Repatriation process: when is it time to go home?

Expatriates do not always return home for positive reasons. One of the difficulties faced by employees working abroad is ‘expat burnout’. The causes may be varied:

• Challenges at work
• Difficulties at home
• Loneliness
• Relationship problems

But the result is the same - you are tired of the expat experience and want to return home. Before acting on expat burnout, take some time to:

Analyse the source of the problem: can you take some time off work? Get out of your usual routine? A short holiday or retreat may help you recharge or provide you with perspective you need.

Explore your city: if getting away is not possible. Take some time out to explore where you live. Do something you enjoy, visit a museum or gallery or go to a sports game. See if these experiences help you build a better connection to the place you live.

Expat life is full of adventure, this can make it easy to put your health and wellbeing on the sidelines, you should focus on dummy keeping healthy while living abroad, a good way to do this is to start is by having a dummy healthy body and a healthy mind.
 

Once you have made the decision to return to your native country you may feel like settling in will be easy. You are back to friends, family and familiar surroundings. Unfortunately it isn’t always that simple. Repatriation is a process and should be treated as such. It is rarely a good idea to make the decision to move home rashly. Take some time to understand some of the challenges you may encounter:


Reverse culture shock

Many businesses offer pre-assignment training to expats before they leave however it is less common to provide repatriation training even though the shock can be similar. After an initial settling in period, you may have become used to life in your new home. Reverse culture shock is when your routine on international assignment no longer fits in with social norms at home. Additionally, although you expect your home country to be as it was when you left, in reality many things are likely to have changed. Particularly if you have been away for some years.


Changes in the lives of family and friends

While you may be returning home in a similar situation to before you left, the same may not be true of your friends and family. Those closest to you may have formed new relationships, ended relationships or had children while you were away. So it may not be as easy to fall back into your old routine with them. If you are moving home, try to allow for this, in time you will develop a ‘new normal’ for your relationship with them.


Returning to your previous role

EY’s Global Mobility Effectiveness Survey shows that almost 1 in 2 employees return to the role they had before going on assignment. This may be a particularly difficult situation to find yourself in after spending time working at a global level. Many repatriated employees vote with their feet, 16% of employees leave within 2 years of returning from international experience.

 

There are a number of things you can do to make the process of repatriating easier:

• Speak to HR: some employers are beginning to offer repatriation training.
• Leverage your mentor: if you have an experienced expat mentor, ask them about the process of repatriation and how they overcame associated difficulties.
• Executive coaching: if you don’t have access to either of these, consider some professional coaching through the process. Start sessions online before you return then move to in-person sessions when arrive home.
• Develop plans: make plans for your return both professionally and personally. Having goals in both areas of your life should make returning home easier.
• Time: in our fast-paced world, it is easy to get impatient with how long things take but remember you are human and it is normal to feel challenged by change.

During this time of decision making, don’t forget your health and wellbeing. If your international health insurance is up for renewal soon we would be happy to help find the best solution for you.