Re:locate: keeping you in touch
 Welcome to Re:locate Extra – the e-newsletter that keeps you informed of the latest developments in the world of relocation.
Re:locate’s new website for relocating employees, Smart Move, is continuing to grow in the run-up to its official launch, which takes place this autumn. Specially designed to support those on the move, and with a free monthly online newsletter, Smart Move Plus, it includes information, area guides, practical advice and support from a trusted source.
If you haven’t already done so, sign up now for your online newsletter, and keep checking the website for new content to support your relocating employees.
House prices down by 0.5% reports Nationwide but what are the implications for relocation?
 The Nationwide House Price Index released today reveals that house prices have fallen by half a percent in July for the first time since February. The seasonally adjusted price of a typical UK property is £169.347.
“So far in 2010, demand from homebuyers has made little progress in building upon the recovery seen during much of 2009. Despite the introduction of a second stamp duty holiday for the vast majority of first time buyers and record low interest rates, the number of properties changing hands across the UK is still running at only half the levels seen prior to the financial crisis and recession.” Said Martin Gahbauer, Nationwide’s chief Economist.
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Britain’s delegation to India brings opportunities and immigration implications
 The Prime Minister has embarked on one of the biggest trade and political delegations to India. Politicians on the trip include, George Osborne, Chancellor; William Hague, Foreign Secretary andVince Cable, Business Secretary.
The large number of companies represented, include BAE, Balfour Beatty, Barclays, Cable & Wireless, JCB, Kingfisher, KPMG and Vodafone as well as organisations such as the London Stock Exchange and the CBI.
The message is ‘Britain is open for Business’ and clearly British business wants to capitalise on India’s rapid growth and increase exports to India, particularly to the growing affluent population with middle class aspirations and western tastes.
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EC proposals ‘fail to address the needs of working spouses’
 Proposals by the European Commission for a directive on the entry and residence of intra-company transferees fail to address the needs of working spouses and partners, according to the Permits Foundation, an international organisation that campaigns for employment access for accompanying partners.
The Commission’s initiative is intended to facilitate common work-permit procedures for the transferring managers, specialists and graduate trainees to Europe by international companies. However, although the proposals respect basic family rights to accompany the employee, they do not include a provision for partners to work. This is despite the fact that several individual European countries already allow this.
While it is good news that the Commission recognises the economic importance of intra-company transfers, the lack of recognition of partner needs is seen as a missed opportunity, says the Permits Foundation.
“If the spouse can't work, the employee may not accept the appointment and the key skill the employer is trying to resource won't be available. That's bad for business and it's bad for the local and European economy,’’ said Permits Foundation board member Kathleen van der Wilk-Carlton. “We had expected the Commission’s proposal would allow partners to work, as is the case with the Blue Card Directive for other highly skilled employees.”
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UK workers still feeling effects of recession, CIPD survey finds
 Falling standards of living, decreasing job satisfaction, and high levels of job insecurity suggest that any continued move out of recession, signalled by the latest GDP figures, has yet to filter through to the workplace.
This is the message from the latest quarterly Employee Outlook survey from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), which shows employees are three times (29%) more likely to report their standard of living has worsened over the last three months than to say it has improved (10%), compared to 28% and 13% for the same findings last quarter.
The CIPD’s job satisfaction index has fallen to a record low of +35, compared to +36 last quarter and from a high of +46 in Summer 2009. Nearly a fifth (18%) of employees think it likely they could lose their jobs, and two-thirds (66%) think it would be difficult to find a new job if they were made redundant.
Almost half of employees say that their organisation has either frozen (40%) or cut (7%) pay in response to the downturn, and a similar proportion say their organisation has either already made redundancies (31%) or is planning to do so (16%).
The survey shows a particular deterioration among public-sector employees’ attitudes towards their jobs and management, as the impact of government spending cuts on jobs, pay and benefits becomes clearer.
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Double-dip recession biggest concern for global executives, says Economist
 The risk that some of the world's major economies may fall back into recession is foremost among executives' concerns for the second half of 2010, according to new research conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit. When presented with a series of 11 potential risks to the economy over the next six months, almost a third of the 680 respondents to a global survey point to double-dip recession as the biggest, ahead of sovereign debt default (20%), market volatility (10%) and weak governance (9%).
North American and Asia-Pacific respondents are most concerned about the possibility that the economy will once again slip into recession – 43% and 40%, respectively, list it as their main concern, against 29% from Western Europe. The North American sentiment seems to echo US Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke's warning of last week that the US economy faced "uncertain prospects".
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New McKinsey report shows how to spot global business trends
 A new report from McKinsey & Company reveals how strategists can challenge conventional wisdom and be better prepared for uncertainty by analysing the complex ways in which global trends interact in their industries.
Entitled, Global Forces: An Introduction, the report analyses “five crucibles of change” that will restructure the global economy for the foreseeable future, arguing that companies which understand them will stand the best chance of shaping the economy. It also explains the value of tracking global forces and how to build them into corporate strategy.
Read the full report here
Team coaching is good for business says Henley Business School
 The football World Cup has focused attention on team performance – but it's not only sports teams that benefit from team coaching, according to new research from Henley Business School and performance development consultancy Lane4 .
Called Coaching teams at work: embryonic yet powerful, the research highlights how team coaching is being used successfully to improve business performance – but also how much further it has to go. It reveals that almost half (45%) of the organisations surveyed use both individual and team coaching. The top benefit is increased employee engagement, at 28%. Other benefits include improved trust within the team (22%), increased productivity (19%) and more effective and innovative solutions (18%).
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PwC research shows UK lags behind US on employee ROI
 US organisations have proved far more agile than those in the UK and the rest of Europe at maximising profit from their investment in people, according to new research from PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).
The research report, Trends in Human Capital, includes data drawn from more than 10,000 companies in 40 countries to report the pre-tax profit produced for every pound, euro or dollar paid out in remuneration: the human capital return on investment (HC ROI). It shows that, during the uninterrupted growth years of 2002 to 2006, HC ROI rose by a relatively modest 4.6% in the UK and 8.3% in Western Europe. Over the same period, it leapt by 19.8% in the US.
In 2007, when the first signs of slowdown emerged in some economies, and with markets suffering in 2008, the index fell in the UK by 2.8% and 1.7% for Western Europe, but held steady in the United States.
Richard Phelps, human resource services partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers, said, “US firms have proved better at flexing employment costs to market conditions. Less-prescriptive rules have allowed them to adjust staff numbers and salaries where necessary. The impressive return on investment levels is starting to feed through to the dollar.
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London 2012 Olympics: just two years to go!
 This week sees the start of the two-year countdown to the London 2012 Olympic Games. The number of contractors coming to the UK to work on construction and other projects, and the number of visitors who will attend the games, make this, in itself, a big relocation story.
The organisers are calling on the UK public to start planning to ensure they don’t miss out on this once-in-a-lifetime event. Those interested in volunteering positions – which include ticket checking, uniform distribution and staffing helpdesks and information points – can go to www.london2012.com/volunteering for full information.
People can also sign up as London Ambassadors, to help guide the millions of visitors who will travel to London for the games get around and enjoy a memorable stay in the capital. The scheme aims to recruit 8,000 volunteers, who will be located at key points across the city – including transport hubs, outside Olympics venues, and at visitor attractions. They will be the welcoming face of the capital, providing information on what to see and do, where to stay and how to get there.
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There are currently 90 great jobs on our website, relevant to you and your skills. The top ‘HOT JOBS’ are listed below, including new jobs posted online since the last Re:locate Extra. To view all job opportunities, click here.
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News in Brief
Property
Supply of homes for rent 'deteriorating rapidly', says ARLA
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Cost of owning and running a home 'has fallen 6% in two years'
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Overseas purchasers dominate prime London property market
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Citadines opens in Melbourne
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International Relocation Policy Factsheet
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HR & Employment
CIPD announces new route to membership
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Businesses facing tough times, says employment law specialist
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‘Who you know’ is jobhunters’ main asset
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Education and Childcare
Daycare Trust uncovers shortage of summer holiday childcare
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House of Commons passes Academies Bill
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Report uncovers SATs marking inconsistencies
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Immigration
Ability to sponsor skilled migrant workers removed from many UK businesses
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Government announces temporary migration cap
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UK to introduce English-language testing for partners
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Preparations are already in progress for the launch of the 2010/11 Re:locate Awards.
We are delighted to confirm sponsors for the 2010/11 Awards include Fully Furnished, Interdean, Roomservice by Cort and SIRVA Relocation. Full details will appear in the autumn issue of Re:locate magazine. If you are interested in sponsorship opportunities please contact Fiona Murchie.
Industry News
Expect Move celebrates tenth birthday
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Roomservice by CORT announces key new appointment
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New Director of Global Business development for Paragon Relocation
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Re:locate appoints new sales executive
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A new approach to relocation information rooms
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ORC Worldwide is to be acquired by Mercer
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Resources
Strategic Thinking: A Step-by-step Approach to Strategy and Leadership
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