Global trends affecting the provision and design of employee benefits for a mobile workforce

1. Trends Affecting Mobility and the Impact on
Employee Benefits
Paul Pittman, The Human Well
© 2012 All Rights Reserved
© 2012 All Rights Reserved Tel: 905905 842 7916
+1 842 7916 paulpittman@thehumanwell.com
paulpittman@thehumanwell.com

2. Emerging Business Trends
• Businesses continue to progress toward a global focus –
political boundaries are blurring from a management
perspective
• However, Government policy will remain an important
factor affecting immigration, education, social planning
• Competition for talent is the #1 challenge globally – the
need for employee mobility is rising, while supply declines
• Home country “discrimination” disappearing
• Technology will play a larger role and offers new options
but brings new challenges
• Developing countries more relevant than ever before
© 2012 All Rights Reserved Tel: 905 842 7916 paulpittman@thehumanwell.com

3. The New Employee Population
• View international assignments with less enthusiasm –
they don’t have the cache that attracted boomers
• Do not recognize borders as boundaries – have already
travelled extensively and are world citizens
• Family and lifestyle are more important as they reach
mid-career than seeing the world
• Generational cohorts have differt needs on assignment
and seek far more information – nothing left to trust
• Benefits moving from Insurance to life style
• Service through technology expected
© 2012 All Rights Reserved Tel: 905 842 7916 paulpittman@thehumanwell.com

4. Future Assignments
• There will be more assignments but lower key and less
complex
• Traditional “build-up” approach will disappear as
economies and tax systems continue to harmonize
• National benefit structures both current and post
employment will take longer complicating benefits admin
• Transparency and demands to provide comprehensive
coverage will lead to clear separation of mobile and
domestic benefit philosophies
• Assignment locations are likely to become less hospitable
• Will include more personal choice and flexibility
© 2012 All Rights Reserved Tel: 905 842 7916 paulpittman@thehumanwell.com

5. Evolution of Benefit Plan Coverage
FROM TO
• Home Country or • Comprehensive Local
• Host Country or Plan or
• Home and Host • Global Plan
Country or • Greater choice and
• Reimbursement or flexibility
• International Plan • Focus on short term
• Focus on access and long term
protection protection
© 2012 All Rights Reserved Tel: 905 842 7916 paulpittman@thehumanwell.com

6. Design Considerations
• Will reflect your organization’s unique profile
• Different generations with distinct needs
• Access to services e.g. Life style features, alternative
therapies, medi-tourism
• International EAP and language support
• Security and Evacuation
• Carrier selection will be based upon service, risk and
design
© 2012 All Rights Reserved Tel: 905 842 7916 paulpittman@thehumanwell.com

7. Successful Employers
• Evolve remuneration and benefits delivery in response
to changing environment and employee populations
• Plan mobile talent attraction and utilization strategically
• Avoid traditional thinking to differentiate their
employment brand and attain superior results
• Collaborate with mobile employees to build better
delivery mechanisms
• Improve transparency and depth of available
information
• Harness contemporary technology for assignment
application
© 2012 All Rights Reserved Tel: 905 842 7916 paulpittman@thehumanwell.com