Work from anywhere arrangements are exposing Australian employers to visa, tax and payroll obligations HR teams often miss
Employers are treating business travel as routine administration when a single overseas trip can trigger visa breaches, foreign tax liabilities and offshore employment obligations, according to employment law and global mobility advisers.
The warning comes as hybrid and “work from anywhere” arrangements stretch what was once a short conference trip into weeks of offshore work on payroll. Global mobility adviser Vialto says many organisations still lack visibility over where their people are physically working and for how long.
Nicholas Potter, employment practice leader at LegalVision, said the requests landing on his desk have changed markedly.
“The questions have moved from occasional business travel to ongoing cross-border work. Employers are no longer just asking whether an employee can attend an overseas conference. They are asking whether someone can work from Bali, London, or Singapore for 6 weeks, continue accessing Australian systems, service Australian clients, and remain on the Australian payroll,” he said.
That shift brings a different risk profile, Potter said, spanning immigration permissions, local employment laws, tax, superannuation, workplace health and safety, insurance, and data security.
“The practical shift is that ‘work from anywhere’ now needs governance, not just manager discretion.”
Employers have long grappled with the rights...
A Wixom, Michigan, business accused of making false statements to obtain a loan has agreed to pay a settlement of just over $1.5 million after it was sued by the federal government, according to th...