The Future of Remote Work: An overview of issues relating to remote working across countries

Written By

thomas hey module
Thomas Hey

Partner
Germany

I am a partner in our international HR Services Group, which I co-head, based in Düsseldorf. I offer more than two decades of experience in advising clients from the banking and financial services, life sciences and healthcare, retail and consumer goods, as well as aerospace, defence and security sectors.

Since 2020 we have seen one of the most dramatic transformations of the global workforce imaginable. With minimal notice, tens of millions of office-based workers have been sent home to set up remote workplaces from kitchen dining tables and home offices on a scale never seen before.

Businesses around the world have adapted surprisingly well. Whilst these new and evolving ways of working present a myriad of options for employers, what is clear is that this topic goes to the very root of the employment relationship, and the meaning of work and the workplace. Any future solution therefore requires employers to navigate complex local legal considerations traversing not only employment laws and human resources topics but also tax, data privacy and immigration laws.

In the first part of this guide, developed by Bird & Bird’s International HR Services team, we look at the practical questions employers should be asking when considering remote working longer term, as well as what we think are the key themes emerging for the future of remote working. In the second part, we have included a country-by-country overview of issues relating to remote work.

This is a vast topic and in this brief guide we can only identify some key insights for employers based on our extensive experience advising international clients on these issues. We do hope you find our guide useful and we would be delighted to discuss any of the topics raised with you in more detail.

Download the guide now

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