The forgotten employees? The experiences of expatriate staff returning to the UK

Abstract

This article reports on the experiences of a group of expatriate UK managers and professionals who have recently returned to the UK from foreign assignments. A brief review of the literature in this field is presented and the findings of a questionnaire survey of 124 ‘returnees’. The data show that many expatriates face difficulties upon their return in terms of their career prospects, psychological well-being and general adaptation to life back home. The paper goes on to suggest ways in which these transitions can be managed more effectively by organizations and individual employees. It concludes by proposing directions for future research.