Transition times for workers moving out on assignment are getting shorter, especially amongst younger workers. HR needs to be highly tuned into the whole process as when something goes wrong at high speed the impact can be huge reports Elise Krentzel.

As one young company worker woefully complained, "mobility without prior notification of a company's motives can destroy a person's life. I've been mucked around no end by my company, but have no one to turn to. Not even a lawyer!" Although her tale is extreme, stories about mobile workers feeling their companies treat them like commodities rather than people are increasing.

She asked to remain anonymous because she felt her job would be jeopardised if she spoke openly. The woman was supposed to be transferred from a European capital to her company's London office, a chance she welcomed as she wished to work in an English-speaking country. The company's Human Resources headquarters is based outside of London, as it is a multi-national, however, she reported directly to her line-managers at home base in Europe who were not involved in the transfer she was trying to organise.

When she told her partner she'd been offered to relocate, he proceeded – over a short period of time – to sell his car and quit his job, something he agreed to as her income was higher than his. They didn't renew the lease to their rented accommodation. After divesting themselves, she was told to hold her horses; the relocation would take an additional month or so.

According to Professor Dirk Buyens of Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School, the time mobile workers have to prepare before actually leaving on assignment is getting shorter and shorter. "You have 24 or 48 hours to decide to relocate, 4-5 weeks and then you have to leave. The transition in people's lives, the course of it, might be too fast," he said.

Six months later, our company worker was still waiting. Perhaps the mix-up was due to an unpredictable client. However, Human Resources at HQ could offer her no consolation or remuneration for the harsh reality the couple would have to face in the upcoming months. Her line-managers where unaccountable as they hadn't been the one's controlling her job-switch.

She tried endlessly to find someone accountable for the mess her life became. But could not pinpoint a single person or get a straight answer to her simple questions.

It is true that any company can get some things wrong, after all companies are made of humans, not bits of machinery and this is not an ideal world we're living in.

However, the message that comes from this sad tale is that, when dealing with people and their lives it is crucial for HR managers to backtrack their steps. Trace the communications. Make sure that everyone in the food chain is aware of a relocation offer, even if it is verbal. Offer concrete guidelines to employees such as to hold off on selling property until a contract is signed, sealed and delivered. Or better yet, compensation in case a client goes flip-flop.

If the communication pipeline is clogged, remember the old adage – put it down in writing. Email everyone relevant including the employee so all noses are pointed in the same direction. Sensitise yourself to probable consequent actions the employee may or may not take. In other words, imagine yourself in the same position.

The list of reasons is complex but the bottom line is communication, whether inter-cultural or subjective.

We spoke with Atos Origin's HR manager Karine van Poucke, based in Belgium, to get an idea of how they say they'd handle such a situation. Atos is an international IT services company, which provides business-consulting, systems integration and managed operations.

Van Poucke explains, "The pre-assignment preparation usually consists of an international assignment policy briefing; a recommended medical examination to ascertain fitness for assignment and to determine any inoculations/vaccinations required; an orientation trip for the expatriate and his/her partner to make a final assessment relating to the proposed assignment and to arrange for housing and schooling; immigration support to obtain host country visa, work and residence permits if required; a tax briefing and consultation; language training and a cultural awareness briefing."

Van Poucke acknowledges that the partner who accompanies the expat and who has given up his/her career in the home country may have extra difficulties adjusting to the new situation. Sometimes the partner decides to take a sabbatical to spend more time with the family or to take up a study.

Atos Origin provides financial support for language tuition for the family or will reimburse the cost of courses and training up to a pre-agreed amount. For partners who wish to find employment in the new country of residence, the company will do its utmost to assist through referrals to contacts in the business network, local and expatriate associations – without however being able to guarantee an employment for the partner of the expatriate.

"We try to prevent expatriates returning to the home country prior to the completion of their assignment because they or their families experience difficulties in adjusting to the foreign country," said van Poucke.

Van Poucke could not pinpoint directly how they would intervene in case a client changed its mind mid-assignment. Nor could she state what the company would do in case one of its more than 50,000 employees were to organise themselves to leave their home country for the new assignment and it fell through.

Unfortunately, qualified employees willing to travel in this age of uncertainty are not always treated as the assets they truly are.

August 2004

Netherlands-based journalist and author Elise Krentzel has lived and worked in Japan, Switzerland, Sweden, France, USA and Holland.