Tag Archives: lifestyle expats

When Rainbow Talent Says “No” To Relocation and How to Handle it in Global Mobility Policies


Londoners Michael (48) and his husband Rob (35) received an offer to move to Hungary with Michael’s work, but they declined it due to a new law that discriminates against gay couples. They decide to move to Zurich, Switzerland instead. Michael enquires with his employer, a global bank, and they have a great role for him in the business development area. He feels safe at work in Zurich, and his career continues as if he had not left the country. He regularly gets promoted, and his salary increases steadily. He plans to retire in the UK, so he keeps his pension ties with the UK, and the bank offers him a long-term assignment contract to Switzerland with initially three years […]

Unpacking the Shortcomings of Lifestyle Expats


I have been a strong proponent of Global Mobility for years now and most readers and clients will know my general optimism towards it. I will be taking a critical look at the trend towards more Lifestyle Expats and various shortcomings that need to be addressed by Global Mobility Managers, Recruiters, and HR Directors if we want to hire qualified professionals from other countries into the German-speaking regions without annoying them in the process. Another trend we have to take into consideration here is that our populations are a lot more diverse than they used to be ten years ago (Weinberger, 2019). We especially see a rise in female expats such as Ayeesha on assignment (Yeah!). As I already wrote […]