Dive Brief:
- Managing a multinational company’s workforce presents the challenge of how to manage employees uniformly and consistently, while still addressing the diverse local laws that apply across borders, according to an article in the Miami Herald.
- Historically, companies simply allowed local laws to dictate their policies and practices in each country. The result was a disjointed approach to management where each country had different employment contracts, policies and procedures. This fragmented approach exposed companies to compliance risks, resulted in duplicative or conflicting policies, and created challenges for day-to-day operations.
- Today, as companies operate on an increasingly global scale, the need for a global approach to human resource management is ever present, says the article.
Dive Insight:
Contributed by Miami employment attorneys April Boyer and Yamilet Hurtado, the article says HR needs to establish a "cross-border" view of workplace policies, procedures and practices that can mitigate risks, ensure compliance, facilitate recruitment and retention, and contribute to a common corporate culture.
They write that global policies allow for better productivity worldwide and can foster a more driven corporate culture. Such policies also tend to centralize HR functions. Global codes of conduct and compliance programs can help ensure compliance with legal regimes — like anti-corruption, anti-bribery and anti-money-laundering laws — that apply broadly beyond national borders.
Global employers should reflect on whether they are uniform or disjointed in managing their workforce. If they are the latter, then they may want to look into employing a multinational employment law firm that can help them navigate the global economy's often rough waters.
