Bringing remote work out of the shadows, into the open

THE checkpoint separating Singapore and Johor Bahru is one of the busiest in the world. Thousands drive across the Singapore-Malaysia border daily for work, to visit family and friends or simply enjoy a change in scenery. If you are an employer in Singapore that has permitted remote work, can you be sure one of your team members is not in Malaysia right now?

As experienced advisers on global workforce strategies, immigration and tax, we can attest that this is exactly the situation many large multinational companies face. An employee can slip across an international border while continuing to participate in video calls and virtual assignments, under the guise of working from home.

This might suit the employee’s productivity and even present benefits for the employer. Yet the prevailing human resources attitude of “don’t ask, don’t tell” ignores potentially serious compliance obligations.