Brain Drain - Hochschule der Bundesagentur für Arbeit

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6. Examples of Exercises that Can Be Used With Trainees
Case study 1 Brad, Sandy, Lola & Ellie
Case
Brad has been given relocation to the UK with his US firm. This is a five year contract and
means a generous pay increase, good experience and chance to live in another country all
expenses paid within easy distance to lots of exciting other European destinations. Brad,
his wife Sandy and 2 girls Lola aged 9 and Ellie aged 6 are very excited at the prospect of
living in Cambridge a famous university city in England. The parents, although haven’t
been to Cambridge, have both visited the UK on holiday before and loved it. The quirky
buildings, all that history, the eccentric people and the way they dress, the pubs, the pies,
the funny accents and the beer! The departure date is in a few months and they can’t wait
for the visas to arrive and escape the routine that their lives had become. Once at the
airport they are jittery with excitement. The anticipation of being a part of a different culture,
surrounded by countries that speak so many different languages, countries with old
buildings and such a past full of kings and queens. Work had arranged the schools for the
girls and Sandy had decided to settle in and help the girls to settle in before starting work
herself. The first few weeks were brilliant. They were all euphoric. Every day was an
adventure. New friends, new surroundings every weekend a trip to a different place and
sometimes a flight to another European city. Then things began to change as time went by.
The constant grey skies were beginning to take their toll. Sandy had started to look for
work and was doing small part-time admin jobs that were boring her to death. The people
were nice but the jokes about her accent were not funny anymore, the stereotypical
comments about Americans she was finding more and more offensive. Her kids were
missing their friends and family back home and complaining non-stop about how much
they hated the food. What had looked old and interesting now seemed dusty and dirty. Her
husband was working all the hours so she never saw him. The trips had ceased to happen
but she actually didn’t feel like going anymore anyway. She began to call in sick quite often
and then eventually stopped going into work at all. As soon as the girls went to school
Sandy would go back to bed and only sometimes get up again when they got back. She
had never suffered with depression before and wasn’t sure what was going on. She felt so
lethargic and had no motivation what-so-ever. Brad couldn’t understand what was going on
with his previously well-functioning wife. She had become snappy and moody. Her mood
was rubbing off onto the girls who just stuck together at school not making any other
friends. Brad doesn’t know how to deal with his once happy family and avoids coming
home as much as possible.
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