Poor Work-life Balance Affects 72 Per Cent Of Globally Mobile Expats

If a recent survey is taken seriously, it would seem almost 75 per cent of globally mobile individuals are less than overjoyed about their work-life balance.

The recently-released results of yet another expat survey paint a less than happy picture of life as a globally mobile expat professional. The main issue would seem to be a lack of enough downtime to spend with their families, and loneliness is an equally serious problem for expats travelling alone. In addition, a similar study revealed that those in international assignments were more likely to have increased concerns about their health.

Relocating with the family gives another worry – that of education – as a lack of free time makes it almost impossible for parents to adequately look after their children’s support needs in the absence of a dedicated support network. Another major concern is that 40 per cent of respondents said their company had not provided medical benefits as part of the relocation package. Subsequently, expats on overseas assignments suffer more worries about their health.

Given the stark reality of readjusting to a new job, new norms as regards cultural differences, a new language and new work colleagues, coping with family-based issues in an atmosphere of social isolation can result in depression at best and a failed assignment at worst. Employers are now being urged to pay far more attention to the needs of their globally-mobile workforce, if only because failed relocations cost time and money to replace