Our stories
Reuniting families, sustaining businesses
From the moment COVID-19 emerged, our Global Mobility Services team has been supporting our clients with their response to the ongoing impact of the pandemic. From crisis management to navigating increasingly complex immigration and tax considerations, we have supported our clients with the mobilisation of their workforce, placing safety, compliance and business continuity at the forefront of our strategic support.
Setting the scene
Our UK-based Global Mobility Services (GMS) team is used to helping clients navigate the complex world of different countries’ immigration, tax and employment regulations, thanks to our international network of experts and close links with governments.
From the first signs of the epidemic emerging in China, we were there for our clients, giving practical advice, helping their employees to return back to their base locations where possible, and keeping them updated with these unpredictable situations.
By March most countries had implemented some form of border closures and health notices advising against non-essential international travel.
April and May saw the US implement sweeping travel bans for travellers from the EU Schengen area, UK, Ireland and Brazil (adding to the travel restrictions implemented for China and Iran).
Updates to these restrictions were being made on a daily basis. Up-to-date knowledge of the ever-changing situation became critical and we saw there was a pressing need for our expertise to be more publicly available, beyond our client base.
How we helped
Recognising the need for the latest accurate information in a rapidly changing context, our team set up an online emergency dashboard which our clients - and indeed anyone - can access for free. The dashboard gives real-time updates on official and verified entry and exit travel restrictions, border closures, COVID-19 medical test requirements, quarantine measures as well as live flight, global health statistics and tax information.
Throughout the first half of 2020, we supported our clients with crisis management - mobilising their employees across the world, ensuring their safety, compliance with immigration and tax rules, while protecting their legal right to work.
In early summer, we provided thought leadership and trend analysis on the impact a post-pandemic world would have on mobility. The rise of protectionism in countries where the tourism sector was badly hit, the need for global remote and flexible working, and new compliance requirements, were central to sector-specific insights and projections the team provided.
“Our management team, the employee and his family have expressed their deepest gratitude in all the support we were provided.”
Making a difference
Throughout the pandemic, our support providing up-to-date information on border restrictions and quarantine measures resulted in both the safety of our clients’ workforces as well as business continuity and compliance to changing regulations.
The strategic assistance provided, navigating the ever-complex reciprocal agreements and travel bubbles meant that our clients’ central policy teams were equipped to make sound decisions around mobility planning. Since launch we have had 2,000 clients sign up, across all sectors including oil & gas, technology, financial services, professional services, education, pharmaceutical along with aerospace and defence.
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