Episode 46: Navigating risk, innovation and opportunity in a changing world of work

The latest episode of the Chartered Accountants Global Update brings together three topics that are generating serious conversation across the global finance profession: the compliance risks hidden inside cross-border remote working, the growing threat of AI-enabled fraud, and the talent opportunity that social mobility represents. Here is a quick overview of what we covered.Remote working across borders: more complex than it looksFlexible and hybrid working arrangements have become the norm for many organisations. But when employees work across jurisdictions, that flexibility can quietly create significant legal and regulatory exposure. Cross-border remote working can trigger unintended permanent establishment risk, payroll complications, employee residency issues, and broader governance challenges.The problem is often not deliberate. Businesses approve remote arrangements without fully mapping the implications, and by the time the complexity becomes visible, it can be costly to unwind. The solution lies in proactive governance: clear policies, structured approval processes, and close collaboration between HR, finance and tax teams. Flexibility and compliance are not mutually exclusive, but getting both right requires deliberate planning.AI-enabled fraud: same playbook, much bigger scaleArtificial intelligence is transforming how businesses operate. It is also transforming how criminals operate. Deepfake technology now allows fraudsters to clone voices and generate convincing video content from minimal source material, and the tools to do so are increasingly accessible and low-cost.What makes this threat particularly important to understand is that the underlying fraud is not new. Impersonation, false urgency, manipulation of trust: these are the same mechanisms that have always underpinned financial crime. AI has simply made them faster, more scalable and harder to detect. For finance professionals, the response is clear: strengthen verification processes, invest in internal controls, and maintain the kind of professional scepticism that treats even seemingly authentic requests as worth double-checking.Social mobility: a strategic response to the talent gapSkills shortages continue to constrain growth across the profession. Yet the talent pool being drawn from remains narrow. Around 90% of senior roles in accountancy are held by individuals from higher socioeconomic backgrounds, a figure that points not to a shortage of talent, but to a shortage of access.Forward-thinking firms are already responding: building school-leaver programmes, creating accessible entry routes alongside traditional graduate pathways, and embedding social mobility into their culture rather than treating it as a box-ticking exercise. The broader argument is compelling. Addressing the diversity of the talent pipeline is not just an inclusion priority; it is a practical and strategic response to one of the sector's most persistent challenges.