Deciding to expand into Asia and the Pacific (APAC) region allows you to access a market of billions of customers quickly, including a rapidly growing middle and affluent class who are hungry...
Read MoreDeciding to expand into Asia and the Pacific (APAC) region allows you to access a market of billions of customers quickly, including a rapidly growing middle and affluent class who are hungry for new products and services. You can also gain access to an increasingly educated and dedicated workforce.
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Deciding to expand into Asia and the Pacific (APAC) region allows you to access a market of billions of customers quickly, including a rapidly growing middle and affluent class who are hungry for new products and services. You can also gain access to an increasingly educated and dedicated workforce.
Companies can expand into this region of the world without having to set up a subsidiary or local company presence. As your APAC Professional Employment Organization (PEO), we become your employer of record in any country you wish to expand to and provide the infrastructure to manage international staff via our solution.
The Asia-Pacific region of the world broadly describes the Oceania, East Asia, South Asia, and Southeast Asia areas. Countries included in this region include China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, North Korea, Taiwan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Thailand, Vietnam, and many others. The total population of this region is over 4.3 billion, representing about 60% of the world’s population.
The significant population is only one reason why it’s a popular region in which to hire and do business. In addition to the large potential number of customers, Asia-Pacific also has many skilled workers, and companies can benefit from the terms of employment.
With our platform, you can start hiring in a new country and enter an untapped market in a matter of days. Globalization Partners manages the administrative burden and through a service agreement they work and report to you just like your current employees.
There is no universal employment law in the Asia-Pacific region. In Australia, the National Employment Standards (NES) is part of the Fair Work Act 2009 and outlines specific regulations concerning termination, maximum hours of work, and other employment requirements.
In New Zealand, workers get a minimum of four weeks of paid holiday time annually, eleven public holidays, three days of paid bereavement time (and in some cases, up to 52 weeks of leave for parents), and other benefits. While you can negotiate some benefits, others are statutory, and you must adhere to them.
Other countries have their own labor laws, including China’s PRC Labour Law 1995 and ECL, which concerns employment contracts. India’s employment law is covered by the Constitution of India, but local laws also shape what employers can do.
Hiring and work permits also vary by country. For example, foreign workers in Brunei may need an Employment Visa and an Employment Pass to work in the country. In China, full-time employees must have written contracts, and it can take up to one month to negotiate such contracts.
Cambodia differs in that workers from outside the country need approval from MLVT (Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training) as well as a current business visa and work permit.
In Australia, the Fair Work Commission conducts reviews each year to set minimum wages. In 2018, the minimum wage was set at $18.93 AUD per hour or $719.20 AUD per week. However, the average monthly wage ranged from $172.58 to $301.57 USD in the Philippines in 2018. Brunei and Singapore did not have a set minimum wage that year while the minimum wage in Myanmar was $80.28 USD.
GDPR (EU General Data Protection Regulation) went into effect on May 25, 2018. This regulation changes how consumer data can get used and imposes strict fines on companies who misuse data. While GDPR affects primarily companies selling in the EU, companies outside the region also need to worry about Asia-Pacific GDPR compliance.
GDPR compliance is especially relevant for any website which does business with EU customers. An Asia-Pacific region web developer hired by a US company creating a website for items which are sold in German currency and get shipped to the EU must ensure the website complies with GDPR, for example.
Data privacy is a concern globally, and in June 2019, telecommunications and ministers of Infocommunications Technology (ICT) from 32 nations met in Singapore to discuss data privacy and related issues. The ministers agreed to promote secured and trusted systems to meet Asia’s data privacy goals.
Professional Employer Organization (PEO) and Employer of Record services help you focus on your business without worrying about HR, legal, and tax obligations. Without setting up a physical presence in Asia-Pacific, you can hire and pay employees overseas to take care of the local tasks you need to be handled.
If you’d like to expand into Asia-Pacific easily and quickly, speak with a global expansion expert today. Globalization Partners will ensure you are compliant, disperse payroll accurately, and adhere to local tax law.
THIS CONTENT IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE LEGAL OR TAX ADVICE. You should always consult with and rely on your own legal and/or tax advisor(s). G-P does not provide legal or tax advice. The information is general and not tailored to a specific company or workforce and does not reflect G-P’s product delivery in any given jurisdiction. G-P makes no representations or warranties concerning the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of this information and shall have no liability arising out of or in connection with it, including any loss caused by use of, or reliance on, the information.
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