2017 Cigna 360° Well-being Survey – Positive Aspects of Working Overseas Often Overshadowed by Health and Financial Concerns
July 27 2017 - 9:00AM
Business Wire
- Globally mobile individuals perceive
themselves as worse-off than individuals who reside in their home
country and have not taken overseas assignments
- Family time and support are major
concerns
- Many worry about the financial
consequence and availability of medical care in the event of major
illness – 40 percent have no company medical benefits at all
Cigna Corporation (NYSE:CI) released today the results of its
2017 Cigna 360° Well-being Survey - Globally Mobile Individuals.
The findings reveal that people working overseas generally perceive
themselves as worse-off compared to individuals who reside in their
home country and have not taken overseas assignments, when it comes
to their physical, social, family and even financial
well-being.
Overall, the well-being index score for globally mobile
individuals is 61.5 points, which is 1.8 points lower than their
domestic counterparts. The most significant gap is in family
well-being, which is 9.4 points lower.
“The results show that globally mobile individuals are more
concerned than the general working population about their own
health and well-being, and that of their families,” said Jason
Sadler, President, Cigna International Markets. “Without exception,
this group is worried about the consequences of personal or family
member illness; an issue compounded by a gap in health benefits
provided by their employers. Cigna has a long history of supporting
globally mobile individuals. We conduct this research to help us
continually improve the range of health benefits and wellness
solutions we offer them around the world.”
This survey follows the publication of the 2017 Cigna 360°
Well-being Survey in April, which looked at five underlying trends
that affect the health, well-being and sense of security of people
around the world. In this study, Cigna examined the perceptions of
globally mobile individuals living and working in 20 markets about
their outlook on the same trends - physical, financial, social,
family and work health.
The bright side of being globally mobile
International exposure is a significant draw to working
overseas. Globally mobile individuals highlighted the opportunity
to accumulate wealth, better career prospects, good working hours
and positive relationships with co-workers as bright aspects of
their experience.
But there are also challenges
While individuals have the opportunity to accumulate wealth
while working overseas, only a third of respondents considered
their current financial situation satisfactory. Lack of time spent
with their family and their children’s education are other
concerns; exacerbated by not having a family support network around
them.
Globally mobile individuals often experience anxiety and all
respondents are concerned about illness. Cancer and accidents are
their main worries, followed by mental illness, such as depression.
Twenty-five percent of globally mobile individuals raised concerns
about diseases associated with alcohol; significantly more so than
the general working population.
Safety concerns and long-distance loneliness
Globally mobile individuals feel the world looks less secure due
to political turmoil and other macro-economic factors. One-third of
respondents feel less safe than they did 24 months ago. This sense
of insecurity was highest in the U.S., with 42 percent of
respondents feeling less safe, and in Africa, where 31 percent have
an issue with their safety.
Many respondents also report having problems socializing outside
of work. One-fifth suffer from loneliness, which increases to
nearly one quarter for those who are single or live alone.
Minding the gap
A significant gap in health insurance coverage may contribute to
elevated levels of concern.
“The survey shows health benefits are a very important factor
when deciding to take an overseas posting,” said Mr. Sadler.
“Despite this, there is a significant gap. A surprising 40 percent
of respondents do not have any medical benefits offered by their
company, and 15 percent have no health coverage at all.
“There is a clear need for employers to pay attention to the
health and well-being of their globally mobile employees. This duty
of care should extend outside of the office when employers are
interacting with their families and the local community.”
About the Research
A total of 2,003 online interviews were conducted with globally
mobile individuals aged 25-59 who are working in markets outside of
their birthplace across 20 markets in Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle
East, Africa and the United States.
About Cigna
Cigna Corporation (NYSE:CI) is a global health service company
dedicated to helping people improve their health, well-being and
sense of security. All products and services are provided
exclusively by or through operating subsidiaries of Cigna
Corporation, including Connecticut General Life Insurance Company,
Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company, Life Insurance Company of
North America and Cigna Life Insurance Company of New York. Such
products and services include an integrated suite of health
services, such as medical, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy,
vision, supplemental benefits, and other related products including
group life, accident and disability insurance. Cigna maintains
sales capability in 30 countries and jurisdictions, and has more
than 95 million customer relationships throughout the world.
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version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170727005097/en/
Cigna International MarketsSabrina Cheung, +852 2297 5178Head of
Business Communicationssabrina.cheung@cigna.comorGareth Ingham,
+852 2297 5184Associate Director, Business
Communicationsgareth.ingham@Cigna.com
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