Employee assistance programmes are being increasingly used by HR departments to ensure that expatriated workers receive the sort of back-up that enables them to do their job effectively. We look at the benefits of using such support services in the current business and security climate.

 According to a survey released this month by GMAC Global Relocation Services, 40 percent of companies now offer programmes that help educate and support the employee and his or her family prior to an overseas assignment. This is up from 15 percent in 1993, according to GMAC. The reason for the rise in such programmes is due to "employees' hesitancy to accept overseas assignments due to family concerns" which were mainly children's schooling and the ability of the partner or spouse to find work.

Cendant Mobility also observe in their 2004 worldwide Benchmark study that "while companies continue to take care of the necessary tactical details of the international relocation, the so-called 'hard services', they are less likely to provide the 'soft services', such as assignee selection and repatriation."

This, according to the study, is in spite of this type of service being "more in line with the reasons why employees are sent on assignment, the skills they need to generate assignment success, and their major motivation for accepting assignments in the first place."

For example, Cendant advises, "If companies offer more coaching and mentoring assistance, assignees may feel they are still productively developing their careers even if the work itself is less rewarding."

A further survey by employment assistance consultancy FGI stated that these schemes were necessary, because without them employees felt at something of a loss in their new roles.

FGI found that employees said these programmes helped allay their fears, with 77 percent stating that without counselling, their concerns would have affected their health, 65 percent claiming that without counselling, their concerns would have caused them to miss work, 71 percent said that counselling improved their ability to cope with job demands, 74 percent said that counselling improved their concentration at work, and finally, 56 percent stated that counselling improved their relationships with co-workers and/or supervisors.

The FGI report went on to say that; "It's clear that the EAP is a valuable tool in managing absenteeism, potential short-term disability and drug-related costs, not to mention the hidden costs of productivity and co-worker conflict."

It further claimed that; "global employee assistance programmes address the personal and emotional problems that negatively impact workplace performance and workplace health."

Such claims were supported by press reports regarding a rival organisation ComPsych Corporation which said; "Employers are adding or enhancing expat support programmes in light of world events and anti-Americanism abroad."

The consultancy, which has been in business for 20 years, said that companies wanted more help with issues such as EAPs, behavioural health, work-life and crisis intervention services.

Manager of International Operations at ComPsych Christie Christian said; "What we have seen is an increase in testing, which goes on whether the assignment is a 'safe' part of the world or in a 'hot spot'."

Christian said that, as far as ideal candidates are concerned "they should be confident with dealing with the issues, such as to do with change and other cultures. Not everybody is up to this sort of thing."

She further explained that ComPsych's advice to companies would include urging the businesses to consider testing potential off-shore employees. "We also ask candidates to do a self-assessment and give them some cross-cultural training. We try to give them the mindset they will need to deal with any difficulties or challenges they might face," she said.

ComPsych says that it has noticed a decrease in certain assignments and a decrease in postings. "This is partly because of the slowdown in the world economy and not just a heightened threat of terrorism," added Christian.

European employers are also analysing the benefits of using EAPs. "People seem to be quite pleased with the new arrangements we put in place," said Hans de Jong, manager ISN at Ericsson International Services.

He added that the mobile telecoms company had set up a new off-shoot to deal with EAPs and also improve the way expatriates are dealt with within the Ericsson group.

"We are more or less trying to improve routines for our expats and work with local service providers to ensure a good level of service," said de Jong.

He also claimed that such services were introduced because of the tax situation in certain countries. "The model is born out of the needs for tax savings in the Netherlands, where we are based, because it is cheaper here than in Sweden."

Such cost concerns should be kept in mind, believes Christie Christian of ComPsych. "Human resources should consider what they are trying to provide as an international assignment could cost as much as a million dollars – what system should be in place to get a return on this investment.

"Select the right candidates, support them through their stay abroad and then make sure their knowledge and new expertise is brought back into the company when they return. There is some tendency not to utilise all that these people have learnt," she added.

FGI said in their report that companies needed to consider cost considerations as they were likely to send some of their most experienced and productive employees abroad. EAPs should help as companies need to understand that a variety of solutions are required to meet the needs of the workforce.

For FGI these include; both expatriates and short-term assignees, multicultural domestic and international teams, local national employees around the world, international permanent hires, international business travellers and global virtual teams

During a recent roundtable of EAP experts to discuss the heightened security issues in Iraq, Mercedes D'Angelo, director, business solutions for FGI, said that, "Our clinical experts have recognised and are responding to the fact that even the most resilient assignees are not immune to developing vulnerabilities when witnessing violence and experiencing trauma over time. They can become 'sloppy' with regard to safe behaviour and safety protocols, or develop negative coping patterns which may put them at risk for making poor decisions or creating conflict."

Despite the fact the EAPs have been around for some time the changing business and security climate means that HR specialists need to ensure that their programmes are up-to-date and can deal with the latest pressures facing the business world.

October 2004

Jeremy Slater is a freelance writer based in Brussels.