International Dual Careers Conference
20 December 2004Lengthy work permit procedures for expatriate spouses in many countries represent a significant barrier to international employee mobility.
“Spouse dual-career concerns are the single most important reason why employees turn down an overseas assignment, according to a major dual career survey by ORC Worldwide”, says Siobhan Cummins, managing director of the company’s European offices in London. Other surveys show that prior to expatriation over 50% of spouses or partners are working, but 85% do not work during an assignment.
Jan Schaapsmeerders, human resources director of Shell Nederland and chairman of the board of directors, Permits Foundation, said: “Nowadays both partners expect to have their own career. Companies and countries need to recognise this with supportive policies, if they are to attract top international talent. Most companies employ only a small proportion of expatriate staff, but they are essential to the transfer of skills and technology and have an understanding of international business in different cultures. This goes hand in hand with the trade and investment that helps to stimulate local economies. A number of governments already recognise this and grant open work permits to the partners of internationally transferred staff.“
The conference will bring together government representatives, members of the corporate world, both private and public sector, and others with an interest in international mobility, equal opportunity and trade and investment.“We would like to raise awareness and promote change around this issue. We want to show that relaxing work permit restrictions for spouses will makecountries a more attractive business destination for international investment. We are hoping that key opinion formers who attend will act as champions for change in their regions. We would also like to invite other global organisations to join the Permits Foundation.”
The Permits Foundation was set up three years ago to encourage governments to relax work permit regulations that currently make it difficult for spouses to work in many countries. It has already been successful in influencing change in France and the USA, by supporting local networks seeking improvements in work permit regulations. It continues to promote improvements in other countries in Europe, for example in the Netherlands and Germany. It has also started to develop networks in Asia and is working to raise awareness of this issue worldwide.
More than 35 international companies and organisations worldwide are now working together, through the Permits Foundation, to promote access to employment for the spouses of internationally assigned staff.
Caroline Waters, director of people networks, BT Group, said: “As an HR director for BT and a Permits Foundation board member, I know first hand the importance of having a workforce that is flexible and mobile. Highly skilled and qualified people who have the ability to perform a specific expert function away from home are at a premium.
“Companies want the flexibility to be able to move staff around the world to places where their expertise is needed most. Understandably most accompanying partners want to carry on working so they can continue to develop their skills and facilitate their re-entry to work when they return home yet few manage to do so. This poses a significant challenge and where the permits have been relaxed we see a real benefit not only to the company but to local economies as well.”
