Security Magazine logo
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Security Magazine logo
  • NEWS
    • Security Newswire
    • Technologies & Solutions
  • MANAGEMENT
    • Leadership Management
    • Enterprise Services
    • Security Education & Training
    • Logical Security
    • Security & Business Resilience
    • Profiles in Excellence
  • PHYSICAL
    • Access Management
    • Fire & Life Safety
    • Identity Management
    • Physical Security
    • Video Surveillance
    • Case Studies (Physical)
  • CYBER
    • Cybersecurity News
    • More
  • BLOG
  • COLUMNS
    • Cyber Tactics
    • Leadership & Management
    • Security Talk
    • Career Intelligence
    • Leader to Leader
    • Cybersecurity Education & Training
  • EXCLUSIVES
    • Annual Guarding Report
    • Most Influential People in Security
    • The Security Benchmark Report
    • The Security Leadership Issue
    • Top Guard and Security Officer Companies
    • Top Cybersecurity Leaders
    • Women in Security
  • SECTORS
    • Arenas / Stadiums / Leagues / Entertainment
    • Banking/Finance/Insurance
    • Construction, Real Estate, Property Management
    • Education: K-12
    • Education: University
    • Government: Federal, State and Local
    • Hospitality & Casinos
    • Hospitals & Medical Centers
    • Infrastructure:Electric,Gas & Water
    • Ports: Sea, Land, & Air
    • Retail/Restaurants/Convenience
    • Transportation/Logistics/Supply Chain/Distribution/ Warehousing
  • EVENTS
    • Industry Events
    • Webinars
    • Solutions by Sector
    • Security 500 Conference
  • MEDIA
    • Videos
      • Cybersecurity & Geopolitical Discussion
      • Ask Me Anything (AMA) Series
    • Podcasts
    • Polls
    • Photo Galleries
  • MORE
    • Call for Entries
    • Classifieds & Job Listings
    • Continuing Education
    • Newsletter
    • Sponsor Insights
    • Store
    • White Papers
  • EMAG
    • eMagazine
    • This Month's Content
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP!

Companies Aren't Doing Enough to Manage the Risks of Extended Business Travelers

Airport at Sunset
September 19, 2018

As the pace of business accelerates, more companies are relying on internationally mobile employees, commonly referred to as "extended business travelers," or EBTs, to complete a wide range of projects, from expanding into new markets to training global staff. While these companies feel EBTs allow them more nimble deployment of talent than "traditional" relocations and assignments, a recent survey by Weichert Workforce Mobility reveals that many fail to grasp their serious risks and implications.

In its survey, Weichert asked corporate relocation professionals at 79 companies about the ways they use and manage EBTs, defined as employees who travel from one country to another to work for anywhere from a few days to several weeks or months in a calendar year.

Although EBTs carry similar tax and immigration risks as employees on short or long-term assignments, they are often more difficult to manage or simply not regarded with as much scrutiny because "they're just business travelers."

The survey showed that while 48 percent of companies have tools to track their EBTs' locations, these tools are often simple travel department tools that reflect planned itineraries rather than actual geographic locations. Only 12 percent of companies surveyed utilize GPS-based apps or tools that identify employees' physical locations and actual days in country triggering immigration and tax obligations. Additionally, only 31 percent have formal mobility policies or guidelines in place for their EBTs.

Despite this, almost all of the companies surveyed—92 percent—said they were concerned with the level of risk associated with EBT non-compliance, while 86 percent admitted that remaining compliant with global tax rules was the biggest challenge associated with EBTs.

Their concern is warranted, according to Jennifer Connell, Practice Leader in Weichert's Advisory Services group and architect of the survey.

"Tax authorities have become much more aggressive in recent years, to the point that they are now demanding documentation of the number of visits, total compensation paid and the type of work performed by EBTs, which makes the administrative task of remaining compliant more daunting," Connell explained. "Meanwhile, punishments for non-compliance have escalated from simple fines to million dollar penalties and, in some cases, jail time."

Making the management of EBTs more challenging is confusion over who holds ultimate responsibility for them. Nearly one-third of respondents said they don't provide any sort of guidance to their EBTs as to what functions they can perform, and although 70 percent of respondents said HR/mobility has responsibility for identifying and managing EBTs, closer examination shows otherwise.

"Less than half of the companies have a formal approach to EBTs, so mobility departments are likely only identifying these employees through travel reports or when business units contact them for assistance," said Connell. "Most companies agree that the successful management of EBTs requires careful collaboration between a number of departments, including tax, payroll, and the requesting business unit, but they haven't found a way to make it work."

Other key findings of the survey:

  • 89 percent of companies said the top reason for sending employees on extended business travel was in response to the needs of business units.
  • 97 percent of respondents expect their EBT volume to increase or stay the same in the coming year.
  • Only 35 percent of companies have thresholds in place for how often travelers can visit a country before tax or immigration support is provided.

 

KEYWORDS: duty of care employee travel Travel Risk

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
To unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • Security's Top Cybersecurity Leaders 2024

    Security's Top Cybersecurity Leaders 2024

    Security magazine's Top Cybersecurity Leaders 2024 award...
    Security Enterprise Services
    By: Security Staff
  • cyber brain

    The intersection of cybersecurity and artificial intelligence

    Artificial intelligence (AI) is a valuable cybersecurity...
    Columns
    By: Pam Nigro
  • artificial intelligence AI graphic

    Assessing the pros and cons of AI for cybersecurity

    Artificial intelligence (AI) has significant implications...
    Cybersecurity Education & Training
    By: Charles Denyer
Subscribe For Free!
  • Security eNewsletter & Other eNews Alerts
  • eMagazine Subscriptions
  • Manage My Preferences
  • Online Registration
  • Mobile App
  • Subscription Customer Service

More Videos

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the Security audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily reflect the views of Security or its parent company, BNP Media. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep!

close
  • Crisis Response Team
    Sponsored byEverbridge

    Automate or Fall Behind – Crisis Response at the Speed of Risk

  • Perimeter security
    Sponsored byAMAROK

    Why Property Security is the New Competitive Advantage

  • Duty of Care
    Sponsored byAMAROK

    Integrating Technology and Physical Security to Advance Duty of Care

Popular Stories

Pills spilled

More than 20,000 sensitive medical records exposed

Laptop in darkness

Verizon 2025 Data Breach Investigations Report shows rise in cyberattacks

Coding on screen

Research reveals mass scanning and exploitation campaigns

White post office truck

Department of Labor Sues USPS Over Texas Whistleblower Termination

Computer with binary code hovering nearby

Cyberattacks Targeting US Increased by 136%

2025 Security Benchmark banner

Events

May 22, 2025

Proactive Crisis Communication

Crisis doesn't wait for the right time - it strikes when least expected. Is your team prepared to communicate clearly and effectively when it matters most?

September 29, 2025

Global Security Exchange (GSX)

 

View All Submit An Event

Products

Security Culture: A How-to Guide for Improving Security Culture and Dealing with People Risk in Your Organisation

Security Culture: A How-to Guide for Improving Security Culture and Dealing with People Risk in Your Organisation

See More Products

Related Articles

  • cyber 3 responsive default

    44% of Companies Report Risks of Doing Business Are Increasing

    See More
  • social media apps on iphone

    CISOs aren’t doing enough to mitigate social media fraud

    See More
  • socialmedia

    Manage the Risks of Social Media to Reap Business Benefits

    See More

Events

View AllSubmit An Event
  • February 20, 2025

    Ideological Tensions in the Workplace: Understanding and Mitigating Risks of Violence

    ON DEMAND: Organizations face evolving threats, including workplace violence stemming from ideological tensions, political polarization, economic disparities, and other factors.
View AllSubmit An Event
×

Sign-up to receive top management & result-driven techniques in the industry.

Join over 20,000+ industry leaders who receive our premium content.

SIGN UP TODAY!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Store
    • Want More
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • eNewsletter
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing