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In today’s fast-paced world, stress is an inevitable part of every person’s daily life and can take a toll on health.
For international workforces, the additional strain of being far from home can amplify the effects of stress. In turn, the potential success of a company’s expatriate workforce can be affected.
It may be a factor in one sobering stat: 40% of all overseas assignments fail, costing companies up to $311,000 per worker, per year.1
However, with the help of the right health plan and offerings, employers can give teams ways to more successfully manage stress.
UnitedHealthcare Global has been providing plans tailored to protect international workers’ health, wellbeing and safety for decades, including addressing the causes and effects of stress in workers’ lives.
Understanding stress and how to offset it
Stress is a natural response to perceived or real threats or challenges, so it makes sense that it could affect workers far from their home country.
However, when employees experience chronic stress – when the body remains in a heightened state of alert for extended periods, it can contribute to a variety of health problems, including anxiety, depression, heart disease and a weakened immune system.2
In one study, 51% of adults who felt stressed reported feeling depressed, and 61% reported feeling anxious.3 The key to helping workers manage is to provide ways to identify causes, be proactive about wellbeing, and implement effective tools for stress management.
Identifying root causes of stress
Adapting to a job in a new foreign environment can be difficult, coupled with the distance from friends, family and or partners this can be a particularly challenging time.
By utilising coverage that ensures potential concerns are surfaced at an early stage, individuals and employers can put plans in place to avoid issues while on assignment.4
For instance, UnitedHealthcare Global offers support by providing access to care and advice through Virtual Visits, as well as proactive stress management tools and mindfulness apps.
Developing a proactive approach
Experts advise individuals struggling with stress to be proactive about their mental health to:
- Try mindfulness practices. Research suggests yoga and other forms of meditation can help decrease markers of stress5
- Prioritise self-care through exercise, sleep and good nutrition
- Cultivate a social network and practice work-life balance
Companies can also help employees by empowering them to take on their root causes of stress with policies, tools and resources.
For instance, UnitedHealthcare Global plans offer personalised care and services including access to professional help such as counselling or therapy.
In addition, an employee assistance program offers on-demand and in-person support.6 Trained staff connects workers to resources that can help with:
- Culture shock and re-integration support
- Mental health issues
- Substance use
- Relationship and family struggles
- Financial or legal consulting
Providing tools to create easier ways forward
Developments in technology help individuals address challenges in the ways that are best for them.
For instance, UnitedHealthcare Global offers a digital health platform, designed to help individuals create positive behavioural changes and healthy habits.7 Expatriates can use this tool to:
- Access in-person or virtual counselling
- Monitor real-time health and activity
- Engage with on-demand mindfulness tools
- Take control with financial wellbeing resources
By committing to the specialised needs of international workforces including providing health plans that consider the unique stress these employees face, companies can improve the quality of life for their employees, showcase their commitment to global employees, and give overseas assignments a better chance of success for both the individual and their company.
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References
1 Learnlight. “Why 40% of overseas assignments fail and what you can do to prevent it.” https://www.learnlight.com/en/articles/overseas-assignments/. Accessed July 2025.
2 Mayo Clinic. “Chronic stress puts your health at risk.” https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/stress/art-20046037. Accessed July 2025.
3 Mental Health Foundation. “Stress: Statistics.” https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/explore-mental-health/statistics/stress-statistics. Accessed July 2025.
4 International HR Adviser. “Why mental health should be a top priority for expats and their employers.” https://www.internationalhradviser.com/storage/downloads/Mental%20Health%20winter%202019%202020%20UnitedHealthcare.pdf. Accessed July 2025.
5 International Journal of Yoga. “Reducing stress with yoga: A systematic review based on multimodal biosignals.” https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10919405/. Accessed July 2025.
6 UnitedHealthcare Global. “Employee Assistance Program.” https://www.uhcglobal.eu/members. Accessed July 2025.