By their nature, global assignments can be challenging to your relocating employee and his or her family. Living in an unfamiliar country, speaking in another language, navigating another culture – all of it can be overwhelming...
Health Issues
Assignment locations with high levels of air pollution or generally low air quality can result in various health issues, including recurring coughs, damage to lungs and respiratory diseases such as bronchitis, asthma or even lung cancer. Children, the elderly or anyone with health concerns may be more sensitive to the effects of poor quality air. It is important to note that the potential health effects of high pollution may be long-lasting.
Strategies
Because of potential health issues, companies may find that some of their employees are reluctant to accept assignments to these locations. The following strategies can help alleviate this reluctance or the issues surrounding assignment locations with high pollution levels or poor air quality.
| Strategy | Description / Rationale |
|---|
| Candidate Assessment | Allows informed decision-making by the employee and family regarding a particular international assignment location. Can help protect the company's return on investment as de-selection by the employee is preferable to a failed relocation. |
Pre-decision /
PRE- Assignment Trip | Provided to the potential assignee and spouse/partner to help with complete understanding of the environmental issue. |
| Assignment Duration | Consider shortening or adjusting the duration of the assignment to help reduce reluctance to accept the assignment and/or exposure to pollutants. |
| Health Briefing | Provided to the assignee and accompanying family to inform and educate regarding ways to mitigate risk and limit exposure to polluted air. |
| Medical Examinations | Require exams for the employee and accompanying family prior to departure to help identify unknown health factors that may be aggravated by exposure to pollutants. Once on assignment, require annual, or more frequent, medical exams to identify and treat any resulting health issues. |
| Air Testing | Conduct local air tests to help measure air quality at the desired assignment housing location. Air quality can vary based on proximity to pollutants and wind velocity and direction, but air testing can help the assignee choose housing with the best relative air quality in that location. |
| Air Filtration | Cover the installation of air filtration units in the assignee's housing. Units may be needed in each bedroom and/or living area. If air filtration units are already installed in assignment housing, cover testing of the units to ensure they are functioning properly. On-going maintenance of the units should also be covered, which can include regular filter replacement and/or air tests to ensure units are continuing to work properly. Cover replacement of the units, if needed. |
| Host Transportation | Evaluate host transportation provided to the assignee to minimize exposure to pollutants. Adjustments may be needed if housing with better air quality is available in a location further from the assignment work site (perhaps in an outer suburb). The host location transportation benefit may need to account for the longer travel distances. |
| Dependent Education | As with the host transportation benefit, if assignment housing with better air quality is located a further distance from usual assignment housing areas and schools, coverage for transportation to/from school for dependents may be needed. |
| Home Leave or Rest and Relaxation Trips | More frequent home leaves or rest and relaxation trips may be needed as a break from the assignment location. Set the frequency / expectations at the outset of the assignment. |
| Hardship / Location Allowance | An allowance provided as an incentive to accept the assignment and in acknowledgement of the particular locational difficulties. Can be used to help with purchases of health-related items such as face masks. |
| Split family | While never an ideal situation, splitting the family may help avoid potential health issues. In this scenario, the assignee lives in the assignment location, while the accompanying family resides in a near-by location with better air quality. Providing the employee with frequent visits to the family location would be crucial. |
| Early Return | If needed, allow an early return from assignment, with no negative career consequences for the employee. |