To illustrate the breadth and depth of Mercer's global expertise, a team of more than 150 Mercer consultants has just released Introduction to Benefit Plans Around the World: A Guide for Multinational Employers.

This guide contains a wealth of information on retirement and health and benefit plans which is available to Mercer's multinational clients at no charge. It is authored by senior Mercer benefits experts in 48 countries around the world in March 2008.

"No other company has the global footprint Mercer does, nor the resources we have in all of the markets featured in this report. This guide is designed to let these facts be known to our clients and prospects," said Giles Archibald, who co-led this project with colleagues Heli Olkkonen, and Robyn Cameron. "Our multinational clients and prospects will benefit from the vast amount of information the guide contains."

The free Benefit Plans Around the World guide provides a two-page snapshot for each country – one page on Retirement and another on Medical, Sickness, Disability & Death Benefits. Each snapshot shows mandatory and typical employer practices and the benefits environment. 

A sample 8-country report is available on the right side of this page. For more information or to request a copy of the full 48-country report or a report customized to your countries, please contact your Mercer consultant or complete and submit our request form.

Introduction to Compensation Plans Around the World: A Guide for Multinational Employers offers high-level information on typical market practices and trends in 47 countries. The reports can be used to review typical practices in one country or to compare how these programs vary across countries.

This report is authored by local Mercer senior practitioners in 47 countries and the content is based on both Mercer's global remuneration surveys and consultant experience in working with global companies in the local market. 

The information contained in this report includes:

Typical market practice for compensation elements:

• Prevalence of pay components
• Mandatory minimum wage
• Frequency of payments
• Determination and frequency of salary increases
• Pay structure

Economic environment at a glance

• Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
• Inflation rate
• Unemployment rate
• Salary increases

A sample 8-country report is available on the right side of this page. For more information or to request a copy of the full 48-country report or a report customized to your countries, please contact your Mercer consultant or complete and submit our request form.