Author Archives: jvilet

Wellness Programs — Global or Local?

Author:
Jacque Vilet – Vilet International

Many companies are coming to the realization that the health and wellness of their global workforce is an important issue.   Wellness programs that began in the U.S. or Europe, typically at headquarters locations, are now expanding globally.

Towers Watson recently released their 2011 survey entitled “Multinational Workforce Health”.  The survey included 149 participants representing 5.2 million employees in 37 countries. Continue reading

Importance of Medical Insurance in Multinational Pooling

Author:
Jacque Vilet – Vilet International

Many companies with employees located in many countries globally provide supplemental benefits in addition to those that are government mandated.   Many of these supplemental plans are insured:   life, accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D), disability, retirement, etc.   Typically, the office in each country location manages their own process of selecting insurance companies, types of coverage, comparing premiums and settling on the final contract language.   Sometimes the number of employees is very small and, therefore, the premium is high because the risk is spread over a small number of people.

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Taking Corporate Programs Global – Your Mileage May Vary!

Author:
Jacque Vilet – Vilet International

Companies these days are always striving for global consistency, and one of the ways to achieve it is to use the same corporate programs around the world.  But such an approach can sometimes present unexpected challenges.  I would like to share some of my experiences in this regard, to get you thinking about all the possible ramifications in rolling out corporate programs in multiple countries, and how each of those countries may be impacted.

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International Annual Leave Rules — Or I Want to Live in Brazil!

Author:
Jacque Vilet – Vilet International

In many parts of the world, time off from work is called annual leave or holiday, not vacation.  Whatever you call it, we can agree on a universal definition:  Annual leave refers to the period of time-off with pay which is available to employees, to pursue relaxation and recreation with their family and friends.  The amount of annual leave provided in different countries around the world varies quite a bit.  This post provides a nice summary of the legal requirements for annual leave provisions in some key countries. In order to be competitive in a specific country, a company also needs to take competitive data in mind when forming its policy.

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International Payday Rules – Even More Countries

Author:
Jacque Vilet – Vilet International

Last month’s article entitled “International Payday Rules from A to Z” was well-received by our readers.   Many of you requested the same information for some more countries.   This post is a follow-up, with even more countries!

As a reminder, we will focus on some basics:   legal rules affecting paydays and legal currency allowed for payment of wages.  These provisions are for local national staff, not expatriates. Everyone knows that the most important employee relations issue is to pay employees correctly and pay them on time.

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International Payday Rules from A to Z

Author:
Jacque Vilet – Vilet International

Have you ever wondered about the legal requirements that impact how your employees are paid around the world?   Or, if you have an employee(s) in a start-up operation in a new country, do you know how they should be paid?

This article addresses a few facts about country payrolls that you might like to know.   We will focus on some basics:   legal rules affecting paydays and legal currency allowed for payment of wages.  These provisions are for local national staff, not expatriates.

Below is a table showing the requirements for one country from A to Z with the exception of “X” and  “W”.   There are no countries starting with those letters.

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Affirmative Action – A Global Issue

Author:
Jacque Vilet – Vilet International

MythAffirmative action is a U.S. policy that is particular to America.

Fact:  Affirmative action is an international phenomenon and is supported  by human rights principles, including the International Covenant for the Elimination of Race Discrimination.

Around the globe, historically and currently, many countries have pursued and embraced affirmative action  measures to address various forms of subordination and inequity that exclude or marginalize socially distinct groups.

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Competitive? It’s All Relative.

Author:
Jacque Vilet – Vilet International

With globalization comes added complexity for Human Resources.

Multi-national companies often have a well-documented compensation policy that outlines the specifics of their competitive market positioning.  But should there be one market position across the entire global operations of the company?  I don’t think so.

Let’s explore the realities.  Assume, for example, that the company decides on the 50th percentile (median) as their desired a market position.  Here are the problems with this approach:

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Corporate Intranets – A Global Disconnect?


Author:
Jacquelyn Vilet – TriNet

Editor’s NoteWe are pleased to welcome Jacque Vilet as a regular contributor to the International HR Forum. Jacque is a Global HR/Benefits Consultant for TriNet, providing global Human Resources services to SME’s with international operations.  She has over 20 years experience in International Human Resources with both local nationals and expatriates, and has been an expat twice during her career. Jacque holds the Certified Compensation Professional (CCP)  from WorldatWork, the GPHR Global Professional in Human Resources (GPHR) from the Society of Human Resources Management and  Strategic Workforce Planning (SWP) from Human Capital Insitute.

Every company operating on a global basis is interested in having all their employees worldwide identify  with the company  Many companies use an “Intranet” web site for this purpose.  But oftentimes, the design can be flawed, and even lead to disconnects with global employees.  Do you think the design of your intranet makes employees worldwide truly identify with your company?

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