where they’ll be working. So they need a visa. And a work permit. Another process that ideally should have started six months ago. Fortunately, the time machine is still warm. Data protection awaits next. HR quickly rewrites the privacy policies to cover GDPR plus the relevant local variations, using the correct legal jargon, all while most people are still contemplating what to have for breakfast. Once that’s done, the focus shifts to payroll: taxes, social security and locally compliant reporting. This is where the supernatural eye for fine print becomes essential. The requirements of the local tax office, often presented in what feels like 14th-century Latin, must be divined with precision. With the help of a trusty AI assistant, a full cost breakdown emerges, ready to share with the CFO to secure the budget.
And, somehow, there is still time left to set up a payroll partner who will pay accurately, on time, and in the correct currency! Speaking of currency, it’s helpful to moonlight as a foreign exchange trader - juggling currency fluctuations with the precision of a Wall Street banker - because the CFO certainly doesn’t want to lose money on them. And finally, because thoroughness is second nature, the local public holiday calendar is memorised. It inevitably includes a lengthy list of saints’ days, none of which anyone outside that country has ever heard of. Through mastery of international law, multiple languages, time travel, superhuman diplomacy, foreign exchange wizardry and sheer determination, the new employee is miraculously ready to start on Monday. However, for anyone who feels they might be missing one or two of those particular superpowers, there is always another option.
An Employer of Record can step in and manage all of this. Their magic lies in handling HR, payroll and benefits in countries all around the world, with the infrastructure ready to go. Instead of summoning time machines, conjuring overseas office spaces or negotiating medieval- sounding tax codes, HR teams can rely on a partner whose entire purpose is to navigate these complexities. It allows organisations to move quickly, compliantly and confidently, without requiring HR to perform the superhuman. In a global world where the business moves fast, where talent can be found anywhere and where opportunities don’t wait for entity set- up timelines, the pressure on HR has never been greater. But with the right support, global hiring can feel less like a heroic quest and more like what it should be: a seamless step forward for the business and the people driving it.
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ISSUE 18 GLOBAL PAYROLL MAGAZINE
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