The Labor and Employment Relations Act of 2013 and the 2016 Labor and Employment Relations Regulations can complicate recruiting workers in Samoa. Managing your global workforce involves following these established laws and staying updated on any changes. Falling out of compliance can leave you with penalties and hefty fees, which hinder your company’s expansion. Your company must abide by local recruiting and hiring processes, too.
If your company could benefit from partnering with a global PEO, choose Globalization Partners. Our comprehensive solution includes the best recruiting and hiring processes, so you can build your international workforce right away.
Recruiting in Samoa
The Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and Labor registers various employment agencies, which provide employment exchange services for people seeking jobs. Those agencies recommend suitable workplaces and employment opportunities.
The Ministry is extremely involved in all aspects of employment, including recruiting and hiring. For most positions, you must seek the Chief Executive Officer’s (CEO’s) approval and make copies of your hiring documents for their records.
The Recruitment Process in Samoa
Most in-country recruiting and hiring efforts follow this process:
- Generating and distributing a job description: You can ask your connections for recommendations, post the offer directly, or work with an employment agency.
- Sorting through applicants and conducting interviews: At this point, you can select the candidates you want to hire.
- Officially hiring employees: You need the CEO’s permission to hire your employees. Make sure you obtain their approval before drafting any employment contracts.
- Writing comprehensive employment contracts: Write contracts in Samoan or English — whichever your new hires request. After signing, you need three original copies. Keep one for yourself, give one to your employee, and submit the third to the CEO upon their request.
- Onboarding your employees: Start the onboarding process by putting your employees on your payroll and choosing a training method.
- Registering your workers: Register your new employees for social security and add them to your work-related injury insurance policy.
How to Hire Employees in Samoa
If you hire on your own, you have to officially establish your company in-country. This process can be lengthy, so we recommend starting several months before you intend to recruit your first team members.
Once you’ve registered your company, consider how you want to manage your global workforce. Will the administrative team at your local office handle everything? If not, what operations will you outsource, and who will you trust with these tasks?
At Globalization Partners, we offer a turnkey solution for companies hiring in 187 countries. Choose the talent you want, and we’ll take care of the rest. Our services include:
- Outlining a benefits package.
- Generating the employment contract.
- Managing payroll.
- Verifying work permit status.
- Providing support for various tasks and questions.
We can also ensure full compliance with labor and employment laws worldwide.
Employment Laws
Standard working hours and minimum break requirements exist but change based on the industry. Exceptions often apply to shift workers as well. Keep in mind that juvenile workers aged 15 to 18 and women may not fulfill certain roles. Instead, these individuals must perform safe, light work.
The first three months that employees work for your company are considered probationary. At the end of that term, you may confirm or terminate the employment contract. After 12 months, employees are entitled to vacation, sick, maternity, and paternity leave.
Employment laws also apply to trade unions and other organizations. You may not bar employees from joining or continuing to take part in these organizations.
The law provides a set schedule that outlines compulsory notice periods for terminating contracts with no fixed period or ending an employment relationship before the fixed contract ends. If you terminate your contract with an employee without giving due notice, you must pay them severance. This includes, at minimum, the potential wages earned during the notice period and remuneration for unused vacation leave. If an employee exhibits misconduct, breaches their contract, or commits another offense specified in their employment contract, you are not responsible for paying severance.
Onboarding
Onboarding is a crucial part of hiring employees in your local office and across the world. Consider visiting your international employees during their first days or weeks to onboard them. This process introduces your new employee to your team and gives you a chance to train your new hire for their role.
Welcome to the Team
Your company has its own culture. Whether you want to bring the same spirit to your international offices or let each entity create its own dynamic, a warm welcome makes employees feel confident about their decision to work for you.
Your presence can help new hires feel satisfied with your dedication to the team. That can make your global workforce even more content with their place at your company.
Training
The training program your company implements should depend on several factors, including how much experience new hires have, whether they need to learn new technology or processes, and whether their tasks are complicated and require formal guidance.
The Benefits of Outsourcing Hiring in Samoa
Outsourcing your hiring obligations has several benefits for your company.
- Compliance: Various solutions for hiring internationally exist, but most leave your team burdened by extra work and research. Plus, your company is legally responsible for any oversight or mistakes. Paying fines can be costly, and some countries will suspend or revoke your business license for repeated infractions.
- Payroll: As an Employer of Record, Globalization Partners acts as an official, in-country employer for your global workforce. While your new hires still receive instruction from you and work at your company, we add them to our payroll and take care of a variety of tasks.
- Employment contracts: Our in-country experts understand current labor laws and use that information to generate thorough, lawful employment contracts. We include all the necessary details about compensation, expectations, and other employment terms.
- Support: Experienced support representatives are available to help you navigate the complications of hiring internationally. We base our advice on our knowledge of local labor laws and insight from our in-country experts and specialized legal team.
- Speed and price: Our Employer of Record model lets you skip setting up a subsidiary. At Globalization Partners, we know how important time and capital are for your growth. Reinvest those resources into your parent company instead of a separate entity. Building a subsidiary can take up to a year, but our services let you start hiring in days instead of months.
Reach Out to Our Team
If you need to recruit and hire workers in Samoa, contact us today for more information about our Employer of Record services.