Gap emerges between HR intent and assignee mental health experience

The disconnect is most pronounced in specific areas of provision.

The research found differences of up to 21 percentage points between what HR decision-makers report offering and what assignees say they actually receive, particularly around access to expat support groups and buddy systems.

Sebastian Judez, Head of Proposition and Medical at AXA Health International, said the in-assignment period was the most complex stage of the assignment journey, and one that organisations often struggle to plan for.

“The in-placement stage of the assignment journey is not static. It shifts as people settle into new environments, navigate challenges and build lives abroad, and the most effective support responds to these changes,” he said.

The report suggests the answer is not necessarily more provision, but better alignment between what is designed at a policy level and what assignees can access and use in reality.