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- admin - 12-30-2011
Wednesday, 21 December 2011
VISA ISSUES, inadequate work contracts, cultural clashes, the cost of living and isolation are just some of the challenges facing the unprepared, according to Papua New Guinea & Port Moresby Expat Survival Guide author Tom Henry.
Feedback received will bolster the second edition, expected in late 2012.
Published in the August 2011 PNG Report magazine
Henry spent four years as the human resources development manager for a drilling company in PNG and a major part of this job was conducting new expat country orientations.
“I quickly learned that even experienced expats were arriving unaware of many aspects of living and working in PNG, and too many new expats arrived with little clue about the country, the people, or the work contract they had signed,” he told PNG Report.
“The school of hard knocks taught me that coming to terms with expat life in a new country can be problematic. One aspect that catches many expats out is that their perceptions of a place and its people can be stereotyped and, frankly, misleading. This is certainly true of PNG – National Geographic has much to answer for!”
While experienced resource industry specialists will usually attempt to thoroughly research both the country and the company before accepting a work offer, there isn’t much out there on what it’s like to work in PNG.
“There’s lots of tourist hype and pretty pictures, but little information with any real meat on it,” Henry said.
“PNG also attracts many first-time expats who are often naive or unaware that contracts and work environments in PNG are very different from their home countries.”
To help expats enjoy their new life in PNG, Henry said they needed to know the truth.
So in June this year he released his guide, which contains a range of advice that even specifies the work contract conditions to watch out for.
There will always be a difference between initial expectations and actual experience when you arrive in a foreign country, but in the case of PNG many expats often underestimate the restrictions imposed on their lifestyle.
This includes the restrictions on travel and their entertainment needs as required for personal safety, while Henry said others incorrectly perceived their permitted time off, how much they received for housing expenses and how high living costs would be.
“Too many new expats arrive with the expectation of wonderful scenery and pink gins by the pool but fail to understand that the tropics come with high humidity and even higher rainfall – I get really tired of having to explain that it rains a lot in a rainforest.
“The location of many outlying work areas, such as in the Southern Highlands, also causes problems for some, as many expats have a hard time dealing with the lack of or restricted communications, such as internet services.”
Outside of these challenges, expats need to dodge possible cultural misunderstandings.
“A bungle made by so many expats I met and worked with in PNG was their failure to understand that people have their own way of doing things and acting in PNG. While a job title means something elsewhere, in PNG don’t expect any deference just because you are a manager. If a worker, even the lowest janitor is not happy, expect to hear about it loud and long – even if the corporate CEO has just arrived from overseas.”
Many new expats also arrive blissfully unaware of the “contract quirks” in PNG or the toll the physical working conditions can have on their health.
Henry also knows of many cases where expats don’t understand the problems they are getting into by arriving in PNG for a job on a business visa instead of a work visa.
But he has also been frustrated by government organisations.
“For example, although PNG has a great need for workforce training, far from finding solutions or easing the burden so that companies can provide needed training themselves, the National Training Council imposes draconian regulations – and then fails to provide any support [and] gives false or misleading instructions. Then, when nothing happens, [it] blames everything on other people,” Henry said.
“My biggest blunder was in failing to understand the depth of such careless bureaucratic inefficiency at the NTC and their inability to accept responsibility or perform remedial actions.”
Expats need to communicate effectively with PNG nationals and must avoid swearing around them or appearing to talk down to them at all costs.
“Although many PNG citizens can be good workers, willing to perform any task set them, often-repeated incidents show that PNG citizens can be a volatile group if rubbed the wrong way,” Henry said.
If he could only provide just a few words of advice to a new expat, Henry told PNG Report what he would say.
“Know what you need from working in PNG – cash, housing, family needs – and make sure your contract covers it all before you sign anything.
“Be honest and ask yourself what you expect from life in PNG and familiarise yourself with the realities of living here before burning any bridges – like packing up the family, shipping belongings and renting out your house.
“Before making a final decision, try to come over for a probationary period of 1 to 2 months. During this time, live in the local community and learn how things are here – both the good and the bad. If after this period you are still happy and feel you and your family will fit in, that’s the time to set up a home in PNG. However, if you are still becoming frustrated and wound up by small problems, or are worried that your spouse or children will have problems, then I suggest you reconsider becoming an expat in PNG. After all, life in PNG is not for everyone.”
While a lot of what is covered in the guide might seem off putting, Henry said PNG was a fascinating country and expats should grab the opportunity to work there.
The Papua New Guinea & Port Moresby Expat Survival Guide is available through www.tom-henry.com and www.pngexpats.com.