Businesses with an existing expatriate population, or a business looking to implement expat assignments for the first time, should strongly consider establishing an International Employee Assistance Programme (IEAP), or specialised Expat Employee Assistance Programme.
The first consideration is the duty of care a business has to an employee they send out on international assignment. For the vast majority of employees, taking on an expat assignment is a big life choice. It effects not only themselves but their friends and loved ones. The move will require the employee to adjust to a new culture, new laws and customs, new colleagues, a new residence, unfamiliar tax rules and countless other things that they will need to adapt to.
Clearly, an employer sending a member of staff on assignment has a duty of care to ensure that the employee is supported as far as possible. This can help them settle more quickly, but also protect them against any worst-case scenarios.
There are many things for an employer to consider. However, supporting an expat with a confidential support service and assisting with a broad range of issues, both in, and out, of work, should be one of the first things on the list.
It’s also worth thinking of the cold, hard business case. Expatriate assignments are a significant investment for any business and expat failure could mean tens, or even hundreds of thousands, in lost expenditure. Two of the main reasons why expat assignments fail include an inability to settle and achieve optimal productivity. Both of these could be prevented with early intervention by some of the support services offered by an International Employee Assistance Programme, or particularly an Expat Employee Assistance Programme. The latter are specifically focused on supporting expat employees settle and thrive in their assignment.