HR Services for UK Employees of Overseas Businesses
If you’re an HR or Personnel Manager responsible for the UK workforce of your multinational group, you already know that managing HR across jurisdictions comes with its own complexities. We’re here to make it easier. Whether your UK-based employees are hired through a local UK subsidiary or directly by the overseas parent, our HR team will guide you through the legal, practical, and cultural aspects of employing people in the UK.
We work exclusively with overseas businesses and their UK teams, meaning we anticipate your pain points and raise them with you before they become problems. Our HR team collaborates closely with our in-house payroll team to ensure a seamless service.
Why You Can’t Just Translate Your Home Country Contract
It’s a common misconception: “We’ll translate our home country contract into English and use that in the UK.” Unfortunately, that approach won’t meet UK legal requirements and could expose your business to risk in the event of an employee dispute.
UK contracts of employment are detailed, and our job is to tailor them specifically to your circumstances — taking care to:
- Ensure compliance with British employment law
- Avoid wording that creates unexpected UK tax risks
- Draft location clauses carefully to protect expense reimbursement eligibility
- Incorporate mandatory policies and procedures such as grievance, disciplinary, and GDPR notices.
We take care of everything from drafting contracts to ensuring your documentation stays up-to-date with evolving legislation.
What Else Do You Need to Employ in the UK?
In addition to the employment contract, UK law requires a number of supporting components. We’ll make sure you have:
Grievance and Disciplinary Policies
as required by UK law
GDPR Privacy Notices
as required by law
Right to Work (RTW) Checks
you must check this before employment begins
Employer’s Liability Insurance
mandatory under UK law
Pension auto-enrolment
we’ll coordinate this with our payroll team
Display Screen Equipment (DSE) Risk Assessments
Health & Safety Policy
required if you employ 5+ people
You can read more in our Guide to Employing People in the UK.
Questions We Commonly Help With:
- How much should we offer as a base salary?
- The candidate wants private medical insurance — do we have to offer this?
- Should we offer a company car or a car allowance?
- What are the statutory and enhanced rules for maternity or paternity leave?
- How much annual holiday is standard in the UK?
- How does sick pay work here?
We help clients like you every day with these decisions, always considering both legal compliance and what’s commercially reasonable in the UK employment market.
Ongoing Support & Updates
UK employment law changes frequently. We recommend reviewing and updating your contracts every 2–3 years. If it’s been longer than that, we can help you refresh your employment documentation to stay compliant.
We also help with:
Drafting Staff Handbooks
find out more on our Staff Manual Services page
Right to Work and Immigration Compliance
see our Right to Work Checks page
Employee Benefits and Expense Policies
Redundancy Procedures
Learn more
Disciplinary and Performance Management
Our Services
Minimum Wage Compliance
See our guidance
Maternity and Paternity Rules
Explore this topic
Employment Rights and Employer Obligations
Understand your responsibilities
You can read more in our Guide to Employing People in the UK.
FAQs
Yes. UK employment law requires a UK-compliant written statement of particulars — you can’t simply rely on a translated contract.
You could be fined up to GBP 20,000 per worker and face criminal penalties. We help ensure checks are properly carried out and documented.
Yes, but there are tax and legal consequences. It may trigger a UK payroll requirement and possibly a permanent establishment risk. We’ll advise you on the best approach.
Yes, even one UK employee triggers employment law obligations. We’ll scale our support to suit the size of your UK team.
Ready to Hire in the UK?
If you’re setting up a new hire or want to regularise your existing UK team’s documentation, get in touch. We’ll help you put compliant contracts and policies in place, tailored to your business model.
Contact us for a no-obligation consultation
Kate McDermott
Director
Head of Indirect Tax & HR
Jennifer Cooke
Assistant Manager
Management Reporting, Statutory Accounts, HR & Payroll