Once you decide to expand to Latvia, the next step is determining how to recruit and hire employees in the country. Employees are your greatest asset, and you need to find the right team members to help you build your new location. However, it’s difficult to hire employees in Latvia when you’re also trying to run your company and navigate the country’s compliance laws.
G-P offers a better alternative. As a global Employer of Record (EOR), we can make it easier for you to expand to new countries by utilizing our existing subsidiaries. When you work with us for your Latvia expansion, you can start operating in a few days instead of a few months, and you won’t have to worry about compliance.
Recruiting in Latvia
Many people in Latvia speak more than 1 language; Russian, English, and German are of the most common, so you will likely be able to recruit without needing an interpreter if you are familiar with any of these languages.
Your recruiting efforts in Latvia may include hiring individuals from other countries. Starting at the end of 2019, the country instituted new policies to make it easier to hire international workers. If you want to hire someone from outside of the country, you must advertise the vacancy with the Employment Agency for 10 days (previously 30 days).
How to hire employees in Latvia
You need to hire all employees using an employment contract that’s either indefinite or fixed term. The country’s labor laws allow fixed-term contracts only under specific circumstances, so you should check to see if your situation applies.
All employment contracts should be in writing and include information about compensation, benefits, termination, and more. We also recommend including any salary, compensation, or monetary bonus amounts in euro instead of any other currency.
On Aug. 1, 2022, several Labor Law amendments came into force including updates to the required notifications to employees. Employers must now provide additional information on work conditions and terms, including:
- The employee’s place(s) of work – this must be stipulated within the employee’s contract
- Working schedule
- The right to training
Latvia employment laws
Latvia’s employment compliance laws change depending on the worker’s nationality. If you want to hire someone who is a member of the European Union (EU), that person will not need a work permit. However, they’ll need to apply for a residence permit if they’re staying for longer than 90 days. Non-EU nationals need a work permit before they can start working in the country.
Employers cannot discriminate during the recruitment process. For example, companies can’t choose a candidate based on gender, race, color, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, or any similar characteristic. If you fail to follow Latvia’s employment compliance laws, you could face fines and delays.
Onboarding in Latvia
You can choose how you want to onboard employees and create a process that works best for your company. For example, if you’re hiring employees for highly specialized positions, you may want to put a job training program in place for employees to succeed.
If you plan to operate a small subsidiary in Latvia, you could onboard several employees at the same time. That way you can set up events for new employees to get to know each other.
Grow globally with G-P.
G-P never forgets that behind every hire is a human being. That’s why we’ve backed our fully customizable suite of global employment products with our robust team of HR and legal experts, so we can remain at your side, ready to support you as you build your global teams. With the #1 global employment platform, you have the recruitment tools and services you need to find your perfect full-time or contract match.
Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you recruit, hire, and onboard anyone, anywhere.