International Assignment Program?

We hear so much about the need to automate and deploy effective technologies to better manage and administer companies’ expatriate programs. But does technology really add value? If not, why bother? If it does, what sort of value? IES professionals Leann Balbona and Geoff Perkins maintain that many organizations embark on deploying different technologies to assist with various aspects of the international assignment process without due consideration of the basic process itself. By stepping back and focusing on the fundamental assignment life-cycle, rather than the technology, it is possible to get significant value from the investment.
Read the article.

Under the Microsope: New York State and Nonresident Tax Positions

Christina Cure, an IES professional based in New York, writes that over the past several years, the number of New York state audits challenging the New York nonresident “position” taken on the state tax return has increased considerably. She notes that, consequently, many companies are looking more closely at this position which is taken for some of their international assignees who come to New York on a two-to-three year assignment. This article, among other things, highlights some helpful steps that companies can take to mitigate any negative impact from the heightened scrutiny by the New York tax authorities.
Read the article.

Worldwide Digest

We are providing readers with a link to the IES practice's Flash International Executive Alert newsletters, which are archived right through the most recent issue on the IES Web site. Readers can scan the titles and select the news stories that are most relevant to their international assignment situations.
Go to IES practice's Flash International Executive Alert newsletters