WORKING

WHY WORKING IS ONE OF OUR MAIN CONCERNS

• Nowadays dual careers has become the norm in Europe whereby in almost 70% of cases both partners are working. This trend, rising steadily since the 90s, can be explained on one hand by the willingness to work of both partners and, on the other hand, by financial and economic factors. Indeed, it has become very difficult in Europe to maintain an adequate standard of living with only one income. Furthermore, working does not only play an important role in social integration; it also means access to health insurance, unemployment allowances and pension funds.
  
  
• When it comes to families of Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) Officers in EU countries, the percentage with a dual income is much lower than the European average, and this is especially the case for families posted abroad. The MFA transfer policy makes the career path of spouses difficult, sometimes barely possible. This issue has to be seen in the context where spouses and partners have a high level of education (60% of female partners hold a university degree) and speak several languages.
  
• MFAs are aware of this situation; working towards finding solutions for this concern would give MFAs a clear added-value for recruiting and retaining diplomats. But Governments are cost-conscious and budgets are limited. It is up to spouses’ associations such as EUFASA and its members to find appropriate solutions to try and solve this problem.
  
  
• In 2007, EUFASA took the decision to add again this topic to the agenda and created a working group “Working Abroad”. The objectives of “Working Abroad” were: 1) to raise the awareness of MFAs for this concern 2) to collect European statistics 3) to share information and best practice 4) to find appropriate solutions It is obvious that spouses and partners of MFA officers actually want to work when they are back in the home country. For this reason, the EUFASA 2009 Prague Conference will have the overall theme “Working”. • Offering information and guidance is a priority for EUFASA. After all, it is widely acknowledged that spouses and families are a key success factor in foreign assignments.
  

 

WHAT EUFASA HAS DONE ABOUT THIS CONCERN

• EUFASA has established a Directory of European Job Search Websites, aiming at providing useful links to diplomatic spouses and partners who are seeking employment when posted abroad or when they return to their home country. This directory is a first step in a job search.
  
  
• Report: Job Database, EUFASA Conference, Paris 2008.
  
  
• Report: Working Abroad, EUFASA Conference, Berlin 2007.
  
  
• Report: Spouse Employment, presentation to PESC/COADM-COPRO, Brussels, May 2002
  

 

WHAT AN MFA SPOUSE / PARTNER COULD DO

• Get training to learn to market themselves and the skills they have gained in the years at post (languages, organizational and social skills, ‘soft’ skills, etc.).
  
  
• Spouses should consider their unique experience as an ”added value” when speaking about their time abroad and when applying for jobs; moving abroad makes one more flexible and adaptable.
  
  
• Wherever possible, spouses should try to get a position at the Embassy when posted abroad, even if the position is underpaid or does not reflect their previous position and qualifications. Networking is decisive in a job search.
  
  
• Send CVs to recruitment agencies such as Manpower or Adecco. They may assist in writing a CV, give guidance for new directions in the current job search and provide hints on the local job market.
  
  
• Be realistic; after being away from the job market for a prolonged period, one has to adjust job and salary expectations.
  

 

BEST PRACTICE in the European Union MFAs:

• MFA training department organises a “Job Day” for spouses (France).
  
  
• MFA Personnel Department has a coordinator who assists the spouses in their job search (France).
  
  
• MFA offers a pre-posting training session to answer questions about employment (France).
  
  
• At post, the Embassy assists in job search and supplies lists of available jobs (France, Germany).
  
  
• MFA subsidises a job service that organises job search seminars, language courses, assists in contacts with the national employment agency and a career network, and keeps track of job openings (Austria).
  
  
• MFA provides language training at post (The Netherlands).
  
  
• MFA provides contact with career network (Belgium, UK).
  
  
• MFA organises seminars to encourage and prepare spouses to work (Germany).
  
  
• MFA provides a budget to assist spouses in training for portable careers (UK).
  
  
• MFA pays subscriptions to job databanks for spouses (UK, France).
  

 

RECOMMENDATIONS

1. National associations should:
   
   
   • Start discussions with their MFA using relevant parts of the reports “Working abroad”.
     
     
   • Encourage their MFA to negotiate more bilateral agreements for work permits for spouses/partners.
     
     
   • Ask their MFA for more transparency in transfer policy and reliable advance warning of postings to give spouses adequate time to prepare and plan a job search.
     
     
   • Request that the MFA issues a statement for the work performed by the spouse abroad (within the embassy).
     
     
   • Ask the MFA to actively support hiring spouses, if they qualify, as local employees in embassies or for specific projects.
     
     
   • ask the MFA to give spouses an official status.
     
     
   • ask the MFA to actively support spouses’ applications to international organisations.
     
     
2. Define a country-specific and realistic set of actions :
   
   
   • Establishing partnerships with job agencies (Adecco, Manpower, etc.).
     
     
   • Negotiations with individual professional services (Netexpat, Spouse Career Center, etc.) with a possible financial participation of the MFA and the spouse.
     
     
   • Marketing for free job platforms such as EURES, UN Staff Mobility, Eufasa Directories Job Database.
     
     
   • Sharing experiences within associations, members (Workshop for spouses/France), and facilitate exchanges between the MFA and multinational corporations (podium discussion “The challenges of the transfer policy for expat families”/Switzerland).
     
     
   • Sharing experiences between associations.
     
     
   • Negotiations to improve entitlement to unemployment benefit and/or financial support.
     
     
   • Managing conflicts with non-working spouses.