What kind of questions should organisations address when establishing mobility programmes? Here’s a checklist to help you get started.
Your Unique Workforce
Carry out an analysis based on a detailed employee population census, to understand the characteristics of different groups of employees in the same plan.
Among the questions to answer:
- Where are they located?
- What is their status?
- What are their expectations?
- Do they have any special medical needs?
Travel
- Is there a contact/check-in procedure in place when the employee arrives?
- What steps have been taken to address the privacy concerns of tracking employees via cell phones or other technologies when they travel to another country?
Medical
- What health risks are associated with this location?
- What is the state of medical care in the country and how accessible is it?
- Are agreements in place with accredited local facilities to get prompt treatment for routine and specialist care and in time of emergency?
- Are medical evacuation arrangements in place?
- Do travellers have the proper immunizations?
Cultural
Understanding the local culture can be a benefit to both the employee and the business operation.
- Do employees understand the cultural differences they may be facing?
- Are they prepared for the different nuances, values, and cultural norms in which they will be operating?
- What dos and don’ts will reduce potential misperceptions?
- How will employees adapt if they are members of a minority and are subjected to prejudice?
Work Location
- What are the health and safety standards at the work location?
- What are the health standards at the long-term residence?
- What are the safest ways to travel from work to residence?
- What vacation time does the employee receive while working in another country?
- What happens in time of disaster or civil unrest?
Security Risks
One of the key elements in Duty of Care for employees on international assignment and their employers is to understand the risks of where they are operating.
- What is the political climate?
- What is the business environment?
- What is the state of crime and justice?
- Is the risk worth the possible reward for working in this country?
Benefits Benchmark
- Is there a geographic and industry benchmark that can help shed light on the employee benefits market, identify best practices, and assess how your own company performs against competitors?
In collaboration with Europ Assistance - Global Corporate Solutions