Globally Remote Working – work from anywhere

Enabling you and your workforce to work where, when and how you choose to

The new global landscape

Do you want to hire the best and the brightest anywhere in the world?
Do your employees work from anywhere?
Do you know where your employees are working?

The way in which we work has changed

This change has forced many employers and employees to seek new ways of engaging in their work. Globally Remote Working helps employers empower their employees to work anywhere in the world where, when and how they choose.

Work is an activity we do, rather than a place we go. In principle, many jobs can be done anywhere. With advances in technology and communications, it has never been easier for employers to adopt a globally agile work culture.

Globally agile approaches have become common with many organisations, especially in the tech sector, but this is now spreading quickly to other industries and many different types of businesses are now embracing Globally Remote Working.

Pressure is mounting on HR to adopt a more agile approach permanently, and we recommend businesses review their policies and strategies to take advantage of the opportunities and manage the risks.

What does Globally Remote Working look like in practice?

A UK employee working from home in the Netherlands
A German employee working from home in the UK
A UK director that lives overseas

What are the benefits to an employer?

Gain a competitive advantage and grow more quickly

We are seeing a big increase in employers using Globally Remote Working as a way to expand faster

Quickly source global talent

Hire the best and the brightest from anywhere in the world and win the global war on talent. Technological advancements have made it possible for organisations to source and reach qualified candidates anywhere in the world

Reduce costs:

An employee living in a different country may actually have lower employer costs, such as social security taxes – Take advantage of the tax planning options available

Sustainability

Increase your organisations sustainability by reducing the time your employees spend travelling, cutting their carbon footprint

What are the benefits to an employee?

No commuting, enabling people to spend more time with famil

You can work from a lakeside villa, a hilltop mountain retreat or your kitchen table

The global pandemic has made people focus on what is important in their lives; working to live, not living to work

Overcomes the real or perceived restrictions to phsical mobility

Globally Remote Working removes barriers like quarantine and social distancing as well as concerns about travelling

Remove geographical limitations

No visas or need to move the employee or their family, causing less disruption to family life and schooling arrangements

Understanding your needs

Globally remote working can be simple, but there are potential complexities.

It is not just a payroll question, nor is it just a tax or legal matter. There are many issues to consider.

Our award-winning Global Mobility team can help you take a holistic view and make a complex situation more straightforward. We will help keep you and your employees compliant.

Traditionally, recruitment has been organisation focused, and it is assumed that the candidate is looking for a role and seeks out the right company. Now there is an increased need to be applicant focused, so organisations must find ways to attract talent who may not be actively looking and offer opportunities competitors cannot match.

Your strategy should therefore use Globally Remote Working as part of a range of strategies to ensure you have the right talent, in the right place, at the right time. Each approach will have its benefits and drawbacks, so effectively using the right talent mix to solve your needs is crucial.

How we can help?

We will help you:

Reduce compliance risks from Globally Remote Working

Employees working outside their country of employment can often trigger employer tax reporting obligations unintentionally. This ‘hidden compliance’ can catch out those employers who do not manage these obligations proactively. Working anywhere has its benefits but there are also risks that need to be managed.

Build a roadmap to improve your global talent supply chain

This will enable your organisation to grow globally and quickly. We will help you meet increasing employee demands for more flexibility and enable you to look overseas to hire talent, expanding your global talent pool.

Establish a Global Talent Network

An ecosystem with talent clusters around key locations to attract the best people and increase your competitiveness.

Build a ‘Globally Remote Working’ tax policy

Understand best practices and learn from those who have done this.

The global landscape is certainly changing, as employees can now work remotely where and when they want – this ‘work from anywhere’ approach brings many benefits but employers will need to fully understand and manage international compliance obligations effectively

Mark Abbs

Partner

View Mark's profile

Non-Resident Directors

Helping directors of UK company’s that live overseas meet their compliance and reporting obligations

Company directors are often very busy and in a sensitive and important role.

It is therefore critical that both employers and office holders (executive and non-executive) should be aware of their tax compliance and reporting obligations, even if they live overseas, as often tax exemptions given to short term business visitors are not available to them.

Blick Rothenberg has developed a bespoke non-resident director tax advisory service and we support a number of directors of listed and private companies to manage and meet these obligations.

How we can help

Our experienced tax advisers provide help with the following:

Assistance with payroll responsibilities
Establish whether the director is required to file a UK tax return
Establish whether employer and employee social security / National Insurance contributions are due
Prepare UK tax returns when required
Provide tax advice on accommodation and travel expenses
Provide advice on UK employer and director compliance obligations

Download factsheet

BRave Business – The podcast series for entrepreneurial businesses

The 4 Key TRAPs of Global Remote Working

Hybrid working has been a key outcome for many businesses following the global pandemic, but are you prepared for the four TRAPs?

In this episode we discuss the issues businesses are facing, and how to overcome them. Joining in the conversation from Blick Rothenberg is Mark Abbs, partner and head of the Global Mobility team and Alan Tam, Global Mobility Partner. Our guest is Harvey Perkins, director of HRUX – a company which focuses on delivering technology solutions for clients with complex tax and related issues.

Listen to more episodes

Global Costs 2023 – Whitepaper

The Global Costs 2023 whitepaper is designed to help you understand trends and best practice in 2023.

Download Global Costs 2023

Globally Remote Working – work from anywhere

Watch our two part video series featuring Global Mobility Partner Alan Tam and Blick Rothenberg’s HR Director Claire Hammond as they discuss the opportunities and challenges of globally remote working.

Watch videos