More than half of respondents have a business presence outside the UK, and healthcare benefits are a key attraction for employees working abroad, says Debbie Lovewell
In the light of new, rapidly growing markets across the globe, it is perhaps unsurprising that the percentage of respondents with operations or divisions outside the UK has risen to 52% this year, up from 39% last year and 37% in 2010.
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The number and length of expatriate assignments is reducing in the current climate, but internationally mobile staff are still involved in many organisations' overseas activities.
A comprehensive healthcare benefits package is a key attraction for such staff, assuring them that they, and often their families, will be taken care of while based overseas.
Two of the top three benefits offered to expatriates are private medical insurance (PMI) for employees and employees' dependants. Life assurance sits in second place.
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Multinational pooling arrangements between employers and insurers help to cut costs and risks, but 76% of respondents with overseas operations do not use pooling. This percentage has remained consistently high over the years.
Read more Healthcare research 2012
