| Caring for Your Business' Most Important Asset | | | | Work-Life Balance and Serviced Apartments |
| Your employees are your most important asset, and | | | | The right accommodation can be the key to achieving |
| your commitment to their welfare is of paramount | | | | a proper work-life balance to ensure that employees |
| responsibility. This commitment is especially true and | | | | are both happy and productive. Serviced apartments |
| tested when you send your people abroad for | | | | offer a sense of freedom and normality which can't |
| assignments. In the light of events such as 9-11 and the | | | | be offered by hotels. This sense of freedom |
| SARS outbreak, corporate travel has taken on a new | | | | empowers expat employees to achieve a good |
| face. Posts involving international travel used to be | | | | work-life balance by enabling them to set their own |
| sought after, but are now perceived by employees to | | | | schedule and enjoy day to day activities in a home |
| involve certain risks. For this reason, duty of care and | | | | from home environment. |
| employee safety has become more important than | | | | There are three major factors as to why serviced |
| ever for any company sending staff on international | | | | apartments are the best choice for housing |
| assignments. | | | | employees on international assignments. |
| Duty of Care | | | | Quality of life - Serviced apartments (which are |
| Human resource managers used to believe that hotels | | | | also known as aparthotels) allow people to live and |
| could fulfill the needs of employees, and they were | | | | move in an environment that is more akin to a home |
| therefore the de facto choice for corporate housing. | | | | than a hotel. Corporate apartments offer expats the |
| However, the changing business landscape means that | | | | freedom, space, mobility and privacy to function just as |
| employees on international assignments are now | | | | they would in their own homes. In an apartment they |
| faced with different circumstances and expectations. | | | | can relax and look after themselves in a way that is |
| These changes mean they have different needs, | | | | simply not possible in a hotel. This in turn makes them |
| which hotels are unable to fully respond to. In these | | | | feel like less of a tourist and more at home wherever |
| circumstances, a company's commitment to its | | | | they may be. |
| employees is tested and challenged. As Helmut Berg, | | | | Health - Since the SARS outbreak, health has |
| the president of the European Relocation Association | | | | become a major concern for business travellers. In a |
| (EuRA), said, "Companies recognise their duty of care | | | | serviced apartment, an employee can take an active |
| towards staff, particularly with the growing difficulty in | | | | role in housekeeping and prepare their own food. The |
| finding people to go abroad, they want to take | | | | facilities for food preparation also mean that eating out |
| particular care of their people and they lay on home | | | | is a choice, not a necessity. |
| finding, orientation and immigration services." | | | | Safety - The safety of your employees when |
| Hotel rooms still serve a purpose in that they can cater | | | | they are working in a foreign country is of paramount |
| to the immediate needs of the business traveller on | | | | importance. The security services offered by serviced |
| short-term assignments. However, employees on | | | | apartment complexes meet international standards |
| longer assignments have different needs. When | | | | and are on a par with (if not better than) the security |
| employees stay away from home for long periods, | | | | offered by hotels. Serviced apartments also provide a |
| their sense of normality can become aggravated and | | | | level of privacy that serves as an added security |
| disturbed. This disturbance may result in physical and | | | | measure for your employees and their dependents. In |
| emotional stress, which in the long run could affect | | | | addition, most serviced apartments are strategically |
| productivity. This commonly happens to those who are | | | | located near (if not at the heart) of business districts |
| away from their families. Human resources in | | | | and airports, which are easily and safely accessible by |
| multinational corporations are starting to realise that | | | | car or public transport. |
| practical issues such as budget constraints are not the | | | | Achieving a good work-life balance can be hard even |
| only things they need to take into consideration when | | | | when at home, and this difficulty is further magnified in |
| sending employees international assignments. They | | | | another city or another country. A company can |
| also need to take an employee's personal and | | | | demonstrate its commitment to the welfare of its |
| emotional needs into account. Ensuring that employees | | | | employees by choosing expat housing which fully |
| have a good work-life balance is fast becoming an | | | | meets the needs of those who work abroad. As |
| important issue for HR departments. To help achieve | | | | Charles McCrow, the managing director of the |
| this, many companies now even encourage their staff | | | | Apartment Service puts it, "An apartment is a bit more |
| to take their dependents and partners with them on | | | | like normal home life. This leads to a happier worker, |
| international assignments, and this is where corporate | | | | greater work productivity and fewer HR issues. |
| housing becomes a paramount consideration. | | | | |