Corporate Stays expands its footprint in key markets Corporate Stays opened nine new buildings in Calgary as​​ part​of its Signature Collection market expan- sion: Nova, Drake, Riverfront Pointe, Tarjan, Vogue, Westmount, Water- front, Outlook and Vetro. All located in the city’s downtown core, the buildings allow guests to enjoy a host of ​ urban conveniences like restau- rants, ​coffee​ ​shops and nightlife​.​ At the other end of the country, Corporate Stays was no less busy: it opened its newest Signature Collec- tion building, the Myriade, in Mont- real’s famed Quartier des Spectacles entertainment district. The company acquired 32 units in the newly- constructed, 22-floor building, which features modern amenities like a pool, gym, terrace, grocery store and indoor parking. To help support its recent growth in the West, the company appointed Krisztina Duggal as its corporate housing account manager, respon- sible for bolstering the brand’s pres- ence in Western Canada, Calgary and Vancouver in particular. Duggal has worked in travel and hospitality for the past 18 years, most recently as a senior sales manager for another hospitality organization. Corporate Stays also added to its team south of the border: the company appointed John Decoste as market manager, U.S. Decoste has nearly 20 years’ experience in the hospitality industry – mainly in corporate housing and high-end hotels. This includes three years’ earlier experience with Corporate Stays in business development. Weichert study highlights risks tied to EBTs A survey by Weichert Workforce Mobility shows that businesses are failing to grasp the risks tied to moving “extended business travellers,” or EBTs. Weichert asked corporate relocation professionals at 79 companies how they use and manage EBTs, defined as employees travelling from one country to another to work for a few days to several weeks or months in a calendar year. Although they carry similar tax and immigration risks as employees on short- or long-term assignments, the study showed they are often not regarded with the same scrutiny. While 48 per cent of respondents said they have tools to track their EBTs’ locations, these are often simple travel department tools that reflect planned itineraries rather than actual geographic locations. Only 12 per cent of companies surveyed utilize GPS-based apps or tools that identify employees’ physical locations and actual days in a country triggering immigration and tax obligations, and just 31 per cent have formal mobility policies or guidelines in place for their EBTs. Despite this, almost all of the companies surveyed – 92 per cent – said they were concerned with the level of risk associated with EBT non-compliance, while 86 per cent said that remaining compliant with global tax rules was the biggest challenge associated with EBTs. Adding to the issue is confusion over who holds ultimate responsibility for EBTs. Nearly one-third of respondents said they don’t provide any sort of guidance to them concerning the functions they can perform, and although 70 per cent of respondents said HR/mobility has responsibility for identifying and managing EBTs, closer examination shows otherwise. “Less than half of the companies have a formal approach to EBTs, so mobility departments are likely only identifying these employees through travel reports or when business units contact them for assistance,” said Jennifer Connell, practice leader in Weichert’s Advisory Services Group. Fall 2018 PERSPECTIVES 19