International assignments: regulation costs machine builders time and money

Wirtschaft und Industrie reports on the first WorkFlex Cross-Border Index and what it means for industrial companies: sending staff abroad is becoming more expensive and more time-consuming. The index draws on 1.86 million assessed working days abroad from more than 500 companies and covers 193 countries.

What the index measures

The index rates security risks, visa rules, reporting duties and social security requirements. It is not a general country ranking: comparisons hold within one dimension, and the requirements depend on where the employer is based, so a posting from Germany looks different from one from the Netherlands or Poland.

250 visa changes a month, 27 reporting portals

Visa rules alone change more than 250 times a month. The heaviest administrative load comes from reporting duties and labour law, concentrated in 31 countries where companies deal with 27 different national reporting portals, with no uniform procedure even inside the EU. Before every assignment, companies have to clarify the activity at the destination, whether a visa or work permit is needed and which notifications apply, even for a service trip of a few days.

Machinery and plant engineering hit hardest

Installation, commissioning, maintenance and technical support at customer sites are core business in this sector, so even sending a single specialist triggers labour law, social security, reporting and security checks. Getting it wrong risks fines, refused entry and project delays. The article also points to geopolitics as a lasting cost factor that HR and procurement should build into travel approvals and supplier qualification.

Read the full article (in German) here: https://www.wirtschaft-und-industrie.de/auslandseinsaetze-regulierung-kostet-maschinenbauer-zeit-und-geld/