Short-Term Assignments
Short-term assignments are usually used by companies with the need to quickly and easily transfer skills, know-how and resources among various overseas locations. A short-term assignment is usually a temporary working visit by an employee (“the assignee”) to a foreign location for a 2- to 12-month duration (often limited to 6 months where tax benefits are available pursuant to Double Taxation Agreements). Such assignments tend to be project-oriented. The assignee is unaccompanied by his/her spouse or family.
Considerations, assignee perspective:-
- separation from family,
- availability or frequency of home trips,
- accommodation and security at assignment location,
- availability of living amenities such as medical, entertainment, laundry services, etc.
Considerations, employer perspective;
- the issue of how to compensate for daily living costs,
- the issue of how long to keep paying short-term allowance costs, and
- whether or not to provide a mobility or hardship payment and/or home trips.
Further Considerations:
- to build an effective short-term assignment compensation and benefits package; and/or
- to help the assignee (and family) in relocating to, and settling in, at the assignment location?