Approving an overseas working request
This page gives details for staff on how to approve an overseas working request as a Final Approver or Line Manager.
How do I approve an overseas working request?
Following your nomination as a department's Final Approver you will be contacted by email asking you to login to the MyRemoteWork system and set-up your own personal profile. You will have received this information ahead of receiving any live requests.
In addition, as your department’s Final Approver, you will receive an email each time there is a request awaiting your decision.
Your dashboard in MyRemoteWork will display details of submitted overseas working requests, as well as any notes that have been added by the International Mobility Team. You may wish to discuss the details of the request with the member of staff’s Line Manager or the International Mobility Team if you have any queries.
Once you approve or decline the request, the staff member and their Line Manager will receive an email with the request outcome.
An auto-approval function for low-risk (green pathway) requests is in operation, to allow focus to be directed toward requests that require greater attention.
Staff submitting an overseas working request where the total overseas presence in a 12-month period is 30 days or fewer, and where all other applicable guardrails indicate low risk (green), will receive an auto-approval notification. The approval notification will be copied to the Line Manager and you, the Final Approver.
Requests that would exceed 30 days will continue to be routed to the International Mobility Team and Final Approvers for review. Employees will continue to be reminded to discuss all overseas working requests with their Line Manager to ensure their support in principle before submission.
If you have not set up your own profile, you will be notified by email as soon as a staff member names you as their Final Approver, asking you to login to MyRemoteWork with your Imperial SSO and set up your profile.
Final Approvers should review the details of how overseas working requests are assessed and look at the guidance for approvers in the International Mobility Guidance on Overseas Working.
View the How To Manual for Overseas Working for further guidance on approving Overseas Working requests in MyRemoteWork or watch the video walkthroughs.
What should I consider when supporting an overseas working request as a Line Manager?
As a Line Manager you should consider any departmental requirements or decisions that may affect whether the member of staff should work overseas at this time e.g. due to a need to support in-person duties on a UK campus, setting a precedence to the team, additional costs or potential impact on funding.
You should also consider:
- the latest government advice on whether it is safe to travel to the intended country
- if there is sufficient time for the appropriate arrangements to be in place, such as for tax, visa or payroll
- does the staff member have or can they obtain the legal Right to Work in the overseas location?
Line Managers should review the details of how overseas working requests are assessed using the International Mobility Framework and look at the guidance for managers within the International Mobility Guidance on Overseas Working, paying particular attention to the due diligence section, irrespective of the expected duration of the overseas work.