Bribery, global health and safety, and employee termination among global compliance concerns
NEW PROVIDENCE, N.J., Oct. 30, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — While expanding globally is a sign of success, organizations that want a global presence face a myriad of workforce challenges, including bribery, safety, and termination issues in other countries. In its new report, "11 Key Employment Challenges for the Global Employer," XpertHR identifies the top compliance issues for managing a global workforce.
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The 11 key global employment challenges are:
- Implementing Anti-Bribery Procedures
- Adopting Global Health and Safety Standards
- Terminating the Employment of Workers Overseas
- Employment Law Considerations for Sending an Employee on an International Assignment
- Protecting Employee Rights
- Recruiting and Selecting Job Candidates Abroad
- Equal Opportunities
- Training and Developing Employees Across the Globe
- Entering into Employment Contracts
- Compensating and Providing Benefits to a Global Workforce
- Labor Relations
For example, bribery is an internationally recognized challenge that is perceived differently around the world. Although prohibited in most countries, some countries consider bribery to be a necessary and essential part of conducting business. An employer needs to be knowledgeable about the bribery laws for each country in which it conducts business; otherwise the organization or its employees can face criminal or civil charges for violating these laws.
The recent Ebola scare highlights the importance of being proactive and instituting global policies on protecting the workplace in the event of an infectious disease outbreak or pandemic. The health and safety of employees should be an absolute priority for global organizations. Health and safety is so critical that in some countries a breach of health and safety law could result in a suspension of the employer's operations until it reaches required standards or in the imposition of financial penalties on the employer. Even senior management may be at risk of exposure to penalties.
Terminating the employment of an individual working overseas also can be tricky. Many countries have laws that detail the acceptable reasons for terminating an employee and any required notice periods, which differs from the U.S., where most employees are employed "at-will" (enables the employee or employer the right to terminate the employment relationship at any time, for any reason, without advanced notice). If a global employer is not aware of these laws, it could expose itself to a lawsuit for violating an employee's rights.
"Global employers, especially small businesses, that are prepared to deal with various countries' laws and customs prior to employing staff overseas will be in a better position to ensure compliance with country-specific employment laws," says XpertHR Legal Editor Melissa A. Silver. "By being proactive, a global employer minimizes the costly pitfalls of noncompliance."
To download the full report, "11 Key Employment Challenges for the Global Employer," visit XpertHR.
Melissa A. Silver, XpertHR Legal Editor is available for interview.
Find the link to the full report: http://www.xperthr.com/pages/11-top-global-employment-law-challenges-to-consider?cmpid=PLC|USAG|HUGMN-2014-1028-Global_Employer_Whitepaper|PR_article&sfid=701w0000000vqZj
Beth Brody, fisher VISTA (For XpertHR)
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