At Agility EOR, we often hear the same questions from people navigating the world of global employment. To shed some light, we sat down with Sam Barnes, our international employment specialist and co-founder of Agility EOR, and asked him to share the answers to the questions that he’s asked most frequently.
How much does an EOR cost?
The main determining factors are how much you want to pay an employee and the country they will be employed. Agility EOR can then get you an accurate picture of the statutory cost of employment (like social security and taxes), which often has the biggest impact on the total cost. Our fees are inclusive of everything you would expect from a comprehensive EOR service and are fixed at a monthly amount per employee.
How long does an EOR solution take to put in place?
To answer this, it helps to understand the process. Clients need to understand the associated costs and agree to our terms and conditions before gaining access to our portal. Once the details of the candidate and the role are provided via our Agility Portal, we can usually provide a draft contract of employment within 24 hours.
Do employees need a visa or work permit, and, if so, can Agility EOR provide one?
Employees must always have the right to work in the country in which we employ them. If they are not a local national of the country in which they will work, this may mean that an employer-sponsored visa will be required. In many countries, Agility can manage the whole process of obtaining the right to work, and where applicable, sponsoring the employee’s visa.
Why should we choose Agility EOR versus any other EOR provider?
We are highly experienced, know the challenges of international employment, and can anticipate any complexities before they arise. In our consultative approach, we often ask you questions that you might not yet know the answers to yet!
Importantly, we are privately owned, so our focus is on doing what’s best for our customers rather than external stakeholders. This also means that we are always contactable and easy to reach. There’s a phone number on our website, so you can call us any time you wish to speak to an informed human being.
Which countries do you cover?
If the country doesn’t have sanctions against it, and an Employer of Record can be compliantly offered there, we have a solution!
Explore our comprehensive employment guides for detailed advice on hiring in every region.
What happens if we no longer want an employee?
All “hiring and firing” decisions are made by you and remain under your control. We will help you to understand the laws in the country where you are employing, so you are aware of any risks involved with the termination. Agility will guide you through the termination process and provide any necessary supporting or necessary documentation.
How can you help us protect our intellectual property (IP)?
Many of our clients have IP, which is valuable to their business, and we are used to handling this concern. Our client agreements ensure that any IP Agility owns from your employees’ work is immediately and entirely passed back to the client. Additionally, our employment contracts include a provision stating that IP created by the employee is owned by the employer.
Because of our flexible approach, our clients can propose additional terms to tailor the employment contract. Where there is any doubt surrounding enforceability in a particular country, we will flag this before you make the hire.
Will you handle expense reimbursements for us?
Yes. You are welcome to continue using any existing tools you have for expense approvals. However, Agility will need to see what the employee expenses were to check that any taxable benefits have been correctly identified. If you wish, we can handle the employee reimbursement and any reporting requirements you have.
How do you keep data secure?
We take data security very seriously and ensure that all information is handled in full compliance with GDPR. Our team receives regular training on data protection, and we have strict internal controls in place to keep data secure. By following best practices at every step, you can be confident that your information is safe and well managed.
What sectors do you cover?
Agility EOR is completely sector-agnostic, meaning that there is no sector we cannot serve. However, sometimes the operational needs of a business mean EOR isn’t the best fit. For example, a large manufacturing site may trigger a Permanent Establishment, and the client may need to set up their own entity accordingly. Clients should be mindful of their own sector’s licensing requirements and be aware that some manual roles may require additional insurance.
I am an employee looking to relocate. Can you help me?
Yes, we help employees who are looking to relocate anywhere around the world, for a variety of reasons. Ultimately, we will need to speak directly with your employer, but we can provide all the information you need to present them with a compliant and cost-effective relocation solution.
How do you handle cross-border payments?
Many of our clients aren’t big enough to have their own treasury departments, so we provide a service that allows them to be billed in any major currency while we handle the cross-border transaction. To ensure this is delivered seamlessly, we partner with the specialist payments firm Ebury.
