b'RELOCATION TRENDSGLOBAL MOBILITY WHATS NEXT?By Sarah B. HoodIn an everchanging world, relocation professionals adaptto a changing industryA s political pendulums swing The survey report noted that the growingment. (For more on the impact of shorter-term in Canada and the U.S., it pool of remote workers is adding to theassignments, turn to pg. 20.) Companies, says can be difficult to predict howcomplexity of international assignments.Deane, instead offer a furniture allowance, the currents of world affairs As such, more adaptable and flexiblewhich can have unfortunate consequences will drive the relocationapproaches to mobility are required tofor the environment as it tends to nurture industry. That said, some reliable indica- attract and retain key international talent.a toss-and-replace habit.tors are suggesting that key themes of theThe remote work on assignments isnt past decade will not be derailed in thethe panacea that everyone thought,MOVING FORWARDcoming year. They will likely just growsays Michael Deane, co-owner and viceWhen it comes to diversity and inclusion, in importance. president of client services with All Pointsand aligning relocation with an organ-So what does 2025 have in store? WeRelocation Service Inc.izations DEI priorities, 39 per cent of just published Cartus\' 2025 U.S. andCertus respondents said they are making Canada Mobility Survey, and there areDeane cites issues that can crop up, suchprogress. Historically, international three trends that really stood out in theas confusion and complication regardingrelocations were disproportionately offered responses from our clients, says Cartustaxation, labour laws, overtime rules andto a single demographic [white males], president and CEO Matt Tebbe. Heleave entitlements for employees who maybut this is changing, says Deane. I dont names remote work, DEI (diversity, equitybe working in one country on a payrollknow of any companies that are estab-and inclusion) and sustainability as the issued from another. Just because anlishing DEI targets, but I know that DEI top three. employee is working remotely doesntis working its way into selection processes. mean they dont need a work permit or aThe companies themselves are looking for The Cartus Mobility Survey, whichvisa, he points out. a more diverse workforce.collected information from 106 respondents on U.S. and Canadian trends,Deane also points to the acceleration ofAmong other modifications, benefits are found that 39 per cent of companiesshorter-term assignments, driven by thebeing rewritten to accommodate same-currently have remote workers and, ingoals of minimizing cost and disruption.sex couples, single parents and employees 2025, 44 per cent of companies expectLong-term assignments are very expen- with elderly dependents. However, in late to have up to 100 remote/hybrid workerssive and can have greater tax ramifica- January U.S. President Donald Trump as part of their mobile employee popula- tions, he says, while shorter-term assign- moved to dismantle DEI programs under tion, while 32 per cent anticipate havingments require fewer services: they dontthe purview of the federal government between 100 and 500. necessarily need a household goods ship- in favour of what he called merit-based" 12PERSPECTIVESSpring 2025'