As globalization continues apace, U.S. companies must find ways to offer benefits to employees assigned overseas in fast-growing economies such as many of those in Asia.

The benefits expected by employees posted abroad vary depending on the local environment and culture — and whether the economies are mature or still emerging, experts say. In certain countries, overseas employees might be enrolled in local benefits plans, whereas in countries where some benefits are less well-established, staff may be offered expatriate plans.

Health care is one of the principal benefits that employees posted overseas expect, sources said, in part because medical treatment often is provided privately rather than by the state. And health management programs are gaining in importance as companies seek to curb rising medical costs.

In some locations, such as Hong Kong or Singapore, there are so many overseas workers that the benefits offered to them are often similar to those given local staff, said Carl Redondo, a global benefits consulting leader at Aon Hewitt in London.

But in others, such as China or India, overseas employees are more likely to be placed into expatriate benefit plans, with particular emphasis on health care, he said.

“Standard expat benefit packages would include a housing allowance, school fees contribution, private medical insurance costs and a contribution toward retirement savings, in addition to life cover,” said Hong Kong-based Richard Roper, managing director of JLT Benefits Solutions Asia, a unit of Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group P.L.C.

“In Hong Kong and Singapore particularly, it would be difficult to relocate without a housing allowance and school fees due to the very high costs of rental housing and the requirement for education at international schools,” Mr. Roper said.

Still, he said, total compensation for an expat is similar to that of a local hire in a similar position. “It is just the split of salary and benefits that differs,” he said.

For expats on assignment for a finite period, core benefits include housing, children’s education, home leave, assistance with tax returns and security and medical evacuation cover, said Mario Ferraro, Singapore-based global mobility leader for Asia, Middle East, Africa and Turkey at Mercer L.L.C.

“Medical insurance cover is often provided through an international plan or using the home or host location plan, depending on the level of cover that it provides,” he said. “Some medical insurance plans do not cover employees when they are abroad beyond a certain duration.”

In that case they would probably be added to a local plan, observers say.

“Increasingly, expatriates coming to Asia join on local packages, therefore enjoying the benefits in the country they move to,” Bangkok-based Andrew Heard, managing director of benefits for Asia Pacific, and Chris Mayes, director of benefits optimization for Asia Pacific with Towers Watson & Co., said in a written response. “So it is important for expatriates to be aware of the differences between the local benefits compared to what they enjoyed back home.”

“In some locations such as Singapore, Hong Kong and some cities in China, we are seeing an increasing number of assignees on a ‘local-plus’ package, which are hybrid combinations of local and expatriate benefits,” Mr. Ferraro said.

Retirement savings are a “slower burn” than health care in many Asian markets, according to Mr. Roper. While Hong Kong and Singapore have mature pension systems, “new legislation in Vietnam is allowing personal pensions to be sold for the first time, stimulating the market,” he said.

In countries where pension systems are not as developed as U.S. plans, an overseas employee likely would remain in their home plans, Mr. Redondo said.

Administration of employee benefits also tends to vary by location, experts say.

Multinational companies typically administer benefits for overseas staff through a shared service center or mobility team in the global or regional headquarters, though some outsource benefits administration, Mr. Ferraro said.

And some overseas companies increasingly are using online systems to enable employees at home and abroad to manage their own benefits, experts say.

This is particularly apparent in Hong Kong and Singapore, Mr. Roper said.

“There is a rise in voluntary benefits, allowing the employee to top-up a core benefit package,” he said. “This is attractive for employers, as it is a no-cost option.”

In the areas where most overseas employees are based — again Hong Kong and Singapore — workers typically expect their benefits packages to closely resemble those at home, so those plans often are administered in a similar way, Mr. Redondo said.

Flexible benefit packages are growing in popularity in countries such as China and India, where there is a fierce talent war for staff, he said.