MILWAUKEE, Wis., May 25, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WHR Group, Inc. (WHR), a leader in the global employee relocation industry, conducted a Global Mobility Benchmark study surveying some of the largest U.S. companies from a variety of industries. Findings shed light on how companies have changed their employee relocation policies, even during 2020 and a pandemic. Respondents included corporate staff working in HR, mobility management; talent management; and benefits and compensation departments. Some findings include the following:

  • Relocation benefits are still going strong even with the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • 85% of companies offer some type of home sale benefit to transferees.

  • 67% of respondents have experienced a talent shortage but include their mobility program in candidate recruitment strategies.

  • Lump sum benefits are trending but often used as a complement to basic relocation benefits versus a standalone benefit package.

Over 57% surveyed have an international relocation program, and 88% have expatriate or international permanent transfer policies. Over 50% found immigration laws to be the most challenging part of international relocations with Africa and Asia reported as the most challenging. For Africa, immigration laws and political climate were reported as creating the greatest challenges. For Asia, immigration laws and language barrier created the greatest challenges. Temporary housing; destination services and settling in; household goods; Visa and immigration assistance; and tax assistance are considered core benefits for international transfers and assignments.

Of the 68.5% offering destination closing costs, 76.5% don’t cap this benefit, even though capping the support is a way to control organizational costs. Most companies reported creating benefit packages based on the average transferee, not always considering individual cultures and family dynamics. This can lead to policy exception requests by employees.

Source: StreetInsider.com