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Expat Partner Support HR Newsletter | December 2014
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expat partner support
Welcome to the December edition of Global Connection’s quarterly HR Newsletter. We inform you about research conducted by Mercer, HSBC, World Bank Group, achievements from the Permits Foundation, and expat partners from DSM, Henkel, Philips and Unilever discuss their experiences.
CULTURAL MISCONCEPTIONS In my experience, cultural issues have to be taken into consideration almost everywhere you go. Consequently, one has to be careful with onesize-fits-all approaches in cultural training. Awareness is crucial. More than distance I remember discussing a spousal support programme with a British Global Mobility Director who had recently joined a Belgian multinational. To his surprise, the company only offered cultural training to the ‘crosscontinental’ transfers. He told me how he felt about the cultural differences between Brussels and London, a mere two-hour train ride apart. This transfer has been a bigger cultural shock to him and his family than their previous posting in Hong Kong. Some soul searching In order to create awareness during our Cycles of Change workshop, we first encourage participants to ‘map’ their own culture. Then we start exploring their new host culture, as you can only prepare for culture shock when you understand your own cultural norms and values. Know thy neighbour An expat partner who moved from Vienna in Austria to Bratislava in Slovakia, less than one hour away by car, shared with us that of all the support she obtained, she regarded cultural training as by far the most valuable. Without crossing the border But even within one country, cultural differences can be a major issue. Moving from Geneva to Zurich in Switzerland might be enough to experience culture shock. Jacqueline van Haaften
30 COUNTRIES ALLOW PARTNERS TO WORK Thirty countries now allow spouses or partners of expats to be (self) employed during an assignment, according to a report from the Permits Foundation. New online report The most recent version of the ‘Global Summary of Work Authorisation for Family Members’ can be found on the website of the Permits Foundation, an independent organisation campaigning globally to make it easier for expat partners to work during an international assignment. Growing number of countries The number of countries allowing partners of expats to work has been growing steadily since the Permits Foundation started its work in 2001. Most of those countries allow recognised family members to work freely during the time of an assignment. Job offer sometimes required Some countries, such as Malaysia, Mexico and Singapore, require the partner to already have a job offer. They consequently issue a work permit or other letter of consent, linked to the employer, through a fast-track process. This procedure usually takes place without further conditions. Global Connection is a sponsor of the Permits Foundation.
BOARDING SCHOOLS: OFTEN NO REIMBURSEMENT While boarding school can sometimes be the best option for expat children, only a small minority of international companies and institutions is willing to reimburse the costs of this type of education. Only 12.2% pay costs In Mercer’s most recent Worldwide Survey of International Assignment Policies and Practices, only 12.2% of companies indicated that they pay the cost of boarding school in the home country of their international assignees. For European companies, the percentage is 16.7, for North American companies 8.5. Additional home trips When children of expats stay in their home country to study, 29.8% of companies handle matters case-by-case, 27.9% provide additional home trips, and 34% don’t provide any education assistance. Good reasons Nevertheless, sometimes there are good reasons for expat families to choose a boarding school. Local education may be precluded by language barriers or religious objections, for instance, or the child might be preparing for critical exams in the home country. Global Connection’s December 2014 Magazine contains more information on this subject. Global Connection | December 2014
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Expat Partner Support HR Newsletter RETIREES: NO NEW LANGUAGE Retired expats are generally unwilling to settle in a country where they don’t speak the language. Neither are they interested in learning a new language, according to a study involving a group of older expats. Healthcare is the main factor The study was conducted by Yvonne Quahe, Global Mobility Specialist at the World Bank Group in Washington, DC, and her colleague Catherine Mathieu. Looking at the main factors that particularly affect the decision of where to settle, they found that access to good healthcare is the main one, more so than proximity to adult children or other family members. Climate and language are two other important factors. Idealised view The study also showed that expats preparing for retirement tend to focus on practical matters, such as finances, insurance and healthcare, and less on the psychological impact of retirement. In that respect, the researchers sense that many people build an idealised view of retirement based on weak assumptions, for instance that they will always have sufficient funds.
Yvonne Quahe of the World Bank Group
One-third struggle The fact that many retireesto-be are less interested in the psychological side of retirement is a reason for some concern, as other studies have revealed that at least one-third of all retirees struggle with the transition into their new stage of life.
Less hard for partners The researchers at the World Bank Group also found that retirement is less hard for expat partners than for the employed expat. The reason is that the latter is used to adapting into the organised structure of the workplace, whereas expat partners have to adapt without anything to fall back on.
Catherine Mathieu of the World Bank Group
Your contribution Yvonne Quahe and Catherine Mathieu are interested to hear if you have any contribution to make to their further research on expat retirement: yquahe@worldbankgroup.org and cmathieu1@worldbankgroup.org 2
Global Connection | December 2014
FEATURED IN GLOBAL CONNECTION’S DIGITAL AND PRINT DECEMBER 2014 MAGAZINE* Personalised support - Fresh start Czech native Irena Tullis made use of our personalised support offered to her as a Unilever partner, when moving from the UK to the Netherlands. As a former ABN AMRO global relationship banker, she is making a switch to the corporate treasury sector. It is a calculated career move that will not only capitalise on her work experience, but also accommodate expat family life. She says of the personalised support she received: “I recommend it to anyone.” Networking for wallflowers Many people find it difficult to start a conversation with a stranger, which can seriously impede their ability to network. In this article, the difference between ‘introverted’ and ‘shy’ is discussed. We also give practical tips for making it easier to attend networking events, and the issue of specialised coaches is raised. Fulfilling Occupation - Time for a new chapter Todd Arkenberg exchanged a career as VP of United Airlines for the solitary life of a novelist. Now living in Brussels with his spouse, Nielsen expat Jim, and working on a third book, Todd has (almost) never looked back. Fulfilling Occupation - I don’t want to work Manon Verkoeijen lives in the USA with her husband Daan, who works for DSM, and their three children. She has two degrees, but has never worked a day in her life. “And I’m fine with that,” she says cheerfully. Friends & Family - Fast friends, far friends Expat partners have to consider the impact that moving abroad has on their relationships with family and friends. They can lose touch with friends back home, but they also make new ones as they change location. Olga de Visser and Estela Augustini, former expat partners from DSM and Philips respectively, talk about their close friendship which started in Shanghai.
Olga de Visser and Estela Augustini
Kids - A double loss Sophie became expectant twice while she was located in Qatar and Turkey. Tragically, on each occasion, she was given the news by doctors that her babies would not survive full-term pregnancies. Expatriated in Islamic countries meant that both times she found herself returning home to her native Germany for medical treatment. Sophie greatly appreciated the support of the assigning organisation. (Read more on page 3) * for spouses (B2B subscription)
ALSO FEATURED IN GLOBAL CONNECTION’S DIGITAL AND PRINT DECEMBER 2014 MAGAZINE (continued from page 2) Fulfilling Occupation - Personal branding Personal branding can be very important for expat partners. The pros and cons, the phases of creating a personal brand and the resources available, such as books and coaching, are all discussed. Anne Wafula, a Kenyan Henkel expat partner, HR professional and Global Connection Coordinator in Johannesburg, explains why she sees personal branding as a pathway to fulfilment in general.
Anne Wafula
MORE ATTENTION TO CHILDCARE NEEDED Various reports show that assigning organisations need to pay more attention to child care and education issues for expat kids up to 4/5 years old, who have not yet started kindergarten. More reimbursement for pre-kindergarten children Two reports published by global consulting firm Mercer show a shift towards reimbursement of pre-kindergarten education. In the International Assignments Survey (2010) 30.4% of companies cover (a part of ) those costs, while a similar report published two years later shows that 43.2% of companies offer forms of reimbursement for children between 2 and 5 years old.
ON A LIGHTER NOTE Ruse for lost luggage - The Caribbean Because we and our luggage hardly ever arrived at the same time at our destination in the Caribbean, we devised a ruse to shorten the waiting time at the lost luggage counter. My husband waited with the children at the conveyor belt while I went on ahead to ‘lost luggage’. “A little too hasty, aren’t you, madam?” said the woman at the counter. I gave her a friendly nod but remained firmly at my post. I knew better. I started to fill out the first form and waited for my husband to signal how many suitcases were missing. Three out of five? No, two! Not bad! I quickly and efficiently finalised all the paperwork while a long, long queue of fellow sufferers formed behind me. A good move, I’d say! Source: Expat & Travel Stories – Global Connection
Hardly any reimbursement for daycare The same reports show that daycare assistance is offered in only a minority of cases. The most recent Mercer survey says that daycare costs are reimbursed without limits by 1.4% of companies worldwide, up to a certain limit by 3.6%, and on a case-by-case basis by 7.6% of companies. No assistance at all is offered by 77.3% of companies worldwide. From a regional perspective, European companies are slightly more inclined to offer forms of daycare assistance than their American counterparts. Huge geographical differences in costs One problem with reimbursement of daycare costs is the often huge difference between home country and host country costs. In Western and Northern Europe, for instance, the net costs of daycare can be five times more expensive in one country than another. Additionally, the costs of childcare provisions in typical expat countries such as Qatar, Kuwait, UAE and Singapore can be very high. This limits partners’ options Based on Global Connection’s own surveys and coaching, we have concluded that receiving no daycare assistance limits the possibility of expat partners engaging in activities such as paid work, volunteering, or studying.
DIGITAL HR NEWSLETTER AND MORE Our HR Newsletter is also distributed digitally. Please advise us if you would like to receive the digital version, as well as or instead of the print edition, or if you want to stop receiving our newsletters altogether. You can find all our HR Newsletters at www.global-connection.info (‘For HR’ tab), including related and more in-depth articles. Global Connection | December 2014
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Expat Partner Support HR Newsletter NEW ZEALAND BEST FOR EXPATS
ABOUT GLOBAL CONNECTION
The best experience for expats, regarding quality of life, making local friends, integration and settling in, is offered by New Zealand, according to a report by global banking and financial institution HSBC.
Global Connection is an independent, international organisation that is exclusively dedicated to expat partner support. Our goal: to contribute to the well-being and mobility of expat partners and consequently to the success of the posting. We have more than 20 years of experience and over 250 organisations use our services. We support partners of 80 nationalities in 140 countries.
Over 9,000 expats in 100+ countries For HSBC’s 2014 Expat Explorer Report more than 9,000 expats in over 100 countries were questioned. In the ranking of countries offering the best experience for expats, New Zealand is followed by Bahrain, Singapore, Austria and Switzerland, respectively. When economic factors and raising children are included, Switzerland tops the list, followed by Singapore, China, Germany and Bahrain. Healthy lifestyle in New Zealand One of the factors that gives New Zealand, Switzerland and Austria their high position on the list of best expat experiences is a healthy lifestyle. Many expats who have relocated to these three countries specifically mention the many possibilities for sporting activities, and the availability of healthy food. Clean air and low general levels of pollution are other factors. Remarkably high score for Bahrain The high position of Bahrain in the ranking stands out, as many countries in the Middle East have a low rating in terms of expat satisfaction. Expats in Bahrain particularly mention a more active social life since moving, a better work culture, better accommodation, a better commute and a better work/ life balance. Surprisingly low scores for UK and Netherlands The countries lowest on the list for expat experience are Egypt, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. They are surprisingly joined by the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. Factors such as being appreciated in the workplace, local food and local culture contribute to the low position of the Netherlands. As far as the United Kingdom is concerned, expats are particularly unhappy with the diet, accommodation, work/life balance and the commute to work. Related article on www.global-connection.info: ‘Japan safest for children (HSBC survey)’ 4
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expat partner support
Global Connection | December 2014
SERVICES FOR HUMAN RESOURCES Research: Global Connection conducts research into all aspects of partner support. Our studies include surveys among expat partners as well as HR executives. In addition, we conduct customised surveys to answer your specific questions. Consultancy: We help organisations with, among other things: partner support policy development, ROI calculations, improving cost efficiency and effectiveness, benchmarking, best practices exchange, supplier selection, purchasing/contracting, testing plans and new initiatives. HR management and staff training is also available. SERVICES FOR EXPAT PARTNERS Unique support model: Effective partner support requires providing the right information and service at the right time and in the right way. Therefore, we work according to a unique Triple Seven Support Model and provide a one-stop-shop for expat partner support. 7 STAGES Pre-decision Pre-departure Settling in Settled Pre-repatriation Repatriation Repatriated
7 AREAS Life abroad Destination Networking Paid work Alternatives Repatriation Other
7 FORMS Needs assessment Media Support desk Network Local meeting Coaching* Training* * incl. test/assessment
B2B and B2C: Our support packages are exclusively available to expat partners of assigning organisations that have a contract with Global Connection. Our books are also available to the general public and can be ordered online. More information Please visit www.global-connection.info or contact us: Business Development Manager: Geke van Gurp – geke.van.gurp@gcmail.info Managing Director: Jacqueline van Haaften – jvanhaaften@gcmail.info
About this newsletter This quarterly Global Connection HR Newsletter is produced for all HR, Global Mobility and Talent Managers with an interest in expat partner support. For more information, please contact us at info@gcmail.info