Posted on Monday, April 07 2025
Even after the shift to hybrid work, there are still situations where in-person collaboration is essential – especially when teams are delivering high-stakes projects, launching new operations, or building relationships on the ground.
In these cases, companies often need to decide how to best position key employees: frequent travel, short-term assignment, or long-term relocation.
Each option comes with different cost, comfort, and operational implications.
This approach involves employees travelling regularly between locations, often weekly or bi-weekly, while maintaining a primary home base. It’s commonly used when on-site presence is needed but not continuously required.
Advantages:
Flexible and easy to adjust week to week
Minimal upfront planning required
Useful for maintaining presence across multiple locations
Challenges:
Physically and mentally exhausting over time
High cumulative cost for travel and accommodation
Significant time lost in transit
Can limit team integration in both locations
This model often works best for short bursts of activity, but becomes less sustainable over longer periods.
Short-term assignments involve an employee temporarily relocating to another city while keeping their primary residence. This model is often used for project launches, office openings, or time-sensitive leadership needs.
Advantages:
Less disruptive than permanent relocation
More cost-effective than full moves
Often easier to gain employee acceptance
Reduced complexity around long-term commitments
Challenges:
Can feel open-ended if timelines are unclear
May still involve regular travel home or family visits
Requires strong planning to maintain employee well-being
This is one of the most commonly used models for project-based leadership roles.
Long-term assignments are structured relocations where employees move for an extended period without making a permanent commitment.
They are often used for international roles, major infrastructure projects, or leadership development opportunities.
Advantages:
Supports complex, long-duration projects
Provides valuable global or cross-regional experience
Helps attract and retain senior talent
Encourages knowledge transfer across teams and regions
Challenges:
Higher overall cost for housing, travel, and relocation support
More complex tax, immigration, and compliance considerations
Greater risk of adjustment challenges for employees and families
Long-term assignments require strong organizational support to be successful.
Across all mobility approaches, one factor remains consistent: where employees stay directly impacts performance, well-being, and cost efficiency.
Corporate housing provides a flexible alternative to hotels, especially for stays lasting weeks or months. With fully furnished accommodations, kitchens, laundry, and residential settings, employees can maintain routine and stability while working away from home.
This makes it a practical solution for both short-term assignments and extended travel scenarios.
Premiere Suites is Canada’s largest provider of corporate housing, supporting organizations across industries with flexible, fully furnished accommodations.
With more than 1,500 suites, townhomes, and homes – and access to over 10,000 properties nationwide – Premiere Suites helps companies support employees wherever work takes them.
Organizations rely on Premiere Suites for:
Short-term and extended business stays
Relocation and assignment housing
Project-based team accommodations
Consistent, move-in-ready living solutions across Canada
Whether employees are travelling weekly, relocating temporarily, or on multi-year assignments, having reliable housing helps reduce friction and improve outcomes.
Each mobility model serves a different purpose. Frequent travel offers flexibility, short-term assignments balance stability and cost, and long-term assignments support deeper strategic goals.
The right choice depends on your project timeline, budget, and employee needs – but in every case, stable, comfortable housing is a key part of success.
With the right accommodation strategy in place, organizations can better support their teams and improve performance across every stage of a project. Contact Premiere Suites today to best support your employees.
assignments relocation short-term assignments global mobility