Employees working abroad are not being given the upfront support they need before they travel, according to new research1 from the international employee benefits experts at Everywhen. Perhaps most surprising and concerning is that out of all the ways employers prepare employees before an assignment, only 42% of employers put health and wellbeing support in place for employees before they depart.
Sarah Dennis, head of international at Everywhen, says: “We would like to see more employers put health and wellbeing support in place prior to them posting employees abroad. Leaving health and wellbeing support until the employee touches ground overseas, or not putting it in place at all, should simply not be an option. Not having comprehensive support in place before employees travel is likely to be detrimental to the success of the assignment, as well as to the individual. We would like to see all employers of overseas staff making health and wellbeing support the top priority, and this doesn’t just mean private healthcare, but Life Assurance, Security Evacuation and Repatriation too.”
Ensure the full package is provided
After health and wellbeing support, employers are most likely to prepare an employee for a posting abroad by ensuring they have the support they need to fulfil their career goal, as stated by 41% of employers. This is positive for both the employee and the employer – as a successful assignment will benefit both – but investigating a business opportunity before sending employees to work abroad is just one part of the equation.
Support needs to be in place not just for their professional role but also for their life outside of work, ensuring they are settled and that their family is happy too. For example, giving practical advice on relocation, such as finding a place to live or being educated on cultural differences. International benefits experts will be able to provide a holistic and comprehensive view of the support that can aid success, and on-the-ground expertise can be a vital element in preparing an employee for living and working in a particular country.
| How, if at all, do you help your employees prepare before they work abroad? | |
| We put health and wellbeing support in place for them | 42% |
| We ensure they have the support they need to fulfil their career goals | 41% |
| We arrange health checks before travel so we can identify specific support they may need | 39% |
| They’re given practical support for relocation, such as finding a place to live | 36% |
| We identify any health requirements of the employee’s dependants | 34% |
| They’re educated on cultural differences | 33% |
| We put health and wellbeing support in place for their dependents | 31% |
| We provide a cash lump sum and trust them to put their own health and wellbeing support in place | 17% |
| We don’t do anything to prepare our employees to work abroad | 4% |
| Don’t know | 2% |
Comprehensive care
Support needs to be comprehensive, from considering the needs of dependants through to educating employees on cultural differences. Indeed, support for dependants can be just as vital to the success of an overseas assignment as support for the employee themselves. It is not unusual for someone to want to return home because their family has not been supported, either with them in the new country or at home without them. This view is backed by over a third of employers (34%) who recognise that health requirements of dependants are an important consideration too, and 31% of employers who state they put health and wellbeing support in place for these dependants.
Arranging health checks before travel is another vital part of the planning process, as recognised by 39% of employers. This makes it possible to check that any medications or health needs can be provided for in the host country and that the employee can get the support they need.
Helping employees to find a place to live, an action taken by 36% of employers, and providing education on cultural differences, carried out by one third (33%) of employers, are also important measures that can have a big positive impact. Employers would be wise to take expert advice on such matters.
Sarah Dennis concludes: “It is easy to overlook how challenging it can be to relocate to a different country. Risks can be wide and varied, from being turned away at the border if the right health and wellbeing support is not in place to offending new colleagues if local customs are not understood. Our research shows that, in general, not enough is being done to make sure employees are fully ready for overseas assignments before they actually relocate. The key is to know before you go so that support can be tailored and, therefore, effective.”
- Research undertaken on behalf of Everywhen by Opinium in January 2026 among 500 HR decision-makers across the UK. International figures refer to UK companies with overseas employees.
