Topics covered in this article will be discussed at Lockton People Solution’s ‘Benefits for Breakfast: Navigating the New World of Global Mobility’ event, at our London office, on 6 November 2025. To find out more about this event and register your interest to attend, please visit our event page here (opens a new window).
From shifting work patterns, to growing healthcare needs and political instability, the global mobility market is rapidly evolving. Multinational organisations and SMEs alike, are both increasing international assignments as they look to enact growth strategies in new geographies and markets.
However, business leaders mustn’t neglect the people risks that their expansion plans hinge on. Proactive risk mitigation is essential for all organisations looking to keep their global mobility benefits programmes compliant, cost-conscious, and people-focused.
Risk considerations for global mobility
For a large percentage of assignments or overseas secondments, companies are looking to send senior members of staff abroad to establish a new office or operation.
Inevitably, this results in employees simultaneously wearing multiple hats and experiencing an increased and intense workload, whilst they try to assimilate to their new surroundings. These stressors can be exacerbated by time zone constraints and limited availability from, or lack of, an established support network in the host country.
To ensure your global mobility programme is fit for purpose, businesses should consider risks in the following areas:
Health and wellbeing
Employees will expect a comparable level of healthcare as to what they have received in their home nation. This may be challenging, as healthcare needs to be locally relevant, but also reach a minimum level that mirrors the care that employees have become accustomed to in their home country. Businesses should pay close attention to rising costs associated with medical care as this can hamper their ability to offer comparable care abroad. In 2024, Lockton’s People Solutions’ Global Medical Trend report found that medical inflation costs were running at 12% year-on-year. Furthermore, businesses should seek to enhance their mental health care and support. Employees transitioning to a post abroad may experience unexpected challenges that potentially affects their mental wellbeing.Compliance
Strict regulations associated with minimum healthcare requirements can provide challenges when moving staff abroad. There are various hotspot locations, such as the Gulf states, where legislation can change incredibly quickly. This presents various compliance risks as implementation of new rules can also be immediate and without warning. For scenarios such as these, it is useful to work with a partner who understands and monitors changing laws to enable your business to remain compliant in a fluid environment.Safety and security
Incidents, such as natural catastrophes, political instability, or geopolitical conflict, could call into question the safety and security of your overseas employees. In such scenarios, the wellbeing of staff is paramount. Policies to protect and extract employees should be established before they move abroad, and be continuously revised and rehearsed by all key parties. Expert advice from organisations, such as Healix International (opens a new window), should be sought to help develop your emergency incident response plans.Benefits parity
Similarly to healthcare, staff will expect access to a benefits programme that has parity with what is offered in their home nation. Companies should consider the type of move (short-term, long-term, or local-to-local transfers) when selecting the correct benefits programme, balancing cost with what is locally relevant. Furthermore, clear signposting as to how to access benefits when moving abroad is critical to ensuring assignment success.Reputational damage
Companies placing people in new locations have a duty of care to uphold. If businesses fail to adequately care or support staff on assignments, this could severely damage a business’ reputation – particularly in high-profile incidents. Talent attraction and retention could be severely weakened if a company is perceived to care little about employee wellbeing.
Why HR is crucial to growth plans
Businesses should view their HR department as a strategic enabler of growth. A poorly ran global mobility programme – plagued by reactive measures and inconsistencies – can significantly impair the efforts of other departments within a business.
If employees become dissatisfied with their move and feel they are receiving an inadequate level of care, their performance at work may be inhibited. This can potentially damage the wider growth objectives of the business. Proactive support will lead to a more successful assignment, increasing the success of business plans and objectives.
Bringing proactivity to your global mobility programme
When sending employees into multiple different jurisdictions, it’s difficult to plan for every eventuality. However, taking a consistent approach to benefits, when planning and delivering each assignment, helps ensure the appropriate risks and threats are considered for every case.
With an increase in chronic health conditions, pre-assignment screenings are a proactive and valuable tool in ensuring the health and wellbeing of your employees and their families. These services, often embedded in international health programmes, now include pre-assignment helplines to help individuals understand the potential lifestyle changes from both a cultural and social perspective.
Assignments are not a one-size-fits all proposition, and different approaches are required for different lengths and locations. Leveraging insurance to reduce risk is one way to achieve this, and global insurance brokerages can help with securing both worldwide and local cover.
Talk to us
To learn more about how we can support your business and its global mobility programme, visit our People Solutions page (opens a new window) or contact your Lockton consultant.
To attend our ‘Benefits for Breakfast: Navigating the New World of Global Mobility’ event, at our London office, on 6 November 2025, please follow the link here (opens a new window).
