This is an excerpt from my chapter in IR Global‘s latest publication ‘A Global Guide for In-House Counsel’, which you can download here.

What is the biggest benefit, and the biggest risk, to businesses facilitating a more transient workforce?

The biggest benefit to businesses in facilitating a more transient workforce is being able to meet labour needs by offering more flexible terms than the competition. Many younger white-collar workers will not even consider a job in a traditional office setting without hybrid and/or remote work options. Satisfying this desire for more flexible conditions of employment has left employers scrambling to develop options and market themselves as an attractive place to work.

In addition to flexible schedules and remote or hybrid work, many employees request to work where they chose, including in other locales, states, and countries where employers don’t have a presence or an office. Managing these expectations and offering workable options that facilitate employee preferences, satisfy regulatory requirements and garner productive results are serious challenges to employers that have not previously considered a dispersed workforce and its impact on company culture. The compliance requirements and associated risks can be very significant and require some planning and compromises.