Companies Planning Their Return to Workplaces Safely Must Balance Several Issues

Many companies are currently planning their return to workplaces safely following the initial phases of the COVID-19 pandemic. In some cases, this may require a significant investment in new equipment, training, and development of new processes. A number of issues should be considered to ensure employee safety, clear communication, and business continuity. Ultimately, flexibility may be the key concept that helps keep everyone focused on several important considerations.

Changing Expectations Impact Return to Workplaces Safely

As recently as June 2020, many senior executives expected up to 50% of their employees or more would return to workplaces safely. At that time, several states, counties, and cities had begun to enter the latter stages of their coronavirus reopening plans.

However, new cases continue to rise in various parts of the nation. The Conference Board published a survey that finds that only 28% of U.S. employees believe they will return to workplaces safely by the end of this year. In fact, the survey reports that 31% of employees are not comfortable returning.

Trust is Another Major Issue

Trust in how companies can ensure safety as they arrange for employees to return to workplaces safely is a major issue. According to Edelman, only 50% of employees believe office spaces are safe for them to return. Additionally, large numbers of employees have significant concerns relating to using or visiting the following everyday common activities:

Many of the employees’ concerns relate to issues surrounding sanitation and cleanliness, as well as being in confined spaces with possible COVID-19 exposure.

Even though they may have concerns about their return to workplaces safely, many employees currently working from home do want to return. In a survey published at Digital.com, the majority of individuals working from home are eager to get back to their offices and facilities.

What Does This Mean for Companies Planning Their Return to Workplaces Safely?

Since many employees do want to return to workplaces safely, it is important for companies to address their concerns. There are many helpful resources that provide guidance for employers to ensure safety in all aspects of the working environment. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to be a major public health issue. As a result, employers should focus on communicating how they plan to keep employees safe in the workplace.

What Should Employers do?

Employers should create a project team that will develop plans for their return to workplaces safely. This team should research important resources and information in order to identify what will work best for their specific situation. Employers should retain flexibility in their plans to account for new information and changing expectations.

Employers should work with a Relocation Management Company (RMC) that has experience with corporate relocations and individual employee moves. RMCs with knowledge and experience can help employers identify valuable resources that will assist them with their planning efforts.

Conclusion

GMS’ team of domestic relocation experts understand how to arrange for group moves of offices, employees, and equipment. Our team can help your company understand how identify and address all of the issues involved in helping employees return to workplaces safely.

GMS was the first relocation company to register as a “.com.” The company also created the first online interactive tools and calculators, and revolutionized the entire relocation industry. GMS continues to set the industry pace as the pioneer in innovation and technology solutions with its proprietary MyRelocation® technology platform.

New SafeRelo™ COVID-19 Knowledge Portal

GMS recently launched its new SafeRelo™ COVID-19 Knowledge Portal featuring a number of helpful resources including:

  • Curated selection of news and articles specific to managing relocation programs and issues relating to COVID-19
  • Comprehensive guide to national, international, and local online sources for current data
  • Program/Policy Evaluation (PPE) Tool for instant relocation policy reviews

Contact our experts online to learn more about how companies can plan for their return to workplaces safely, or give us a call at 800.617.1904 or 480.922.0700 today.

Request your complimentary relocation policy review

COVID-19 Travel Recommendations and Resources

Many employers must navigate an increasingly complicated world of COVID-19 travel recommendations brought on by the pandemic. One of the biggest challenges is that recommendations may change rather frequently. Some states or countries may have a regular update pattern for their data. Still others may target their data to organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

In an environment with so much volatility, employers should confirm their travel policies are up-to-date. These policies should take into account data sources that provide guidance and assurance for travelers. For any employees that travel, employers should recognize a duty to provide updated information and guidance. This will help employees understand how they might travel safely during the pandemic.

COVID-19 Travel Recommendations: CDC Resources

The CDC maintains an updated Geographic Risk Assessment for COVID-19 Transmission website. This includes an interactive map that offers specific COVID-19 travel health information for each destination. The map is color-coded with five different colors for the following risk assessments:

  • High Risk
  • Moderate Risk
  • Low Risk
  • No Travel Health Notice (Risk is Very Low)
  • No Data Available (Risk is Unknown)

Interestingly, the list of countries, areas, regions, and municipalities where there is no travel health notice includes both large and small population centers. The list includes:

  • Taiwan (over 23,000,000 residents)
  • Macau SAR (over 649,000 residents)
  • Isle of Man (over 85,000 residents)
  • Saba (over 1,900 residents).

The CDC notes that it bases its COVID-19 risk assessments on two data sets: virus transmission rates and healthcare capacity/public health infrastructure at the destination.

COVID-19 Travel Recommendations: U.S. Travel Association

The U.S. Travel Association® maintains an online COVID-19 Resources for Destinations website. Their website lists a number of resources for travel information. The “COVID-19 Travel Industry Research” section specifically relates to travel destinations, trends, and traveler sentiments. Resources include:

  • Tourism Economics: weekly analysis on travel spending
  • Arrivalist®: daily trends tracker of automotive trips of at least 50 miles
  • Destinations Analysts: weekly insights into US business and leisure travelers

Other sections for resources include “CARES Act Relief Resources,” “COVID-19 Policy Priorities,” and “Travel Industry Recovery Resources.” The U.S. Travel Association® has published a fact sheet with several statistics showing the impact of COVID-19. Overall, the pandemic’s impact on the industry is greater than the impact of September 11 events and the Great Depression. The fact sheet includes a number of recommendations for lawmakers to help the industry and the nation’s economy move toward recovery.

COVID-19 Travel Recommendations: State Resources

Many states in the US have prepared responses and resources to help residents and visitors understand how they should comply with the state’s requirements. Several states have specific advisories relating to visitors coming from specific destinations.

Connecticut

For example, the state of Connecticut maintains an online “Travel Advisory for Visitors to Connecticut” with a note that it is updated on a weekly basis each Tuesday. Governor Ned Lamont of Connecticut issued Executive Order No. 7111 on July 21, 2020. The Order requires the following:

“…anyone traveling into Connecticut from a state with a positive test rate higher than 10 per 100,000 residents, or higher than a 10% test positivity rate over a 7-day rolling average, are directed to self-quarantine for a 14-day period from the time of last contact within the identified state.”

Connecticut also maintains an online “Connecticut COVID-19 Response” information portal with a number of additional resources

South Dakota

By comparison, the state of South Dakota does not have any travel restrictions for visitors. Governor Kristi Noem issued an Executive Order regarding COVID-19 guidelines. Generally, the Order requires that residents and employers must follow CDC guidelines in response to the pandemic.

However, some routes in the state that go through tribal lands may be closed. The South Dakota Department of Tourism has published a fact sheet noting COVID-19 travel recommendations and restrictions on tribal lands in the state. The Department also maintains an online “Coronavirus (COVID-19) Information” website with helpful information for visitors.

South Dakota also maintains an online “COVID-19 in South Dakota” information portal with a number of additional resources.

What Should Employers do About COVID-19 Travel Recommendations?

Companies should review their current travel policy and relocation program to determine if they need to review them for specific COVID-19 travel recommendations. Relocation Management Companies (RMCs) with expertise and experience in travel policies for relocation programs are a valuable resource for policy reviews. Companies should schedule a travel policy review on a regular basis to learn about the best travel tools and latest features. As a result, they will be able to streamline and enhance travel reporting and compliance requirements.

Conclusion

Global Mobility Solutions’ team of corporate relocation experts has helped thousands of our clients benchmark their relocation program and incorporate the best travel tools into their business travel policy. Our team can help your company understand how to identify COVID-19 travel recommendations into your company’s travel policy for your traveling employees.

GMS was the first relocation company to register as a “.com.” The company also created the first online interactive tools and calculators, and revolutionized the entire relocation industry. GMS continues to set the industry pace as the pioneer in innovation and technology solutions with its proprietary MyRelocation® technology platform.

New SafeRelo™ COVID-19 Knowledge Portal

GMS recently launched its new SafeRelo™ COVID-19 Knowledge Portal featuring a number of helpful resources including:

  • Curated selection of news and articles specific to managing relocation programs and issues relating to COVID-19
  • Comprehensive guide to national, international, and local online sources for current data
  • Program/Policy Evaluation (PPE) Tool for instant relocation policy reviews

Learn how to incorporate COVID-19 travel recommendations into your company’s travel policy and relocation program. Contact our experts online or give us a call at 800.617.1904 or 480.922.0700 today.

Request your complimentary relocation policy review

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Domestic Relocation Challenges Global Relocation Challenges Talent Mobility

Airline Travel and COVID-19: Subject to Change

For business travelers, constant change is the message for airline travel during the COVID-19 pandemic. Flight rescheduling and cancellations, questions as to the ability to receive a refund, the inability to reach a destination due to local restrictions, and shifts in business priorities result in continual disruptions. It is difficult to predict the “new normal” for anything related to airline travel.

Airlines for America (A4A), the industry trade organization representing the leading U.S. airlines, has been working with its members to develop and enforce new policies. Changes abound in requirements, cleanliness, food offerings, and service centers all across a traveler’s journey. However, major airlines seem to be coalescing around a few main points for the summer travel season.

Get Ready to Wear a Mask for Airline Travel

Much of the US is still grappling with the concept of mask wearing. Some governmental units require masks, while others do not. Major airlines recently took the proactive approach of requiring masks for entry onto a plane. Additionally, many major airports also require masks in terminals, security and gate boarding areas, and around areas such as car rentals, trams, buses, and trains.

American

American requires customers to wear a face covering while on board aircraft and at the gate. Customers will receive notices and reminders of the policy at the airport and during the flight. Customers who do not comply will not be able to board a plane, and may be denied future travel with the airline.

Exceptions:

  • Some passengers are exempt from the face covering requirement
  • Policy does not apply while customers are eating or drinking

Delta

Delta requires all customers to wear a face mask or appropriate face covering. Face coverings will be required starting in the check-in lobby. This requirement will carry across all Delta touchpoints. As a result, face masks are required at Delta Sky Clubs, boarding gate areas, jet bridges, and on board the aircraft. Delta is adding digital notifications, signage, and announcements starting before customers leave home and all during their airline travel with Delta. Delta will refuse to allow flyers without masks to board flights, and will add them to a “no-fly list.”

Exceptions:

  • People unable to keep a face covering in place, including children
  • During meal service

United

United requires all passengers to wear a face covering onboard its flights. Passengers who do not comply will be placed on an internal travel restriction list. Customers on this list will lose their travel privileges on United for a period of time. The duration of time will be determined pending a comprehensive incident review.

Exceptions:

  • Individuals who have a medical condition or a disability that prevents them from wearing a face covering
  • Those who cannot put on or remove a face covering themselves
  • Small children
  • When eating or drinking

You May (or May Not) Notice Safety Barriers During Airline Travel

Similar to various shields and barriers you might see at salad bars, the grocery store, or perhaps visiting a teller at a bank, you may notice new safety barriers in place. Often made of plexiglass, these clear shields provide a barrier between people in those places where social distancing may be difficult. Plexiglass is both sturdy and translucent. Therefore, plexiglass may appear as clear as glass and is often designed to blend into its setting. Ideally, the barriers will offer safety without comprising visibility.

For example, Delta’s Flight Product subsidiary designed and manufactured custom safety barriers made of plexiglass for check-in desks in lobbies, gates, and Delta’s Sky Club counters. United notes that it has installed sneeze guards at check-in and gate podiums. American is installing commercial-grade shields at ticket counters.

Greater Cleanliness Standards in Airline Travel

Anyone who partakes in airline travel will inevitably see a greater emphasis on sanitation and disinfection. These measures are being instituted throughout the entire industry. Therefore, planes, jetways, gates, lobbies, doorways, and clubs—in fact, nearly all areas from start to end have heightened cleanliness.

American

American has increased cleaning and sanitizing of all areas including kiosks, ticket counters, passenger service counters, baggage service offices, lounges, clubs, gates, boarding areas, and planes. It has also added hand sanitizing stations and dispensers before and after security areas in certain locations, as well as on flights. American is working with Vanderbilt University Medical Center for guidance on health issues and cleaning procedures. Importantly, American is seeking GBAC STAR™ Accreditation from the Global Biorisk Advisory Council to ensure the airline has the proper procedures to respond to biological threats like COVID-19.

Delta

Delta is sanitizing every flight using electrostatic sprayers. The airline is using the same procedure for Reservation Centers, employee work areas, break rooms, lounges, and office spaces. Delta Clean is the airline’s new standard of clean for its airline travel customers. Noticeable additions include hand sanitizer at various touchpoints, and disinfecting surfaces across the airport experience.

United

United CleanPlus℠ is the airline’s joint program with The Clorox Company to redefine all of their cleaning and disinfecting procedures. In addition to working with Clorox, United is also working closely with experts at the Cleveland Clinic for advice on enhancing COVID-19 cleaning and disinfection protocols with a focus on safety for employees and customers.

What Should Employers do About Airline Travel?

Companies should review their current travel policy and relocation program to determine if they are using the best travel tools. RMCs with expertise and experience in travel policies for relocation programs are a valuable resource for policy reviews that will help business travelers and companies respond to airline travel that is subject to change. Companies should schedule a policy review on a regular basis. This will help them learn about the latest features to streamline and enhance reporting and compliance requirements.

Conclusion

Global Mobility Solutions’ team of corporate relocation experts has helped thousands of our clients benchmark their relocation program and incorporate the best travel tools into their business travel policy. Our team can help your company understand how to provide the best travel tools for your traveling employees who must arrange airline travel during the COVID-19 pandemic.

GMS was the first relocation company to register as a “.com.” The company also created the first online interactive tools and calculators, and revolutionized the entire relocation industry. As a result, GMS continues to set the industry pace as the pioneer in innovation and technology solutions with its proprietary MyRelocation® technology platform.

Learn how to incorporate the best travel tools that will help with airline travel changes into your company’s relocation program. Contact our experts online or give us a call at 800.617.1904 or 480.922.0700 today.

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Short-Term Domestic Business Travelers: Do Clients Need to Consider Other State Tax Requirements?

Short-term domestic business travelers often have a need to travel outside their home tax jurisdiction. For example, there may be a business conference, corporate training, team gathering, or a customer meeting in another state.

Do clients really need to think about the tax requirements in other states?

GMS spoke with Erika Beddow, Business Development Manager at Global Mobility Tax, LLP (GMT).  Erika has 20 years’ experience in public accounting and in the Global Mobility industry. Erika agreed to share her expert guidance on this issue.

For Short-Term Domestic Business Travelers, Do Clients Need to Consider Other State Tax Requirements?

Quick Answer: Yes

When asked if clients need to think about taxes in other states for their short-term domestic business travelers, Erika quickly answered “Yes.” She notes that because each state taxes differently, short-term domestic business travelers should be reviewed to determine at what point tax is triggered in each state based on the travelers’ itinerary.

Business travelers are individuals who travel at the request of their employer to either visit clients, customers, work on projects, or who attend meetings or conferences. Unlike expatriates or assignees, these employees are typically not tracked by Human Resources or covered under an assignment policy.

Business travelers receive compensation from the home employer, such as per diems, expense reimbursements, accommodations, meals, and other incidentals. They will not cease residency in their home states and family members typically do not travel with them.

Erika notes that GMT assists clients in determining the potential reporting and tax requirements in each locality. The firm also assists clients with assessing the risks of non-compliance.

What are the Compliance Issues Related to Short-Term Domestic Business Travelers?

Erika shared that each state has their own tax laws and these laws typically differ from state to state. With today’s technology, many state tax auditors can focus on companies with a mobile workforce more easily and enforce their jurisdiction’s tax laws.

Why is this important? According to Erika, the jurisdiction where the services are performed is the jurisdiction that has the first right to tax the income earned in their jurisdiction.

Some issues that may arise when employees are working in other states outside their resident state:

  1. Employers are required, in most states, to allocate the income related to the employee’s travel and report and withhold tax accordingly.
  2. Employers will need to analyze if the employee’s travel to any state has triggered any corporate tax issues (i.e. Nexus).
  3. The employee could have income tax obligations in the other states where they worked.

How do Companies Fall out of Compliance with Short-Term Domestic Business Travelers?

Many companies may be already be doing this, but a significant number are not. A company could be non-compliant if they are not reporting the income in the other state and the appropriate tax is not withheld. In turn, the employee could be non-compliant by not filing and paying taxes in the other state.

What are the Risks Associated with Non-Compliance?

Erika believes many states are actively looking for ways to increase their revenues. One way of doing this is by trying to collect from nonresident short-term domestic business travelers. If a state auditor becomes aware of business travelers, the auditor can initiate a payroll audit to ensure the company has withheld and reported the proper income tax. Non-compliance with statutory reporting and tax requirements can result in tax assessments to the company and employee, including fines and penalties. These additional costs are usually unexpected and can cause business interruptions, reputational risk for the business, and employee dissatisfaction.

Companies should keep track of their employees who continue to work outside of their resident state. It is also becoming increasingly important that companies monitor and track their employee’s business travel to ensure they are compliant with all tax and reporting requirements.

How does GMT Help Clients Identify Their Specific Risks?

GMT is ready to assist clients that have mobility programs in becoming or staying compliant. GMT can help them identify and quantify the risks of payroll non-compliance. Clients should put an action plan into place to address these issues.

Action Plan for Short-Term Domestic Business Travelers

Erika recommends clients develop a Business Traveler Tax Policy to provide program managers and employees with clear guidance and procedures. The experts at GMT can assist companies in developing a policy that will help them mitigate risks, determine payroll and reporting requirements for each state, and determine what level of assistance, if any, they should provide to the employee. Erika notes that a tax policy should include:

  • Clear definitions of who is covered
  • Accurate regulations for tracking travel and workdays in each location
  • Established process to initiate and analyze tax and reporting obligations
  • Tax gross-up process and policy
  • Specific tax services the employer will provide to the employee

The Business Traveler Tax Policy can stand on its own or be part of the company’s relocation policy. A tax policy will ensure that both the company and employee understand their obligations ensuring a positive employee experience.

Employers should note that the employee working in other states may have additional tax liabilities in these other states and this will require them to file tax returns accordingly. Income tax rates vary from state to state, and this can cause an increased tax burden to the employee. Erika notes that the employer will need to determine if they need to apply additional tax gross-ups or tax assistance for these employees.

What Types of Reports are Available, in What Format, to Support the Action Plan?

Erika shared that there are many different types of reports are available for tracking purposes, and these reports may be manual or automated. However, GMT suggests using an automated process. There are many ways to automate travel tracking either internally or externally. One recommendation is to use either an internal program or a travel calendar app. By reviewing the short-term domestic business travelers, clients can plan accordingly to mitigate potential risk and exposure in other states for both the employers and employee.

Automated processes offer many benefits, including:

  • Increased Accuracy
  • Timeliness
  • Elimination of Unnecessary Processes

The team at GMT has helped clients with these issues for over 17 years. GMT provides expert tax support, education, and awareness to clients and their employees in order to ensure corporate compliance and employee satisfaction. GMT has a quick guide in PDF form for employers to help them understand some of the tax issues surrounding short-term domestic business travelers.

Erika says she is always ready to meet to help employers learn more about being compliant and building internal processes to support their mobile workforce.

Conclusion

GMS’ team of domestic relocation experts has helped thousands of our clients learn about important issues such as tax compliance for their organization. Our mobility consulting team can help your company understand how to identify and mitigate the issues surrounding tax compliance for short-term domestic business travelers with the assistance of the experts at Global Mobility Tax, LLP.

GMS was the first relocation company to register as a .com. The company also created the first online interactive tools and calculators, and revolutionized the entire relocation industry. GMS continues to set the industry pace as the pioneer in innovation and technology solutions with its proprietary MyRelocation® technology platform.

Learn more about tax compliance issues for short-term domestic business travelers. Contact our experts online or give us a call at 800.617.1904 or 480.922.0700 today.

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