GWS 2020 Preview: How will the U.S. Elections Impact Workforce Mobility?

At this year’s all-virtual, month-long Global Workforce Symposium, a panel of public policy experts and policymakers will discuss the U.S. elections and their impact on the workforce mobility industry.

In just two weeks, millions of United States citizens will be casting their votes for who they choose to be the next president and who will represent them in the U.S. Congress. Millions have already cast their ballot early in a chance to get a head start on making their voices heard. Come 3 November, while we will know most of the newly elected members of Congress, it is almost certain we will not know the outcome of the presidential election for days or even weeks thereafter. Depending on the outcome, either Donald Trump will enter his second term as president, or former vice president Joe Biden will become the 46th president. Whoever wins the election will have a profound impact on not just the next four years, but decades of both law and policy decisions that often reverberate throughout the world.

2020 has been a year unlike any other. Across the globe, many didn’t expect to grapple with a pandemic that has devastated human lives. With a shattering effect on the global economy, businesses across the globe have had to balance the need to keep operations running while also prioritizing the safety and wellbeing of employees everywhere. Walking this tightrope is no small feat, but government and business leaders, including those in the workforce mobility industry, have stepped up to the task.

This year, we’ve seen a handful of issues in U.S. public policy take center stage that affect workforce mobility. Along the way, Worldwide ERC®’s advocacy efforts have focused on supporting and advancing the needs of the workforce mobility industry. Here’s just a few things we did this year: When economic relief was being negotiated, we advocated for mobility to be featured in stimulus aid. We signed onto a letter with fellow trade associations to advocate for employer liability protection in COVID-related lawsuits. And we filed an amicus brief that was recently featured in a lawsuit against the administration’s visa ban.

Along the way, we’ve kept you updated on U.S. public policy matters that held implications for workforce mobility, such as increases to USCIS premium processing fees; tax implications for remote work; changes to the H-1B program that will make hiring foreign national workers more difficult for companies; updates to adverse market fees on mortgages; how the U.S. Congress avoided a government shutdown, and much more.

There’s still much to discuss regarding U.S. public policy and its impact on workforce mobility, especially as the election concludes, from what to expect in the Congressional lame-duck post-election session, to whether a new stimulus bill will move forward, to what issues are likely to be front and center early next year that will impact global mobility employers. Additionally, new members of Congress and a potential new administration could reshape the balance of power between Democrats and Republicans, while the outcome of the elections will impact workforce mobility in many ways regarding immigration, tax, real estate, regulations, and more.

Want to Learn More?

This year, Worldwide ERC® is connecting the mobility industry virtually through our first-ever virtual, month-long Global Work Symposium. 2020 has been quite a year, and there’s much to learn about across all sectors of the industry. We’ve built out new content tracks that are directly relevant to all of these sectors, including a content track for our Public Policy Forums on 4 November and 5 November.

Kicking off the Public Policy Forums on 4 November is panel on the U.S. election and its impact on workforce mobility. Understand from this panel of experts the crucial implications for talent mobility as we look ahead to a new Congressional session and a new or returning administration. Policymakers, corporate and association stakeholders will discuss the potential for public policy reforms concerning key mobility issues like immigration, tax, real estate and mortgage and more.

By retaining all the key elements of our in-person event, GWS will continue to foster connection and learning across the globe for all sectors of the industry. There’s something for everyone at mobility’s biggest annual gathering, and we encourage you to check out our schedule of events and speakers to get a glimpse of what this year’s GWS has to offer.

So if you haven’t already: register now! It’s not too late to sign up to experience this new format with all the elements you’ve come to expect from the Global Workforce Symposium. Join us at the first-ever virtual, month-long Global Workforce Symposium from 28 October to 20 November 2020.