Portable disability coverage for executives on foreign contracts — structured so the benefit trigger, payout currency, and jurisdiction hold up wherever your career takes you.
The same executive. Different posting. Different policy trigger, payout currency, and definition of disability. This is why a group plan that worked in London quietly stops working in Tokyo.
| Corridor | Benefit Trigger | Currency Risk | Portability | Avg. Payout | Definition Gap | Shield Structure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇸🇬→🇬🇧Singapore → UK | Own-occupation, 12-month wait | SGD → GBP conversion loss | Partial | 54% | Rotator cuff, mental health exclusions | Full portability, USD base |
| 🇦🇪→🇩🇪UAE → Germany | Any-occupation, 24-month wait | AED not recognized | None | 31% | No mental illness coverage | Immediate transfer clause |
| 🇭🇰→🇧🇷Hong Kong → Brazil | Own-occupation, 6-month wait | HKD → BRL: 40% loss | None | 28% | Jurisdiction void on transfer | BRL/USD dual payout |
| 🇬🇧→🇯🇵UK → Japan | Own-occupation, 13-week wait | GBP → JPY volatility | Partial | 61% | Mental health sub-limit ¥500K cap | Full own-occ, no sub-limits |
| 🇨🇭→🇲🇽Switzerland → Mexico | Any-occupation, 180-day wait | CHF → MXN: 65% loss | None | 22% | Policy void outside CH/EU | USD base, 30-day transfer notice |
* Payout rates based on 2023–2025 industry claims data across international group disability plans. Shield structures based on portable individual policy frameworks.
Most HR teams discover the answer at the worst possible moment — when a senior hire accepts a new posting and the group scheme administrator confirms the policy doesn't transfer.
| Policy Structure | Employer Group Plan Standard multinational coverage | Local Individual Policy Purchased in country of posting | Expat Group Scheme Employer-arranged expat plan | Shield Portable Policy Individual portable structure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Survives Country Transfer | ||||
| USD / Multi-Currency Payout | ||||
| Own-Occupation Definition | ||||
| No Geographic Exclusion | ||||
| Full Mental Health Coverage | ||||
| Portable on Resignation |
An employer group plan ceases the moment an executive resigns or is made redundant — precisely when they may need it most. A portable individual policy stays in force regardless of employment status, country, or contract structure.
Claims-paid ratio measures what percentage of disability claims submitted actually result in a full benefit payment. Group plans default to any-occupation triggers and geographic exclusions that quietly incinerate this number.
A Shield specialist reviews your current structure against your posting history and compensation profile. You receive a written gap analysis and two or three portable policy structures — no obligation, no sales pressure.
22 pages. Prepared for HR directors at multinationals and independent consultants managing their own coverage. Covers benefit trigger analysis across 12 jurisdictions, portability framework comparison, and a checklist for evaluating any existing policy against the Shield standard.
"Shield found a portability gap in our standard group scheme that would have left our Singapore CFO without income for 18 months during her Hong Kong transition."
"I'd been pulling project fees in four currencies across three years. Shield structured a policy in USD that didn't care what country I was invoicing from."
"The coverage analysis they sent was more thorough than anything my employer's broker had produced in five years. We switched the whole executive team."