1. 32 issue 14.4 hRmasia.com 33issue 14.4 hRmasia.com
Feature Feature
Corporate Health
your
Protecting
mobile worker
A terrorist attack at an Algerian desert gas plant in January last year provided the world with a stark
warning of the dangers presented to mobile workers employed in faraway areas around the globe.
Forty oil workers from countries such as the US, the Philippines, Japan, and Britain were killed during
the attack.
As well as international condemnation, the attack also shone a spotlight on the everyday perils and
uncertainty plaguing mobile employees, especially those working in dangerous terrains and politically
uncertain markets.
Mobile workers are fast becoming recognised as an important part of the overall global workforce. The
International Data Corporation (IDC) anticipates the number of mobile workers to hit a massive 1.3 billion
in 2015, representing 37.2% of the total workforce.
Furthermore, a PricewaterhouseCoopers’ report titled “Talent Mobility 2020” has revealed a projected
50% growth in overseas assignments by 2020 (see box).
With the anticipated surge in mobile workers over the next decade or so, attaining global health coverage
for them in light of the global political, economic and social uncertainty has become an imperative, says
Danny Yap, principal officer and general manager of Raffles Health Insurance (RHI).
As more and more employees travel around the world, their health
and well-being are constantly at stake. Companies are increasingly
stepping up their game to ensure comprehensive health coverage
for all staff, no matter where they work
By Sham Majid

2. 35issue 14.4 hRmasia.com
Feature
34 issue 14.4 hRmasia.com
Feature
The PricewaterhouseCoopers’ (PwC) report “Talent Mobility 2020” provides an
interesting snapshot of talent mobility trends over the next decade. Its data reveals
that “assignee levels have increased by 25% over the last decade”. The rising trend
of global mobility was epitomised by the PwC annual global CEO Survey, which
showed that 55% planned to alter their approach towards global mobility.
Technology is also anticipated to become a bedrock of business collaboration,
with the report deducing that companies will become much more dependent on
technology and the management of the end-to-end business cycle. That is in part
because of the need to better manage the increasingly global workforce.
PwC’s data shows that in 2009, the average organisation had 22 host locations for
their staff. However, come 2020, there is expected to be growth of at least 50%, with
an anticipated 33 host locations per multinational employer.
The composition of the diversely spread workforce is also changing. By 2020, it is
expected to comprise of Baby Boomers (a group that will have already achieved most
of its career goals), Generation X (those who will be at the peak of their earning-
potential) and the new generation of Millennials (those who will take on the majority
of international assignments by 2020). According to PwC, a staggering 80% of
Millennials want to work abroad, with 70% anticipating the need to use non-native
languages in their careers.
Talent mobility:
the phenomenon
Dowling Jr, an international employment law partner with
White & Case LLP says specific safety guidelines and
insurance requirements depend entirely on context.
In a White Paper titled “Global Workplace Health and
Safety Compliance: From the Micro (Protecting the
Individual Traveller) to the Macro (Protecting the
International Workforce)”, he says this could mean
“supplying gloves, machine guards and emergency-stop
buttons” in a factory, while an office environment might
require an employer to be “supplying keycards, ergonomic
keyboards, and staircase hand rails.”
On the other hand, Dowling says that for employees
working in war zones, “it might mean supplying guards,
body armour and evacuation services.”
Scope of healthcare coverage
There is no denying that companies are often unsure of the
various types of coverage required for specific sets of workers.
For example, Yap says that firms may find it difficult to
choose the right health coverage for mobile workers, given
the many options available, and that some may be unsure if
travel insurance or international health plans are better for
this unique category of staff.
Bond says the scope of medical coverage of international
health plans in general is wider than that of standard travel
insurance.
“For mobile workers who need to travel frequently, an
international healthcare plan may be the best option as it
will ensure long-term global medical cover, meaning they
can access healthcare wherever they may be,” he says.
This is where insurance and healthcare providers can
offer professional advice for firms to enable them to
construct a suitable healthcare package not just for mobile
employees, but also for different levels of staff within the
business, Bond explains.
RHI and Bupa emphasise the importance in considering
the healthcare needs of an international workforce, which
is dependent on a range of factors such as existing health
conditions and the nature of the jobs they do.
“Therefore, we aim to provide as much flexibility and choice
as possible for both the company and individual employees on
healthcare coverage, considering the specific needs of the
industry and various levels of employees,” Yap notes.
Dowling also acknowledged that “multinationals’
workplace health and safety concerns increasingly
transcend national boundaries.”
“Proactive multinationals are now starting to take steps
toward aligning, across their worldwide operations, those
aspects of health and safety with a cross-border
dimension,” he wrote in the article.
Cost pressures
As it is the case in all aspects of business, health coverage for
employees is also influenced by cost measures. According to
Yap and Bond, cost is a frequently crucial factor for firms
Corporate Health
when selecting whether to purchase international health
insurance and the required level of coverage.
“Companies want to know that they are spending their
money wisely,” Bond says.
“Those that purchase international health insurance
realise that choosing the right health coverage for their
employees will ultimately better help them manage their
costs, as they will not need to pay for medical bills and
will be able to help employees get back to work faster if
they fall ill.”
Nevertheless, employees should also be prepared to pay
higher premiums for better workplace coverage, a situation
that US workers can now attest to.
According to a recent report unveiled by Towers
Watson/National Business Group on Health, US workers
are forking out a sizeable 28% more for workplace health
benefits in 2014 as compared to just three years ago.
US employers are now coughing up $2,975 in premiums
for 2014 while they shelled out $2,491 in 2011.
Employees are witnessing their premiums increase year
after year, rising up by 19% on average since 2011.
US firms meanwhile, are spending 14% more for their
premium contributions that they did in 2011. Premiums
amount to an average of $9,560 per worker in 2014, rising
from $8,364 three years ago.
Ray Bond, Head of Sales and Distribution Development,
Asia-Pacific, Bupa International, agrees. “Therefore, it is
important that employees and their employers know that
wherever they are, they have health coverage that ensures
that they have access to healthcare if they need it,” he adds.
Yap and Bond say international health insurance can also
provide reassurance that employees can be ushered to a
quality-assessed medical facility when they are in an
unfamiliar place.
They note there is a growing recognition from employers
that a healthy workforce leads to healthier profit margins.
“Moreover, global health coverage is becoming an important
part of an attractive employee benefit package, especially for
mobile workers, to help increase retention,” Bond says.
Health plans for mobile workers
RHI and Bupa International have formed an ongoing
partnership to offer a range of coverage levels that provide
flexibility and choice to best suit each client organisation
and its employees.
The plans feature in-patient and out-patient cover, while
providing options for geographical coverage and benefits,
such as evacuation assistance. In addition, the fears of
mobile workers can be allayed with the availability of 24/7
multilingual support and advice. A second medical opinion
service also assists members in making an informed
medical decision when there is any doubt over a diagnosis.
Yap says their collaboration allows them to deliver a
tailored service for customers.
That’s important because worker safety needs will also
differ according to a wide range of variables. Donald
“For mobile
workers who
need to travel
frequently,
an international
healthcare plan may
be the best option
as it will ensure
long-term global
medical cover”
– Danny Yap,
Principal Officer and
General Manager, Raffles
Health Insurance (RHI)
55%
planned to
alter their
approach
towards
global
mobility