Get the best training and support for your overseas workers
Helping your overseas workers settle in is very rewarding, all round
I can’t think of anything that excites a greater sense of childlike wonder than to be in a country where you are ignorant of almost everything. Suddenly you are five years old again. You can’t read anything, you have only the most rudimentary sense of how things work, you can’t even reliably cross a street without endangering your life. Your whole existence becomes a series of interesting guesses. – Bill Bryson
It can take new migrant visa holders up to 24 months to fully settle in and start feeling comfortable in their new country (look at this ABC story which outlines the culture shock many new migrants experiences).
Some who return home admit that they never felt settled in Australia, and unfortunately, I've heard a few of my clients say this.
It's a roller coaster ride for many
According to studies by Immigration New Zealand, a new migrant’s typical emotional experiences after arrival can look like a roller coaster ride, and it isn’t a stretch to imagine that a new visa holder in Australia is likely to experience similar feelings. Such feelings, in my view, are likely exacerbated if a new migrant's English skills are poor and/or they haven't travelled before.
With appropriate help and support, I think this emotional roller coaster ride can be smoothed out, reduced significantly or eliminated entirely, and this is particularly important in the workplace.
Helping new migrant workers to feel more comfortable in their new country and feel comfortable in your business is extremely important for your workers’ mental health and happiness.
It is important that your overseas employees have an idea about our social norms (culture), their employment rights and obligations, Australian laws, and how to seek assistance if needed.
A happy, well supported and settled employee will be engaged with your business, productive, and poised to facilitate business growth, whereas a neglected, homesick and culturally disengaged employee may develop mental and physical health issues, which can be devastating for them and negatively affect your whole team, not to mention your business's bottom line in general.
To facilitate happy, high-performance employees, you should ideally provide support both in and outside the workplace.
You can assist your foreign employees to integrate into their new workplace with tailored training and support. It is also equally important to assist your migrant worker’s family to settle eg into accommodation/housing, school, and employment.
Help with the day-to-day things we take for granted
Helping your overseas workers understand how basic day-to-day things work in Australia, such as how to get a phone or bank account, how the health system works, how to find a doctor, eligibility for things like Medicare etc, will pay off mightily for any employer employing overseas workers. This is because relevant information helps your new worker find out how things work, settle into their new environment, and reduce the overwhelm and anxiety that comes with living in a new country. Think about all the things we take for granted in Australia!
What should I include in my foreign worker training?
Topics will vary depending upon the type of work your foreign employee is performing, and what your business produces or services. As a minimum though, topics should include:
- Adapting to working and living in Australia
- How to access services, banks, buy a car, lease a property, etc
- Living in the relevant area (i.e., wherever the employee is located)
- Available language and community services
- School services and childcare
- Commonly applicable laws and customs, including licencing
- Employment rights and obligations
- Visa rights and obligations
- Occupational health & safety
- Stress management
Resources
The Department of Home Affairs has published a very helpful and comprehensive guide called “Beginning a Life In Australia” in many different languages, which you can access here. This 128 page guide covers everything your foreign employees need to know about living in Australia. I recommend that employers read it too!
Written by Maggie Taaffe (mtaaffe@lorgtalent.com), Lorg Talent and AHWC Immigration Law. www.ahwc.com.au; www.lorgtalent.com
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