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Welcome to our regular HR advice column, Ask a Resourceful Human. Here to answer all of your burning questions is Erin Grau, the co-founder and COO of Charter, a media and services company that aims to transform the workplace. Erin has over 15 years of experience at the intersection of talent and operations in global organizations and startups, including the New York Times and Away. You can sign up for the free Charter newsletter about the future of work here.
Do you have a sneaking suspicion that some of your remote workers may be working more remotely than others? It’s no wonder: Some employees have taken “work from anywhere” to heart by relocating abroad—and without telling HR. If your hunch is right, what are you to do?
If you suspect employees are already working in another country, are fielding employee requests to work abroad, or drafting a global mobility policy, start by educating staff about the implications of working outside of the US for an extended period of time.
When designing policies and employee education on this topic, work with your legal, IT, and finance teams to address (among other things):
- Legal issues: Depending on where employees are working and for how long, they may need visas or permits. They may also be eligible for that country’s paid time off or health insurance benefits.
- Taxes: Employees might have to pay taxes in the country they are staying in. As their employer, you would also have to monitor evolving tax laws in countries where employees reside.
- Health and safety: Employees who are not fully covered by their healthcare plans outside the US might need to get supplemental medical insurance. Another thing worth considering is that the IT protocols you have in place may not cut it globally.
For the purposes of compliance, equity, and efficiency, document your policy, create training materials, and share them with employees in an education session. Follow up the session with a link to the policy, a request for employees to update their current addresses in your HRIS, and an offer for them to reach out to HR if they have any questions about their specific needs.
Employees want more flexibility in when and where they work, so it’s critical to consider flexibility not just as a perk, but as a talent retention tool. Companies are addressing employees’ desire to work abroad for extended periods of time in different ways. If a work-from-anywhere program isn’t right for you, consider a variation: One company I spoke with allows employees to work abroad 25 days a year.
What else are you wrestling with? Let us know at [email protected]. Anonymity is assured.