A Day of Big GM Conversations in Glasgow

On 5th March, we gathered in Glasgow for the Expat Academy Scottish Huddle, hosted by BDO. With a room full of Global Mobility professionals ready to share, debate and troubleshoot, the day was packed with valuable insights, thought-provoking discussions and a fair few 'hot potatoes'!

The New Employee Experience: Flexibility vs. Fairness

We kicked off the day exploring how employee expectations are reshaping Global Mobility policies. A key theme was the tension between flexibility and fairness. Whilst businesses want to retain talent, how much flexibility is too much? The rise of remote work requests - particularly from high performers - has left many wondering how to create policies that balance individual needs with business goals.

There was also a lot of talk about Gen Z’s expectations. Many see international experience as a given, assuming that working for a global company means they’ll have opportunities to work abroad. But with resourcing so tough, mobility is being used as a talent attraction tool rather than a guaranteed perk.

One standout example came from a company offering employees an extra 10 days of remote work tacked onto annual leave - so popular that they were considering expanding it to 20 days!

Corporate Update: Centralising a Decentralised World

We heard from Natália Silveira, Head of Global Mobility & Immigration at ThoughtWorks, who took us through the fascinating transformation journey she has been on. It began with a historically autonomous structure and the challenges of running GM in a highly decentralised company and ended (via various changes in company ownership structures) with a more traditional centralised approach. A key change was introducing transparency around international moves - tearing up old rules and setting clear expectations. The response? Overwhelmingly positive, with employees appreciating the clarity on what was (and wasn’t) possible.

Hot Potatoes: The Issues Keeping GM Teams Up at Night

No Expat Academy Huddle would be complete without tackling the trickiest challenges in mobility. There was very much a compliance theme to our hot potato discussions.

• A1 Applications: Slow response times from HMRC continue to frustrate GM teams, with some still chasing applications from 2023. Suggested solutions included escalating extreme cases via a dedicated forum or resubmitting applications with a strongly worded cover letter - an approach that has worked for some.

• Clawback Agreements: Recovering costs from employees who leave after the company has sponsored their visa remains a challenge. Some members shared success stories where strict repayment plans, enforced by credit control teams, had helped reclaim costs. However, others highlighted the difficulty of enforcement, particularly given Home Office restrictions on what costs can be passed on to employees. Some companies are opting for partial sponsorship to reduce risk, but this can impact talent attraction. The consensus? There’s no one-size-fits-all solution but having a clear policy and enforcement process in place is key.
• Digital Nomad Visas: Members reported an increase in the number of employees obtaining digital nomad visas in order to take advantage of their organisation's work from anywhere policy. Employees are also using this route to provide their partner with access to labour market in their host location.

Other hot topics included how different countries apply the Posted Worker Directive, compliance risks for contractors working across borders, the complexities of rotator assignments, and the challenges of Appendix 5 payroll. Expat Academy members can access our Rotator Assignment policy template in the Vault, along with the latest Appendix 5 benchmark question results in the Expat Academy portal.

Getting Technical: Tax and Immigration Deep Dive

BDO took us through the complexities of employer reporting obligations, including Short-Term Business Visitor (Appendix 4) and Annual PAYE Scheme (Appendix 8) requirements. With deadlines looming and penalties for non-compliance, the message was clear: getting data right is essential. There was also a look at the UK’s upcoming pre-travel authorisation scheme, adding another layer of complexity for business travellers.

A Risky Business: Preparing for the Unexpected

From natural disasters to geopolitical tensions, protecting mobile employees in an unpredictable world was a major talking point. Attendees shared crisis management experiences and discussed how different companies approach emergency response planning. To take a slightly light-hearted approach to a serious topic, we set the group a creative challenge: designing their own Global Mobility health and safety signs. The result? A mix of imagination, artistic flair, and some surprisingly insightful messages about the risks GM teams navigate daily.

Perspective Playground: GM Evolution or Revolution?

The day wrapped up with an interactive debate on whether Global Mobility should evolve to meet new expectations or stick to tried-and-tested policies. One thing was clear: GM teams are under increasing pressure to be more agile, balancing employee expectations with business realities. The session left everyone with fresh perspectives and plenty of food for thought.

Final Thoughts

As always, the Scottish Huddle was a brilliant opportunity to connect, share and learn. A huge thank you to BDO for hosting and providing their expert insights, to Santa Fe Relocation for their contributions, and of course to all our attendees for bringing their challenges, insights and solutions to the table. We left Glasgow with new ideas, new perspectives and (in some cases) new strategies to try out back at the office!

Until next time, Scotland!