Travel Insurance for Working Abroad

Working abroad has become a choice for individuals who are not given the same work opportunities in their home countries. Such choice comes with big sacrifice and an even bigger risk. The risk can range from sickness to accidents causing disability and even death. Other minor risks include flight cancellation, trip interruption, theft or loss of travel documents, and delayed baggage, among others. These scenarios may or may not happen but in the event that they occur, those who have no contingency plans would end up with huge losses. That is why the importance of travel insurance cannot be overemphasized.

Travel insurance aims to cover the expenses or losses incurred while travelling. It can be travelling within the country of residence or internationally. People working abroad are particularly vulnerable because under normal circumstances, they do not have easy access to funding when in a foreign country; and worse, they do not have the support system that a family or friend can provide in their own countries. With more job opportunities being offered to blue collar workers in all parts of the world, it is not unthinkable that the frequency of accidents and sickness would increase in proportion to the number of workers. What's even more alarming is that the jobs available abroad are those that are considered medium to high risk. This can only mean that workers, in the course of their daily routine, are exposed to various risks that endanger their lives. Their white collar counterparts may not be exposed to the same level of risk but being away from home still carries with it some logistical limitations, making these people as vulnerable as manual laborers. No matter how one looks at it, working abroad, in time of globalization, is getting much riskier that efforts should be done to at least curb the incidence of travel-related mishaps.

It is worth mentioning that individuals working abroad as au pairs, maids, construction workers, ship crew, and food service crew are some of the most in-demand workers all over the world. While this is beneficial to their respective families back home, the nature of their jobs puts them at a disadvantage as they are exposed to risks on a daily basis. In some cases, safety precautions are strictly observed, but there are instances wherein workers are forced to work under poor, sometimes inhumane, working conditions. There's no telling what can happen when the hardships of working abroad takes its toll on the body, so some form of safeguard should be put in place. Travel insurance has many types of coverage, the most popular of which are those that include payment of medical expenses from hospitalization and accidental death. Other non-life threatening coverage can also prove useful especially when the incident happens while en route to a particular country. This includes payment for a return trip and legal assistance, to name a few. In any case, an insurance coverage helps pay for any loss incurred if and when any untoward event occurs. A travel safety net ensures that rebuilding one's life after a fall wouldn't be a painful struggle.

Globelink International Travel Insurance Consultants Ltd. designed two types of policies for people (UK and EU residents) working abroad who are under 51 years old on a tight budget but looking for a comprehensive policy:

- Globetrekkers Standard travel insurance policy gives you the essential cover

- Globetrekkers Standard Plus travel insurance policy gives you excellent emergency medical expenses cover plus the added protection of Baggage cover, Money, Passport, Personal Accident etc.

The summary of the products:

- cover for many pre-existing medical conditions is included, others may require you to make a quick telephone call to ensure that you will be insured in the event of a re-occurrence, or in case it causes you to cancel a pre-booked holiday

- durations of up to 15 months are available and these can usually be extended, up to a maximum of 18 months

- choose from either Worldwide backpacking travel or Europe, Australia & New Zealand only

- most hazardous activities are covered as standard and higher risk activities can often be included for an extra charge

- a 24 hour multi-lingual emergency assistance.