Is remote work anywhere a dream? Or can it be turned into a reality? What are the barriers to doing so and the opportunities for companies that get this right?
Welcome to the remote work from anywhere series. This is a series featuring some of the leading people around the world in remote work, global mobility and work from anywhere compliance (remote work tax, employment law, etc.).
This episode covered the merging functions of business travel and global mobility, was moderated by John Lee of The Work From Anywhere Team and we were delighted to be joined by Alex Felstead, CEO of the Global Mobility Executive (1:45), a platform which enables Global Mobility leaders to explore strategic topics within a focused and interactive setting and Matthew Parsons, Corporate Travel Editor of Skift (4:50), one of the leading reporting and market research publications in travel globally and Aurélie Krau of Festive Road, a leading global business travel consultancy (7:00).
(8:10) We have reached a tipping point and there is no going back to the way things used to be. We’re still in crisis response mode. Return to Office as a first phase. (10:45) How travel managers have moved from the key crisis response stakeholder to having a reduced role due to cuts in travel spend. (11.25) Is remote work a structural shift or a passing fad? Deeply embedded changes as a result of this global experiment. (15:27) Hybrid as an absence of strategy?
(16:44) What are Global Mobility leaders’ biggest pain points right now? The morality of paying different salaries across different regions. (20:33) Can we get back to the office safely. Sustainability and the decision making process of whether a trip is actually needed. The openness to travel…the how is the headache. (25:20) Work From Anywhere – is it a myth or a marketing exercise?(29:18) The difficulty of implementing for highly regulated industries.
(30:45) Which companies are leading the way in implementing WFA policies? (33:15) The long term benefits of remote work. The freedom to work whenever and wherever you feel most productive. The leadership support needed to support remote team success. Ask your people what they want.
(39:20) How to reduce the compliance risk of remote work policies. The balance of having to broadcast your policy to attract talent versus the visibility of a potentially incompliant policy. Mobility professionals are stuck between a rock and hard place! (40:30) Look out for governments getting stricter and trying to keep their piece of the tax pie! (43:10) Will business travel and global mobility merge into one function? (47.13) Your top 3 destinations to work remotely. Medellin, the Silicon Valley of South America. Spain and Bali also ranking highly.
(51.50) What do you think the world of business travel and global mobility will look like in 10 years time? Diversity & inclusion as a focus with careers opportunities independent of geography. (55:00) The role of technology, VR, etc. in enhancing the remote work experience.
Some useful resources discussed during this episode:
- Festive Road’s “Purposeful Travel Framework“
- The Work From Anywhere Team’s Digital Nomad Visas
- Harvard Business Review article Your Company Needs a Digital Nomad Policy
- Lynne Oldham, CPO of Zoom, The 4 emerging work personas
- Netflix company culture
If you’re interested in becoming a guest on the webinar series, please reach out to us here.
Should you need help with any of your tax or compliance risks related to remote work, The Work From Anywhere Team would be delighted to help you out! Just reach out via our website.
The Work From Anywhere Team
