It is important at the outset to determine the need for a foreign assignment, as it determines the type of assignment which is most appropriate. When the need for a foreign assignment has been established, the next question is to determine the type of assignment.
Some companies ask the assignee to go on a local contract as a local hire.
The expatriate is then subject to local social security and tax laws. These solutions can also be more cost effective. Disadvantages however, are disruption of family life, time lost on commuting to a different country and less integration in the host culture. Local staff may also resent the commuter assignee arriving late Monday morning and leaving early Friday afternoon. The traditional profile of the expatriate, male, upper or middle manager, married with children has changed.