Employee benefits and Global Mobility: aligning reward with reality
A combined session from Laurie Eggleston, Megan Hand and Gill Wood at Grant Thornton examined how employee benefits intersect with Global Mobility programmes. Topics included benefit eligibility, pensions, healthcare, governance risk and the importance of early planning to avoid compliance gaps.
The discussion reinforced that benefits rarely align neatly across borders. Clear documentation, consistent governance and effective communication all play a critical role in protecting both cost and employee experience.
Global Mobility summary update: tax, social security and remote work
The Global Mobility update covered current UK and European developments, including HMRC focus areas, social security changes and evolving guidance on remote working.
Particular attention was paid to the recent OECD commentary providing clarity on permanent establishment risk for remote workers, and the impact of recent European case law on social security, prompting many attendees to reflect on whether existing policies still strike the right balance between flexibility and risk management.
UK immigration reforms and sponsor compliance: what to watch
The final session, delivered by Sandra Toppin and Sakeenah Khoyratty at K2 X Border, focused on upcoming UK immigration reforms, including proposals around “earned settlement”, changes to English language requirements, graduate routes and sponsor licence compliance.
With enforcement activity and compliance expectations continuing to rise, the session underlined the importance of robust right‑to‑work processes, accurate record‑keeping and proactive internal audits to reduce risk.
