Working abroad can be psychologically daunting. Culture shock, homesickness, different corporate norms, and even different weather can easily lead expats to depression and burnout. This is why it's important to choose an employer who values your mental health and has implemented workplace policies that give you a great environment to thrive in.
Run a background check on any prospective employer's track record of employee well-being
You got a great job offer in your expat country. The company is prestigious and will stand out on your CV. The salary is good (or even great!), and the city you will be moving to is exciting. Many expats would consider only these to be the essential factors in deciding to accept an offer.
One often overlooked factor, however, is employers' track record in taking care of their employees' well-being. Do their employees have high job satisfaction and good work-life balance, or are they stressed and depressed? It's hard to find precise statistics concerning this, as employees often keep these feelings private. Despite this, there are certain ways of getting a general idea of whether a company has a healthy workplace culture. You can:
Crosscheck information and feedback on the targeted employer
Check the information provided by organizations or websites that rate companies according to their perks and the satisfaction of their employees. On the Glassdoor website, former employees can anonymously rate and review their experience at various companies. The organization Great Place to Work provides companies with a renewable 1-year certification/badge based only on employees' feedback about their perception of fairness, respect, camaraderie, pride and credibility in the workplace culture. This organization also collaborates with Forbes to publish a yearly “100 Best Companies to Work For” list. The drawback is that they often rate only multinationals, not small local companies and public sector employers. The workplace culture of the same multinational can also differ from country to country (e.g., working for an accounting Big Four in Malta might not be the same as in London)
Talk to former employees
Informal insider knowledge about workplace culture can be the best because some details, especially negative ones, simply won't be found in reports and statistics. In your home country and hometown, it's likely that you have at least one relative or friend who has worked for the company. That's slightly trickier if you're an expat, especially a new one. Your network in the foreign country might still be limited. In this case, forum discussions between former employees on websites like Reddit might be useful.
Check the turnover rate at the company
It's a bad sign if it has a high turnover rate and if they're recruiting for the same position every few months. People tend to stay at companies with healthy workplace cultures for multiple years. A quick LinkedIn search of former employees' CVs will give you an idea of how long people tend to remain with a certain company. Of course, any news in the media of employee suicides is also a major red flag, especially if they're news from within the last 5 years.
Qualities of workplaces that are good for expats' mental health
What are the benchmarks of what makes an employer/company good for an expat's mental health? Here are some:
How open the company is to flexitime and hybrid working
Since the pandemic, flexibility in where to work and when to work has become very important for employees. It saves people time on tiring commutes, it helps working parents take care of their children, and it lets people decide when they are most productive (some are morning birds, others prefer being night owls). All of this decreases their stress levels. You should bring this up during your job interview.
Respect for employees' time off
In 2022, the American Psychological Association conducted a “Work and Well-being Survey”, which revealed that 34% of workers in the US say that the ability to switch off completely from work is crucial for their mental health. It's crucial to bring this issue up at the interview stage, too, not after you've already signed your contract. Ensure that the company will let you delegate all (or nearly all) of your tasks during weekends and your (paid or unpaid) annual leave days. Ask them if they might often ask you to work weekends or call you for emergencies. Ensure that they won't let clients contact you at odd hours.
Inclusion and diversity initiatives
As an expat, you face an extra challenge that can impact your mental health: a culture and language barrier. Ask your prospective employer what inclusion and diversity initiatives they have put in place to help you bridge that gap. Do they offer cultural mentoring and peer support to help new expat workers get used to the corporate culture? Can they subsidize language classes for you if you feel fully comfortable using the local language yet? Do their managers receive regular inclusion and diversity training themselves to understand their expat employees better?
Coverage of relocation expenses (if you are moving from abroad)
This might seem like a purely financial concern, but it can actually have a significant impact on your stress level. Your mind will be more at peace if your employer is willing to pay your visa fees and flight ticket, help you look for housing, subsidize at least part of your rent or pay your first month, and offer you legal advice about immigration and other relevant guidance (e.g., how to seek healthcare in this country).
Availability of counseling and therapy
Does your prospective company have an organizational psychologist? Can you reclaim the cost of therapy sessions? You should also bring that up at the interview stage. Therapy can be expensive, especially in a foreign country where you do not enjoy all the state benefits that citizens do, and it will help a lot if your employer is willing to help you access mental health care – not only physical healthcare.
