Excerpt: Recent years have witnessed a surge in the number of expatriates, as companies pursue international business expansion and global growth in an environment of acute skill shortages. It is no longer enough for companies to rely upon traditional generous perquisites and allowances to make up for the lack of adequate employee benefits. As a result, expatriate (expat) benefit programs are becoming increasingly complex, as companies strive to maintain global consistency among plans while allowing sufficient flexibility to ensure appropriate and adequate coverage in an increasing number of, often challenging, locations around the world. This is no easy task, and Mercer's recent Benefits Survey for Expatriates and Globally Mobile Employees was designed to assess how employers are dealing with these issues.

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