Topia is an HR tech company specializing in Global Talent Mobility, helping businesses deploy, manage, and engage employees anywhere in the world. The arrival of COVID and a shift to remote working is responsible for an increased need for the Topia tech platform. Many employees can now work from anywhere and everywhere. But it creates a series of challenges. Steve Black, Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer at Topia, believes data is changing the world and wants to be part of it. I invited him onto the podcast to learn more about the story behind Topia. We also discuss the following: The massive demand from organizations struggling to monitor tax exposure and automate payroll withholdings. Why companies need a way to track newly remote workforces to optimize tax obligations, save up to 25%+ per year in local tax obligations, and mitigate the risk of penalties and audits that target distributed workforces. The UK government’s controversial campaign to get workers back in the office. Steve doesn’t think the incentive is there and predicts we’ll see more companies going the way of Siemens—working remotely 2-3 days a week forever; impact to local economies (those that rely on foot traffic like retail) will be big. Controversial “employee tracking.” People are traveling for the weekend and being required to tell HR where they went. Despite many believing this is a violation of privacy, Steve argues companies need this information for the safety of all employees as we look at COVID-19 hot zones.