AIRINC (Associates for International Research, Inc.)

Remote workers, Virtual Assignments, Work-from-Anywhere employees, and Global Nomads are terms which have gained attention in recent years, and with more fervour in the past 6 months.

Martin is a dislocated assignee, working for the German government on sustainable agriculture projects onsite in Addis Ababa. In late March, fearing civil unrest and a medical system unable to cope with COVID-19, he returned to his home in Kent two days before the U.K. lock-down went into effect. Now, three months later, he is preparing for his return to Ethiopia.

Cost of living index adjustment is driven by changes in the purchasing power of an assignee in the host location. The purchasing power is based on both the exchange rate and inflation, relative between the home and host countries.

Eleven weeks after COVID-19 was officially declared a pandemic, companies and employees have begun to settle into new ways of life around the world, though there are many questions which still remain unanswered about the future.

In recent months, there have been many news references to panic-buying and BREXIT stockpiling. In the event of a no-deal BREXIT, some experts advise to have a minimum of two weeks’ worth of food, water, and household items such as toilet paper for the immediate short-term. But what items are expected to be affected long-term in the market basket?