Employment Abroad Requests
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Types of Employment Abroad Requests
Requests for work abroad are driven either by an individual employee’s personal reasons or by business needs. All requests will be carefully reviewed by Global Support Services to identify the best way to support the work abroad compliantly.
Examples of business-driven employment abroad requests include:
- A department requests that an employee conduct University-business in another country for a period of 30 days or longer.
- A department has identified a new hire in another country who can perform the job fully remotely.
- A department has a project or strategic initiative in a particular country or region and requires an employee to be based in that location.
- A faculty member will participate in a sponsored faculty exchange program at another institution.
Examples of employee-driven employment abroad requests include:
- An employee is relocating to another country for personal reasons and the department wishes to retain their services remotely.
- An employee has requested to work remotely from another country for a short period of time for personal reasons.
When to Submit an Employment Abroad Request
An Employment Abroad Request is required when a Penn employee will work from a location outside the United States for a period of 30 days or more. This requirement applies to both current Penn employees who will work outside the U.S., as well as to new potential hires who will work in a country other than the U.S.
Requests should be submitted as early as possible, but no fewer than 4 weeks prior to the anticipated departure/start date abroad. In more complex cases, 8+ weeks of advance preparation may be required before employment abroad may commence, so early notification to GSS is strongly advised. Departments should submit an Employment Abroad Request as soon as discussions begin to ensure Global Support Services can support the request compliantly.
Who Can Submit an Employment Abroad Request
Employment Abroad Requests may only be submitted by a designated Requestor in one of the following roles:
- Direct supervisor of the employee who will work abroad
- HR decision-maker from the employee’s school/center/department
- Finance/Business decision-maker from the employee’s school/center/department
Current Penn employees requesting to work abroad for 30 days or more should first contact their direct supervisor to initiate discussions and seek preliminary support. Employees may not submit an Employment Abroad Request to GSS on their own behalf.
Before Submitting an Employment Abroad Request
Managing requests for work abroad is a collaborative process that requires thoughtful consideration by a variety of stakeholders including the employee, their supervisor, HR, Finance, and Global Support Services. Departments should carefully review the employment abroad guidelines and gather the necessary information and support prior to submitting a request.
Prior to submitting an Employment Abroad Request to Global Support Services, the Penn department is responsible for ensuring:
- The request has support from the employee’s immediate supervisor, the departmental HR decision-maker, and the departmental Finance/Business decision-maker.
- The employee holds a valid work authorization status in the country of work, in accordance with the country’s immigration requirements.
- The employee can reasonably meet all expectations in the Flexible, Hybrid, and Remote Work Policy while working outside the U.S., including: employee will have an appropriate workspace; employee will have ready access to necessary technology and reliable internet; employee will keep work hours that will not disrupt business operations, regardless of time zone; and [for remote work requests only] employee’s work duties can be successfully performed remotely without disrupting business operations.
- For current Penn employees who are foreign nationals, the employee’s US immigration status permits the employment abroad to take place and, as required, the employee has approval from ISSS to depart the U.S. for the requested period.
- For positions funded by federal grant funding, the department has confirmed that the federal funding may be used to support activity abroad and has worked with their grant administrator and/or the Office of Research Services to determine any potential reporting requirements.
Submit an Employment Abroad Request
The designated Requestor will need to obtain all information required in the Employment Abroad Request form prior to submitting the form. Click here to view a sample.
Ready to submit your Employment Abroad Request? Please click the link below for the request form. If you require assistance, please email globalsupport@pobox.upenn.edu.
Next Steps
After an Employment Abroad Request is submitted, Global Support Services will review and conduct a risk assessment in accordance with Penn’s defined criteria, policies, and relevant laws. Requests for work abroad may be approved, referred for third-party review, or recommended for alternate arrangements. Decisions are based on Penn policies, departmental business needs, and the level of risk identified with the engagement. Every individual case is different, and GSS will carefully consider all details of the request before making a determination.
Global Support Services will typically respond to requests within one week of submission; however, depending on the complexity of the request, the review may take longer. The employee’s direct supervisor, the HR contact, and the Finance/Business contact will all receive notification of a final decision and guidance on next steps. It is the department’s responsibility to communicate all applicable conditions of the employment abroad engagement directly to the employee and to monitor compliance.
If additional costs to Penn arise as a result of the employment abroad request, GSS will make every effort to identify those potential costs, but the department will assume all financial responsibility for the engagement.
