I started my first full-time job after finishing my master’s degree in the UK – 7,700 miles away from where I come from. Living and working in a country that’s not my own has brought me so many incredible opportunities: having friends in different parts of the globe, seeing new places, meeting so many likeminded people and exploring how different cultures affect our perspectives.
Although I have really appreciated how people have treated each other equally here, there are unique challenges that I faced as an international employee that are often invisible to my colleagues and employers. Most of the time it’s not because they don’t care, it’s more because it’s not as straightforward and they have not experienced it themselves.
To create a truly inclusive and equitable workplace, it is critical for employers to understand and address the systemic barriers that come with having an employee that comes from outside of the country. In this article, I would like to share three key ones that I felt were so important for me as somebody working in the sustainability field outside of my country.
When you employ international employees, they will need a visa to work in the country. Employment-based visas often come with specific conditions, including specific employer sponsorship, job role restrictions and expiration timelines. It’s also not cheap; there are lots of costs borne by both employers and employees. After all of this effort and money put into the visa, employees will have their life tied to the conditions of their work visa. This means that any change in the job titles, location, or termination, will affect their visa status. But this is where it’s also a bonus to the employer, the employee will become much more loyal to the company as they are tied to the employer.
Unlike domestic employees, international workers may only have a limited window to remain in the country if their roles are terminated or made redundant. There are ‘grace periods’ where some are given the time to sort out finding a new job before the period ends or to leave the country. The time limits puts immense pressure on these employees who will need to secure a new job, complete sponsorship paperwork and possibly relocate.
Companies should be mindful of this and provide extended notice where possible, job-seeking support and provide immigration guidance to help the employee have the best possible chance of staying legally and safely.
This is not the only big thing about visas, there’s also another visa related consideration. International employees may have different passports that sometimes limit their travelling flexibility. This means that if an opportunity like a conference or exhibitions abroad comes up, we cannot just book airplane tickets and fly the next day. Or even if it’s a month prior, it’s still a bit late due to the process that we need to go through: applying for a visa to enter the country.
This is where it would be very supportive of the companies if we can be given access and opportunities that are in the country – where we can also feel like we are given the opportunity and chance to participate. This could be something simple like planning key activities for the year and identifying whether there are activities internally. If you want to go the extra mile and invite us along on an event abroad, give enough notice so we can arrange appointments at the visa centre and prepare the documents accordingly. By doing so, you also show support for us to grow!
Last but not least, support groups within the company with other employees with diverse backgrounds is always a good idea. Arrange an employee network group that allows them to share their culture and allow other employees in the company to also learn about their background will build better team building and relationships in the company. I found this type of support groups also helps ease out various insecurities like the above on visa, sharing the same burden or talking about the same experience.
Like the saying ‘too much of anything is not good for everyone’, it’s also important to remember that you don’t always have to overcompensate for them. Constantly pointing out differences can have an “othering” effect. Instead, treat them as you would for other domestic employees, while keeping in mind the timing and planning needed due to different immigration circumstances that play a major part in their life – and this will definitely make such a difference for your international employees!
Indira Ardiyatna is a sustainable packaging expert specialising in circular packaging strategies and implementation. With a background spanning reusable packaging solutions and consultancy, she helps companies shift away from linear models toward circular systems. She is from the island of Bali in Indonesia and spent most of her life in various cities in Indonesia, before moving to the UK in 2021.
Author: Indira Ardiyatna
Image credit: Shutterstock
