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Ask Ian Payne what Brits should know about working in the US, and he’s got a three-part answer ready for you: “Don’t underestimate the differences, learn to promote your work, and understand that it can be challenging to adapt to management styles.“ Payne, who is Senior Vice President and Managing Director, EMEA, Asia-Pacific, Cendant Mobility, has had his own experiences with leaving his native country and working and living in the US.

“There are three major points that emerge when addressing the issue of integrating British employees into the US workplace,” says Payne. “First, we cannot underestimate the fundamental differences in social and business cultures. The US management culture relies more heavily on upward communication and each individual promotes his or her accomplishments. In the UK, it’s generally the bosses job to reach out and recognise accomplishments.”

Second, there is an expectation in the US that projects should be reported on frequently, and one’s work accounted for throughout the length of the project. “In the UK, we generally discuss a project in depth with senior managers at its beginning and then report its results at the end. In the US, formal and incremental reporting of progress and accomplishments is expected.” Payne notes that this is a dilemma for Brits who are taught from childhood not to blow their own horns, so being faced with the need to promote one’s work and to validate the time one spends while the work is underway may bring some discomfort.

The third point is a difference in business planning culture. “In the UK, there is greater emphasis on in-depth research up front and then adherence to the plan. In the US, initial planning tends to be quicker, but is then more adaptive as the project progresses.” While a more flexible management style has its advantages, says Payne, “in the eyes of the British employee, it changes the commitment made from the start of the project.” Payne offers some solid advice to Brits that will help them understand and position for these three challenges. “Remember that it’s an illusion, not a reality, that the US and UK cultures are much the same. Be mindful of the differences and ready and willing to re-learn habits and practices, and don’t refuse intercultural training if it is offered.”

Navigating relocation to the US

With any relocation to another country, there are typical challenges that expatriates face. First, there are environmental and logistical challenges: unfamiliar bureaucracy, transportation, differences in cost of living and in standards of living, learning where and how and when to shop for what one needs, navigating the school systems, finding suitable medical care and other services, and even adapting to climates that require some getting used to. Then there are the cultural differences: language (even if it is similar to your home country), customs, lifestyle, work patterns, and so on. Add to this the loss of one’s immediate network of friends, family and colleagues, and that adds up to a lot of new experiences.

For Brits taking a company assignment to work and live in the US, they will probably be relocated by a co-operative effort between the workforce mobility or human resources administrator in the company, and one or more relocation service providers. But regardless of how many individuals help with the move, it will usually start with the relocation policy: the company document that standardises and spells out the kind of assistance the employee will receive. Relocation policies are specific to a company, and often are developed based on a company’s home country experience, although more companies are reviewing the need to develop policies that capture local needs, culture and align payment scales with their in-country counterparts.

Industry experts note these common areas of assistance in relocation policies for Brits relocating to the US: househunting trips; temporary living in the US before one’s residence is available; rental assistance; settling-in services; tax gross-up/tax assistance; language and/or cross-cultural training; and an incidental relocation allowance for items not covered by other areas in the relocation policy.

Practical chalenges

No matter how extensive the assistance, says Noel Kreicker, president of IOR Global Services, challenges abound for the Brit who goes to work in America. “I think the biggest practical challenge is dealing with taxes and trying to sort that information out,” she notes. “If the company doesn’t offer tax counselling assistance, it can be overwhelming to some Brits.” But that’s not all – nearly as perplexing, she says, is “realising the imperative nature of the Social Security number, and how one cannot manage transactions or obtain credit without it in the States!” Kreicker goes on to discuss another issue that some Brits face with their cars, and it’s got nothing to do with driving on a different side of the road. “With no driving record in the US, some Brits face higher costs for insurance, so I always suggest that they obtain a ‘no claims statement’ in England from their own insurance company. Generally, that’s going to be honoured by US insurers.”

Schools, too, can be a muddle for Brits who come to live in the States. Kreicker points out: “US definitions of private school and public school are exactly opposite to what those institutions are in England. And British parents are used to taking a deep interest and being quite watchful of their child’s progress. School is less rigorous in the US, and some parents worry that their children will be behind in their education when they return home. And there’s another aspect of school that Brits miss when away from home: there is such a social network that is developed around one’s children and their education that is not present in the States.”

But look on the other side of this coin and there is ample praise from Brits about all the free services available in their communities. Kreicker says: “Often, transferees with whom we work can’t believe that US libraries have such rich resources. They also like the availability of fitness centres and enrichment programmes open to them on a local basis.”

Kreicker agrees with Payne that the “surface sameness” creates unrealistic expectations in some transferees. “The highest attrition rate is with British transferees returning to the UK from America because they’re just not happy. Though differences seem subtle, there is quite a divide, particularly in the workplace, where Brits experience discomfort at the more flexible infrastructure; the lack of proper etiquette when approaching a potential client; the ease with which US employees will correct their boss in public . . . and they really don’t understand the pride that American employees have about working beyond their daily hours and giving up vacations, because the holiday is ‘sacred’ to Brits.

“But they’re in agreement on some things – they love the range of consumer choices and the longer shopping hours!”

Relocation support

Tony Coe, Chief Executive of Saunders 1865 (a UK relocation business that serves North American corporations and sources relocation services in Europe), notes these advantages and lessons for British expats working in the US: “Assignees expect to deal with a relocation professional who is local at both ends of the move. While they are still in the UK, they particularly appreciate being able to speak with someone who knows the US well. When we Brits go to the US, we need to remember that communication styles are very different, even though our language is essentially the same.”

”But,” says Coe, advantages abound: “Good relocation support has become expected. The real estate agency service, for example, is so much better in the US. It is a pleasure for Brits to find that they only have to go to one real estate agent to access all the listings in the area, which is impossible in the UK. Customer service is far superior in the US and dining out, buying clothes and petrol, and the overall cost of living is less expensive. “The cultural divide is closing, but Brits are becoming more American rather than the other way around. Nevertheless, we still don’t do that silly manoeuvre where Americans cut with the knife and fork, put down knife, change hands and pick up with the fork!”

A last bit of advice from Coe for his British colleagues who will spend time in the US and for the companies who relocate them: “When doing business in the US, Brits have to adapt. Most, but not all Brits are good at this. As with all global relocation, it’s important to pick those employees who want to adapt because – guess what? – the country of destination is not going to change to suit the assignee.”

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