International Assignments: Expatriates with Families Versus Empty Nesters
One of our team members recently reconnected with an old friend from her expatriate days in Hong Kong during the 1990s via Facebook. The friend is now on a subsequent expatriate assignment in Shanghai and, upon reconnecting through technology, they lamented about the differences from the 1990s to today and also about the experience as an ‘empty-nester’ versus a mother with school-aged children.
While in Hong Kong during the 1990s, the friendship blossomed because both women lived in the same 40-story apartment complex and their children attended pre-school and first grade at the Hong Kong International School. At that time, the social life of an expatriate in Hong Kong was rich, helped by the sheer proximity of so many people in the same situation – living in a culture that was unfamiliar, no extended family nearby, and a delightful degree of freedom afforded to mothers with live-in help. It was a recipe for developing deep friendships as expatriate wives and partners sought to make the transition as easy as possible for their spouse and their children.
Now joining her husband, a top executive running the China operations for a U.S. based computer hardware manufacturer, in Shanghai for another assignment, the friend is realizing a completely new and unique experience. Their two children are now college students and have remained in Texas. She now spends the majority of her time, “learning about the city, culture, etc., instead of concentrating on the kids’ schooling and other needs.” No longer tethered to an American school, she has found her circle of friends widening, meeting more people from other countries as opposed to the almost exclusive American-centered life in Hong Kong. And she noted that there are a lot of ‘empty nesters’ also on assignment. She refers to Shanghai the ‘New York City’ of China because of its large and varied population and, as a result, she has joined several expatriate groups, including the Shanghai Expatriate Association, Brits Abroad, and The American Women’s Club of Shanghai.
She and her husband live in a serviced furnished apartment, unlike Hong Kong, where they lived in a high rise with most of their personal belongings shipped over from the U.S., recreating as closely as possible the home they left in California. The ability to leave without a moment’s notice has provided her with the opportunity to travel frequently, whether it is to accompany her husband, visit her children in the U.S., or explore locally on her own. For this assignment, they also made the decision to keep their home in Texas instead of putting it into a property management program, providing a home base for the entire family, resulting in a genuine sense of comfort knowing that there they will return home once this assignment is completed.
Another significant difference between expatriate live today and that of fifteen years ago is the prevalence of the internet and the various forms of e-communication. In addition to traditional means like email and online chat, expatriate families also rely on Skype and Facebook, even though the latter is blocked by the Chinese government. Leveraging technology she comments that, ‘Staying in touch has never been easier.”
When considering the benefits package for an expatriate couple with children not accompanying, we do recommend that companies allow more than one home leave trip per year, and include student visits at least twice a year. Also, we always recommend that both the assignee and their spouse/partner have complete medical examinations before their departure, which should be a mandatory requirement in any policy, but is critical in these instances to ensure that the assignee and their spouse/partner have their medical needs met in the foreign location. We also suggest that companies include a robust Emergency Leave benefit, as aging parents at home may require immediate response from the boomer expatriate on assignment.
Over the past few years we have witnessed a decrease in the number of families offered long-term international assignment, primarily due to a conscious effort for the company to reduce costs. When relocating a couple rather than a family unit tuition payments are non-existent, housing and COLA allowances are smaller, household goods may not be shipped, and travel is less expensive. While we have not seen factual date to support a corresponding increase in sending older couples as opposed to younger couples, it seems quite clear that the mature expatriate can enjoy and relish the experiences of living abroad. Boomers bring a unique viewpoint, and if offered the opportunity, companies should not be concerned that expatriate life is for the young, but rather for the “young at heart.”
Posted on 10/9/2009 in Global Mobility | Comments (0)
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