mobility magazine - july 2010

Magazine of Worldwide ERC® July 2010

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2 MOBILITY/JULY 2010

MOBILITY (ISSN 0195-8194) is published monthly by Worldwide ERC®, 4401 WilsonBoulevard, Suite 510, Arlington, VA 22203, +1 703 842 3400. MOBILITY examines keyissues affecting the global mobility workforce for the benefit of employers and firms or individuals providing specific services to relocated employees and their families. The opinions expressed in MOBILITY are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Worldwide ERC®. MOBILITY is printed in the United States of America.Periodical postage paid at Arlington, VA, and additional mailing offices. Worldwide ERC®

members receive one annual subscription with their membership dues. Subscriptions are available to both members and non-members at $48 each per year. Copyright © byWorldwide ERC®. All rights reserved. Neither all nor part of the contents published hereinmay be reproduced in any form without written permission of Worldwide ERC®.

POSTMASTER: send address changes to MOBILITY, Worldwide ERC ®, 4401 WilsonBoulevard, Suite 510, Arlington, VA 22203

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

President

MICHAEL (MIKE) C. WASHBOURN, SCRP, GMS, Pfizer Inc., Peapack, NJ

Vice President

SUSAN SCHNEIDER, SCRP, GMS, Plus Relocation Services, Inc., Minneapolis, MN

Secretary/Treasurer

PAMELA (PAM) J. O’CONNOR, SCRP, Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®, Chicago, IL

Chairman, Board of Directors

AL BLUMENBERG, SCRP, NEI Global Relocation, Omaha, NE

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

CORI L. BEAUDET, SCRP, SGMS, SC Johnson—A Family Company, Racine, WI

LISA CARAVELLA, CRP, Bank of America, Plano, TX

JAY K. DELICH, SCRP, SRA, IFA, Arizona Appraisal Team, LLC, Scottsdale, AZ

MARIO FERRARO, International SOS Pte Ltd., SINGAPORE

MARK GIORGINI, GMS, China Vanke Co. Ltd., Shenzhen, CHINA

WILLIAM (BILL) GRAEBEL, SGMS, Graebel Relocation Services Worldwide, Aurora, CO

JOHNNY H. HAINES, SCRP, SGMS, Deloitte, Hermitage, TN

LARS LYKKE IVERSEN, Santa Fe Relocation Services, Hong Kong, CHINA

CHRISTOPHER (CHRIS) JAMES, Bechtel Corporation, Phoenix, AZ

JO LAY, SCRP, SGMS, Coldwell Banker Central Region Relocation, Chicago, IL

EARL LEE, Prudential Real Estate and Relocation Services, Scottsdale, AZ

STEPHEN C. MCGARRY, SCRP, WPP, New York, NY

SANTRUPT MISRA, PH.D., Aditya Birla Management Corporation Ltd., Mumbai, INDIA

JOY MORRISON, SCRP, SGMS, PepsiCo, Inc., Purchase, NY

STEVEN A. NORD, UPS, Atlanta, GA

JOHN PFEIFFER, GMS, Mustang Engineering, L.P., Houston, TX

PANDRA RICHIE, SCRP, GMS, Long & Foster Corporate Real Estate Services Division, Chantilly, VA

C. MATTHEW (MATT) SPINOLO, SCRP, SGMS, CARTUS, Memphis, TN

EX-OFFICIO

Chairman, U.S. Advisory Council

AL BLUMENBERG, SCRP, NEI Global Relocation, Omaha, NE

Chairman, Foundation for Workforce Mobility

KEVIN E. RUSSELL, SCRP, PHH Mortgage, Mt. Laurel, NJ

Chairman, Global Advisory Council

SANTRUPT MISRA, PH.D., Aditya Birla Management Corporation Ltd., Mumbai, INDIA

Chairman, Government Relations Council

C. MATTHEW (MATT) SPINOLO, SCRP, SGMS, CARTUS, Memphis, TN

Calendar MOBILITY • Vol. 31 No. 7 • July 2010

In MemoriamMeri Hill, owner and CEO of PinnacleGroup Associates, and later, Meri HillConsulting, passed away on May 4, aftercomplications from surgery. She was 77.

She is survived by her beloved husband,James; a son, Craig of Cary, NC; daughtersConnie Bullock of Manassas, VA, and

Barbara Beles of Venice, FL; six grandchildren; and onegreat-granddaughter. She also is survived by two sisters,Elsie Jorgensen of Troy, MI, and Nellie Wardrop of RoyalOak, MI.

Meri became the first woman to own a national homepurchase company when she purchased MaennerRelocation (MRI) in 1989. She was one of the founders ofthe Detroit Regional Relocation Council, and activelyinvolved with Worldwide ERC®, serving on the originalcommittee that developed the CRP® designation, receivingthe Meritorious and Distinguished Service Awards, andearning the Senior Certified Relocation Professional™ desig-nation. She was also a frequent speaker and author. Manymay recall her 2004 MOBILITY article, “Never Give up onthe Pursuit of a Dream,” where she talked about her long-time love of stock car racing, and of fulfilling her dream asa “72-year-old grandmother driving the computer horse-power-enhanced Audi TT.”

“Throughout life, I had learned that dreams arethoughts made up by dreamers, but the ultimate fulfillmentof those dreams usually happens when the dreamer takessome action to make the dream become a reality. As I grewolder and perhaps wiser, I knew that passing every car infront of me was not always possible, but it never stoppedme from planning for the pass and fulfilling it when Icould. I could hear my mentor Dad saying, ‘you need to bethe lead car,’ and I vowed that I would always continue tostrive for that goal. Sometimes, it seemed that whenever Ihad the opportunity to pass and I did get the lead, some-one else would pull out at the next intersection and put meback in the line. Now I would have to remake the plan,work the plan, and strive to pass again. None of the expec-tations would ever be met without the dream in place, andthe action plan to make the dream happen. As a formerrelocation company owner with responsibility for nearly300 employees, I tried to follow that creed given to meearly in life: take the responsibility to be the leader. Me? Abusiness owner? Drive on a racetrack? ‘I don’t think so,’quickly turned into, ‘why not? How do I get there?’”

A memorial service was held May 10, in Venice, FL.Donations in Meri’s name may be made to the TideWellHospice Philanthropy, 5955 Rand Blvd., Sarasota, FL34238.

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“Q4Q Recipients have consistently proven that they’re meeting ever increasing shipper demands in what is now a 24/7 global marketplace where actions and mistakes can be tracked down to the day, hour, minute, or even second.”

“...Walking away with a Quest for Quality award in 2009 is a true testament to a company’s ability to adapt and stay relevant in what may be the most diffi cult operating environment since the Great Depression.”

© 2010 Allied Van Lines, Inc. U.S. DOT No. 076235 ALLIED and the ALLIED ROADWAY DESIGN are registered trademarks and service marks of Allied Van Lines, Inc.

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What’s especially apparent is thattrue leadership must take full owner-ship of an issue in word and indeed. In our industry, as in many oth-ers, leadership also relies strongly oncontingency planning. It is clear thatplanning and analysis can be far moreeffective when done proactively—before an issue surfaces—than whenaddressed reactively. When we’veenjoyed stability for a period of time,it can give us a false sense of securityand complacency. So it’s critical toask ourselves some “midpoint met-rics” questions from time to time,such as, “Do we really have appropri-ate plans for all possible scenarios?”and, “What if our business modelchanges?” Last year, we were facedwith those very questions as weaddressed several transitions in quicksuccession. We needed to take a goodhard look at our association, at thechanging economics and demograph-ics, and at how you and our othermembers were socializing and con-necting with each other.

The recession brought us a lot of clarity concerning our business-critical operations. Having beeninvolved at the leadership levelbefore moving into my presidencythis year, forging the initiatives onwhich I would focus surfaced readily.

First was to identify and bringaboard a new strategic long-termleader, which we have accomplishedwith the hiring of Peggy Smith,SCRP, SGMS, who has made com-munication with our members hernumber-one priority since joining usin early May. Smith’s carefully con-

sidered on-boarding plan is already inmotion, and includes frequent touchpoints with members, supporters,and stakeholders; the launch of herwordsmithing blog in May and anAnnual Member Survey in June;expansion of our social media out-reach; commitments to speak toindustry gatheringsand hold focusgroups to solicitfeedback; and devel-opment of strategicalliances and a rangeof additional actionsthat will strengthenour organizationand move it ahead.

Global initiativeson my radar include leveragingopportunities in the APAC andEMEA regions; bringing our GMS™

program online in 2010—which iscurrently underway—and expandingthe GMS™ program to a senior-leveldesignation. I’m delighted to notethat, in June, we announced the firstclass of 118 SGMS™ recipients andlook forward to seeing that numberincrease every year.

Another initiative to which I com-mitted was to increase the valueproposition for our members. Weknow that you have many optionswith which to share your time andresources. We want to ensure thatyou are confident that the investmentyou make in Worldwide ERC® is asound one and brings you the valueyou expect from your professionalcommunity. This year, we introducedthe new Worldwide ERC® Summary

Appraisal Report in response tocumulative changes in the economyand real estate markets, shifts inindustry practices and policies, andrecent changes to the UniformStandards of Professional AppraisalPractice (USPAP), to ensure that theform continued to be a valuable tool

under all market condi-tions. We also havemade changes to ourconference program-ming: enhancing peer-to-peer connectionswith speed networking,text alerts and Twitter,and boosting your useand knowledge of techtools with on-site tech-

nology support. And we have anactive agenda in our tax and legalarea that addresses issues from VATand immigration to monitoring U.S.state issues and providing informa-tion on the FTC Red Flags Rule.

Though I am offering this mid-year report, I am very much a mes-senger of the work you are doing;the work of those on our committeesand task forces; of those who com-municate from offices and in thefield; and of those who connect witheach other from the smallest regionsto the largest continents. You are theforward-thinking, forward-planningforce that is Worldwide ERC®.Thank you for the great honor ofserving you as we discover our nextinitiatives together. —Michael C. Washbourn, SCRP, GMS

2010 Worldwide ERC® PresidentPfizer Inc.

Perceptions

Midpoint Metrics

It’s common practice to take stock of a mission at the midpoint, so I’m pausing for a moment during my year as

Worldwide ERC® president to renew my commitment to the initiatives I outlined early in 2010, and to share with

you my thoughts on our progress. It’s a great honor to be given a leadership responsibility for the association that

shapes our industry, and I have—more than once—been humbled by this significant responsibility and opportunity.

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Magazine of Worldwide ERC®

MOBILITY

MOBILITY/JULY 2010 7

Features

22 Money Doesn’t Grow on Trees—or Does It? The‘Greening’ of Relocation Management CompaniesBy Betsy Welch, CRP, GMS,

and Janet Olkowski, SCRP, SGMS

30 Survey Says... It’s Good to be Green By Stephen McGarry, SCRP

36 Real Estate Agents Have a Responsibility to ‘Go Green’By Molly Phillips, ABR, SRS, EcoBroker®, GREEN

40 Top 10 List: How Worldwide® ERC Members Mean to be GreenBy Doug Weed, SCRP, SGMS

44 Brazil, the ‘B’ of the BRICsBy Jorge Morazzani and Débora Bigio

52 Panama By Anne Dean, GMS, and

Analisa Villalaz de Laffitte, GMS

58 Tangoing through the Argentine Immigration Process: Challenges and Tips for SuccessBy Christi Dominguez

66 Adding a Company to the GSA Schedule of WorkBy Bill Mulholland, CRP, GMS

70 Putting Duty of Care on Your Organization’s Radar ScreenBy Suzanne Garber

58

44

70

22

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Magazine of Worldwide ERC®

MOBILITY

D E P A R T M E N T S

2 CALENDAR

4 PERCEPTIONSMidpoint MetricsBy Michael C. Washbourn, SCRP, GMS

10 AROUND THE WORLDWIDE ERC®

12 EXECUTIVE SPOTLIGHT

15 INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT

15 WORLDWIDE ERC® TRENDSPOTTING

18 QUICK TAKES

76 RAC REPORT

78 MARKETPLACE

79 GLOBILITY®

80 LAST PAGE

MOBILITYS T A F FVice President & PublisherJerry [email protected]

Managing EditorFrank [email protected]

E D I T O R I A L A D V I S O R Y C O M M I T T E E

ChairmanJo Lay, SCRP, SGMS, Coldwell Banker Central Region Relocation, Northbrook, IL

Alex Alpert, Wheaton World Wide Moving, Tucson, AZ

Tamara Bianchi, CRP, Capital Relocation Services, Denver, CO

Robert F. Burch, SCRP, Alexander’s Mobility Services, Baltimore, MD

Christopher R. Chalk, CRP, GMS, Graebel Relocation Services Worldwide, Alpharetta, GA

Alex Chua, Newport Real Estate Limited, Shanghai, CHINA

Brenda Darrow-Fuhs, Bank of America, Longmont, CO

Terry Baxter Davis, SCRP, SGMS, Ernst & Young LLP, Cleveland, OH

Tim Denney, Stirling Henry Global Migration, Sydney, AUSTRALIA

Marge A. Dillon, CRP, GMS, Xerox Corporation, Lewisville, TX

Sean Dubberke, RW3 LLC, New York, NY

Deborah A. Dull, CRP, GMS, Crown Relocations, Houston, TX

Kari Hamilton, ABODA, Inc., Redmond, WA

Nancy F. Harmann, CRP, GMS, Latter & Blum, Inc., Realtors, New Orleans, LA

Gustavo Higuera, CRP, GMS, Prudential Real Estate and Relocation Services, Scottsdale, AZ

Christine E. Holland, GMS, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA

Ronald Huiskamp, GMS, Dwellworks, LLC, Kirkland, WA

Rob Johnson, SCRP, SGMS, Altair Global Relocation, Plano, TX

Tacha Kasper, CRP, Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®, Chicago, IL

Tim McCarney, GMS, Weichert Relocation Resources Inc., Norwell, MA

Elizabeth Perelstein, School Choice International, White Plains, NY

Patricia Pollard, CRP, GMS, Coldwell Banker United Realtors, Houston, TX

Michelle Sandlin, CRP, John Daugherty Realtors, Inc., Houston, TX

Stefanie R. Schreck, CRP, GMS, American International Group, New York, NY

Scott T. Sullivan, Brookfield Global Relocation Services, Woodridge, IL

Mara Terrace, Siemens Corporation, Global Shared Services NA, Orlando, FL

Sherrie Tessier, CVS, Woonsocket, RI

Allie Williamson, CRP, OneWorld Relocation Services, Naples, FL

G L O B A L E D I T O R I A L A D V I S O R Y C O M M I T T E E

ChairmanJoy Morrison, CRP, SGMS, PepsiCo, Inc., Purchase, NY

Michele Bar-Pereg, Bar-Pereg Group, Amsterdam, THE NETHERLANDS

Lorraine Bello, GMS, Ricklin-Echikson Associates, Inc. (REA), Millburn, NJ

Lorelei Carobolante, SCRP, SGMS, GPHR, G2nd Systems, LLC, San Ramon, CA

Scott Craighead, SCRP, GMS, Blue Sky Executive Search, New York, NY

Anne Dean, GMS, Living Abroad, LLC, Norwalk, CT

Jeff Knapton, SIRVA Relocation, Westmont, IL

Derrick Kon, Mercer (Singapore), Pte. Ltd, SINGAPORE

Anne-Claude Lambelet, SGMS, The International Relocation Associates (TIRA), Geneva, SWITZERLAND

Tacita Lewars, GMS, Globaforce Incorporated, Calgery, Alberta, CANADA

Cindy Madden, CRP, Cartus, Danbury, CT

Andrea Massoud, GMS, Living in Brazil, International Relocation Services, Barueri-Sao Paulo,BRAZIL

Nino Nelissen, SGMS, Executive Mobility Group, Schlipol Airport, THE NETHERLANDS

Constance Pegushin, Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP, San Francisco, CA

Maureen Bridget Rabotin, GMS, Effective Global Leadership, Paris, FRANCE

René Rosemary Stegmann, GMS, Relocation Africa, Cape Town, SOUTH AFRICA

Rita Wagner, GMS, Interdean International Relocation, London, UNITED KINGDOM

Nick Woodhams, SGMS, Woodhams Relocation Centre, Sydney, AUSTRALIA

Design/Production: Ideas, Communicated, LLC, Vienna, VA,www.ideascommunicated.com

Printing: CADMUS Specialty Publications, Richmond, VAReprints: Katina Moaney, CADMUS Reprint Services,

[email protected]; +1 866 487 5625 ext. 3736

Advertising Sales: Glen Cox, National Sales Manager, The Townsend Group,+1 301 215 6710; ext. 109;

[email protected]


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Rock Solid®

value everystepof thewayWhen it comes to relocation, you have an important

decision to make. So why not select a company that

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Around the Worldwide ERC®

Since its inception in 2003, morethan 2,500 individuals haveearned the Worldwide ERC®

Global Mobility Specialist (GMS™)designation. As a result of the contin-ued evolution and successful progressof the GMS™ program, we are pleasedto introduce new GMS™ recertifica-tion criteria and a Senior GlobalMobility Specialist (SGMS™) designa-tion.

New Recertification RequirementsIn addition to the online catalogue

of global courses available for GMS™

recertification credit, designees maynow earn credits from other types ofglobal programming. These creditsmay be earned from specific World -wide ERC® global events and fromoutside organizations provided thecourses/sessions satisfy the criteriafor CE credit approval. We encour-age all of our GMS™ designees toreview the new criteria posted in the

GMS™ pages of www.WorldwideERC.org/Education/GMS/Pages/gms.aspx.

An Exciting SGMS™ Designation We are thrilled to announce that

the new SGMS™ designation alreadyhas been awarded to 115 globalmobility professionals. The SGMS™ isearned by

• holding a valid GMS™ designa-tion;

• completing at least 10 globalContinuing Education (CE) credits

from the Worldwide ERC® OnlineLearning Center; and

• securing at least 10 ServicePoints through considerable contri-butions of time and expertise to themobility industry through WorldwideERC® activity.

All GMS™ designees were contact-ed via e-mail and standard postal mailin June with regard to how the abovechanges personally affect them. Ifyou hold the GMS™ designation and have not received informationfrom us, please contact us [email protected] or call +1 703 842 3430 ext 2. In addition,please contact us if you have anyquestions about the new require-ments or the SGMS™ program.

If you are interested in earning theGMS™ designation, please visit theGMS™ pages of www.WorldwideERC.org for information on upcom-ing course offerings.

Announcing New GMS™ Criteria, SGMS™ Designation

Global Workforce Symposium Exhibit & SponsorshipOpportunities Now Available!

G et ready for one of the global workforce mobilityindustry’s largest annual events! Exhibit and sponsor-ship opportunities are now available for the

2010 Global Workforce Symposium at the SeattleConvention Center in Seattle, WA, from October 27 to 29,2010. Now more than ever, it is critical to take advantage ofthis opportunity to boost your company’s visibility, showcaseyour services, and connect with your clients and partners.You will experience exceptional networking opportunities,insightful educational sessions, and a dynamic relocation ser-vices marketplace at the Symposium. If you provide work-force mobility and relocation services, exhibiting at this eventis a MUST for your company! Exhibit space and sponsorshipopportunities for the Global Workforce Symposium is avail-able on a first-come, first-serve basis, so sign up today!

For more information and to sign up, visit the GlobalWorkforce Symposium online at: www.WorldwideERC.org/Events/Pages/gws10.aspx

Upcoming Worldwide ERC®

EventsWorldwide ERC® Learning Zone WebinarAn Update on the MortgageIndustry: New Legislation Tuesday, July 1, 2010 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. EST

Worldwide ERC® Learning Zone WebinarThe Worldwide ERC® Quarterly Tax and Legal UpdateTuesday, July 13, 2010 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. EST

GMS™ Training and CertificationOctober 26-27 Seattle, WA

Global Workforce SymposiumOctober 27-29 Seattle, WA

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Primacy and Cartus have joined forces. More choices. More solutions.

The two premier companies in the relocation industry have come together to accomplish what neither could do alone. Together, Primacy and Cartus offer a truly comprehensive range of relocation services wherever you need us to be, and we back it up with the most experienced team in the industry. We give you more choices, and more fl exibility to access services through local delivery or global engagement.

We didn’t join forces just to serve more clients. We joined forces to serve our clients even better.

© 2010 Cartus Corporation • All rights reserved Cartus and the Cartus logo are pending or registered trademarks of Cartus Corporation.PRIMACY and the PRIMACY Logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Primacy Relocation, LLC.

Setting a new standard in relocation.

Find out more at www.cartus.com.

It’s about delivering more.

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Executive Spotlight

Paragon Relocation, Rancho SantaMargarita, CA, has named Elaine

Martin director and practice leaderfor the company’s newest subsidiary,Paragon GeoImmigration, and willbe based in Paragon’s Irving, TXoffice.

Frances Martinez Myers has beennamed president of EmployeeTransfer Corporation, Philadelphia,PA.TRC Global Solutions, Milwaukee,

WI, has named Jerry Funaro vicepresident, global marketing.The FIDI Global Alliance, Brussels,

Belgium, has named OrpheeMoschopoulos-Beinoglou ofOrphee Beinoglou International the39th president of the organization. Lawrence-Arendall-Humphries

Real Estate, Birmingham, AL, hasnamed Bruce Gleissner sales agent inits Commercial Real Estate office.

Interstate Worldwide Relocation,Springfield, VA, has named DanSeiler, CRP, director of businessdevelopment for the corporate reloca-tion group.

Darla Furst, managing broker ofthe Palmer Ranch office of MichaelSaunders & Company, Tallahassee,FL, has been appointed to the FloridaReal Estate Commission. Chase’s, New York, NY, home

lending business has named LynHudson, CRP, GMS, vice president,national sales director, based inChesterfield, MO.

Jason Zimmerman has beennamed vice president of Edina RealtyRelocation, Edina, MN, following theretirement of Marj Ford.UniGroup Worldwide UTS, St.

Louis, MO, has named Rolf Munkmanager of customs brokerage for theUnited States.

ReloTrans, Danvers, MA, hasnamed Thomas Bailey businessdevelopment manager. RELO Direct®, Inc., Chicago, IL,

has named Judy Pogue, CRP, vicepresident of sales. Century 21 Real Estate LLC,

Parsippany, NJ, has named MarkForeman senior vice president ofoperations.Prudential Real Estate and

Relocation Services, Inc., Irvine, CA,has named Stephen Van Andenchief marketing and innovation offi-cer.Coldwell Banker United, Realtors®,

Columbia, SC, has named BarbaraScott branch manager and broker-in-charge of its Chapin office.Continuum International Logistics

Inc., Brookfield, CT, has namedDawn Hasil, GMS, president of itsChicago, IL, office.

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Crown Relocations, prior to itsMay 5, webinar, “Leaner, Meaner, &Greener: a New Landscape ofRelocation Management,” conducteda poll querying more than 75 globalmobility professionals about theirpolicies, cost-saving strategies, andcorporate social responsibility initia-tives.

According to the poll, as a result ofthe current economic climate, 14percent of respondents said theircompany will relocate more employ-ees than in 2009, and 46 percentindicated the number of employeeswould remain the same. Forty per-cent said that their companies expectto relocate fewer employees, down20 percent from 2009.

Further, 42 percent of respondentssaid that, as a result of the economy,their company amended its policy in2010, compared to 19 percent in2009. With regard to policy excep-tions, 29 percent granted extensionsof temporary housing, down from 37percent in 2009; 20 percent grantedloss-on-sale support, down 6 percentfrom 2009; and 12 percent extendedthe relocation benefits period, downfrom 16 percent in 2009.

“As we define the new normal,Crown’s survey reveals policy amend-ments are on the rise as organizationsshift mobility practice in more per-manent ways to attract talent yet bal-ance cost-containment initiatives,”said Tricia Stewart, CRP, GMS,director of consulting services forCrown Relocations, Brookfield, CT

With regard to cost-saving strate-gies, 33 percent of respondentsreported a reduction of relocationpackages offered, 24 percent citedoutsourcing or consolidating suppli-ers, and 20 percent said use of temp-orary assignments versus permanentmoves. Sixteen percent reportedimplementing tiered policies, and 7

percent pointed to reduced or elimi-nated homesale support.

According to Crown, organizationstaking positive steps toward address-ing environmental and social issues byengaging in activities related to corpo-rate social responsibility (CSR) do soto reduce business risk and to focus oncustomer and employee preferences.The poll helped to reveal the disparitythat exists between a perceived focuson CSR activities and actual practice.

“While employee mobility involvesenvironmental impacts, as well as theopportunity for community andsocial influences in transfer locations,

66 percent of companies Crown sur-veyed have not integrated corporatesocial responsibility plans into mobili-ty planning, policy, or practice,” saidStewart. “Poll results indicate 25 per-cent of companies Crown surveyedhad reduced unnecessary travelthrough increased use of teleconfer-encing, virtual officing, and progres-sive corporate travel policies; yet only9 percent of participants have incor-porated more broad-based CSR ini-tiatives. This is in contrast to theoverall increase in CSR focus in com-pany mission statements, employeemessaging, and marketing.”


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Ace Midwest Moving and Storage, Little Canada, MN, hasjoined Atlas Van Lines, Evansville, IN.

Employee Transfer Corporation ETCREO Management,Philadelphia, PA, has announced a joint marketing agreement withHalo Portfolio Advisers, LLC, Allen, TX.

Corporate United, Cleveland, OH, has announced it has enteredinto a new commercial moves agreement with the United VanLines, St. Louis, MO,/Mayflower Transit, St. Louis, Alliance.

Continuum International Logistics Inc., Brookfield, IL, hasannounced the opening of an office in Chicago, IL.

Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®, Chicago, IL,has announced the selection of Smarter Agent, Camden, NJ, tooffer mobile services to the network’s more than 600 member firms.The company also announced an expanded partnership with MarketLeader, Kirkland, WA, offering its members a trial version ofRealtyGenerator.

Prudential Real Estate and Relocation Services, Irvine, CA,announced the affiliation of Troth Realtors GMAC Real Estate,Lancaster, CA. The company will operate as Prudential Troth, REAL-TORS®.

Meiers Moving and Storage, Salina, KS, has announced it hasjoined Atlas Van Lines, Evansville, IN, network of agents.

Marriott ExecuStay, Bethesda, MD, has announced an enhancedonline booking process.

The Council of Residential Specialists, Chicago, IL, hasannounced the addition of two new e-learning courses, “Short Salesand Foreclosures: Protecting Your Clients’ Interests” and “Keep ItSimple With Low-cost Online Marketing.”

HCR Group, Basingstoke, United Kingdom, has been awarded athree-year employee relocation contract by the United Kingdom’sNational Grid.

SIRVA, Inc., Chicago, IL, has announced its Pre-Decision Services,designed to enable companies, transferees, and job candidates todetermine how a potential relocation can affect their financial situa-tions.

Arpin International Group has announced the opening of anoffice in Shanghai, China, following the acquisition of Rhema ChinaEast Ltd. through the purchase of its holding company, RhemaCapital Investments.

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Quick Takes

“W e’re sharing real-time information in a way that gets us closer to each other,” wrote WorldwideERC® CEO Peggy Smith, SCRP, SGMS, in her June 11 blog post. “We’re telling our story, and

I’m delighted to watch it unfold.” Her blog, wordsmithing, lives among the interactive members’Communities on the Worldwide ERC® website, www.WorldwideERC.org. Following are some of the conversa-tions currently unfolding:

U.S. Domestic Relocation Forum: “Do you know of any great ideas out there to assist relocating employ-ees with down payments/loans/etc. for home purchase when they don’t have equity remaining after theirhomesale?”

Global Workforce Mobility Forum: “Are you aware of any companies that mandate the business to do candidate assessments for assignments?”

“Have you moved an employee within the same country in South America? My specific case is around a needto ‘relocate’ someone within Brazil from São Paulo to Minas Gerais. My only prior experience has been inMexico, where almost every piece was negotiated and we ended up providing a hybrid between a ‘serviced relo-cation’ and cash allowance. Is there is a ‘typical’ package companies would look to provide or if it is more of alump sum cash payment?”

“Can you verify that it is not customary in the Netherlands to rent out one’s property when they go onassignment?”

The Green Forum: “Do you have experience with wind power, and/or do you know anyone who has con-sidered or installed a wind turbine in either their home or work?”

The China Blog: Matthew Zeng Guoquan, a full-time student in the international MBA program atLingnan (University) College, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China, writes, “has my opinion aboutworking for a foreign multinational or foreign-invested enterprise changed in the last several years? Yes. Iworked for three foreign multinationals for five years before I joined the MBA program. However, I will veryprobably not choose foreign multinationals anymore after graduation.”

Be part of the conversation—log in and add your comments and questions today. To get there, visitwww.WorldwideERC.org/Pages/Web2.0.aspx or click on the white “Communities” text hyperlink at the top ofevery page of www.WorldwideERC.org. Come join your community! Note that access to the Forums is anexclusive benefit of Worldwide ERC® membership.

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The Wall Street Journal recently ranked Gary Hamel as the world’s most influential business thinker, andFortune magazine has called him “the world’s leading expert on business strategy.” Spend small grouptime with Hamel during the Worldwide ERC® Executive Education Program offered at the Global

Workforce Symposium in Seattle, WA, on October 28, 2010. Hamel will provide you with a blueprint for build-ing the essential capabilities that will distinguish tomorrow’s most successful organizations. Hamel’s goal: tohelp you become an inspired management innovator and your company to become a successful managementmaverick.

This outstanding opportunity is offered exclusively to Symposium attendees as an optional add-on. An addi-tional registration fee is required for this program. Attendance is limited. Register today via the Symposium reg-istration form to ensure your place at this exciting program.


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It should be apparent to most companies thataggressive social responsibility initiatives help fosterincreased sustainability. For the purposes of thisarticle, the focus is on the environmental aspect ofsocial responsibility; however, it is important to

keep in mind that the “greening” of an organization isonly one component of the broad picture and, to achievelong-term success, sustainability efforts must encompassnot only environmental, but also social, economic, andcultural drivers. When the leaders of an organizationthink holistically about social responsibility, all four ofthese components are connected inextricably.

From the perspective of a relocation management com-pany (RMC), a discussion of green initiatives would be

remiss without mention of the financial implications, cer-tainly in the current economic environment. Many com-panies have been reluctant to take on comprehensivegreen initiatives because of the apparent expenditurerequired. Making “nice to have” investments seems infea-sible at a time when cost containment is at the forefrontof decision-making processes.

When evaluating the practical realities, the questionremains for most firms: “Can we afford not to go green?”What about the process efficiencies gained and the long-term effects of green initiatives? How can carbon manage-ment efforts reduce risk, streamline processes, increasesales, or provide a competitive advantage—all of whichultimately improve the bottom line?

Money Doesn’tGrow on Trees—

or Does It?

There are many creative and cost-effective ways for relocation management companies toimplement green initiatives within their organizations. In light of the potential process efficiencies and competitive advantages realized through environmentally friendly initia-tives, Welch and Olkowski evaluate whether companies can afford not to “go green.”


The ‘Greening’ of Relocation Management Companies

B Y B E T S Y W E L C H , C R P, G M S , A N D J A N E T O L K O W S K I , S C R P, S G M S

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More Than Good PRGoing green is much more than a

public relations tactic. According to aFebruary 2009 McKinsey GlobalSurvey on valuing corporate socialresponsibility, CFOs, institutionalinvestors, and investment and corpo-rate social responsibility professionalssay environmental programs will cre-ate more shareholder value duringthe next five years. Compa nies willcreate carbon management initiativesand build goodwill along with theother benefits, but their efforts willbe driven by regulation.

How does this affect RMCs? Therequirement to support client greeninitiatives will be part of the sourcingprocess and require RMCs to focuson their processes, the green prac-

tices of their supplier partners, andminimization of litigation risk.

Clients Have Gone GreenRMC clients already have led the

way. Whether in manufacturing,pharmaceuticals, chemicals, food andbeverages, or other industries, corpo-rate clients have taken aggressivesteps to protect the environment aswell as their businesses—not onlyfrom a socially responsible and strate-gic positioning standpoint, but froma regulatory perspective. They willhave to continue to follow regulatoryguidelines to avoid financial penaltiesand obtain funding from financialinstitutions and investors.

Companies will need vast amountsof capital as they are required to

switch to new, environmentallyfriendly ways of production. Thatcapital will come from banks that areconfident that their corporate cus-tomers will be around for the longhaul. RMCs would be wise to dobusiness with clients that are fuelingthe low-carbon economy, as they willreduce the business risk to RMCs—the loss that can result from clientsthat are not fiscally sound and able toweather the economic cycles of thefuture.

To further elaborate on the“client” effect, companies are askingRMCs about their environmentallyfriendly practices during the requestfor information (RFI) or request forproposal (RFP) process. If the RMCis unable to provide a comprehensive


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26 MOBILITY/JUNE 2010

response to the RFI questions ongreen initiatives, the opportunity tobid on the client’s business may belost altogether. Often, the inquiriesgo beyond the RMC operations tosupply chain practices.

Greening the Supply ChainRMCs must closely monitor their

supply chain’s efforts concerninggreen initiatives. When an employerengages the services of the RMC, itis, by extension, employing theRMC’s service partners as well.RMCs have a responsibility to ensurethat they and their suppliers are help-ing to present environmentallyfriendly global mobility solutions.

The RMC also must stay currenton environmental regulations andmake any necessary adjustments forcompliance and client reporting. Justas corporations are driving green ini-tiatives through requirement of RMCeco-friendly practices, so, too, mustthe RMCs direct this effort whenselecting supplier partners. RMCsshould include specific questions onsupplier applications pertaining totheir green practices, as well as estab-

lish metrics regarding minimumrequirements. Examples mightinclude the following types of items:

All service partners. What initia-tives has your organization taken tohelp protect the environment? Howdoes your firm stay up to date onregulatory issues regarding environ-mentally friendly business practices?

Real estate brokers. Do any ofyour agents have green certifications?How is your brokerage encouraginggreen practices in the real estate com-munity?

Inspectors. How do you stay upto date on the latest environmentalissues? How do you communicatethese issues to your clients? Whatsolutions do you provide to helpresolve environmental or hazardousissues?

Appraisers. How does your firmstay up to date on placing a value ona green home?

Household goods providers.How is your company working toreduce its carbon footprint? Doesyour fleet include any diesel-electrichybrid trucks? Do you use recyclablepacking materials and moving boxes?

Minimizing RiskWithin the public forum, there has

long been a perception that RMCsrepresent “deep pockets” when itcomes to U.S. real estate transac-tions. Historically, a buyer of a relo-cation inventory home will pursuelegal action more readily with theRMC if issues arise with the property.Whether the RMC is at fault or not,the cases often are settled to avoidsubstantial legal fees required to fightthe case.

Examples include contaminatedsoil from leaking underground stor-age tanks, contaminated well water,or items disclosed that the buyeraccepted but later found “unaccept-able.”

As a result, RMCs take carefulmeasures to reduce the legal andfinancial risk in managing theirclients’ homesale programs. Theyinspect, obtain disclosures, and scru-tinize appraisals and broker marketanalyses—for their protection as wellas their clients. One missed environ-mental hazard could cost the RMCand the client a considerable amountof money.

INDICATE the level of importance ofproviding awareness and knowledge foryour company of due diligence foridentifying environmental pollution/contamination risks associated withresidential real estate that may affect thepurchase or sale of an employee’s home.

Important 64 percent

Somewhat important 26 percent

Not important 10 percent

Source: August 2009 Worldwide ERC® Green Survey



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In addition, the destination prop-erties that transferring employeespurchase could become an inventoryproperty in the event of a futuretransfer. Ensuring that the employ-ees’ new homes are environmentallysafe is equally important.

In addition to familiar environ-mental hazards such as radon gas,landfills, contaminated soil or water,there are more, less familiar hazardssuch as sites that have been contami-nated by dry cleaning chemicals,unique local environmental factors,or homes that have been built withinferior or contaminated materialssuch as EIFS or Chinese drywall.RMCs and their inspection compa-nies must stay well informed andproactively update their corporateclients about the risks of these envi-ronmental hazards.

Staying ahead of the curve and tak-ing steps to prevent and correct envi-ronmental issues will help minimizerisk for the RMCs. Institutionalizingsome of these items in clients’ mobil-ity policies to prevent future effectsmust be driven by the RMCs as partof their ongoing consultative servicesto clients. According to Vanessa N.Pantano’s May 2009 MOBILITY arti-cle, “When Environmental ProblemsReach Homes,” the health risks asso-ciated with exposure to hazardoussubstances varies according to thesubstance. No matter how small thehealth risk, the legal and financial riskfor RMCs and, by extension theirclients, is in creased if they have beenparty to the sale and/or purchase ofan affected property.

Gaining the Green Competitive Edge Companies that produce a prod-

uct, such as organizations in manu-facturing, pharmaceuticals, food and

beverages, consumer goods, and thelike, will gain a competitive advan-tage through their environmentallysound practices and products. In aservice industry such as workforcemobility, the competitive edge is afiner distinction. The greatest assetto a company providing a service isits people. Providing electronic solu-tions, rather than compiling massesof documents, provides significantprocess efficiencies and substantiallyaffects recycling and waste.

In recruitment initiatives, RMCs(along with other organizations)need to attract eco-conscious candi-dates who will be fully engaged inthe firm’s green initiatives.Cone,Inc.’s “2006 Millennial CauseStudy” indicated that 69 percent ofrespondents said that their compa-ny’s social and/or environmentalactivities make them feel proud towork there, and 64 percent said thattheir company’s social and/or envi-

ronmental activities make them feelloyal to their organization. To con-tinue to recruit and retain talent—which will help sustain their busi-nesses—RMCs must incorporategreen initiatives into their organiza-tions’ strategic goals. These person-ally and professionally important ini-tiatives can tip the scale when a can-didate is weighing the pros and consof working for one company overanother.

Creative SolutionsThere is no doubt that times have

been tough. However, years aheadwill be even more challenging ifRMCs are not engaged actively intheir responsibilities to protect ourenvironment. RMCs must continueto perform due diligence on clientpartners, supply chain partners, andthe homes they are selling and pur-chasing. There also are many inex-pensive steps that the RMCs can taketo positively affect the environment.

There are eco-passionate peoplewithin each RMC who can help drivegreen initiatives, and there are manycreative and cost-effective methodsof implementation. For those in anorganization that has been reluctantto make the necessary investments,convince leadership that not makingthose expenditures may jeopardizethe firm’s future and limit the clientengagements that require the RMCto participate in green initiatives.

Janet Olkowski, SCRP, SGMS, is vicepresident, consulting services for CornerstoneRelocation Group, Basking Ridge, NJ, and a member of the Worldwide ERC® GreenInitiatives Committee. She can be reached at +1 908 548 3115 or e-mail [email protected].

Betsy Welch, CRP, GMS, is vice president,strategic services for Cornerstone RelocationGroup, Basking Ridge, NJ. She can bereached at +1 908 484 1003 or [email protected].


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Worldwide ERC® is commit-ted to building a greenerworld. When its headquar-ters office moved inNovember 2007, several fac-

tors were taken into consideration, includinghow the location could aid in Worldwide ERC®

becoming more socially and environmentallyresponsible. Ultimately, the selected site, aLeadership in Energy and Environmental Design(LEED) silver-certified building, is on the cut-ting-edge of “green” commercial real estate. Itsfeatures include stormwater management, heatisland reduction, optimized energy performance,and indoor pollutant source control, amongcountless other sustainable designs.

“Green” can mean many things but, forWorldwide ERC® members, it is what can bedone as individuals, companies, and an associa-tion to make our planet a place that can beinhabited by our children for generations tocome.

In 2009, a task force was organized to explorethe impact of the sustainable, environmentalbusiness and living practices on our members,their companies’ operations, and our mobilityindustry. Lead by Kevin Rich, SCRP, of NewWorld Van Lines, South Hamilton, MA, a surgi-cal approach was taken to assess current sustain-

able business practices among our members andtheir desire to learn more in this area. A surveywas designed and nearly 400 members respond-ed, one of the highest survey response rates forWorldwide ERC®.

The breakdown of the respondents was dis-tributed very evenly, with about 20 percent for all the membership categories—corporate, relocation management companies, real estate brokers, appraisers, and workforce mobility/relocation specialty service providers. For all ofyou who responded, we would like to thank youand, for those who did not, we will look foryour participation next time.

What Are We Doing Right?The results of the survey revealed a member-

ship with a high level of social and ecologicalresponsibility with an eagerness to learn moreabout becoming good environmental citizensand better understand how sustainable businesspractice will shape mobility programs. Ourmembers are passionate about the health of ourplanet and they show it in their everyday acts ofgoodness. Take the HCR Group in Basing -stoke, United Kingdom. As a part of the organi-zation’s ongoing commitment to reduce its car-bon footprint, it plants a tree for every corpo-rate relocation case undertaken. When agents at

The Worldwide ERC® Green Initiatives Committee spent the last year examining the sustainability practices and eco-friendly programs of Worldwide ERC® members. McGarry takes a look at asample of the findings and discusses their relevance as they relate to the current business world, where increased significance has been placed on organizations being environmentally and sociallyresponsible.

B Y S T E P H E N M C G A R R Y , S C R P


Coldwell Banker Prime Properties inAlbany, NY, visit their listings, theyleave large bags with the sellers torecycle remaining canned goods todonate to the local ministry.

In an independent survey of the topGreenest U.S. Companies conductedby Newsweek (http://greenrankings.newsweek.com) 80 percent of the top100 companies are Worldwide ERC®

members. This shows that our mem-bership is made up of caring organiza-tions and that we are socially andenvironmentally responsible. Kudosto all who made the list.

According to the Worldwide ERC®

Green Survey, 92 percent said theycurrently are recycling office prod-ucts; 66 percent are using energy-efficient lighting and equipment; 43percent promote walking, biking, ortaking mass transit to work; 41 per-cent have installed automatic shut off

for equipment; and 31 percent par-ticipate in global events to improvethe environment.

It is important to remember theflip side of these statistics whensearching for what more can be doneto become a more environmentallyconscious organization. Although 92percent of the respondents currentlyare recycling office products, thatmeans there still are 8 percent thatare not. When it comes to “what canwe do,” recycling not only is the easi-est item on any list with regard tomaking the planet a better place, forthe most part, it is law. Although 92percent looks good, there is no rea-son this should not be 100 percent.

Sixty-six percent of the respondentsstate that they are now using energy-efficient lighting and equipment. Thiscan be as simple as replacing regularfluorescent or incandescent bulbs withthe more efficient CFL spiral bulbs. Aquick aside—if every American homereplaced just one light with a CFL spi-ral bulb, the country would saveenough energy to light more than 3million homes for a year, save about$700 million in annual energy costs,


Your Advertising Dollars Save the EarthIN ADDITION to printing this issue on recycled paper,Worldwide ERC® used a portion of its July MOBILITY advertisingrevenue to plant 100 trees in the Atlantic Forest of Brazil (considered one of the world’s most endangered tropical rainforests; only 7 percent of its original area remains)through The Nature Conservancy’s Plant a Billion Trees pro-gram. The goal of this program is to restore 2.5 million acres of landand plant a billion trees during the next seven years.

Learn more about The Nature Conservancy’s Plant a BillionTrees program at http://www.plantabillion.org/.

ARE YOU seeing more transferees seeking homes with green features such asenergy-saving appliances,water conservation systems,use of non-toxic paints, sustainable or recycled building materials, and the like?

Yes 35 percent

No 65 percent

INDICATE the level of importance of providing awareness and knowledge for your company of trends in marketing and buying homeswith green features such as: energy-saving appliances, waterconservation/recycling features, geothermal heating and cooling, solarand wind power, healthy home interiors, and the like.







and prevent nine billion pounds ofgreenhouse gas emissions per year, orthe equivalent of the emissions ofabout 800,000 cars.

The old saying of “a little goes along way” is no truer than the state-ment above. Just think about whatthe savings in energy costs andgreenhouse gases could be if we didthis in all our offices, as well.

Support for Green InitiativesWe asked why your company sup-

ports its green initiatives and to rankthe items by importance to eachcompany. When asked about envi-ronmental importance, 99 percent ofthe respondents said that the level forthese considerations were “impor-tant” or “somewhat important,” and97 percent said health and safetyconsiderations were “important” or“somewhat important.”

With regard to environmental andhealth concerns, we need to look atthe issues that, during the years inour industry, have come to poseenvironmental and health hazards.These issues, which we can call the

“risk” items, are radon, asbestos, andUGOTs (underground oil/fueltanks), to name just a few.

There is no doubt that there is agreat deal of concern over theseissues. It is a matter of what we doabout it. The answer is what we havebeen doing—identify, repair, replace,remediate, remove and, of course,educate.

There were other reasons why yousupport green initiatives. Ninety-eight percent stated that ethics were“important” or “somewhat impor-tant,” and 95 percent cited the eco-nomics as “important” or “somewhatimportant.”

When asked what Worldwide ERC®

can do in providing awareness andknowledge to your company, the per-centage of respondents who answered“important” or “somewhat impor-tant” on eco-friendly programs was96 percent; tax and legislative incen-tives for building green was 91 per-cent; due diligence for identifyingenvironmental pollution/contamina-tion risks was 90 percent; trends inmarketing and buying homes with


The 2010 GreenInitiativesCommitteeChairmanKevin E. Rich, SCRPNew World Van Lines, Inc., South Hamilton, MA

Rob Barber Environmental Data Resources, Inc.,Milford, CT

Cori L. Beaudet, SCRP, GMSSC Johnson—A Family Company, Racine, WI

Renee Carnes-Rook, CRPCartus, Danbury, CT

William Graebel, SGMS Graebel Relocation Services Worldwide,Aurora, CO

Stephen C. McGarry, SCRP WPP, New York, NY

Ginger E. Merrick, CRP, SGMS Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc., Atlanta, GA

Andy K. Neall, CRPThe MIGroup, Irvine, CA

Janet Olkowski, SCRP, SGMSCornerstone Relocation Group, Basking Ridge, NJ

Molly Phillips, ABR,SRS, EcoBroker®,GREENRE/Max on Track, Germantown, TN

Douglas H. Weed, SCRP, SGMSNSA Consultants, Wheaton, IL

Staff Liaison Tina G. LungWorldwide ERC®, Arlington, VA

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green features was 89 percent; futureeffect of green buildings for corporatehome-purchase programs was 84 per-cent; and future effect of green mind-ed consumers on valuation of greenfeatured homes was 88 percent.

Earlier in the article, we men-tioned the need to educate and, well,that is why we are here. In terms ofhow you would like to learn moreabout these issues, 57 percent wouldlike to see articles on these subjectsin Worldwide ERC® publications, 32percent would like webinars, and 10percent asked for sessions at theWorldwide ERC® conferences.

You have asked, and we haveanswered. There will be green-centricarticles in MOBILITY, more items onthe Worldwide ERC® website, as wellas the online Green Forum.

We encourage all of you to visitthe Green Forum on the World wideERC® website at www.WorldwideERC.org/Forums/ Pages/The-Green-Forum.aspx, to see, and read about,

what companies are doing to betterour planet. It may just be interestingreading for you, or you may be ableto take something away from theForum that you will be able to putinto practical use for you personally,or for your company. If you know ofgreen initiatives that are not on theForum already, we encourage you topost them yourselves, sharing yourknowledge with the entire member-ship.

The survey results, in their entire-ty, are not included in this article, orin this issue of MOBILITY, which wewould like to note is printed entirelyon recycled paper. If you would liketo view the survey in its entirety, youcan find it on the Worldwide ERC®

website, www.WorldwideERC.org, inthe Green Forum section.

Stephen McGarry, SCRP, is director, globalmobility for WPP, New York, NY, and amember of the Worldwide ERC® GreenInitiatives Committee. He can be reached at +1 212 632 2460 or [email protected].

Join Us at the Green ForumREDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE, is advice for those seeking touse resources responsibly. Another piece of advice is to commu-nicate “paperlessly.” Our online discussion forums often arecited as one of the most important benefits of Worldwide ERC®,and provide an important platform for exchanging ideas and ask-ing questions for members who share an interest in “goinggreen.” If you have ideas about helping the workforce mobilityindustry “go green,” join members of the Green InitiativesCommittee during the first week of July at the Green Forum onthe Worldwide ERC® website, www.WorldwideERC.org. Just log inand click on “Communities” and choose the “Green Forum,” orvisit your “My Account” page and scroll down to the “Forums”section. While there, sign up for alerts to the forums in which youare most interested by clicking the “Subscribe to this Forum”link.

Visit the forums frequently to keep your “finger on the pulse” asto what your colleagues are doing to “go green.” You soon willsee opportunities to share your expertise and build your personalbrand as someone who is knowledgeable about this importanttopic. If you have any questions, please e-mail [email protected].

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Real Estate Agents Have a Responsibility to

‘Go Green’36 MOBILITY/JULY 2010

phillips_MOBILITY 6/17/10 4:03 PM Page 2


As a licensed real estate broker with 14years experience, I know the importanceof staying ahead of the curve in our mar-ket. Helping to save our planet is not justa trend; the green movement is altering

the fabric of our social and economic environment.Becoming a green real estate agent starts with a sort ofpassion. I believe this is my way of helping to educate thepublic about the importance of green initiatives.

In the residential real estate market, homebuildersincreasingly are using sustainable products to improve thephysical structure and to reduce energy costs in the longterm. It is a green real estate agent’s job to aid buyers intheir search for homes that use these products in theirconstruction, as well as to educate purchasers of thesehomes on the ways in which these items will save money.

EcoBrokers® and Green Realtors®

There are several designations that real estate profes-sionals can pursue to underline their commitment towardbuilding a more energy-efficient and sustainable planet.

EcoBroker®, founded in 2002, is the provider of greendesignation training for real estate professionals. CertifiedEcoBrokers® are real estate professionals who havereceived energy and environmental training, and pursueproperties for their clients that provide a reduction in car-bon footprint.

In order for a real estate agent to earn the EcoBroker®

designation, one must take all three required classeseither in person or online. These educational classes aredetail-oriented and keep the student constantly interact-ing with assignments. The assignments are geared towardmaking the EcoBroker® more familiar with other greenprofessionals in the participant’s market. For example,

one project would require the real estate agent to puttogether a marketing campaign by teaming up withanother green professional—for example, creating a mail-ing that would offer a free energy evaluation with agreen-certified home inspector when you call anEcoBroker® to schedule a listing appointment. The classesthemselves are lengthy, but are excellent training tools tohelp the EcoBroker® become more knowledgeable as acertified green professional.

The National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) alsohas created a green designation for residential, commer-cial, and property management real estate professionals.This designation is still new and continuously adding newmaterial, such as the EcoBroker® program. Unlike theEcoBroker® certification, however, NAR’s GreenDesignation is only offered to Realtors® and not othercontractors in the profession.

The Search for an Efficient HomeThanks to the Internet, buyers in the market today

have access to a wide variety of information concerninggreen construction. They want low maintenance homesthat use less energy. EcoBrokers® help homebuyers shopfor energy-efficient homes and are trained to point outthe features and benefits of natural building materials forthe environmentally-conscious consumer. A certifiedGreen Realtor® can show buyers how improved indoor airquality, along with adequate ventilation and ideal siteselection, can add to a homeowner’s comfort of living.

The purpose of building green homes is to reducemaintenance costs, provide a healthy and comfortableway of life, and benefit the environment. What does allthis mean when shopping for the most efficient homeswith clients?

It is a “green” real estate agent’s job to aid homebuyers in their search for eco-friendlyhousing, as well as illustrate how energy-efficient construction saves money in the longterm. Phillips, a certified green real estate agent, offers a look at how the movement toward sustainability is affecting the real estate agents.

B Y M O L LY P H I L L I P S , A B R , S R S , E C O B R O K E R ® , G R E E N



For starters, looking forEnergyStar-rated appliances will helpbuyers save money through a reduc-tion in water usage. An improve-ment in the quality of indoor air as away of reducing harmful chemicalsand pollutants can lead to a healthyand happy household.

The Environmental ProtectionAgency reports that homes built witha geothermal heating and coolingsystem use fewer than half the fuelrequired of any other heating andcooling system. Geothermal systemsrun off the earth’s renewable energythat is absorbed from the sun. Didyou know that, according toEnertech Manufacturing, LLC, usinga geothermal system has the equiva-lent effect on the environment asplanting an acre of trees?

The ability to point out the impor-tance of lot and site developmentwith regard to where a house is situ-ated can illustrate to buyers how wellthe house will be heated and cooled.The optimal position for a home isfacing due south. Southern-facinghomes realize the most solar gain inthe winter and less of the hot after-noon western sun in the summer,

thereby helping with utility bills dur-ing both the colder and warmermonths. Owners of green homes thatare EnergyStar-certified can realisti-cally expect to save up to 30 percenton utility bills.

Green-certified Real EstateBeing on the cutting edge of edu-

cation helps a real estate agent pro-vide buyers and sellers with the bestpossible representation in today’schanging market. The NationalAssociation of Home Builders(NAHB) has instituted a NationalGreen Building Program that pro-vides buyers and homeowners withmore efficient and more durable newand remodeled homes.

Green Homebuilding Guidelineswere introduced by the NAHB in2005. The National Green BuildingStandard and rating system wasadopted in 2008 and was approved bythe American National StandardsInstitute (ANSI). Prior to this, theLeadership in Energy and Environ -mental Design (LEED) already haddeveloped and instituted a greenbuilding rating system. The LEEDrating system is dominant in the com-

mercial building sector but still is usedto certify residential construction.

Marketing the Green HomeNot everyone can guarantee ener-

gy savings when selling their homebut, when a green professional mar-kets an energy efficient home, theycan do just that. Green marketing ofhomes will help buyers to betterunderstand what is beyond the wallsof a home and how those things cansave them money. EcoBrokers® canuse various means of marketing toolsto spotlight energy-saving features ina particular home. A Green Realtor®

will be “the source of the source”when it comes to informing buyerswho are looking for homes that willbe more energy efficient and savethem money in the future. Marketingthe green home is a more informativemarketing plan. A Green Realtor®

will offer more facts about the qualityfeatures rather than using catchphrases or visually descriptive wordsto describe a property. Therefore,one could say that there is moretruth in marketing a green home.

Homebuyers in search of a greenhome are seeking energy conserva-

INDICATE the level of importance of providingawareness and knowledge for your company of eco-friendly programs that generate operational costsavings; protect occupant health; improve employeeproductivity; use energy, water, and other resourcesefficiently; and contribute to a healthy environment.







tion. As fuel and energy costs contin-ue to increase, the finance-savvy buy-ers are looking for ways to cut costs.According to Lifestyles of Health andSustainability (LOHAS), 30 percentof the population now is buyingmore organic foods, products, andhybrid vehicles. When energy conser-vation in homes is marketed as moreof a consumer product than a techni-cal product, the results should followthis same buying trend.

Green marketing is practical yetstrategic. This type of marketing willaid in consumers adopting more sus-tainable products. Green marketingsets homes apart from others intoday’s market. Let us face it, this is atough real estate market. Here is thegood news: real estate agents, buil -ders, and sellers can get ahead of thecompetition by marketing green,building green, and remodeling withgreen upgrades.

Readying a Green HomeAs a seller in today’s market, it is

important to use money wisely toprepare a home to sell. EcoBrokers®

and Green Realtors® can assist theseller in making the best decisionsconcerning home improvements.

Replacing kitchen appliances withones that use less water and electrici-ty is a good investment that will helpto sell a home. Adding insulation to ahome is a good selling feature notonly to keep a house warmer in thewinter, but also to lower utility billsin the summer.

Using natural materials to update ahome will appear cosmetically appeal-ing, as well as resourceful. For in -stance, replacing Formica counter-tops in a kitchen with granite usesthe earth’s natural stone and creates abeautiful showplace that will reap ahefty return on one’s investment.

Green-trained real estate profes-sionals can help sellers with smallideas on greening a home and sug-gest larger eco-friendly remodel pro-jects that will help sell a home fasterand for more money. EcoBrokers®

and Green Realtors® use more chan-nels to market a home with greenfeatures. There are additional web-sites and added features in MultipleListing Services (MLS), print materi-als that really stand out to enhancethe features, and other publicationsto advertise a green home as opposedto just a conventional house.

Making a DifferenceGoing green is both an attitude

and a lifestyle. The public can makesmall changes in their daily activitiesto help save the environment withoutinterrupting their routines. Con sciouseffort, along with minor improve-ments such as changing light bulbs tothe compact fluorescent bulbs andunplugging cell phone chargers whennot in use will help to reduce eachhousehold’s carbon footprint.

With the two designations that Icurrently hold, EcoBroker® and theNational Association of REALTORS®

GREEN, I am continuously research-ing ways to help educate homebuyersand sellers, and myself on ways tobetter our ecosystem. Along withother professionals in the industrywho share a common interest, we aretaking daily business practices andreforming them to better the envi-ronment.

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We asked our membership to tell us whatthey are doing on a personal basis to “GoGreen.” Following are the top 10 ideasthey shared.

10. Plant a tree. Green plants use photosynthesis togrow. In this process, carbon dioxide (CO2) is convertedto oxygen. In addition, trees help the evaporation ofwater into the atmosphere. This helps create clouds thatcan reflect harmful solar radiation.

You can pay to have a tree planted for you. Click on www.carbonfund.org/trees and for $10 they will plant 10 trees.And, if you do so by July 22, they will plant your trees inHaiti, which will further help reduce floods and landslideswhile simultaneously reducing greenhouse gasses.

9. Composting. It is estimated that each person in theUnited States generates 1.3 pounds of food scraps daily.

That represents 13 percent of the total U.S. municipalsolid waste. Normally, the scraps are put in a trash bagand left on the curb for collection, but this increases thevolume of garbage in landfills, as well as increases theirmaintenance costs. Depending on the trash bag, it couldtake years to biodegrade and return to the environment.You could use a disposal, but that uses water and energyto run. It also adds to the cost of maintaining your com-munity sewage treatment facility. Rather, collect foodscraps and let them compost in your yard. Not only doesthat reduce the environmental effect of dealing with it inthe traditional ways, you also can use it to fertilize yourown garden where you can grow your own food andflowers. A double win! See www.earth911.com/news/2010/04/26/the-next-wave-in-composting for more infor-mation.

Top 10 List: How WorldwideERC® MembersMean to be GreenThe Green Initiatives Committee survey revealed a great deal about the sustainability initiatives practiced by Worldwide ERC® members in their commitment toward going green. Weed offers the top 10 ideas individual members had for aiding in the reduction of our own carbon footprints.


B Y D O U G W E E D , S C R P, S G M S

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8. Check the ingredients. Howdo we pick the products that servethe purpose while also being safe forus and the environment? Two ways:learn more about dangerous ingredi-ents and read the label of your prod-ucts. A resource to find ingredientsto avoid and learn many ways tobecome more savvy is the GreenGuide for everyday living: www.thegreenguide.com.

7. Shop smart. We should con-sider environmental factors when wemake our purchases. Things such asmileage ratings for automobiles,ENERGY STAR ratings for electricalappliances, and even the manufactur-ers themselves are trying to help usshop smart.

Other manufacturers use recycledmaterials in their products. What per-

centage of your computer came fromrecycled materials?

6. Eat smart. Should we knowwhat went into growing and produc-ing the food we eat?

Your best bet to date is to look forfoods that are USDA-certifiedOrganic. Not many products canmake this claim because to do sothey must be produced withoutantibiotics, hormones, genetic engi-neering, radiation, or synthetic pesti-cide or fertilizers.

5. Commute smarter. Getting towork can cost us not only dollarsbut, more important, in terms of ourmost limited resource of all, ourtime. So how do we save time,money, and scarce resources as wecommute to work, school, or meet-ings?

Find a place to live that is conve-nient to work and other destinationsof interest. There is a new website,www.walkscore.com, that can help. Youcan plug in any address and it will cal-culate walking distance to many of themost common amenities that we needon a daily basis. Check this site outbefore you buy or rent a new home.

And, if you find a home that is inwalking distance to most things butyou still want a car to use on occa-sion, there is a smart way to do that,too. Check out Zipcar and Zimride;two of the fastest growing and eco-logically friendly transportation ser-vices available.

Not every location is in walkingdistance to work and shopping. Butyou also should know about publictransportation options available toyou. If you spend a little time doingresearch, you will find alternatives inalmost every location. Although thetrip may take a little longer, the timeactually might be productive ratherthan a waste of time and resources.

4. Meet/learn smarter. There area number of ways to do virtual meet-ings and virtual training. No matterwhich method you choose, ultimate-

Initiatives Taken in Support of Going Green

Recycling of office products 92 percent

Using energy-efficient lighting and equipment 66 percent

Installing automatic shut off for equipment 41 percent

Minimizing water consumption by using water-conserving plumbing fixtures 36 percent

Promoting walking, biking, and taking public transit 43 percent

Partnering with environmentally friendly suppliers/companies 38 percent

Encouraging carpooling for employees 29 percent

Offering telecommuting to employees 38 percent

Selecting a location with public transit access 19 percent

Offering recycling programs for selected personal products, e.g., mobile phones 38 percent

Participating in global events to improve the environment (e.g., Earth Day, fundraisersfor nature conservation) 31 percent

Alternative work schedules like four-day work weeks to reduce impact from commuting 19 percent

Use of alternative energy sources like solar, wind, or geothermal 7 percent

Other 15 percentSource: August 2009 Worldwide ERC® Green Survey

weed_MOBILITY 6/16/10 11:35 AM Page 4


ly what used to require travel dollars,personnel time, and consumption offossil fuels now means every milesaved helps boost productivity andconserve the environment.

3. Reduce waste. When peoplethink of waste, they naturally think ofa trash can or a Dumpster whereunused items are deposited. Butwaste can be much more than that.What about when you brush yourteeth in the morning? If you leavethe water running for a minute ortwo while you brush, how muchwater have you wasted?

How about all that junk mail youget? How much of that goes rightfrom the mailbox to the wastebasket(or recycling bin)? There is a serviceavailable to reduce junk mail,www.41pounds.org. They say the aver-age subscriber can save 41 pounds ofwasted paper products per yearthrough the use of their service.

What about appliances that drawpower even when the appliance is notbeing used? A great example of this isyour mobile phone charger. Is itplugged in 24/7? It uses energy even

if your phone is not being charged.Are you leaving lights on in yourhome? If yes, why? I love to go downthe row of treadmills at my health cluband turn off the personal TVs thatpeople leave on when they are finishedwith their workout. How much effortdoes it take to turn the TV off?

There are a number of ways toautomate the reduction of waste.Automatic shut offs for lights that aretied to motion detectors, smartpower strips that sense current usage,more efficient light bulbs, more effi-cient appliances and furnaces, more/better insulation, and just closingdoors during heating and coolingseasons are all examples of ways toreduce waste. And, naturally, buyingwhat you need and using what youbuy is the best way to control wasteand help the environment.

2. Proactively correct past mis-takes. Do you have an undergroundoil tank? Do you know if it is leaking?How? Have you insulated your homethe best you can? How energy effi-cient are your windows and doors?What about your furnace and hot

water heater? Are there dangerousmaterials in your home? Lead paint,asbestos, radon? Take care of theseissues in an ecologically appropriateway. Do not wait for them to becomea bigger problem and expense downthe road. Chances are you are goingto be hit with the bill anyway, so min-imize the cost to you and to the envi-ronment.

1. Recycle. The smartest and bestway to make for a greener planet is tore-use limited resources wherever pos-sible. This includes recycling paper,plastics, glass, and metals. It meanstaking a little extra time and effort todispose of unwanted items in a waythat is ecologically responsible. Keeptrack of where to recycle batteries andelectronics. Think about what hap-pens to items you throw in the trash.Will they outlive you in some landfillor will they have a new life serving toconserve our natural resources?

Doug Weed, SCRP, SGMS, is principal forNSA Consultants, Wheaton, IL, and a member of the Worldwide ERC® GreenInitiatives Committee. He can be reached at +1 630 533 3502 or e-mail [email protected].

weed_MOBILITY 6/21/10 3:07 PM Page 5

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B r a z i l , t h e ‘B’o f t h e B R I C sB r a z i l , t h e ‘B’o f t h e B R I C s

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Brazil is one of the four “BRIC” coun-tries, an acronym for the fast-growingeconomies of Brazil, Russia, India,and China. These four countriesaccount for more than 20 percent ofthe world’s land area and more than

40 percent of the world’s population. They are developingrapidly, and many say that, during the next few decades, thecombined economies of the BRICs could surpass theeconomies of today’s wealthiest countries.

Recognizing that BRIC countries offer huge businessopportunities, global companies are paying increased atten-tion to these markets, and Brazil is no exception. Thus, theimportance of international assignments to and from Brazilhas become more relevant.

Brazil is a democratic federal republic with a populationof approximately 192 million (the fifth-most populatedcountry in the world) over an area of approximately 8.5 mil-lion square kilometers. In size, it also is the fifth-largestcountry in the world and represents approximately 47 per-cent of the South American territory. Its geography has avaried landscape, diversity of wildlife, and abundance of nat-ural resources. The best example of natural wealth is theAmazon Rainforest, which comprises 3.6 million squarekilometers.

Economic EnvironmentBrazil is the economic leader of Latin America and the

only Portuguese-speaking country in the region. Its econo-my is the second largest in the Americas (after the UnitedStates) and one of the top 10 in the world. In fact, eco-nomic indicators suggest Brazil is the first Latin Americancountry emerging from the recession, according to the

B Y J O R G E M O R A Z Z A N I A N D D É B O R A B I G I O

Officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, Brazil is the largest country in South America and the eighth-largesteconomy in the world in nominal gross domestic product.Morazzani and Bigio offer an overview of the country foremployee mobility professionals, including discussionsconcerning Brazil’s economic environment, immigrationpolicies, taxation, labor law, and compensation benchmarks.



September 2009 issue of TheEconomist.

Because of its distinctive position inSouth America, coupled with severalgovernment initiatives, Brazil hasbeen a focal point for foreigninvestors. To improve its global eco-nomic status, Brazil has lowered inter-est rates, promoted partnershipsbetween the public and private sectors(i.e., public-private partnerships), andparticipates in various multinationaleconomic groups such as Mercosul,G-22, and Cairns Group (a group ofagricultural exporting countries).

As a result, Brazil has continued toprogress in a number of industries,including nuclear and space pro-grams, aircraft manufacturing,nanoscience and nanotechnology,and biotechnology. Agribusiness isresponsible for 34 percent of Brazil’sgross domestic product, 37 percentof national jobs, and 43 percent ofnational exports. In addition, Brazilhas the technological capacity fordeep-sea oil exploration.

Ambassador for International SportsBrazil’s global visibility was further

enhanced after being chosen as hostfor both the 2014 World Cup and2016 Olympic Games. Both eventsare expected to give rise to substan-tial construction and infrastructureinvestments, particularly because theInternational Federation of Associ -ation Football and the International

Olympic Committee impose strictinfrastructure requirements. Thisincreased economic activity willrequire additional technologicalresources and specialized profession-als, and it is projected to bolsterinternational assignments to andfrom Brazil.

Planning International AssignmentsCompanies looking at internation-

al assignments to Brazil should con-sider myriad local aspects. Foreignershired as employees in Brazil are sub-ject to the same rules as Brazilianemployees, namely labor social secu-rity and Brazilian federal revenuelaws. In addition, foreigners workingas directors of Brazilian companiesare subject to the laws of the Na -tional Social Security Institute andthe Federal Revenue Department, aswell as the Civil Code and the StockCorporation Act.

Individuals assigned outside ofBrazil also face a number of uniqueissues related to international deploy-ment, including work contract revi-sions or rescissions and guarantees ofa job on repatriation. They also mustconsider whether to remain on theBrazilian payroll, including whereand how wage payments would bemade, applicable payroll taxes andtaxes withheld, and related matters.

Therefore, companies deployingpersonnel to or from Brazil shouldanalyze all relevant aspects of these

assignments, particularly Brazil’simmigration requirements, laborlaws, and tax system.

ImmigrationBrazilian companies hiring foreign

individuals must comply with localvisa and work permit requirements.Foreigners only are allowed to workin Brazil under one of the followingtypes of visas:

• Permanent visa. Generallyapplicable to investors, administra-tors, managers, directors, or execu-tives with management powers, whowill occupy a decision-making posi-tion at any Brazilian company;

• Temporary visa, type V, withan employment contract. Grantedto foreigners hired as regular em -ployees by Brazilian companies; or

• Temporary visa, type V, with-out an employment contract. Ap -plicable to foreigners who rendertechnical assistance services and tech-nology transfer; requires a technicalservice agreement between a foreignand a national company, and doesnot allow for an employment con-tract with a Brazilian employer.

To obtain these visas, specific doc-umentation is required, includingproving suitable qualifications towork in Brazil. To protect the localjob market, work visas are issued onlyif the remuneration to be paid to aforeigner in Brazil is equal to orhigher than the highest remuneration



paid by the Brazilian employer to aBrazilian individual for the sameposition. Brazilian companies areallowed to pay compensation solelyto those foreigners holding one ofthe first two types of visas previouslymentioned. The third visa (temporaryvisa, type V, without an employmentcontract) does not allow the individ-ual to have an employment contractwith a Brazilian employer, so it doesnot allow the individual to receiveremuneration in Brazil.

According to a survey recentlyconducted by Brazil’s Labor Ministry(http://www.mte.bov.br/), 42,914 jobauthorizations were granted throughDecember 2009. The countries thatsent the most foreigners to work inBrazil were the United States, UnitedKingdom, Philippines, India, andFrance.

Interestingly, during 2008, foreignprivate individuals invested close to$100 million in Brazil, and investedapproximately $33 million up to June2009. These figures show that for-eign jobs in Brazil should not be nar-rowly perceived as competition with

the local workforce, but as an impor-tant source of foreign investments.

Labor LawBrazilian labor legislation is

renowned for its protective nature.Brazil guarantees its foreign employ-ees all rights granted to local Brazilianemployees. In fact, labor rules gener-ally are applicable within Brazil’snational territory irrespective of thenationality or domicile of the parties.In addition, labor rights cannot bewaived by an employee or denied bythe employer, so employees may notbe harmed by an employment rela-tionship. Therefore, when planninginternational assignments to Brazil, itis important to consider labor lawramifications, particularly those thatmay trigger potential incrementalcosts.

Typical BenefitsAll Brazilian workers have the right

to a Severance and Indemnity Fundfor Employees, and employers mustcontribute 8 percent of an employ-ee’s salary to this fund. In case of dis-

missal without cause, an employeemay withdraw the balance in thisfund. The employer must pay theemployee, as part of the terminationpayments, an amount equivalent to40 percent of the balance distributed.In addition, the company must payan additional fine to a governmentsocial fund equivalent to 10 percentof the balance distributed.

Employees of Brazilian companiesalso are entitled to vacation. Em -ployers must grant a mandatory 30-day rest period to an employee afterhe or she has rendered services for 12months. An employee on vacation isentitled to receive regular pay plus anadditional so-called “vacation bonus”equal to one-third of the monthlyremuneration. Total remuneration(i.e., base salary and any other addi-tional compensatory items such asbonuses, fringe benefits, and thelike), must be considered when quan-tifying vacation payments.

Also, an employer is required topay employees an annual so-called“13th salary” (i.e., a Christmasbonus) payable to employees regard-


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less of their remuneration. It isequivalent to one additional monthof salary after taking into considera-tion annual or semiannual bonusesand fringe benefits. The employermust make half of the payment inNovember (or together with vacationif requested by the employee) andthe other half in December.

Because Brazil does not allow itsemployers and employees to negoti-ate legal rights, it is imperative toconsider local law when formalizingthe remuneration package of an indi-vidual being assigned there. Forexample, the employer may considerapportioning an employee’s annualbase salary over 13.33 payments (i.e.,12 monthly regular payments, the13th salary, plus the one-third vaca-tion bonus) to minimize or avoid theincremental cost of the required 13thpayment. Also, employers clearlyshould state whether certain incomeitems should not be so-called “taxequalized” and, for example, consid-er as a matter of policy not tax equal-izing severance benefits.

Recent DevelopmentsBrazilian labor law also protects its

residents working outside the coun-try. Brazil enacted legislation during1982 in response to its companieswith employees rendering servicesabroad—primarily in the area of con-struction in countries with differentlabor legislation—because of con-

cerns that such employees may notenjoy the same labor rights availableunder Brazil legislation.

In July 2009, legislators amendedthe law to extend Brazilian benefitsnot only to employees of engineeringcompanies working outside Brazil,but also to all foreign assignmentsregardless of the economic activity oftheir employers. This amendmentextended Brazilian labor rights toemployees working outside of Brazilin the event that they would notacquire equivalent rights in the hostcountry. However, if the host countrywould grant benefits (e.g., vacation,Christmas bonus, and the like) equalor better than in Brazil, generally anemployee would not be entitled toclaim such benefits from Brazil.

TaxationBrazil has a sophisticated codified

personal taxation system that taxesindividuals up to a maximum of 27.5percent on their income. Under -standing such a system to ensurecompliance and maximize tax-plan-ning opportunities is critical for suc-cessful assignments to Brazil.

Similar to most developed coun-tries, tax residency and the source oftheir income primarily drive taxationof an individual assigned to Brazil. Taxresidents are taxable on worldwideincome (unless statutorily exempt),and nonresidents generally are taxablesolely on Brazil source income.

Brazil considers foreign employeesas tax residents as of the date ofentrance, under either a permanentvisa or a temporary visa type V with alocal employment contract. The hold-ers of temporary visa type V without alocal employment contract would beconsidered tax residents of Brazil after183 days of physical presence in thecountry, consecutive or not, duringany given 12-month period.

Similar to the United States, Brazilallows individuals to claim a foreigntax credit to offset Brazilian incometax imposed on foreign sourceincome, provided there is either a taxtreaty or reciprocal tax treatmentbetween Brazil and the foreign coun-try. Although there is no income taxtreaty between the United States andBrazil, the Brazilian tax authoritiesofficially have confirmed that U.S.federal (but not state) taxes paid tothe United States may be claimed asforeign tax credit, subject to certainlimitations. Solely foreign taxes actu-ally paid (i.e., accrual method is notallowed) may be credited.

Income SourcingUnder the tax laws of most coun-

tries (including the United States),the source of compensation incomefor tax purposes typically would bedetermined based on where servicesare performed (i.e., the location ofthe employer, the payroll, and thepayer is irrelevant). Brazil, however,



determines the source of compensa-tion income by the location of thepayer, irrespective of where the workis performed. This relatively uniqueincome sourcing legislation may offertax-planning opportunities but alsocreate pitfalls for the unwary.

In the case of a U.S. citizendeployed and working full-time inBrazil, it typically would be advisableto keep the employee on the U.S.payroll subject to actual U.S. incometax withholding (instead of hypotheti-cal tax withholding) to minimize thepossibility of double taxation. Be -cause in Brazil the compensation paidfrom the United States would bedeemed U.S.-source income and sub-ject to U.S. income tax, an individualwould claim a foreign tax credit inBrazil for the U.S. tax withheld. Thisarrangement typically would reduceor eliminate the Brazilian income taxliability and generally ensure that theindividual would claim a full foreigntax credit in the United States for anyresidual Brazilian tax.

However, in the case of Brazilian

employees deployed to the UnitedStates, keeping employees on theBrazilian payroll could result in anonerous double-taxation situation.Such individuals would be deemed toearn their income from U.S. sourcesunder U.S. tax law but from Braziliansources for Brazilian tax purposes.This inconsistent sourcing of incomebetween the United States and Brazilwould result in taxing the income inboth countries with basically no for-eign tax credit relief. Thus, it gener-ally would be advisable to transfer theindividual to the U.S. payroll to bepaid from the United States.

This tax tips summary should beevaluated in conjunction with othercorporate tax ramifications to ensureno adverse corporate tax conse-quences would come into play.

Tax ComplianceTax residents of Brazil are required

to file an income tax return on a cal-endar-year basis (January 1 toDecember 31). Residents must filetheir return on or before the last

working day of April of the followingyear, and no extensions to file areallowed. The income tax return mustreflect worldwide income net ofexpenses and deductions allowed, aswell as income taxes paid and/orwithheld at source during the year.Taxes usually are deducted directlyfrom employees’ salaries, but tax pay-ments on other income (e.g., incomefrom outside of Brazil) must be madevia a monthly filing (called carnê-leão) with a commercial bank.

Interestingly, the Brazilian incometax return also must include a list ofassets and liabilities in the taxpayer’sname as of December 31 of the relat-ed calendar year (or departure date inthe year of breaking residency). Allglobal assets must be reported irre-spective of where they are located,including:

• real estate properties, vehicles,watercraft, and aircraft irrespective ofthe acquisition value;

• other movable property valued atmore than BRL 5,000 (approximate-ly US $2,940);


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• bank accounts with a balance inexcess of BRL 140 (approximatelyUS $82); and

• shares, gold, and financial assetsof BRL 1,000 (approximately US$590) or more.

Assets should be reported at costinstead of market value and may includeassets of the spouse and dependents incertain circumstances. Furthermore,individuals are required to declare liabili-ties with banks, credit companies, indi-

viduals, loans abroad, and the like.The Brazilian government uses this

comprehensive asset and liability dis-closure to scrutinize whether annualvariations in a taxpayer’s equity wouldbe in sync with income declared.Also, by capturing information aboutincome-producing assets outsideBrazil, the tax authorities may identi-fy income from foreign sources. Thisapproach is considerably more com-prehensive than the U.S. system, in

which assets typically are reported viaincome tax returns only to calculatedepreciation/depletion or to reflectits cost in the year of sale or disposal.Probably the only U.S. requirementto disclose assets that is somewhatsimilar to Brazil is the annual foreignbank account form due on June 30,but that is limited to certain non-U.S.financial accounts.

Brazilian residents who permanent-ly leave the country should file an exitprocedure that includes a Com -munication of Departure, an ExitIncome Tax Return and requesting aTax Clearance Certificate to declarethemselves as nonresidents on the dayof their departure. This releases themfrom fiscal obligations in Brazil.

Should they not file this return,they would become nonresidentsonly after 12 months of physicalabsence. Thus, it is generally advis-able to formally claim no residencyon departure.

ConclusionBrazil is the only BRIC country in

the Americas. Time will tell whatinternational economic positionBrazil will gain, but a country with somuch potential and momentumwould be expected to become a moreprominent global player. Therefore,investors should take action now toposition themselves to reap the long-term benefits that such an importantmarket is projected to offer.

Jorge Morazzani is a partner inPriceWaterhouseCoopers’ InternationalAssignment Services Practice and supportsboth the Washington, DC, and San Juan,Puerto Rico, offices. He can be reached at +1 703 918 3684 or e-mail [email protected].

Débora Bigio is a manager inPricewaterhouseCooper’s Brazil office, andalso supports the International AssignmentServices practice. She can be reached at +55 11 3674 3588 or [email protected].


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Panama

dean_laffitte_MOBILITY 6/14/10 12:14 PM Page 2


T he international flavor ofPanama is evident from theselection of products and

services foreigners can expect to find,which are comparable to those inNorth America and Europe, albeitamid a more relaxed lifestyle. Theexpatriate will have plenty of compa-ny among people of other countriesin Panama, for its citizens mix withgeneral harmony while still maintain-ing their distinct cultures.

The name of the country inSpanish is Panama, meaning “abun-dance of fish,” and it is pronouncedwith the stress on the last syllable:Pah-nah-MAH. Many also will referto Panama City simply as “Panama.”

Panama has one of the smallestpopulations in Central America,more than 3.4 million and growing1.5 percent each year. Most of theurban population live in the coun-try’s two largest cities, Panama Cityand Colón. Most of the rural popula-tion lives west of the canal. A largegap exists between rich and poor inPanama, with a sizable middle classand a large lower class.

Panamanians are interested in, andwell informed about, national andinternational affairs and considertheir country to be in a strategic posi-tion, providing a service to all

nations. Some in Panama considerthe relationship with the UnitedStates to be unequal, but others ap -preciate the benefits the countryderives from this unique relationship.

Major CitiesColón was founded in 1852 and

originally was called Aspinwall afterone of the trans-Isthmian railwayfounders. Located at the Caribbeanentrance to the canal and with a pop-ulation of 231,000, it is Panama’ssecond-largest city and home of theFree Zone. Established in 1949, theFree Zone is an extensive compoundof international stores and warehous-es, surrounded by an imposing wall.

The stores are well stocked withelectronics and other goods. Duty-free stores abound, especially alongFront Street, but its slums are amongthe worst in Latin America and mug-gings are frequent.

Crime is more of a problem inColón than in Panama City, even inbroad daylight. This is not a place forsightseeing or aimless wandering. Ifyou must commute to Colón forbusiness, it is recommended that youdrive directly in and not linger in thecity after business hours.

Panama City is laid out in a semi-circle hugging the Bay of Panama

with the district of Balboa—a part ofthe metropolitan region—to the westacross the Pacific entrance to thecanal. The modern commercial andbanking centers spread out from theeastern shores of the bay.

Panama City has a population esti-mated at 1.6 million, including thedistrict of San Miguelito. It was relo-cated to its present site in 1673 afterpirates sacked the old town, nowknown as Panama Viejo, about 6.5kilometers/4 miles east on the beachside. Much of the Spanish loot fromPeru was unloaded at the old city andtransported by mule to the Atlanticside for shipment to Spain, perpetu-ating the region’s long tradition as acrossroads of the world.

Most of the new Panama City ismodern, with a touch of old Spain.The old quarter, known as El CascoViejo, sits on a square-like peninsulajutting out from the western edge ofthe bay. It is a grid of narrow streetsand balconies with iron grilles, remi-niscent of other Spanish seaports inthe Americas, that fans out from thePlaza Central, also known as Plaza dela Catedral.

Panama City’s main street, theAvenida Central, runs northwest outof the old quarter, then veers northand northeast almost parallel to the

B Y A N N E D E A N , G M S , A N D A N A L I S A V I L L A L A Z D E L A F F I T T E , G M S

Officially the Republic of Panama or, as Panamanians say, the“Center of the World, Heart of the Universe,”Panama is a small country geographically part of Central America and historically part of South America.Its strategic location and stable economy have been key elements in Panama becoming a great destinationfor multinational companies. Dean and Villalaz de Laffitte take a closer look at this small but influentialcountry.



shoreline, changing its name to theVia España along the way.

The Avenida Central portion ofthe street is a noisy and crowdedcommercial district. One section ofAvenida Central was converted into apedestrian area featuring trees, streetvendors, and department stores.Many businesses and hotels are inBella Vista and Marbella. The chiefrestaurant area is appropriatelynamed El Cangrejo, or “the crab,”and there are great internationalrestaurants within the city.

The city’s modern center, withhigh rises and condominiums, isPunta Paitilla and Punta Pacifica,directly across the bay from the oldquarter. The main banking district isinland from Punta Paitilla alongCalle 50 and Vía España.

Ethnic MakeupA melting pot in every sense of

the term, Panama’s populationincludes whites, blacks of Africandescent, mestizos, mulattos, andindigenous tribes in the rural areas.Well over two-thirds of Panamaniansfall into the mestizo and mulattocategories: “mestizo” means thatthey are descended from mainlandSpaniards and Indians; “mulatto”means that they are descendents ofthe black slaves imported during thecolonial era and the whites fromSpain.

Blacks comprise the largest singleminority, accounting for about 14percent of the population, and aredivided between those of slavedescent and those of West Indianorigin, commonly called “antil-lanos,” who came to Panama towork on the canal in the early 1900s.Blacks are integrated into Pana -manian society more than in many

developed countries, but thereremains discrimination in some sec-tors.

The white Creole sector accountsfor about 10 percent of the popula-tion, but dominates the economicelite. The Indian population, dividedamong several small tribes, Kuna,Guaymí, Emberá, and Chocó,accounts for about 6 percent of thepopulation. The remainder of thepopulation is of mixed ancestry.

Cultural TraditionsPanamanian culture is deeply root-

ed in the diverse traditions of thevarious peoples who have lived inand governed the country. NativeAmericans, Spaniards, Africans, andNorth Americans are among thosewhose legacies add flavor toPanama’s customs.

The Kuna Indians, one of onlythree original tribes that still exist inPanama today, are known for theirbeautiful molas, which are complex,handcrafted, multi-layered appliquésin original designs.

The Spanish-inspired pollera,Panama’s national dress, is a sweep-ing skirt of intricate embroidery andmyriad gathers.

Colorful pottery-making hasreached great heights as an art formcombining art and religious expres-sion.

Indeed, religion has played a partin forming Panama’s culture, as evi-denced by many celebrations duringthe year in the city and in the townsof Panama.

One of its best-attended festivalsis the Carnival, which takes placeduring the four days before AshWednesday each year. Dances, streetevents, and music are among thehallmarks of these festivities.


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Folk music is cheerful, combiningthe rhythms of Africa with the tonesand dance steps of Andalusia. Thenational dance is called the tamborito,a dance for couples during which onlywomen sing the accompanying song.

Popular stories told orally throughgenerations enchant children and areconsidered important contributionsto their Panamanian identity.

Panama’s traditional cultures havebeen tempered by the presence of theU.S. military for the past century andby virtue of Panama’s role as an inter-national center of business. However,the various heritages have managed toremain regionally separate and strongin their own right. Panama City beingthe exception, cultures there inter-mingle and you might hear sympho-ny, jazz, heavy metal, salsa, meringue,

and even calypso music on the samenight. Here you may experiencePanama’s melting pot in the richestsense of the word.

Approximately 85 percent ofPanamanians are Roman Catholic,although many fundamentalistChristian denominations are growingin importance. About 12 percent ofthe population now call themselves“Evangelicos,” a catchall term formany non-Catholic Christian faiths.

The language of business andeveryday life is Spanish. English is theprevalent second language, and manyPanamanians are bilingual, withapproximately 14 percent of the pop-ulation speaking English as a nativelanguage. English is used when con-ducting international business. Beprepared to communicate in Spanish,

either on your own or through aninterpreter. It is a courtesy that willbe greatly appreciated.

Panama’s diversity is manifested inits variety of dialects, all of which arerapidly spoken and many not easilyunderstood. People of variousregions have modified the Spanishlanguage over time so that certainareas speak a form of Spanish that isparticular to the people living there.

PhilosophyDiplomacy and patience are essen-

tial in the workplace. Confrontingmistakes in the workplace with direct,open discussion will not work inPanama; much more effective is criti-cism in private.

Panamanians believe in the intrinsicworth of the individual. Each person

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is treated with respect and dignityregardless of his or her social standingor financial success. The elderly aretreated with special deference. Beingin any way disrespectful—by pullingrank on a colleague or publicly criti-cizing someone—is considered rudeand should be avoided at all costs.

In general, a strong work ethicprevails, but this is a laid-back societythat is not ruled by schedules. Pana -manians tend to put family aboveeverything else, but at the same timethey are very ambitious.

Panamanians are followers ofstrong leaders and hesitant to act ontheir own. Remember that corporatestructure in Panama is concentratedat the top. Mid-level managers willrarely, if ever, make decisions on thepart of the company. If you expect to

get anything done, go straight to theboss.

Traditionally, women in Panamahave not enjoyed the same economicopportunities as men. Not until1995 did the law recognize propertyin common, and divorced or desert-ed women often were left destitute.

Panamanian women are movinginto higher managerial positions, soforeign businesswomen should notencounter any major obstacles. How -ever, a businesswoman always shouldstress that she is part of a team ratherthan a solo performer, and that hercompany is strongly committed todoing business in Panama.

When entertaining a male Pana -manian colleague, a businesswomanalways should include the spouse inthe invitation. Payment of the bill

should be arranged in advance, eitherby giving the waiter a credit cardbefore the meal or arranging to havethe bill charged to her room if thedinner is held at the woman’s hotel.

Panama, the “Center of theWorld, Heart of the Universe,” withits strategic location and stable econ-omy, will continue to attract multi-national organizations. Awaiting ex -patriates is a large center of interna-tional business and the fastest grow-ing economy in Central America. Anne Dean, GMS, is the director of editorialservices for Living Abroad, LLC, Norwalk,CT, and a member of the MOBILITY GlobalEditorial Advisory Committee. She can bereached at +1 203 221 1997 or e-mailanne.dean@ livingabroad.com.

Analisa Villalaz de Laffitte, GMS, is thefounder and country director for LARMPanama, Panama City, Panama. She can be reached at +507 2710029. or e-mail [email protected].


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A sk the average person about Argentina, and imagesof world-class beef and wine, the sensual tango, orthe rugged gaucho of the pampas may come tomind. Ask an HR professional or company abouttheir experience with the Argentine immigration

process, and words such as “long,” “bureaucratic,” or “complicated” willbe a part of their reply.

Although Argentina’s economy is rebounding from the 2001 economiccrisis, the country remains a frequent destination for international assign-ments. Argentina benefits from rich natural resources, a diverse and edu-cated population, an export-oriented agricultural sector, and a diversifiedindustrial base. The country is one of the G-20 major economies and hasexperienced consistent growth in foreign investment because of its greatpotential for price appreciation.

Argentina’s gross domestic product grew steadily at 15.5 percent from2000 to 2008, according to statistics from the World Bank, and its unem-ployment rate fell by 50 percent during that same period, according toProsperAr, Argentina’s Investment Development agency. In addition, thecurrency exchange rate at press time was at 3.82 Argentine pesos (ARS) to

Tangoing through the ArgentineImmigration Process:Challenges and Tips for Success

Officially the ArgentineRepublic, Argentina is thesecond-largest country inSouth America and is situated on the southernportion of the continent.Dominguez explores thebackground behind theArgentine government’sbureaucracy, examines processes that require extraattention to detail, and provides recommendationsfor managing a successfulimmigration process.


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$1 USD and 4.69 ARS per euro,which allows for a substantially lowercost of living for expatriates relocatingfrom the United States or Europe. Infact, Argentina ranked 27th on globalmanagement consulting firm A.T.Kearney’s 2009 Offshore LocationAttractiveness Index, based on a com-bination of financial attractiveness,people skills and availability, and thebusiness environment.

Many companies treat an assign-ment to Argentina like any otherinternational posting, but it is imper-ative to take into account the chal-lenges inherent to the Argentineimmigration process.

A Closer Look at ArgentinaThe history of the Argentine

Republic can best be described ascomplicated. Its recent decades arelittered with coups, military dictator-ships, and tragedies. Corruptionwithin the government still runs ram-pant, and overbearing attitudes often

prevail in even the most basic gov-ernment processes. Some authoritiesare notorious for only conductingbusiness if some sort of “facilitationpayment,” gift, or favor is offered.An elitist attitude is prevalent in thecapital city of Buenos Aires, whosemetropolitan area is home to approx-imately 13 million people and issometimes called the “Paris of SouthAmerica.” There often is a sense ofentitlement that dominates in gov-ernment transactions where theauthorities request any and everydocument that may occur to them.These sentiments are echoed byMatías Celatti, a legal departmentaccount manager at AFN Visas.comInternational SRL in Buenos Aires.He explains, “the main challengethat an immigration firm faces is thelack of common sense found in gov-ernment offices. Many times, govern-ment employees view any sort of dis-crepancy in documentation as a per-sonal offense.”

Argentina is part of MERCOSUR(Mercado Común del Sur), a free-trade union that forms the world’sfourth-largest trading bloc. Argen -tina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguayare member states; Bolivia, Chile,Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, andVenezuela are associate states. Theadvantage that Argentina’s member-ship in MERCOSUR offers is thatcitizens of any of the aforementionedcountries can file for residence(obtaining a Temporary Residencepermit) in Argentina by presentingminimal personal documentation andno corporate documents. ThisTemporary Residence permit is validfor two years, whereas the standardpermit for non-MERCOSUR nation-alities is valid for one year. The stan-dard Argentine immigration process(for non-MERCOSUR nationalities)is described in the sidebar above.

No process in Argentina has beenaffected more by recent changes thanthe DNI process (Step 4 in the side-

Standard Immigration ProcessThe standard Argentine immigration process consists of a pre-approval, consular visa application, and post-

arrival document procurement. Note: the process for citizens of MERCOSUR countries is post-arrival, but minimal documentation is required.

Step 1: Entry Permit requested. Processing time: approximately four to six weeks.

Step 2: Entry Permit sent to the Argentine consulate closest to the employee’s residence, where the employeeand/or family members apply for Temporary Residence visas valid for one year. Processing time is approximatelyone week.

Step 3: Employee arrives in Argentina, where the provisional CUIL (work identification number) is request-ed (in the case that the employee will be transferred to local payroll). Processing time is one to three businessdays.

Step 4: Documento Nacional de Identidad (DNI) appointment is requested and usually granted for three tofour months later. Processing time: one to three business days to secure the DNI appointment.

Step 5: Approximately three months later, the employee attends the DNI appointment, and the DNI beginsprocessing. The Registry quotes a processing time of 60 days to issue the DNI. However, a more realistic pro-cessing time is three to five months for the DNI to be issued.

Step 6: DNI is issued at least six months after the process begins.

Step 7: Definite CUIL is granted, and the immigration process concludes.

The post-arrival process bypasses the pre-approval and consular portions, and all filings are made in country.



bar). The DNI (Documento Nac ion alde Identidad) is the local ID used forday-to-day transactions, such asobtaining a driver’s license, openinga bank account, and buying or rent-ing real estate. While the former DNIprocess for foreigners withTemporary Residence permits tookbetween three and four months, thecurrent process involves obtaining anappointment (usually issued for threeto four months later) and awaitingthe issu ance of the DNI (no earlierthan three months after the DNIappointment, although the Registryofficially quotes the processing timeat around two months).

In total, this process now takes aminimum of six months in theAutonomous City of Buenos Aires, aswell as in the remaining 23

provinces. The process has becomeso delayed that certain Argentineentities have had to adapt to theabundance of foreigners withoutDNIs. Examples of this include banksthat have agreed to open an accountwith a letter from the foreigner’semployer; or the national airline,Aerolíneas Argentinas, ending itsoffers of lower prices on flights toDNI holders. Other entities have notacquiesced. With the exception of theAutonomous City of Buenos Aires,no other office of the Department ofTransit (Dirección de Tránsito) willissue a driver’s license to a residentwithout a valid DNI. This is particu-larly problematic for assignees whorecently have relocated to Argentina.They often must hire drivers or relysolely on public transportation to

navigate throughout the countryuntil their DNI is issued well aftertheir arrival in the country.

Responding to DelaysThe DNI process had become so

delayed by 2009 that foreigners oftenwould receive their DNIs 18 monthsafter arriving in Argentina and begin-ning the DNI application. Inresponse to these delays, PresidentCristina Fernández de Kirchnersigned a decree that was publishedon October 22, 2009. This decreeallows for a new digital componentthat so far has facilitated the applica-tion process and shortened the pro-cessing time (formerly a year and ahalf for foreigners) to around sixmonths. It remains to be seenwhether these changes will have a

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lasting effect, but the move appearsto be a step in the right direction andhas managed to shorten the overallprocessing time for DNI applica-tions.

Another noteworthy immigrationprocedure is the company registrationwith the Registro Nacional Único deRequirentes de Extranjeros, alsoreferred to as the “RNURE.” TheRNURE is a specialized departmentwithin the immigration office thatregisters companies hiring foreignemployees. In 2006, the immigrationauthorities started requiring that allcompanies have a valid registrationwith the RNURE to sponsor a foreignemployee’s Temporary Residence per-mit. Many companies still have notcompleted the RNURE registrationand do not consider starting the pro-

cess until a foreign employee is need-ed urgently in Argentina.

Until the company has obtained itsregistration, it cannot file for anyemployees’ immigration processes.This can become particularly difficultfor organizations that have neverbrought in foreign employees and,thus, are unaware of this registrationrequirement when the employee’sassignment begins. While the compa-ny registration is being processed, theemployee and company often becomefrustrated because the employee’simmigration process hinges on thiskey component. In theory, the regis-tration with the RNURE should takeonly about one month; however, it isnot uncommon to have registrationprocesses drag on for six or even ninemonths.

Dell recently underwent a six-month company registration processwith the RNURE department.Magaly Regalado of Bogotá,Colombia, senior HR consultant forDell’s South American region,describes the RNURE departmentregistration experience this way:“there are specific guidelines to fol-low and documents to present. Mostof the time, decision-makingdepends on a person within theRNURE office.… It turns into a sub-jective process when the decisiondepends on one person.”

It is important to note that theRNURE registration process can beinitiated and completed well before acompany identifies or even decides tobring foreign employees to Argen -tina. Immigration law stipulates that


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companies registered with theRNURE department must updatetheir registration on at least an annu-al basis and also must notify theRNURE of any changes to the com-pany’s information.

A Complicated MatterIn addition to the aforementioned

components of the immigration pro-cess, filing for an employee’sTemporary Residence permit oftencan be a complicated matter. Over -bearing attitudes are prevalent indaily transactions at the immigrationoffice. Unusual requests for docu-ments to support a petition forTemporary Residence are so com-mon that they are no longer consid-ered unusual. In fact, the most per-plexing part is that anyone who tries

to find portions of the law that justi-fies these document requests willcome up empty-handed. Some illus-trative examples follow.

Case study A: A client’s birth cer-tificate, as well as his four familymembers’ birth certificates, includedboth parents’ last names, as is thepractice in Spanish-speaking coun-tries. However, these particular birthcertificates also included the Spanish

word for “and,” connecting both lastnames, i.e., “Rodríguez y Cervantes”(not their real name). The Argentineimmigration authorities demandedthat all five family members obtain a“Certificate of Unification of Names”from their home country’s embassy inArgentina to prove that the lastnames on their passports (“RodríguezCervantes”) and the last names ontheir birth certificates (“Rodríguez yCervantes”) belonged to the samefamily.

Case Study B: Police clearancecertificates are required as supportingdocuments for the TemporaryResidence application. This is notstrange in itself, but another unwrit-ten rule is that if the employee re-enters the country that issued thecertificate before he or she has filed

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for the Temporary ResidencePermit—even for just one day—thecertificate is deemed invalid and anew one must be secured. One clientwas being transferred by his companyto Argentina. However, because thecompany was in the middle of com-pleting its company registration withthe RNURE, the client could not filefor his or his wife’s TemporaryResidence permit. In the meantime,he had to take several unforeseentrips to his country of origin and for-mer country of residence. Every timehe or his wife re-entered one of thosecountries, the Argentine authoritiesconsidered the previous police certifi-cate invalid. This resulted in securing14 separate police certificates fromtwo different countries to apply forthis client’s and his wife’s Temporary

Residence permits once the compa-ny’s registration was completed.

Final RecommendationsThe issues described can be avoid-

ed, or at least minimized, if you con-sider the following recommenda-tions:

1. Company registration withthe RNURE. Because of the oftenlengthy registration process with the

RNURE, it is recommended that allcompanies begin the registration atthe earliest possible time, even ifthere are no current plans to bringforeign employees to Argentina. Thiswill avoid delays in future immigra-tion processes in which employeescannot begin the immigration pro-cess until the company registration isfirst completed. Regalado recom-mends that companies sending expa-triates need to have “patience andconstant communication” with theimmigration provider and HRdepartment in Argentina during theRNURE process.

2. Always opt for the standardconsular immigration process(when possible). The consular visaprocess with pre-approval is the stan-dard (and preferred) Argentine

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immigration process. However, manycompanies, when faced with timeconstraints regarding the employee’sarrival, opt for the post-arrival pro-cess in which all filings are made inArgentina. This process is particularlyproblematic and often includes out-landish document requests from theimmigration authorities.

Therefore, it is recommended toallow an extra six weeks to follow theconsular process and ensure theimmigration process goes smoothly—government processing time may belonger by six weeks, but the overalllead time will be significantly lessbecause of reduced administrativetime and expense spent preparingdocuments.

3. Examine documentation care-fully and allow time for documentgathering. The Argentine authoritiesare notoriously meticulous. Em -ployees will need to provide birthcertificates and police certificatesfrom every country of legal residencefrom the past five years. The immi-gration authorities and Argentineconsulates also request up to four

originals of every document, legal-ized and translated into Spanish, so itis prudent to plan accordingly. Mostglobal immigration vendors can assistwith birth certificate and police cer-tificate requests.

4. Prepare clients for the longDNI process. It is crucial that bothHR and the mobility services compa-ny effectively communicate thelength of the DNI process and thelocal transactions that will be affectedby the employee not having a DNI.Many employees will arrive inArgentina with their visas in handand will think the immigration pro-cess is almost complete, but it isimportant to remind them how longthey will be without a local ID. Insome cases, HR contacts inArgentina may have to provide solu-tions to certain problems, such aswriting a letter to a local bank toallow the assignee to open a bankaccount (a transaction that normallyrequires a DNI). Make sure they areaware of this and are willing to help.

5. Enlist support from HR. Withthe amount of documents required

for the Argentine immigration pro-cess, home and host HR support iscrucial. Many times, an HR contactin Argen tina may be outraged aboutan authority’s seemingly unreason-able request for a document and maychallenge this very request. Thisoften is counterproductive and delaysthe employee’s immigration processconsiderably. As Celatti points out,“within the HR department, it isideal to have proactive employeeswho work with the immigrationprovider, and when we offer a solu-tion, they need to support us.”

Following the preceding guidelinesrelated to the Argentine immigrationprocess may seem a daunting task.Nonetheless, companies that take aproactive approach in addressing theaforementioned issues will have pro-ductive personnel and will find them-selves fully equipped to take advan-tage of the business opportunitiesArgentina has to offer in 2010 andbeyond.

Christi Dominguez is an immigration consultant for Emigra USA, LLC, Houston,TX. She can be reached at +1 713 874 8521or e-mail [email protected].

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A D D I N G A C O M P A N Y

T O T H E G S ASC H E D U L E O F W O R K

mulholland_MOBILITY 6/16/10 11:19 AM Page 2


In May 2008, at the National RelocationConference in San Antonio, TX, representa-tives from the General Services Administration(GSA) called for “new, creative, innovative”relocation companies to come forth with ideasand solutions.

Unfortunately, the combination of current govern-ment pricing structure, relocation business models, andthe real estate market made for a recipe that most serviceproviders could not stomach.

Hold the phone one second… did the government say it was looking for “creative,” “innovative” solutions?

I attended the conference on behalf of my company,American Relocation Connections in Fairfax, VA., andcame away both skeptical and intrigued by GSA’spitch.

Despite our initial reservations, on behalf of my com-pany, I set out to submit a proposal to be added to theGSA schedule of work for relocation services. Morespecifically, a creative, innovative service that had neverbefore been offered through schedule! It was a tallorder, but the government asked for it… right?

We later discovered during the months of working closely with the GSA and other government agenciesthat this is not your parent’s government—the GSA wedealt with could be lean, mean, and open to thinkingoutside the box.

General Services Administration The General Services Administration (GSA) is the

government agency tasked with the responsibility of

offering private sector professional services, equipment,supplies, telecommunication, and information technolo-gy to government organizations and the military. Or, inlayman’s terms, the GSA is the portal through whichmost government agencies go for solutions to theirneeds from corporate America.

For its services, GSA pre-qualifies vendors and pricingand sets policies that promote management’s best prac-tices and efficient government operations. Once a ven-dor is set up, the GSA generates revenue through feescollected from vendors. These fees are called industrialfunding fees, or “IFFs,” and must be paid by vendors onevery sale through schedule.

The GSA offers a “schedule of services” and theschedule is organized into numerical sections. Relocationfalls under Schedule 48, described on gsa.gov as,“Employee Relocation Services are available underMultiple Award Schedule 48 for employees and theirfamilies being transferred to new duty stations.”

Services on schedule are categorized by “SINs.” SINis just one of the hundreds of government acronymsone must add to their vocabulary when entering intothe government world and stands for “Special ItemNumber.” The SIN for relocation is 653 and there cur-rently are five main sections. The sections and a briefdescription are outlined in the sidebar on page 68.

The Proposal ProcessWhat does being added to the GSA Schedule entail?

The “proposal” process to be added to the GSASchedule of Work includes three main components: the

B Y B I L L M U L H O L L A N D , C R P, G M S

Mulholland offers a first-hand look at getting a company on the GSAschedule of work for relocation services, including an overview of the GSA,and shares some insight gathered along the way.



technical proposal; the administra-tive proposal; and the price propos-al.

Once you apply to the GSAschedule, you are assigned a “con-tracting officer” and he or shebecomes your main contact at GSA.

Administrative proposal. Thissection of the proposal processrequires the vendor to prove that itis a business that complies withapplicable laws and regulations bothin the United States and to its spe-cific industry. The vendor must reg-ister with a number of governmentcertifications and representationsand must submit information aboutthe company such as financial data,professional compensation plan, anduncompensated overtime policiesand justify that employee wages meetthe Service Contract Act.

Technical proposal. The technicalproposal is exactly as it sounds. It isthe section of the proposal process inwhich the company is asked to pro-vide technical information on thecompany and the services it is propos-ing to offer to prove that it can, infact, perform the services that it isproposing. Technical proposals canvary slightly, but traditionally includessuch items as company background, asummary of the services beingoffered, examples of similar projectsthe company has completed in thepast, industry references, manage-ment capabilities and key personnelinformation, staffing practices, train-ing, reporting, monitoring workload,time management, cost control, andpast performance ratings.

Price proposal. In the third andfinal section of the proposal process,the vendor must outline and justifyits proposed pricing for the services itis offering, including support for thepricing it is offering to the govern-

Five Sections for Relocation on GSA Schedule

SIN 653-1: Relocation Services Package (includes services such ashomesale services, homemarketing assistance, guaranteed buy out, and destination services).

SIN 653-3: Relocation Software, Technology Tools, and Services.

SIN 653-4: Additional Services; This includes cost-of-living analysis, closing assistance, expense management, rental management, entitlement counseling, group move assistance, and international move assistance (This SIN recently was modified to include property management and training.).

SIN 653-5: Agency Customization Services. This includes special property (difficult to sell) services, homesale and marketing assistance,close only services, and buyer value option.

SIN 653-7: Move Management Services (household goods shipments).


http://jobs.worldwideerc.org/home/index.cfm?site_id=8692


ment, commercial sales practices,supporting transactional information,pricing narrative, discount policies,and price catalogs. The price propos-al includes acknowledgement andconfirmation that the IFF will bepaid on each sale through schedule.

Response TimeFrom speaking with the GSA rep-

resentatives, the average time forcompanies to be added is more inthe 15- to 20-month range.

In the corporate world, “difficulttakes a day” and “impossible takes aweek,” so a process that takes onaverage months and even years canseem like a lifelong obligation.

Un like the government, in thecorporate world often we do not useacronyms, mostly because we have tomake sure when doing business tobusiness transactions nothing is lostin translation, but one acronym thatevery business knows is ROI (returnon investment).

So what is the ROI on getting onthe GSA schedule? Consider a clientthat pays its bills, every time, guaran-teed. Or how about a client with alarge budget and a capacity for adeficit without ever going out ofbusiness?

I cannot say the process was com-pletely painless but, with some pre-conceptions about “dealing with thegovernment,” I was surprised at howeasy it was to work with GSA. Donot get me wrong, we definitely ranacross a few snags but, when pushcame to shove, the GSA responded.

On one occasion, we became frus-trated about a delayed responsetime. Tim Burke, GSA’s director forthe Office of Travel and Trans -portation Services, personally gotinvolved to ensure that the GSA wasbeing responsive.

He wanted to make sure that aservice that the government bothwanted and needed was getting theproper attention to ensure it wasadded to schedule in a timely matter.When Burke was copied on an e-mail, the issues were resolved withcorporate precision. I think thatspeaks volumes to the dedication ofthe agency and its services.

GSA also was surprisingly accessi-ble. As many people in business haveexperienced, e-mail is a wonderfulthing; it connects us at lightningspeed and provides us a record ofcorrespondence. However, it doeseliminate the human factor andsometimes nothing can replace aface-to-face meeting.

On this occasion, there was confu-sion on both sides concerning ques-tions regarding our “one time set upfee.” We requested to come into GSAheadquarters in Arlington, VA, for aface-to-face meeting to ensure allquestions were answered and we wereall on the same page as to the infor-mation GSA needed. Within 48hours, GSA rounded up representa-tives from several departments thatplayed key roles in our proposal. Thatboth surprised and impressed me.

Of course, once a company isadded to schedule, the next step is toestablish contracts with individualagencies and that is another projectin and of itself. Getting on scheduleis really only half of the battle.

Only time will tell what the futureholds for government relocation.However, one thing is for certain: ifschedule 48 is not a success, it willnot be because of a lack of ideas andeffort.

Bill Mulholland, CRP, GMS, is director forAmerican Relocation Connections, LLC(ARC), Fairfax, VA. He can be reached at +1703 352 9701 or [email protected].


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B Y S U Z A N N E G A R B E R


moran_MOBILITY 6/14/10 4:21 PM Page 2


Soon after the 2004tsunami hit, Ed Levy,then a security direc-tor at a large multina-tional pharmaceuticalcompany, learned

through International SOS, the com-pany’s medical and security assistanceprovider, that one of its internationalassignees and his family had perishedin the disaster while at a Thailandresort. Levy called on the vice presi-dent of global HR, who did not havea policy or procedure in place at thattime, to help address this tragic situa-tion.

“We had many policies in place,but this specific incident brought toour attention that we left somethingout,” said Levy. “How were we sup-posed to inform next of kin and ouremployees about this sad situation,and what support were we going toprovide to bring the family’s remainsback to the States?”

Levy immediately met with seniormanagement and the vice presidentof global HR, who all agreed that thecompany would provide the funds tobring the remains back to the UnitedStates. They worked closely withInternational SOS to manage all thelogistics and further communication

with the next of kin, as well as devel-op new policies that would helpdefine guidelines and procedures forpotential future situations.

“Looking back, you could say thatas an organization we met our dutyof care obligations” he said. “Real -istically, we supported this effort as itwas just the right thing to do.”

Some would say that is how dutyof care is defined: it is simply doingthe right thing. However, there alsoare components of duty of care thatrequire advance planning and cau-tious foresight. To that effect, tworecent trends are bringing duty ofcare to the forefront of many HR,security, travel and medical depart-ments.

Recent TrendsFirst, many organizations are

going to more far-flung corners ofthe world to expand business oppor-tunities and conquer market share.This inevitably brings more riskexposure to an organization, asemployees move across borderseither as international assignees orfrequent business travelers. A recentInternational SOS analysis of traveldata collected from more than 300global companies during 12 months

indicated that the companies’ travel-ers took more than 3.5 million inter-national trips, and approximately aquarter of those were to high- orextreme-risk destinations where notonly individual countries are includ-ed, but entire regions.

Second, legislation regarding dutyof care is increasing. Several countriesin Europe, North America, andAustralia have developed employerduty of care legislation. However,emerging markets such as China,India, and Brazil are unlikely at thistime to seriously address this issue. Inmost cases, they have not articulatedor enforced this type of legislation.This means that employers andemployees alike should be con-cerned. Expatriates or business trav-elers to and from these countries arelikely to redress for harm under theWestern laws wherein the organiza-tions operate, even if host nationshave not created duty of care legisla-tion. This is especially true in third-world countries to which travel isincreasing at a rate higher than anyother region, according to theOfficial Airline Guide (OAG) inFebruary 2010.

Global HR professionals either canembrace these changes and take the

By spearheading a duty of care integrated risk manage-ment process within an organization, Garber explains howglobal HR professionals can retain top talent, increase pro-ductivity levels, avoid lawsuits, and decrease workmen’scompensation claims.



lead in ensuring their organizationsmeet duty of care obligations, orturn a blind eye and cross their fin-gers in hopes that these issues willnot hit them. For those who smartlyprefer the “embrace” model, here arethree ways HR professionals can takethe lead:

• understand the definition ofduty of care;

• assume a lead role; and• adopt an integrated risk manage-

ment process.

Understand the Definition of Duty of Care

From a broader HR perspective,employers have a variety of duty ofcare responsibilities toward theiremployees. Employers are expected totake reasonably practical steps to safe-guard their employees against any rea-sonably foreseeable dangers in theworkplace. The duty of care obliga-tions of employers encompass a largenumber of activities considered withinthe realm of employee well-being thatextends beyond the typical workplaceand may extend to contractors andsubcontractors. A list of employment-related duty of care responsibilities isdetailed at the top of the next page.

When employees work across bor-ders, the employer’s duty of careinvolves risk management extendingbeyond the usual health, safety, andsecurity requirements imposed bythe familiar environs of the employ-ee’s home country. The circum-stances in which both internationalbusiness travelers and expatriates areoperating are likely to be very differ-ent and unfamiliar, putting them atgreater risk than if they worked intheir home country. Host countrycircumstances may differ by the typesof threats—including terrorism, law-lessness, crime, political instability,


http://www.worldwideerc.org/Education/GMS/Pages/gms.aspx


natural disasters, infectious diseases,travel-related sickness, travel acci-dents, and common travel problems.

International assignees, whether onshort-term business or serving aslong-term expatriates, also are likelyto be unfamiliar with the host countryor countries in which they temporari-ly work and/or reside. This unfamil-iarity can lead to a multitude of ques-tions. For instance, should anAmerican employee traveling to visitclients in Mexico rent a car at the air-port and try to navigate his or herown way to the client location, take ataxi, or be picked up by local employ-ees? Or, if an expatriate employeeexperiences severe abdominal painand is unable to make it in to theoffice, should he or she visit the near-est local hospital and take local medi-

cations, simply wait out the pain, orcall her HR team to seek advice?Unfamiliarity makes it more difficultfor employees to respond appropri-ately to the threats presented and fur-ther increases their exposure topotential harm. Caring for the core ofyour company is a key component toduty of care and takes the guessworkout of the hows, wheres, and whys ofa global assignment or travel itinerary.

Assuming the Lead Role Global HR plays a unique role in

ensuring that the organization ismeeting its duty of care responsibili-ties to employees. Global HR has aunique, enterprise-wide perspective,and it has a better sense of how risksmay vary among locations and howlocal laws and culture may both con-

tribute to the creation of risk andinfluence the management of risk,according to the 2009 Society ofHuman Resource Management(SHRM) Global Learning System.

In addition, the responsibility ofcommunicating with travelingemployees and their families during acrisis often falls to HR professionals,according to J.T. Arnold’s article,“Tracking Business Traveler’s,” inthe November 2008 issue of HRMagazine. HR also plays a vital rolein successfully forecasting and imple-menting emergency planning man-agement and must anticipate andrespond to the emotional toll on theworkforce that often results from acrisis. HR’s crisis management rolealso includes taking proactive steps torespond quickly to developing situa-

Range of Employment-related Duty of Care Obligations by the Employer

• Physical and mental health • Work injuries and accidents• Consequences of job workload and stress• Repetitive strain injuries• Spread of communicable diseases• Safety (tools, equipment, workplace)• Security• Workplace bullying, harassment, and discrimination • Corporate fleet management• Travel for work purposes• Car rental, employees’ use of personal vehicles,

travel to and from work, traffic accidents, driver fatigue,and the like

• Accommodations for employees while traveling for work

• Corporate events away from the workplace (travel, drinking, accidents, and the like)

• Pre-employment selection (fitness for work)• Negligent hiring (sex offenders, violent personalities)• Accuracy of job references for former employees• Security and confidentiality of employee personal

data• Fiduciary duties of board members/directors• Selection of insurance providers• Management of employee benefits• Due diligence in acquisitions

AssessRisks Plan

DevelopPolicies &Procedures

ManageMobility

ControlAnalyze

AdviseAssist

Evacuate

CommunicateEducate

Train

TrackMonitorInform

FIGURE 1

Employer Duty of Care Integrated Risk Management Process

Source: International SOS



tions, such as providing employeecounseling services and managingleave and privacy issues to minimizeinterruptions to business operations,according to Kevin Lindsey’s article,“Legal Trends: Crisis Alert,” fromthe August 2006 issue of HRMagazine.

Finally, line managers who dealdirectly with international businesstravelers and expatriates play animportant role in managing workresponsibilities and ensuring compli-ance with company policies. They areamong the first people who employ-ees seek when they have questionsabout which local hospitals speakEnglish, what sick leave benefits areoffered by the company, or what todo in case of a security evacuation. Itis critical that HR professionals work

with these line managers and equipthem with correct information andthe tools to properly communicate it.

Solving the PuzzleAs companies deal with increasing-

ly global and mobile workforces,duty of care can seem like a dauntingtask, but it does not have to be. It isbest for organizations to distancethemselves from the negativity and

fear around the responsibility andfocus on innovative and collaborativesolutions that not only fulfill respon-sibilities but also improve employeeretention rates and productivity lev-els, increase business growth, anddecrease lawsuits and workman com-pensation costs.

Global HR professionals can helptheir organizations develop a solu-tion by contributing to an integratedrisk management strategy thatinvolves and includes the HR, medi-cal, security, risk management, legal,travel, and communication depart-ments. By forming a committee orteam, these professionals can identifygaps and build an effective plan.

Figure 1 on page 73 shows anintegrated risk management processand demonstrates how an effective

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strategy helps an organization by:• Showing the steps taken to edu-

cate employees about risks so thatthey are prepared to handle them.

• Monitoring the environment forpotential hazards and updating inter-national assignees on any develop-ments that could become critical inci-dents.

• Supporting and assisting theiremployees in the event of a crisis oremergency.

Global HR professionals may findduring this process that their organi-zation has existing resources availableto help meet their risk managementgoals. For example, a security depart-ment may offer safety training tointernational business travelers head-ed to high-risk areas. With some poli-cy and training adjustments, this type

of solution may be expanded toinclude expatriates and families.Organizations can save time, budgetand, potentially, employee lives byusing the systems and policies alreadyin place.

As with any strategic initiative, it iscritical to have senior managementsupport. With recent earthquakes inHaiti and Chile, along with otherworld events, this may be a logicaltime to begin exploring a duty ofcare initiative for your organization.In addition, with the ongoing inter-est in social responsibility within thebusiness community, this topic isextremely timely. Having an integrat-ed risk management strategy in placedemonstrates your organization’scommitment to the community with-in: its employees.

Ultimately, the responsibility fordeveloping an integrated risk manage-ment strategy that is embedded in thecorporate culture cannot be delegatedor outsourced. It is the legal, fiduciaryand social responsibility of an organi-zation, and the result of concertedand cooperative efforts of an integrat-ed internal team, to prevent and man-age the risks of their expatriates andinternational business travelers.

Global HR professionals are wellpositioned to lead the way in helpingan organization fulfill its duty ofcare—an effort that when all is saidand done, is simply about doing theright thing.

Suzanne Garber is chief operating officer,Americas region, for International SOS,Philadelphia, PA. She can be reached at +1 215 942 8000 or [email protected].

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The past couple of years have beenchallenging to say the least. The

metro area is defined as Milwaukee,Waukesha, Washington, Ozaukee,and Racine Counties. Real estatemarkets have been in decline andcontinue to decline despite anincrease in overall activity. Thisincrease in overall activity can beattributed to the stimulus incentivefor first-time homebuyers, as well asincreased foreclosure and short salehomesales that tend to be in thelower price segments.

The local economic news has notbeen great. Unemployment rates,while improved from last year, arestill at 8.5 percent for Waukesha andMilwaukee Counties. Racine Countyis worse, with a 9.9 percent unem-ployment rate compared to 10.5 per-cent last year. While there has beensome improvement in the rates theoverall job market is flat at best, withno real indications of improvementin the near future.

Inventory levels have been signifi-cantly higher than normal levels. Theupper-price segments typically areworse, as the stimulus incentive haslowered the entry level price seg-ment’s inventory levels during thepast year. Now that the stimulusincentive has expired, it is unclearwhether the improvements in thelower price segments will be sustain-able without real job growth.

It appears as if the market deterio-ration has slowed, however, the ex pi-ration of the stimulus incentive likelywill cause the marketplace to losebuyers and put increasing pressureon inventory levels. I expect invento-ry levels to begin to increase againwhen employment prospects exhibitmeaningful improvement. Interestrates still are historically attractiveand will need to remain low to have a

chance of the market stabilizing. Ifinflation begins to increase, rates willneed to be raised, which would fur-ther deteriorate the marketplace.New construction activity has beenlight and will continue to be weak aslong as values are in decline. Theremainder of 2010 likely will pro-duce lackluster results.

Jeff Barta, SCRP, is with Jeff BartaValuations, Inc., Waukesha, WI. He can bereached at +1 262 510 2482 or [email protected].

RAC Report

Regional Market Summary: Greater Milwaukee, WI, Area

STATISTICAL SNAPSHOT

TODAY ONE YEAR AGO CHANGE

Unemployment 8.5 8.7 -2.30%Months’ Supply 9.28 10.68 -13.10%Annualized Sales Volume 13,220 11,351 16.47%Annualized Avg. Sale Price $186,786 $208,433 -10.39%Average DOM 76 135 -43.70%

MARKET AT A GLANCE

Economic Climate PoorNew Construction LowREO Activity HighSupply HighDemand LowMarket Direction DownMarket Mood Poor

250000

200000

150000

100000

50000

02005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Year

MedianSalesPrice

MEDIAN SALES PRICE 2005-2010

rac_report_member profile07 6/18/10 4:02 PM Page 2


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sweeps nearly 7,000 sources includingmajor newspapers, business maga-zines, web sites, wire services andindustry publications to find the mostnoteworthy news focusing on globalworkforce mobility issues. The editorialstaff reviews over 15,000 stories perday and prepares an executive sum-mary of the most significant articles tobe delivered to your e-mail inbox.

June 9, 2010

This issue is sponsored by:

Vienna Retains Best Quality of Life Crown:Mercer Survey Economic Times of India (05/26/10) A new global survey of cities by managementconsultancy Mercer finds that Vienna was rankedas offering the best quality of life in the world, fol-lowed by Zurich and Geneva. Most of the topcities were European—16 of the top 25—and thestudy concludes that “the overall standard of liv-ing in Western Europe remains far above theworld’s average.” Despite the global economicdownturn, many factors in Western Europeimproved, including schools, housing, recreation,and public services. The highest-ranked U.S. citywas Honolulu at number 31, with the survey cit-ing the financial crisis as the cause of the declinein rank of U.S. cities. No cities in Central andSouth America made the top 50, with the highest-ranked city being Point-a-Pitre in Guadeloupe.Africa and the Middle East also did not fare well,with the highest-ranked cities being Dubai at 75and Port Louis in Mauritius at 82. Singapore wasthe top-ranked Asian city at number 28, followedby Tokyo at 40, Kobe and Yokohama tied at41,Osaka at 51 and Nagoya at 57. (http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Vienna-retains-best-quality-of-life-crown-Mercer-survey/articleshow/5977230.cms)

Foreign Workers Prove Themselves in Tough Times Swissinfo (05/27/10) Government policies that allow foreign workers to move freely between Switzerland and theEuropean Union have helped the country dealwith the economic downturn, according to a newreport from the State Secretariat for EconomicAffairs. Allowing skilled foreign workers to fillvacancies left by the relatively small workforce in Switzerland helped produce “exceptionallystrong” economic growth without taking any jobsaway from Swiss citizens, the report says. Thenumber of foreigners coming to Switzerlanddeclined along with the economy but was still relatively high, with 68,000 arriving in 2009.Unemployment has been rising in the countryand foreign workers were hit hardest, but expertssay unemployment is not expected to stay high in the long term. (http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/ politics/Foreign_workers_prove_themselves_in_tough_times.html?cid=8958242)

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Hard Times in Greece Prompt Albanians to Return Home Reuters (06/01/10) Koleka, Benet Albanian immigrants in Greece make up thelargest portion of foreign workers in the coun-try and are hardest-hit by its current financialcrisis, leading many to consider going homefor good. Remittances from Albanians aroundthe globe fell to a five-year low last year, to780 million euros from 951 million in 2007.There are between 650,000 and 800,000Albanians in Greece, and some are strugglingso badly that their relatives back home weresending them tobacco, beans, and potatoes tohelp them get by. Iron worker Gerald Hoxhahas decided to leave permanently after seeinghis income fall from 70 euros a day to 30euros, with only about 20 days of work amonth, and he has a wife and two children tosupport. There is no official data on how manyAlbanians are leaving Greece, but duty officersat the border crossing say the number hasrisen. “They are coming back with everythingthey own,” said officer Landi Ipo.(http://www.reuters. com/article/idUSTRE6503WB20100601)

New Points System Lets in More ForeignWorkers Not Fewer Telegraph.co.uk (06/03/10) Whitehead, Tom The British government imposed a points system two years ago intended to reduce thesoaring flow of immigrants into the country, buta study reveals that the number of immigrantfamilies allowed into the country actually roseby 20 percent while foreign students increasedby 30 percent. The study was performed bythink tank Migrationwatch, and found that thenumber of non-EU migrants rose from 159,535in 2007 to 190,640 in 2009 despite a recessionand high unemployment. Government officialshad expected the points system to cut immi-gration by 12 percent, and this week Labourdeclined to answer parliamentary written questions about the issue and was accused of hiding a “guilty secret.” Immigration MinisterDamian Green said the government plans to introduce an annual limit on work permits. (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/law-and-order/7797786/New-points-system-let-in-more-foreign-workers-not-fewer.html)

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If you have had the opportunity to stay in a corporatehousing apartment in the United States, Europe, orAsia, you know the benefits this service can provide.

These apartments can be ideal for relocating personnel,executives, and corporate teams. Temporary corporatehousing often is a cost-effective solution for any businesstraveler. Here are some useful guidelines that you shouldconsider before you sign an agreement with a temporaryhousing provider in Panama City.

Size Matters Short-term housing typically offers significant space for

business travelers. A hotel room might offer 30 to 40square meters (323 to 430 square feet) of space. A corpo-rate housing provider often offers 1-, 2-, and 3-bedroomapartments and can have up to four times the space of ahotel.

Location, Location, Location Location is important when choosing temporary cor-

porate housing. You need to search for a safe temporaryapartment that will be close to your place of business.Because traffic is a major factor, it is not advisable to stayin an apartment that is far away from your destinations inPanama City.

Getting Around If your company does not provide transportation, be

sure to ask your corporate housing provider for recom-mendations. It is advisable to use a trusted and knownperson for your transportation needs. Some providers alsocan arrange airport transportation. The closest airport toPanama City is Tocumen International Airport (PTY). Itis a 30-minute drive from the airport into Panama City.Rush hour traffic greatly can increase your transit time.

Safety First Security is an important issue. It is advisable to stay in

an apartment tower that has verified 24/7 security per-sonnel. Be aware that not all security companies are thesame in Panama. Make sure to use a housing providerwho has extensive experience in Panama City to ensureyour safety.

Keeping in Touch It is best to get a temporary furnished apartment that

has Wi-Fi coverage. A professionally managed corporatehousing apartment should include all costs related toelectric, water, gas, cable TV, Internet, and landlinephones. Some providers will include a prepaid cell phone

for you to use. It is not advisable to rent a furnishedapartment without these public services included, as it is atime-consuming, costly, and complicated process to havepublic services connected.

All the Extras Amenities should be considered when you look for fur-

nished apartments in Panama City. Make sure that yourtemporary corporate housing apartment has furnishings,air conditioning, linens, and housekeeping services tomake your stay more comfortable. A fully-equippedkitchen and washer and dryer in the apartment are impor-tant. Kitchens should be stocked with all of the cookingimplements you need. You will have to bring your ownfood, but everything else should be ready to go. Yourcorporate housing provider also will be able to reconfig-ure the apartment, adding twin beds, cribs, desks, and thelike, to make your temporary corporate housing apart-ment work for you and your family.

Making a Choice Choosing a provider is key to a good experience. There

are property management companies and individuals thatoffer furnished apartments. These should not be mistakenfor corporate housing providers. Foreign companiesshould strive to work with a corporate housing providerthat is a member of the Corporate Housing ProvidersAssociation (CHPA) and Worldwide ERC®. Issues con-cerning safety, payment method, maintenance , and clientservice should be considered when choosing a temporarycorporate housing provider in Panama City.

We live in a fast-paced business world; we all strive tobalance work and home. Temporary corporate housingprovides the environment to maintain and balance one’swork and home life while relocating or on temporaryassignment.

Seven Tips for Selecting Temporary Housing inPanama City, Panama

David Lorber is president of Panama Corporate Living, Panama City,Republic of Panama. He can be reached at +1 866 440 5421 or [email protected].


Aim High Play It Straight Make It Fun

Altair is committed to helping our environment, and we are aware of the impact that pollution and waste have on our communities and natural surroundings. As a result, we are conscious of the environment in many ways.

Utilization of our web portal, STAR, eliminates waste by providing real time data electronically and not through printed documents. This efficient technology benefits our clients and employees while helping to preserve the environment.

We live our value system . . . Because it’s the right thing to do.

+1 972 468 3000www.altairglobal.com

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mobility magazine - july 2010

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