Tag Archives: Global HR

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

Posted on March 3, 2011 by | 10 comments

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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10 Comments

Posted in Benefits, Global HR Expertise, International Benefits, International Employment Law

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What About Inflation?

Posted on February 28, 2011 by | 13 comments


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?

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13 Comments

Posted in Compensation, Global HR Expertise

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International Payday Rules – Even More Countries

Posted on February 11, 2011 by | 8 comments

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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8 Comments

Posted in General, Global HR Expertise, International Payroll

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Managing International Assignees During a Crisis

Posted on February 1, 2011 by | 7 comments

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 →

7 Comments

Posted in Expatriates, Global HR Expertise, Global Mobility Services, International Expertise

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Impact of Devaluation on Local Pay

Posted on January 21, 2011 by | 9 comments


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?

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9 Comments

Posted in Compensation, Developing Markets, Global HR Expertise, International Expertise

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International Payday Rules from A to Z

Posted on January 13, 2011 by | 9 comments

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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9 Comments

Posted in General, Global HR Expertise, International Payroll

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Top Ten Posts of 2010

Posted on December 27, 2010 by | 1 comment

As many of you know, this blog was launched in April, 2009, and was envisioned as a destination for international human resources professionals, a place where international HR pros could learn best practices, participate in discussions and share their knowledge.  We never anticipated how popular the site would be, but as of today, December 26, 2010, we have over 500 regular subscribers, and average over 250 visitors per day, almost every day!

As we come to the close of the year, we decided once again to look back and celebrate what we have accomplished as a community, and share with you a summary of the most popular content from the International HR Forum during 2010.  We hope you find this list handy, and look forward to hearing from you in the new year.

Top Ten Posts of 2010:

  1. Why Culture is Important in International Business
  2. How Top Companies Manage Talent Development
  3. Everybody Hates Performance Appraisals — What To Do?
  4. International Employment Law “Quick Facts” – Brazil
  5. Delegation: Leadership Development in Africa – Part 2
  6. Ten Steps for Building A Salary Structure
  7. Creating High Performance Teams
  8. Base Salary – Not So Basic!
  9. International Employment Law “Quick Facts” – India
  10. Reverse Culture Shock (Or Why Do I Hate Being Home?)

The above posts are those which had the most views during 2010.  Most were published during 2010, but a few are actually from 2009.  We will be sharing some additional category summaries later in the week.

Happy holidays!

1 Comment

Posted in General, Global HR Expertise

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Who Dresses for Success Anymore?

Posted on December 15, 2010 by | 3 comments

Author:
Chuck Csizmar – CMC Compensation Group

It hasn’t been that many years ago that the term “business casual” was coined to describe a new flexibility in acceptable office attire .  To many business leaders though, the phrase meant no more than wearing a red tie, and perhaps only once a week.

Well, that was then.  Today, attitudes and customs are quite different, and typically much less conservative.  For example, it is not uncommon in some circles for male employees to forgo the use of socks within an office environment.  I know, because recently I visited such an office and saw for myself.

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3 Comments

Posted in Cross Cultural Insights, Global HR Expertise, International Expertise, Professional Development

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Employment in France – A Quick Checklist for Employers

Posted on November 23, 2010 by | 2 comments

Guest Author:
John Tinsley – Compandben.com

Editor’s Note:  This post is written by John Tinsley, Managing Director and Owner of Compandben.com, a Geneva-based HR consultancy.  John is an HR practitioner with over 25 years of experience in Europe and the Middle East.  John’s company offers assistance to employers in finding reliable local payroll partners in over 100 countries.  He also provides consulting services in areas such as labor contracts, employee handbooks, benefits, and compensation.

Employment in France has some unique requirements and challenges.  For employers establishing businesses in France for the first time, the following checklist is a handy guide of what to consider:

  1. All employees in France are notionally attached to a “Convention Collective” or Collective Agreement for their industry. The agreements are very similar but there are variations between industry in terms of vacation, social charges, and termination indemnities, so employers need to define what their business is. As an example,”Telecoms” wouldn’t be detailed enough. “Provision and implementation of routers for wide area networks” would be ok.
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2 Comments

Posted in Benefits, Compensation, Global HR Expertise, International Benefits, International Employment Law, International Expertise, International Payroll

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Affirmative Action – A Global Issue

Posted on October 29, 2010 by | 2 comments

Author:
Jacque Vilet – Vilet International

Myth:  Affirmative 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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2 Comments

Posted in Cross Cultural Insights, Global HR Expertise

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