The Martini Mindset

According to the famous advertising slogan from the 1980s, a Martini could be enjoyed “any time, any place, anywhere”. It’s a great slogan. It suggests that each Martini drinker has unique needs and deserves a bespoke experience; it challenges the norm by asserting that that the traditional rules do not apply; it speaks to endless possibilities.

Shift forward a few decades and we find that an increasing number of employees are now wanting to embrace the ‘Martini Mindset’ when it comes to defining the way that they work. If COVID-19 has shown us anything about modern workplace practices, it’s that the wheels of industry can, and indeed do, keep turning, even if the workforce is no longer present on site or working to fixed hours. Given the cost of city centre real estate, it is hardly surprising, therefore, that some very large employers are considering downsizing their office space and beginning to think about having their employees based elsewhere, typically their home. However, for some employees, working from home is too parochial. If you can work from home, why not work from a coffee shop? If you can work from a coffee shop, why not work from a coffee shop somewhere more exciting? In fact, why not go the whole hog and relocate, or spend significant periods of time overseas whilst still carrying out your original role?

But, is it really possible for an employee of a UK entity to work for their UK based employer from anywhere in the world?  Certainly, the technology exists to make this possible. However, there are some important legal issues to factor in to your decision making, as Employment Law expert, Simon Horsfield, explains, “any employer considering whether to agree to such a request would need to think carefully about the employment law, immigration and tax implications. These issues are not insurmountable, but they do present a significant trap for the unwary”.

Over the next 3 Tuesdays we will be delving deeper into firstly the employment law considerations, secondly the immigration concerns and questions and lastly the wide ranging tax implications of the Martini Mindset. Our resident experts, Simon Horsfield (Employment), Chis Dias (Immigration) and David Chandler (Tax) will be giving us the benefit of their knowledge and experience.  We’ll be bringing the series together with a virtual roundtable discussion on 20 October 2020 (bring your own Martini!).

You can register for our remote working roundtable HERE.