Remote work policy
is the ruleset governing where and how employees may work away from the office — including the consequential part: cross-border remote work. A workable 2026 policy defines allowed countries and durations, approval flow, and who checks tax, social-security and immigration impacts before a yes.
What the cross-border section must decide
- Duration tiers: short workations (days to a few weeks) with light checks; extended stays with full review; relocations routed to employment changes.
- Country list: where the company can be compliant — considering the EU teleworking framework agreement for social security (up to 49.9% home-country remote work by agreement), visa rules and sanctions.
- Role limits: sales and signing authority restricted — the PE dimension.
- Data and security: location-based access rules and equipment standards.
- Consequences: undeclared cross-border work as a policy breach — because its risks land on the employer.
FAQ
How many days abroad are ‘safe’ without consequences?
There is no universal safe number — but common policy practice allows 2–4 weeks per year in approved countries with notification, staying clear of residency, social-security and PE triggers. The EU’s teleworking agreement extends possibilities for habitual cross-border patterns; outside such frameworks, shorter is safer.
What if an employee wants to move abroad permanently?
Treat it as an employment change, not a travel request: local employment via entity or EOR, local payroll and benefits, permit where needed. Continuing the home contract ‘quietly’ from another country is the highest-risk answer available.