Spouse adjustment is the most important variable in determining how a married expatriate will adjust to the stresses of living and working in a foreign environment.*

That singles were slower to meet neighbours and otherwise get connected into their communities suggests that there may be additional impediments to their settling in – making social connections can be harder for singles. Singles may need more help and attention than married transferees.**

The services Arrivals offers are available for as long as needed, with additional activities available for relocated partners and children. We recommend a 3-to-4 month program, which ideally begins the month before the move. Our main services include:

Answers to questions about anything – double-glazing (What is it?)1, Crest toothpaste (Can I buy it?)2 or Council Tax (Why do I have to pay it?)3
Completely personalised and detailed overviews of work, corporate housing and permanent housing areas so dentists, bank accounts, sushi restaurants, play dates, bikini waxes, tennis courts and bus routes aren’t hard to find
Tailored and inclusive events to help people create a social network

Here’s how a program might look:

Month One (before arrival)
Answers to questions that arise before the move about logistics and life in London
Detailed overview of corporate housing and office neighbourhoods, reflecting employee’s lifestyle, interests and needs

Month Two (upon arrival)
Answers to questions about building a life in London
Detailed overview of permanent housing neighbourhoods, again reflecting employee’s lifestyle, interests and needs
Selected functions to build social networks

Months Three and On
Continuing answers to questions about living life in London
Selected functions to continue building social networks

For more information or for rates, please call or e-mail Arrivals.

1 Double glazing means a window made of two panes of glass with a small air space in between to help increase insulation.
2 Yes, you can buy Crest toothpaste here, although it’s a not quite as sweet as Crest in the US, and the selection is limited because Colgate is the more widely used brand.
3 Council tax isn’t real estate tax — it’s a tax to cover council services such as schools, park maintenance, rubbish collection, streetlights and sewage.

* Bhaskar-Shrinivas, P., Harrison, D. A., Shaffer, M. A., & Luk, D. M. 2005. Input-based and time-based models of international adjustment: Meta-analytic evidence and theoretical extensions. Academy of Management Journal, 48: 259-281.
** The Interchange Institute and Graebel Movers International. 2006. Moving Matters: A Study of How to Help International Transferees Relocate.


Copyright © 2006-2007 by Arrivals Limited

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