expatriate work assignments can be costly

5 Tips for Managing Successful Overseas Assignments

by Andy Molinsky and Melissa Hahn

Sending talented employees overseas can be a promising way to leverage the benefits of a global economy. But expatriate assignments can be extremely expensive: up to three times the cost of a person’s typical annual salary, according to some statistics. And despite the investment, many organizations lack the know-how for optimizing the potential benefits, leaving them disappointed with the results. The unfortunate reality is that even companies providing well-crafted relocation packages (including the all-important cultural training) may not have the talent management mechanisms in place to truly leverage the valuable skills expatriate employees gain during their assignments.

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How to Manage the Cost of Expatriate Assignments

As business becomes increasingly global, many organizations will be faced with the need to send employees abroad. In turn, CFOs and their teams will be forced to navigate the financial complexities of these assignments.

An imperative to mitigating the financial risk associated with sending employees abroad is proper management of every aspect of the assignment lifecycle: pre-assignment planning, assignment initiation, and ongoing assignment support. At every juncture, cross-function collaboration between HR, accounting, operations, and others should be a priority.

While determining who should be sent on an expatriate assignment may seem less of a financial issue, CFOs or a financial team representative should have a seat at the table for these early discussions, in order to bring perspective to how taxes and compensation can impact the cost to the company. Additionally, understanding the nuanced factors impacting the potential success rate of the assignee can help them better prepare for the costs that will be incurred.

Taking a more siloed approach may be rather shortsighted and can ultimately result in less-than-satisfactory growth and financial goals for the individual and the company. That’s especially true for companies that make international assignments mandatory for a person to become eligible for an upper-management role.

Keep in mind that planning is not over after the assignment has gone live, as companies can use data analytics to further reduce program expenses. Cost projections and annual accruals or forecasting can increase awareness of the actual, real-time costs incurred and can identify anomalies more quickly, in order to make necessary changes before there’s a significant cost overrun.

Successfully implementing data analytics requires payroll and expense-management counterparts to work closely together to provide timely total cost reporting that can be segmented by level, department, length of assignment, or however the company needs it sliced and diced to make it meaningful.

As taxes are among the largest expenses related to an assignment, companies should perform or outsource analysis around where tax is incurred and whether it can be reduced. This is true for such relatively simple — or seemingly innocuous — things as changing how a benefit is delivered (i.e., paying rent directly to the landlord rather than a cash allowance to an assignee), or it could be applied to remediate larger issues. For example, continued analysis of the specific structure of an assignment in terms of length and location can minimize the overall tax costs. Performing costing scenarios based on current assignment packages and comparing them to alternatives is also helpful. There are some key, fundamental cost questions to ask. For example: Does an increase in housing allowance and a corresponding reduction in a cost-of-living allowance reduce or increase the overall program cost?

Another aspect of post-assignment planning that is becoming more common is around unused foreign tax credits. Some companies look for opportunities for repatriated assignees with significant unused credits to work overseas throughout the rest of the year on business trips, so foreign tax can be recovered without incurring any new tax costs.

Companies that have the highest rate of failed assignments are those that do not have a defined post-assignment planning process. What better way to ensure future success than by learning from repatriated assignees? Often they relish the opportunity to share how great, or how bad, the experience was. When companies provide a constructive way for repatriated assignees to voice their concerns, they tend to be more engaged and willing to be part of the solution.

Let’s be honest, the “global economy” is no longer a forecasted trend that is spoken about in the conditional tense. At the same time, it’s certainly not a tired buzzword. Companies are immersed in both its opportunities and challenges, especially in regard to its impact on the workforce.

As members of the younger generation yearn for international experience early in their careers and current leaders continue to evolve and take on more global roles, expatriate assignments are going to arise with even greater frequency. As a result, global mobility teams comprised of cross-functional leaders should be strongly considered. Their partnership and an information-sharing mandate can help ensure the integration of the lifecycle process and mitigate the risk of assignment failures, thereby reducing the overall cost of the program.

Brad Veltkamp is a senior manager in BDO’s Expatriate Tax Services practice.

Material discussed is meant to provide general information and should not be acted on without professional advice tailored to your firm’s individual needs.

Image: Pixabay, CC0 Public Domain

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5 Tips for Managing Successful Overseas Assignments

Sending talented employees overseas can be a promising way to leverage the benefits of a global economy..

5 July 2016

But expatriate assignments can be extremely expensive: up to three times the cost of a person’s typical annual salary, according to some statistics. And despite the investment, many organizations lack the know-how for optimizing the potential benefits, leaving them disappointed with the results. The unfortunate reality is that even companies providing well-crafted relocation packages (including the all-important cultural training) may not have the talent management mechanisms in place to truly leverage the valuable skills expatriate employees gain during their assignments.

We spoke with seven different executives and consultants with deep experience managing the expat process, asking what they’ve learned over the years about how to maximize the value of these critical assignments. We discovered five tips for increasing the return on investment of your overseas assignments.

Have a compelling purpose — and the right person.

Before you send anyone abroad, it’s critical to make a business case for the assignment, just like you would for any other important investment or decision. There should be a clear organizational need and a compelling reason that this need can’t be met through a local hire. Everyone we spoke with also emphasized the importance of selecting the right people, for the right reasons. This involves three things: choosing a person who is open-minded and committed enough to adapt to the local culture, thinking about the specific skills that this person will develop as a result of the assignment, and identifying how these new skills will ultimately benefit the organization.

In some companies, for example, international experience is a “If you can’t think of meaningful ways that the assignment will help both the person and the business move forward, you should probably rethink the assignment.”

requirement for moving into leadership positions. In others, there may be a particular need at an overseas office that only a person with a specific skill set can meet. If you can’t think of meaningful ways that the assignment will help both the person and the business move forward, you should probably rethink the assignment.

Assign top-notch home and host sponsors.

As assignees delve into their new roles overseas and companies plug the holes left behind by absent employees, it’s easy for companies to lose touch with people they send abroad. Just as with remote or virtual employees, expats find that keeping up with their email isn’t necessarily the same as having their finger on the pulse of the office, which can be a constant reminder of how different and faraway their former life really is. To prevent your worker from feeling adrift, provide sponsors to oversee the assignee’s experience on both ends — one at the home base and another at the destination. These individuals are the point people and mentors for ensuring the fit from the company perspective, the fit from the assignee’s perspective, and for comanaging the process throughout. In short, they are the people that the assignee can turn to whenever problems emerge.

The most successful sponsors are typically people who have been abroad themselves and are empathetic and understanding about the experience — not only with regard to what an assignment entails and what can be gained but also with how challenging it can be to go overseas and return. They should also have enough experience in the organization that they can help mentor the assignee on how to maneuver around potential obstacles and make the most of the assignment.

Stay in frequent contact throughout the assignment.

If there was one tip that everyone we spoke with agreed on, it was the critical importance of open, frequent communication throughout the assignment. While the assignee needs to be proactive in reaching out to his or her home sponsor, the home sponsor should keep soon-to-be-returning employees top of mind, identifying how the company can leverage what they are learning and how the employee can take the next steps in their own development at the company as a result of their overseas experience. This communication should follow a highly structured process. For example, one company we spoke with builds in monthly check-ins. The assignee can update the host, home sponsors, and other relevant stakeholders not only on how the assignment is proceeding but also on any important knowledge they have acquired that may be of immediate use to the organization, such as information about how a marketing campaign could be more effective in the assignment country.

Make a plan for reintegration.

Communication should also include a conversation six months before the end of the assignment to discuss the reintegration process. This is a time for the employee to outline the top skills, qualifications, and insights achieved during the assignment and express how he or she would like to incorporate them at the home office (or in some cases on the next assignment). In exchange, the sponsors should elaborate on how they envision the employee leveraging the experience, being frank about what kinds of opportunities might be in the pipeline. There may not be an ideal position for them back in the firm that leverages their talent and fits the needs of the company. But, according to our experts, that’s precisely the reason for the constant communication throughout and toward the end of the assignment. Anticipate these contingencies so that both the organization and the employee have realistic expectations and a plan moving forward.

Once next steps have been established, build in time when the employee comes home to reintegrate. They will still likely need transition time to relearn the old corporate culture and process their experience. This may be as little as a few days or even a week or more. While the timeline may vary, it’s critical to build in a structured transition process with a mixture of check-ins and downtime so reacclimation is a seamless reentry rather than a crash landing.

Develop ways to share knowledge from the assignee’s experience.

Finally, for companies to get the most out of expat assignments, the organization must be proactive in helping employees catalog and disseminate what they have learned. There are a number of ways to go about this. One organization we spoke to asks assignees to blog about their experiences — both during and after the assignment. These posts are shared via internal social media and commented on by others throughout the company. Others make use of metadata on employee profiles to highlight the skills acquired during the assignment; this not only enhances returning expats’ credibility but also enables anyone else in the organization to find them when searching for their specific expertise. Companies can also host special sessions or brown bag lunches on managing global work and intercultural communication, including returning expats alongside outside guest speakers and panel discussions.

However it’s done, the key is to find ways for people to share what they’ve experienced and learned so they can process the experience, reinforce the importance of these global assignments within the organization, and, most importantly, transfer the valuable knowledge they’ve acquired back into the company.

Andy Molinsky is a Professor of International Management and Organizational

Behavior at the Brandeis International Business School. He is the author of Global Dexterity (HBR Press, 2013) and the forthcoming book Reach: A New Strategy to Help You Step Outside Your Comfort Zone, Rise to the Challenge, and Build Confidence (Penguin, 2017). Follow Andy on twitter at @andymolinsky .

Melissa Hahn helps people navigate cultural differences in relocation, education, and family life. She is the author of the intercultural children’s book Luminarias Light the Way (2014). Follow her on Twitter @SonoranHanbok .

For additional information on cross-cultural management:

How to Manage the Cost of Expatriate Assignments: http://ww2.cfo.com/global-business/2015/06/manage-cost-expatriate-assignments/

Survey: Companies Fail to Train Managers for Overseas Assignments: https://www.shrm.org/hrdisciplines/global/articles/pages/fail-train-managers-overseas-assignments.aspx

Article published in the Harvard Business Review: https://hbr.org/2016/03/5-tips-for-managing-successful-overseas-assignments

Bristol Global Mobility: www.bristolglobal.com or [email protected]

Stay in touch with Bristol

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• [email protected]

Expatriate Management (Best Practice Tips)

Anne morris.

• 11 April 2020

IN THIS SECTION

Managing expatriates is a multi-stage process, where each stage can be crucial to the overall success of an overseas assignment for your business, as well as the individual assignee, on both a personal and professional basis.

The following guide looks at best practice for employers when deploying individuals overseas, including some important practical tips for expatriate management, from preparation through to repatriation.

Preparing expatriates for an overseas assignment

The management of overseas assignments can be a complex process for employers and HR personnel to get right, especially when trying to balance the cost of an assignment within the shifting demands of the global business environment against the individual needs of the expatriate.

By thoroughly preparing in advance of the assignment, and by properly investing in the necessary processes from the outset, you can help to minimise wasted expenditure and unnecessary costs at a later date. This can also help to avoid any loss of revenue, and even the potential loss of top global talent from within your organisation, resulting from a failed assignment.

The level of preparation required in the expatriate management process can vary depending on the nature and length of the overseas assignment, the location of the assignment, the number of assignees involved and the individual personal circumstances of each assignee.

In broad terms, however, your pre-assignment expatriate management process should include the following.

A comprehensive assessment of the nature and length of the overseas assignment needed to meet your business objectives, having regard to the flexibility offered by various different types of assignment, from business trips to permanent relocation. This process should also be carried out in the context of any prospective candidates, their level of experience and their personal circumstances. For the novice expatriate, the option of commuter and short-term assignments may be a sensible starting point.

The provision of an adequate compensation package to adequately incentivise prospective overseas assignees, attracting the best available candidates. This should include a suitable salary that matches or exceeds the typical salary that an employee would get paid in their home country for doing the same job, together with relocation costs and a cost of living allowance to reflect any additional daily expenditure in the host location.

Implement a thorough selection and vetting procedure for prospective assignees, ensuring they are suitably qualified and capable of undertaking the assignment in question. Each assignment will present its own unique challenges and demands, so you will need to match the right person to the job, having regard to the individual needs of the assignee in the context of the specific assignment and host location. This could include formal and informal assessments of their capabilities, career aspirations, physical and mental wellbeing, and whether they are emotionally equipped to withstand any cultural adjustment.

A full assessment of any travel and legal risks prior to deployment tailored to the specific assignment, the host destination and the individual assignee(s), ensuring that you fully research the country and region in which the assignee will be working. You should also keep abreast of any imminent changes that may affect the assignment or assignee prior to their deployment.

A pre-deployment programme of training and education for overseas assignees and their families, where applicable, about the host destination. This could include cross-cultural training and language classes, as well practical information about the region or city in terms of transport, education, recreation, healthcare services, and any safety and security issues. For those travelling to high-risk destinations this should also include security briefings and training on hostile environment awareness.

Supporting expatriates during an overseas assignment

Even with thorough preparation prior to the start of an overseas assignment and through to deployment, the provision of ongoing support for an expatriate during the lifecycle of their assignment can be key to its’ overall success.

A human-centric approach should be taken to expatriate management, where absent the right personal and professional support for your overseas assignees and their families whilst abroad, this could seriously affect the outcome.

The level of support required can again vary depending on the nature and length of the overseas assignment, its’ location t, the number of assignees involved and the personal circumstances of each assignee.

In broad terms, however, your active-assignment expatriate management process should include the following:

The provision of an ongoing benefit and support program to help assignees and their families integrate into their host destination. This could include local support, where you could consider outsourcing this role to a specialist who can help novice expats to settle into their new surroundings and signpost them to different services. You should also provide key HR contacts back home to address any personal or professional problems, or in the event of an emergency.

Ensure a positive employee experience, where psychological wellbeing and happiness while on an overseas assignment is strongly linked to expatriate success. This could include the use of informal introductions, employee-centric activities and social networking events on the assignee’s arrival in the host destination to help them integrate with their new work colleagues and other ex-pat families within your organisation.

Maintaining regular contact with your overseas assignees, ensuring effective coordination between management and HR, as well as any local support team in the host destination. Through clear communication you can help to pre-empt any problems that may lead to job dissatisfaction or difficulties with cultural integration. This can also help assignees to keep abreast of any workplace changes and not feel disconnected or isolated.

The provision of quality healthcare for maintaining the physical and mental health of your employees and their families. You should ensure that you opt for an international health insurance plan that offers the assistance and protection your assignee’s may need, including access to a 24-hour helpline that can be used to answer any medical or security questions, or facilitate the provision of emergency assistance, at a time when an assignee’s usual points of contact would not be available.

Remain fully informed of any risk factors that may impact on the assignment, where even relatively safe destinations can quickly become high-risk regions due to health, safety, security, political or social reasons. You should also be able to effectively communicate any such changes and important information to assignees working remotely, especially in relation to health and safety.

The effective use of technology, including data and analytics tools to make informed management decisions in respect of overseas assignments, from cost control to key performance indicators. Further, by providing overseas assignees with the right equipment and devices to do their job can help to maximise productivity, monitor their progress and even measure the assignee experience. This should include the provision of secure wireless networks, good connectivity and up-to-date software.

Making provision for expatriates following an overseas assignment

Having successfully completed an overseas assignment, this is not the end of the process for either you or the expatriate. The repatriation process, even though this is the last step in the expatriation lifecycle, can be just as challenging as the deployment process. In many cases this will involve a process of practical, mental and emotional readjustment for the assignee, as well as their families.

The level of support required for expatriates following an overseas assignment can vary depending on how long an assignee has spent abroad, the extent of any family ties back home and the nature of any role that they will be returning to.

In broad terms, however, your post-assignment expatriate management process should include the following:

The provision of an adequate repatriation package to adequately incentivise overseas assignees to return home to work for your organisation. This should include the potential for career progression or a suitably senior role to return to home to, ensuring that you retain your top talent and benefit from their overseas experience.

The provision of other initiatives to alleviate the risk of losing key employees, including a suitable relocation package following a long-term overseas assignment to enable an employee to easily move back to the UK. The issue of costs must always be balanced against the need to retain talent to ensure the continuity and success of your business for the future. Given their international experience, expatriates are open to being headhunted by your competitors, so the cost of financial incentives must be weighed against the risk of losing them altogether.

The use of debriefing interviews to capture lessons learned from the overseas assignment, making the most of any invaluable insight and new industry knowledge the assignee has gained from their experience abroad. This will help you to develop your business back in the UK and stay ahead of your competitors. This will also give you the opportunity to explore any career aspirations and potential options available to your assignee, as well as the possibility of any future overseas assignments.

Practical tips for effective expatriate management

Although statistically there can be a high failure rate for overseas assignments, the risk of an unsuccessful assignment can be minimised by applying the following practical tips to the expatriate management process:

• Carefully consider the assignment in the context of your business goals, including the nature of the assignment and number of assignees needed Offer adequate compensation packages to attract the best available candidates, including relocation and costs of living allowances.
• Implement a thorough selection and vetting procedure for prospective assignees, ensuring they are suitably qualified and capable of undertaking the assignment in question in the host destination.
• Thoroughly research the host destination for any travel and security risks, keeping abreast of any imminent changes that may affect the assignment or assignee.
• Thoroughly prepare your assignee for deployment through a programme of pre-deployment training, including their families where applicable Invest in an ongoing benefit and support program to help assignees and their families integrate into their host destination.
• Encourage a positive employee experience through the use of informal introductions with ex-pat families, employee-centric activities and social networking events on the assignee’s arrival in the host destination.
• Maintain regular contact with your overseas assignee to help pre-empt any problems and avoid any feelings of isolation.
• Remain up-to-date with any changes in the host destination that may affect the assignment or assignee.
• Provide adequate healthcare, including access to a 24-hour helpline and the provision of emergency assistance where needed.
• Provide adequate equipment and up-to-date ways of increasing productivity, monitoring performance and staying connected.
• Provide adequate repatriation packages to incentivise assignees to return to work for you, including the potential for career progression or a suitably senior role, as well as any necessary relocation package.
• Utilise debriefing interviews to capture lessons learned from the overseas assignment and explore potential career options available to the expatriate, including the possibility of further overseas assignments.

Need assistance?

Seeking expert advice in expatriate management is often money well spent. The cost of sending employees abroad can already be significant, but the risk of losing that investment through either a failed assignment or loss of the assignee altogether from within your organisation should be weighed in the balance.

Getting it right can result in an increase in revenue, the retention of talent and the ability to repeat the process successfully time and time again.

DavidsonMorris are employer solutions lawyers with specialist experience in global mobility and supporting businesses with their international workforce needs. For advice and help with your expat management, speak to us .

Expatriate  management  FAQs

What is expatriate in hrm.

Expatriate in Human Resource Management (HRM), commonly shortened to expat, is someone living in a country different to their own for the purposes of undertaking a short or long-term overseas work assignment. This can include employees sent to manage a new office or set up a new location.

How do you manage an expatriate employee?

Managing an expatriate employee is a multi-stage process, where each stage can be crucial to the overall success of an overseas assignment for both your business and the individual assignee. Effective expatriate management should run throughout the lifecycle of an assignment, from pre-deployment preparation through to repatriation when the employee returns back home.

How do you manage expatriate failure?

In instances where an expatriate is inadequately prepared for a short or long-term overseas assignment, or where the language and cultural differences cannot be overcome, this can often lead to early repatriation. By providing support on a personal and professional level both prior to, during and after the assignment, the risk of expatriate failure can be minimised.

Last updated: 11 April 2020

Founder and Managing Director Anne Morris is a fully qualified solicitor and trusted adviser to large corporates through to SMEs, providing strategic immigration and global mobility advice to support employers with UK operations to meet their workforce needs through corporate immigration.

She is a recognised by Legal 500 and Chambers as a legal expert and delivers Board-level advice on business migration and compliance risk management as well as overseeing the firm’s development of new client propositions and delivery of cost and time efficient processing of applications.

Anne is an active public speaker, immigration commentator , and immigration policy contributor and regularly hosts training sessions for employers and HR professionals

• Anne Morris https://www.davidsonmorris.com/author/anne/ Govt Shelves Predictable Hours Act for Rights Under New Employment Rights Bill
• Anne Morris https://www.davidsonmorris.com/author/anne/ Changes in Home Office Visa Processing Providers
• Anne Morris https://www.davidsonmorris.com/author/anne/ Refused Tier 1 Entrepreneur Extension Overturned: Home Office Error
• Anne Morris https://www.davidsonmorris.com/author/anne/ UK Register of Licensed Sponsors Guide

About DavidsonMorris

As employer solutions lawyers, DavidsonMorris offers a complete and cost-effective capability to meet employers’ needs across UK immigration and employment law, HR and global mobility .

Led by Anne Morris, one of the UK’s preeminent immigration lawyers, and with rankings in The Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners , we’re a multi-disciplinary team helping organisations to meet their people objectives, while reducing legal risk and nurturing workforce relations.

Read more about DavidsonMorris here . 

Legal Disclaimer

The matters contained in this article are intended to be for general information purposes only. This article does not constitute legal advice, nor is it a complete or authoritative statement of the law, and should not be treated as such. Whilst every effort is made to ensure that the information is correct at the time of writing, no warranty, express or implied, is given as to its accuracy and no liability is accepted for any error or omission. Before acting on any of the information contained herein, expert legal advice should be sought.

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The 5 biggest reasons for expatriate failure

International assignments are exciting for the individual, and can be hugely beneficial for the organization. But they are risky too: according to INSEAD, the  proportion of expat assignment failures  can be as high as 50%.

There are a number of reasons – some down to the individual, some to the organization – but any single one of them can result in an early flight home and a huge disappointment for company and assignee alike.

1. You chose the wrong person in the first place

This is the fundamental decision – and one that many companies get wrong. The problem is that, unless there is a precedent (ie you choose an individual with a track record of successful assignments in different countries),  it’s very difficult to isolate the qualities that successful expats need .

Sometimes, an assignee will thrive because they are adaptable; they are both sensitive to their new environment and able to shape their behaviors and lifestyle to fit in with it. However, sometimes the opposite is true. It is equally often noted that a successful expat is one with  a clearly defined set of values  that enables them to perform consistently, professionally and effectively regardless of their social milieu. Clearly, both characteristics are desirable, and ‘compromise’ candidates may be the ones most likely to succeed.

2. Lack of local support

It is not all about the individual. The host country has a crucial role to play, and the most important individual is the host sponsor. Their role is to provide the support in helping the assignee fit in, whether on a social, professional or domestic level –  without their support assignments can go wrong very quickly . Don’t forget that busy work schedules will quickly dominate and leave little time for the assignee to manage their own affairs – and also distract the hosts from their obligation to support the assignee. But if one individual has a clearly defined role to support them, they will not it slip down their list of priorities.

3. Disconnection from home country

It is important to keep in touch with colleagues and work life back home too. The more isolated an assignee is, the more likely they are to reject it – whereas our experience suggests that it is helpful to stay in contact. For this reason, companies are wise to assign a contact who is responsible for  keeping the assignee ‘in the loop’  about developments at home. They not only have a more balanced view of their role within the global organization, but are also better prepared for repatriation once their assignment is over.

4. Domestic difficulties

While children and spouses are frequent factors in early repatriation cases, it is extremely hard to spot because  most assignees are reluctant to share domestic or social difficulties  with the company. They usually believe that any problems will suggest to the company that they are “not up to the job” and therefore paper over the cracks rather than asking for support. Ironically, therefore, the people who could help most are the last to know. To avoid this, frequent and open communication is essential. The company needs to know that the assignee’s family is coping, and it should explain the need for open communication up-front – before they even leave the country. 

5. Failure to plan

In a perfect world, every overseas assignment would be strategically planned and carefully implemented. The truth of modern business is that organizational resource needs can change overnight – so there is sometimes little or no warning. The individual needs  time to prepare practically and mentally  for the assignment, and the organization needs time to put the right infrastructure in place: as mentioned in the last three points, it takes time to choose the right candidate, and to put in place the people required to support them. Sometimes they get away with it; sometimes, it’s no surprise that they’re on one of the first planes home. 

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Alternative ways of assessing model fit

Recognizing and utilizing expertise in work groups: a status characteristics perspective, administrative science quarterly, interpersonal attraction and attitude similarity, journal of abnormal and social psychology, selecting expatriates for personality characteristics: a moderating effect of personality on the relationship between host national contact and cross-cultural adjustment, the big five personality characteristics as predictors of expatriate's desire to terminate the assignment and supervisor-rated performance, personnel psychology, a theoretical framework for examining the relationship between family adjustment and expatriate adjustment to working in the host country, a model for the influence of social interaction and social support on female expatriates' cross cultural adjustment, international journal of human resource management, mentoring across global boundaries: an empirical examination of home-and host-country mentors on expatriate career outcomes, competent jerks, lovable fools, and the formation of social networks, harvard business review, when competence is irrelevant: the role of interpersonal affect in task-related ties, when does cross-cultural motivation enhance expatriate effectiveness a multilevel investigation of the moderating roles of subsidiary support and cultural distance, testing mediation and suppression effects of latent variables bootstrapping with structural equation models, organizational research methods, receiving instrumental support at work: when help is not welcome, multiple imputations, how the packaging of decision explanations affects perceptions of trustworthiness, analyzing structural equation models with missing data, networking abroad: a process model of how expatriates form support ties to facilitate adjustment, career management issues facing expatriates, indian investments in the united states: assessing the positive impact (direct investments by indian enterprises, april 2008–june 2010), estimation for the multiple factor model when data are missing, psychometrika, source credibility, information favorability and job offer acceptance, expatriate adjustment and commitment: the host-unit treatment, if you need help, just ask: underestimating compliance with direct requests for help, journal of personality & social psychology, toward a psychology of dyadic organizing, antecedents to commitment to a parent company and a foreign operation, fostering expatriate success: a meta-analysis of the differential benefits of social support, evolving and enduring challenges in global mobility, new perspectives on human resource management in a global context, mapping the expatriate literature: a bibliometric review of the field from 1998 to 2017 and identification of current research fronts, soliciting resources from others: an integrative review, when the going gets tough: the influence of expatriate resilience and perceived organizational inclusion climate on work adjustment and turnover intentions.

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Managing International Assignments: Compensation Approaches

A new international assignment landscape is challenging traditional compensation approaches

For many years, expatriate compensation has been focused on a dilemma: having assignees on expensive home-based expatriate package versus localization - which is about replacing expatriates with locals or at least transition expatriates from an expatriate package to a local salary. Many predicted that the traditional home-based balance sheet approach would gradually disappear. The predictions of the demise of the typical expatriate approach have been greatly exaggerated. We are witnessing the emergence of new compensation challenges instead, due to the complexity of having to manage multiple types of assignments and assignee categories.

The home-based approach still retains its utility for certain kinds of moves (e.g. business-critical assignments or moves to hardship locations). Local strategies are becoming more common but, due to the difficulty of applying them consistently in all transfer destinations, they are used only in some cases (moves between similar countries, developmental moves) and take multiple forms as “purely local” or local-plus approaches. Additional approaches like international compensation structures have emerged to address issues of global nomads.

The challenge for HR managers is, therefore, not so much to find the best approach applicable for all assignments as to deal with individual assignment complexity, envisage greater mobility policy segmentation and, if relevant for the company, map each compensation approach to a particular assignment in a consistent way.

The increasingly complex international assignment landscape: One size does not fit all anymore

Expatriates vs. Locals

One size fits all?

Let's localize assignees as soon as possible!

Expatriates

Rise of the third-country nationals

Need to add a cost efficient category for junior employees/developmental moves?

Traditional expatriates

Global nomads

Permanent transfers

Employee-initiated moves

Local or local plus?

Foreigners hired locally

Commuters (cross-border or regional

Multiple types of short-term/project/rotational assignments

Increasing number of home locations

Reviewing international assignment approaches in three steps:

Step 1: Understand the options available

Approaches linked to the host country (local or local-plus)

While these approaches sound logical and natural (when relocating assignees to a new country, they will be paid according to the local salary structure in that destination country) their practical implementation is often tricky. Few employees accept a salary decrease when moving to a low-paying country. It is often difficult to reintegrate assignees relocated to a high-paying country into their original salary structure due to their inflated base salary.

The host approach was historically not the most common for assignees on long-term assignments. However, we have witnessed a growing interest in recent years in host-based approaches – either a host approach or local-plus approach (host salary plus selected benefits or premiums) – as companies are trying to contain costs and as significant salary increases in many emerging markets make host strategies more attractive.

Approaches linked to the home country ("balance sheets")

Home-based approaches have been traditionally the most commonly used to compensate international assignees. Assignees on a home-based approach retain their home-country salary and receive a suite of allowances and premiums designed to cover the costs linked to expatriation. The equalization logic behind the balance sheet approach (no gain/no loss) encourages mobility by removing obstacles. Retaining the home-country salary facilitates repatriation. The balance sheet approach can, however, be costly. Many companies either look for alternatives or try to reduce the benefits and premiums included for less significant moves.

Other Solutions

Hybrid approaches attempt to combine the advantages of the home and host-based approaches. These often mean running a balance sheet calculation and comparing the results with the host market salary to determine what solution would make sense. A hybrid approach can work well for a small assignee population but it can generate inconsistencies when companies expand globally, and the assignee population grows significantly.

Finally, some companies rely on international compensation structures that do not use the host and the home structures at all. These might utilize the average salary in a selected group of high-paying countries where the companies operate. This approach facilitates mobility for global nomads and highly mobile employees. It is, however, often very expensive and doesn’t solve all assignment-related issues (e.g., currency issues, pension, taxation). It is typically used in specific industry sectors (e.g., energy and engineering) and for a few assignees (top level managers and global nomads.)

Step 2: Assessing assignment patterNs and business objectives

Assignment patterns

Are assignees moving between countries with similar salary levels, which would make the use of local or local plus easier or, on the contrary, are expatriates sent to host countries with different pay and benefits structures (low-paying to high-paying, or high-paying to low-paying country moves)? Are moves for a fixed duration – e.g., assignments lasting one to five years – or will the company rely on permanent transfers with no guarantee of repatriation?

Assignee Population

Are assignees coming mainly from the headquarter countries (typical for early stages of globalization) or is the number of third-country nationals already significant? A growing number of multinational companies report that the number of moves between emerging markets (“lateral moves”) is catching up with or exceeding the number from the headquarters, prompting a review of compensation approaches.

Are some assignees becoming true global nomads who move from country to country without returning home during their career? Employees, and especially the younger generations, are becoming much more mobile, but only a minority would be global nomads. These assignees are usually top-level managers, experts with unique skills, or globally mobile talent sourced from small or emerging countries where the absence of career opportunities perspective would preclude repatriation perspectives.

Company's philosophy and sector

Some industry sectors like services and finances relocate employees between major regional and financial hubs which facilitate the use of local approach, whereas energy and engineering companies transferred employees to hardship locations are a key feature of the business – and requires comprehensive expatriation packages often based on balance sheets and international salary structures.

Step 3: Assess segmentation needs

An increasing number of companies rely on expatriate policy segmentation to reconcile the cost control versus international expansion dilemma – how to have the same number of assignments or more without increasing the budget dedicated to international mobility. Segmentation means reallocating part of the budget to business critical assignees and limits the costs of non-essential moves.

Some of the commonly used assignment categories include strategic moves (business-critical), developmental moves (which benefit both the company and the employee), and self-requested move (requested by the employee but not essential to the business).

A consistent policy segmentation approach allows HR teams to present business cases or assignment options to management and provide a clearer understanding of the cost and business implications of relocation for different assignees.

It could also help manage exceptions into a well-defined framework based on a consistent talent management approach, as opposed to ad hoc deals.

Example of segmented compensation approach: the four-box model

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Events and training Throughout the year, Mercer conducts a variety of free webinars and paid training sessions, online and in person, to help you keep pace with the evolution of international talent mobility and global workforce management.

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• FOREIGN INCOME & TAXPAYERS

Tax Planning Insights for Foreign Work Assignments

• International Tax
• Individual Income Taxation

In today's global economy, U.S. employers are sending workers abroad in increasing numbers. These workers commonly are referred to as expatriates or assignees. It is a trend that helps spread technical expertise throughout an organization, while simultaneously inspiring creativity and innovation. With proper planning, the transition abroad can be beneficial to both the employer and the assignee. Without proper planning, it can be a disaster. Though not a complete road map, the following is a basic overview of what one would want to know when advising clients prior to foreign work assignments.

An understanding of how expatriates, or expats, are taxed is necessary before one can properly plan for an assignment abroad. In short, U.S. citizens are taxed on their worldwide income by the United States, regardless of their residency or the income's source. This means that a U.S. employee's income could potentially be subject to double taxation, in both foreign and U.S. jurisdictions. It seems a bit unfair, right? Well, fortunately, the U.S. government is not completely heartless. Relief is available in many cases. For foreign earned income, an expat can claim either a Sec. 901 foreign tax credit, an itemized deduction for foreign taxes paid, or a Sec. 911 exclusion.

Foreign Earned Income Exclusion

A U.S. taxpayer may exclude up to $100,800 of foreign earned income in 2015 (adjusted for inflation annually) as well as a housing allowance if he or she maintains a tax home in a foreign country and qualifies via either (1) a bona fide residencetest or (2) a foreign physical presencetest (Secs. 911(a) and (b)(2)). 

• Bona fide residence test: A taxpayer who is a citizen of the United States satisfies this test if the taxpayer establishes to the IRS's satisfaction that he or she was a bona fide resident of a foreign country for an uninterrupted period that includes an entire tax year. Temporary visits to the United States or elsewhere for vacation or business do not necessarily prevent a taxpayer from establishing a bona fide foreign residence for a continuous period. The expat cannot qualify under this test if he or she submits a statement to the foreign country stating that he or she is not a resident of that country and is held by that country to not be subject to income tax in that country (Secs. 911(d)(5)(A) and (B)).
• Foreign physical presence test: A taxpayer that is a citizen or resident of the United States meets this test if he or she is present in one or more foreign countries (not the United States) during at least 330 "full" days in any given 12-month period (Sec. 911(d)(1)). These days need not be consecutive, which allows for potential partial exclusions when assignments begin in the middle of the calendar year. Also, notice that not all time needs to be spent in the country in which the taxpayer is claiming to have a tax home and not all time needs to be spent doing business. Personal and vacation time count. This test does not require that the taxpayer's income be subject to foreign income tax. Good records substantiating time spent outside the United States are a necessity, however.

If claiming the exclusion, the taxpayer will need to file Form 2555, Foreign Earned Income . U.S. citizens living abroad are allowed an automatic two-month extension until June 15 to file their individual tax returns. This extra time may be needed to properly substantiate certain claims for relief mentioned above. If needed, a U.S. citizen living abroad may apply for an additional extension.

Foreign Tax Credit

U.S. citizens are entitled to a foreign tax credit for income taxes paid or accrued to a foreign country. Though it sounds simple enough, this calculation can be complex in certain situations. Sec. 904 limits the credit by the amount of U.S. tax that is levied on the same amount of income. Sec. 901(j) can cause the credit to be denied entirely if the income earned is from a country whose government the United States (1) does not formally recognize; (2) has severed diplomatic relations with; (3) has not severed diplomatic relations with but with which it does not conduct relations; or (4) has designated as repeatedly supporting acts of international terrorism. Any excess foreign taxes not credited in the current year can be carried back one year and forward 10 years (or just forward 10, if elected) per Sec. 904(c).

Previously, if these tax credit amounts were unused, they could be converted into a deduction in the 10th year. The IRS recently changed its position regarding the 10th-year deduction, so CPAs can no longer rely on the safety net of converting a credit to a deduction in the final year (see Ward, "Foreign Tax Credit: When Is It Too Late to Change Your Mind?" 46 The Tax Adviser 662 (September 2015), where the author writes, "As evidenced by the recent reliance on this position in CCA 201330031 and CCA 201517005, it appears the IRS is holding firm in denying the 10-year period of limitation to taxpayers amending to change elections to claim credits for foreign taxes to elections to claim deductions."). Basically, if a taxpayer can reasonably predict that the expat will be in an excess credit position, the deduction might be the better way to go from the beginning. Foreign tax deductions can still be turned into foreign tax credits, but not the other way around.

It is also worth mentioning that U.S. individuals cannot claim a foreign tax credit for otherwise creditable foreign taxes attributable to income that they elect to exclude from gross income as foreign earned income (Sec. 911(d)(6)). In other words, a taxpayer can get either the exclusion or the credit, but not both. In practice, both are often calculated to see which provides the higher tax benefit for the particular situation.

It sounds simple enough, but it is hardly ever that simple.

A number of things might occur. One aspect that often is not considered is how the taxpayer's home state treats his or her assignment abroad. Practitioners should determine to what extent the relevant state law considers a taxpayer stationed abroad to still be a state resident and subject to state income tax. Most states do not follow federal law in terms of double-taxation relief, i.e., foreign tax credit or exclusion. The state might offer some sort of relief, however, but sometimes it is not much. For example, an Oregon resident is allowed to take a foreign tax deduction up to $3,000, but it phases out at higher income levels. On the other hand, Oregon nonresidents may exclude the foreign earned income.

Depending on the company policy (discussed later), sometimes the employer or the foreign company "gross-up" payments and pay the foreign tax on the expat's behalf. These gross-ups are income to the employee, which can increase the amount of taxes owed in the United States and the home state, making any withholding on the U.S. side insufficient, ultimately causing the employee to fork over some extra cash unexpectedly at the filing deadline. Remember that the entire tax liability is due at the original filing deadline for the return, April 15, not the extended date of June 15. In addition to taxes paid on the assignee's behalf, other items must be considered as well. Compensation packages for foreign assignments often have many additional allowances or income items.

The tax rate in the foreign country compared with the U.S. tax rate also makes a difference. For instance, a higher foreign tax rate means that it costs the employee more to work in the foreign jurisdiction, which is a benefit to the employer. Conversely, if the foreign tax rates are lower, the employee receives a benefit. Basically, the arrangement is not always considered fair.

Structure of the Foreign Assignment

Because of all the possibilities that can occur as a result of an expat's foreign assignment, it is imperative that planning occur well before the assignment begins. A few things should happen.

First, the employer should work with a service provider to develop an expatriate employee policy, often referred to as a global policy. This policy may touch on a variety of items, including, but not limited to, automobile policies, cultural orientation programs, pet policies, emergency and security planning, and, of course, the payment for and preparation of foreign, federal, and state taxes.

As mentioned previously, there is often a disparity between an assignee's U.S. tax liability and foreign tax liability. Employers can choose to handle this disparity in one of three ways:

1. Equalization,

2. Protection, or

3. Laissez-faire.

Equalization: If a company decides to enact an equalization policy, both the employer and the employee are no better or no worse for having participated in the overseas assignment. In other words, the policy is tax-neutral.

If a "hypothetical tax" exceeds the actual tax as filed on the assignee's U.S. tax returns, the assignee would owe the employer the difference. If the actual tax exceeds the hypothetical tax, the employer would reimburse the assignee for the difference.

The mechanics work as follows: After the tax return is filed, the hypothetical tax is figured considering only income and deduction items that the assignee would have incurred had he or she stayed in the United States. The hypothetical tax is then compared with the actual tax liability per the tax return plus any hypothetical withholding. Hypothetical withholding is withholding in addition to regular withholding that the employer holds on to so that in the event that the hypothetical liability exceeds the actual liability, the assignee does not have to settle the entire liability.

Some common questions should be kept in mind when reviewing an equalization policy. How are state taxes handled? If an assignee decides to sell his or her home as a result of the foreign assignment, is this factored in? Is all of the income equalized? Or is it just the employment income?

Protection: If a company enacts a tax-protection policy, the employer makes certain the employee bears no adverse effects from the foreign tax assignment.

When the hypothetical tax exceeds the actual tax, the employee retains the benefit and is not required to reimburse the employer the difference; when the actual tax exceeds the hypothetical tax, the employer will reimburse the assignee.

The actual calculation of tax under a tax-protection policy is a bit simpler in that there generally is no hypothetical withholding. All taxes are paid directly by the assignee. The employer will square up later.

Laissez - faire : This policy is just as it sounds—let the cards lie where they fall. A lot of smaller companies will typically go this route. Implementation of both equalization and protection policies can be time-consuming and expensive.

Structuring a Compensation Package

After the employer settles on a global policy, both the employer and the prospective assignee should sit down with the service provider to structure a compensation package that is both tax-efficient and fair. At this time, the employer and the service provider should explain to the assignee how he or she will be taxed and what to expect as far as services are concerned. These packages are generally much more complex than regular domestic compensation and usually cost employers two to three times more. They usually consist of a base salary and various other allowances, depending on the location of the foreign assignment.

The more common allowances are cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs), housing allowances, and moving allowances.

The COLA allows an expat to live off the same level of income that he or she would have had in the United States. The adjustment is calculated based on the employee's spendable income multiplied by a cost-of-living index. This income is taxable to the assignee.

Housing can be tricky. If the employee receives a cash allowance, it is generally taxable. Generally, the allowance is calculated by subtracting the amount of home country housing costs from the amount it would cost the expat in the foreign country. Sometimes expats are required to live on the employer's property as an unavoidable working condition. When this is the case, the housing is considered a tax-free fringe benefit.

Most of the time, employers will cover an assignee's moving expenses. This either comes in the form of an allowance or reimbursement upon submittal of expenses. This benefit is also taxable.

The benefits received vary by country. Special attention should be paid to the following countries: Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United Arab Emirates, and the Republic of Yemen. These countries are specifically listed as boycott countries by Treasury under Sec. 999(a)(3). If an expat takes an assignment in one of these countries, he or she will have to file a Form 5713, International Boycott Report .

Lastly, although this topic probably deserves its own article, prior to the assignment, the company should make sure that it has a solid payroll strategy in place. For less-sophisticated organizations with limited personnel, hiring an outside payroll professional is recommended. Larger companies with a strong internal foreign tax department may be able to handle the payroll function internally. Consultation with a professional is needed in either case.

Planning for foreign work assignments can be time-consuming and requires expert knowledge, but it is necessary to ensure all the relevant tax issues are considered in advance. Only then can both the employer and the expat benefit fully from the experience.

Editor Notes

Michael Koppel is with Gray, Gray & Gray LLP in Canton, Mass.

Unless otherwise noted, contributors are members of or associated with CPAmerica International.

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