Global payroll: definition, difficulties and options

Running payroll can be tough, but it becomes even more challenging when you have an international team to manage. Juggling different employment laws, local tax regulations and currency exchange rates in each country can be a headache. Not to mention the difficulty of ensuring data security and IP rights protection.

Thankfully, you don't have to navigate the complexities of global payroll alone. In this guide, we'll explore everything you need to know about global payroll, from what it is to the difficulties that come with it. We'll also look at different options for mitigating these challenges.

So, whether you're a business owner hoping to expand globally or an HR professional tasked with managing international teams, this article should give you everything you need to discover how to simplify the process and reduce the hassle of global payroll.

What is global payroll?

Global payroll refers to the process of managing payroll for employees working in different countries. It involves ensuring that employees are accurately paid in compliance with local laws and regulations and fulfilling tax obligations. 

Some of the tasks associated with global payroll include: 

• Calculating wages
• Managing expenses such as bonuses and benefits
• Tracking work hours and paid time off
• Ensuring compliance with labor laws 
• Tax payment withholding and settling
• Distributing pay slips
• And more

However, standardizing payroll data and efficiently paying international employees can be challenging. That's where a global payroll solution comes in. But more on that in a minute. First, if you're familiar with local payroll, you may wonder how international payroll compares. Let's take a closer look. 

Global payroll vs. local payroll: how do they compare?

The primary difference between global payroll and local payroll is that the latter is country-specific, while the former encompasses multiple countries. In other words: 

• Local payroll – focuses on adhering to the payroll laws and regulations specific to the country where an employee works. 
• Global payroll – Involves managing payroll activities across multiple countries and taking into consideration the unique requirements of each country.

What are the difficulties associated with global payroll?

As you can imagine, managing global payroll across multiple countries comes with some challenges. So let's take a look at some of the difficulties associated with it.

Complicated employment laws

Each country has its employment laws and regulations, which can be difficult to navigate, especially for businesses with employees in multiple countries. If you want to run international payroll, there are several international labor laws and regulations you must know about. 

Employee classification 

Trying to determine whether your employees are contractors can sometimes be tough - especially in the world of remote work. Add to the hassle, employee classification requirements can vary from country to country, and misclassification can result in complications and legal issues if not handled correctly.

Deciding on fair compensation

Determining fair compensation for employees in different countries can be challenging as it requires you to be informed on local living costs, currency exchange rates and many other factors. While you can do some research from afar, there's really no substitute for being in an area to understand the macroeconomics of it. 

Local tax regulations 

Managing payroll activities across different countries also means complying with various tax regulations, which can be complicated and time-consuming. Moreover, failure to withhold or pay the right tax amount can result in hefty penalties – something you definitely want to avoid. 

Data protection and IP rights 

Ensuring data privacy and protection of intellectual property rights is essential when dealing with employee information. However, with growing remote work cybersecurity risks, managing payroll activities across multiple countries while maintaining data protection can be especially challenging.

Transparency and payroll data silos 

Maintaining transparency and preventing payroll data silos can be difficult when dealing with a global workforce. For example, if a company lacks an efficient global payroll system, payroll data may become segregated across various locations and formats. Retrieving payroll data from multiple locations and formats in different countries is a tedious process that increases the risk of reporting errors and non-compliance with global payroll regulations.

Permanent establishment risk 

Permanent establishment is a tax status pertaining to companies with a continuous presence in a country. The decision as to whether the permanent establishment status applies to your company depends on how local governments perceive your operations within that country. Therefore, operating in multiple countries can result in a permanent establishment risk with significant tax and legal implications.

Options for mitigating international payroll challenges 

Thankfully, there are several global payroll solutions and options for helping you mitigate the challenges of international payroll. 

In-house international payroll

One option is to set up an in-house payroll system in each country where employees are located. However, this can be costly and time-consuming to set up and maintain. In this scenario, you're responsible for overcoming all the challenges on your own. So, this is less of a solution and more of an option you should be aware of. 

Decentralized outsourced payroll

Another option is to hire third-party payroll vendors in each country to manage payroll activities. While this can help you overcome some of the challenges of global payroll, it often limits your control and insight and comes with many hidden costs. 

Employer of Record (EOR) 

An employer of record (EOR) is a third-party service that handles your entire payroll process in a foreign country. This means you can hire international staff without having to set up a legal entity in each country. From a legal standpoint, the EOR acts as the employer for your global team. 

In addition to managing ongoing payroll, an EOR also handles other HR tasks, such as recruitment, hiring, onboarding, management, employee contracts, employee termination, taxes, liability, and more. Essentially, the EOR handles all the backend HR tasks of hiring international employees (including global payroll), and you handle the day-to-day. 

Professional Employer Organization (PEO) 

Like EORs, a PEO also acts as your HR representative for managing international payroll. However, unlike EORs, you need to have a legal entity in the country or region to use a PEO. When working with a PEO, you enter into a co-employment relationship with your employee and another provider. Both of you employ the person simultaneously while the PEO manages HR functions on your behalf. 

While this option eliminates some of the challenges, you'll still have to establish a local entity anywhere you hire and assume at least part of the liability. It's why many companies opt for an EOR when comparing an EOR vs. PEO. 

Reduce the hassles of global payroll with Global EOR, Outstaffer

Global payroll is a complex and challenging process that requires a deep understanding of international employment laws, taxation regulations and data protection rules. Companies operating in multiple countries must navigate these difficulties while ensuring accurate and timely employee payments. 

While in-house payroll management or working with local vendors may be options for some, an EOR can be a more effective solution for many businesses. By partnering with a reliable global payroll solutions provider like Outstaffer, companies can mitigate the risks and reduce the hassles of managing payroll across multiple countries.

At Outstaffer, we help companies find, hire, manage and equip employees from all over the world. We handle the HR tasks (like global payroll), so you can focus on what matters most. In addition, we offer solutions like Managed Laptops, Employee Monitoring and more to empower your global team to thrive.

Let us manage your international payroll. Schedule your free demo today.