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.
Posted in Compensation, Global HR Expertise, International Expertise
Tagged Compensation, Global HR, international hr
Author:
Liz Perelstein – School Choice International
Localization of expatriates is becoming more and more common, as companies try to reduce the numbers of assignees and control costs. Many companies wrestle with the question of dependent education when dealing with localization. Unfortunately, the vast majority of localization policies oversimplify the issues and therefore do not adequately address employee or employer needs.
Most often, there is either an immediate cut-off of education assistance, or a phasing out of tuition assistance; in either case, the family either has to fund the private school themselves or transition their children into local public or state-funded schools. Both approaches assume that the local alternative will be adequate for the needs of the family, but there can often be complicating factors.
Author:
Warren Heaps – Birches Group LLC
Recently a reader posed a question to me:
“My company has expanded into ten new countries and I’m trying to establish a global salary structure. With all the different exchange rates, I’m finding it difficult to come up with one structure that works everywhere. Can you give me some advice?”
I provided a short answer to the reader, which I will share here, along with some additional information. First, though, some clarifying definitions, because I believe there is some confusion with terminology (which provided the name of this post).
Authors:
Han van der Pool – Van der Pool Consultancy
Lex Lindeman – HRBoosters
It is not that easy to identify and groom future leaders. Companies make use of various techniques to spot talent, and often manage their inventory of high potentials – those with the best chance of being a future leader. In this post, we describe some of the best techniques which are used by companies to manage their talent pool of future leaders.
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.
Author:
Warren Heaps – Birches Group LLC
In one of my recent posts, I explained why employers should be careful how they use devaluation as a factor in setting changes to salaries. One reader sent me a long note describing her dilemma in managing the merit budget approval process for international locations in her company, specifically, how should she take inflation into account? I realized that my conversation with this reader would probably be of broader interest, so I decided to write this follow-up post.
The fundamental question is:
How should inflation be considered when determining salary increase budgets?
Posted in Compensation, Global HR Expertise
Tagged Compensation, Global HR, inflation, international hr, managing pay
Guest Author:
Aaron Schindel – Partner at Proskauer
Editor’s Note: This post was compiled by Aaron Schindel, a Partner in the Labor & Employment Law Department and co-head of the International Labor & Employment Group at Proskauer. His career spans the full range of labor and employment matters for clients ranging from multinational corporations to small not-for-profit organizations, to large and small public sector entities.
The article originally appeared in the Proskauer law firm newsletter “International HR Best Practices Tip of the Month.”
With the explosive growth of the Chinese economy, many companies are opening offices in China. Hiring employees in China requires a detailed understanding of local laws and regulations. Ying Li and Lijuan Hou of Proskauer’s Hong Kong office have compiled this list of ten frequently asked questions about the laws affecting foreign employers opening offices in the People’s Republic of China.
Posted in Global HR Expertise, International Employment Law
Tagged China, international hr, Labor Law
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.
Posted in General, Global HR Expertise, International Payroll
Tagged Global HR, international payroll, payroll
Author:
Warren Heaps – Birches Group LLC
With the recent events unfolding in Tunisia, Egypt and elsewhere around the world, a common question we’ve been hearing a lot lately is, “What do we do about the expats we have there?” The simple answer is that you need a plan.
In Egypt specifically, the recent events evolved quickly and after more than a week, there are no signs of the crisis abating. Continue reading
Author:
Warren Heaps – Birches Group LLC
Recently, a client posed the following question to me:
“The Ethiopian Birr has devalued recently and management wants to offer an across-the-board increase to our staff there. Can you offer any guidance?”
The first thing I asked my client was if she was referring to expats or local staff. She confirmed local staff, not expats. So, I told her if that’s the case, you might want to reconsider such a step. Why?
