Global HR & Payroll

Expanding to the UK is a major step for any business because it is a mature, high-spending market that serves as the foothold to a global marketplace, while providing business-friendly regulations like the Enterprise Investment Scheme and the Venture Capital Trusts for small  businesses.

Another major reason for the UK’s global economic success is its location and relationship to other European countries, making it a major hub for international supply chains. Some of the UK’s top exports include cars, medicinal and pharmaceutical products, and scientific instruments.

Employers in the UK are required to manage, withhold, and remit as part of payroll processing. These include National Insurance Contributions (NICs), workplace pensions, and Benefits In Kind (BIKs). Benefits In Kind, sometimes known as kind tax or BIK tax, are additional non-cash offerings that still hold monetary value that must be reported. In the past, BIK was fringe benefits, but with the global move to hybrid and remote work, it is becoming more common to support employees with their remote work, attract new talent, and support employee health and financial wellbeing.

Employers do not contribute to employee income taxes, but they are responsible for managing income taxes for their employees based on their income bracket and region. 

IRIS provides comprehensive coverage for all of your UK-based employees, ensuring that payroll tax calculations are done correctly every time, no matter how complex they might be.

A key part of benefits in the UK is linked to three unique worker classifications – employee, contractor, and worker. Mandatory benefits are directly associated with the classification for each individual. 

Employees are entitled to benefits and protections like the national minimum wage, paid sick leave, statutory paid holidays, and statutory paid maternity/paternity leave. They must be enrolled in the PAYE scheme. 

Contractors have no entitlement to benefits and are not enrolled in PAYE. 

A worker is a mix between an employee and a contractor, and their benefits reflect that. They are entitled to some benefits like the minimum wage and minimum  paid holiday leave, but they are not entitled to further benefits.

Miscategorizing an employee is considered violating wage, tax, and employment eligibility laws, and can result in fines and legal action from the HMRC. Because classification also plays a direct role in filing and reporting payroll taxes, miscategorization can also lead to further fines and legal action. 

IRIS Global Workforce Management makes payroll and labor laws in the UK simple, ensuring you are always compliant with British regulations and that each employee is classified correctly.

London is a major global hub in many industries,  including business, financial services, media, technology, and retail. The London market is highly competitive, with some of the biggest companies in the world having headquarters in or around London. 

When expanding your business to London, location is key to finding success. If you are looking to target other businesses or work in finance, it’s a smart move to have your business in the East End around Canary Wharf. However, that same location would be a dismal choice for your business if you are in a B2C industry.

Glasgow is Scotland’s largest city, rich with history and culture. While it is only seven hours away from London, Glasgow has a vastly different culture. Where London is focused on the global workforce and international business, Glasgow is tailored for smaller, more technical and innovative businesses.

With one of the youngest populations in Scotland paired with multiple universities and colleges and a vibrant job market, Glasgow ranks in the top 15% of all of Europe for cities whose working populations have earned a graduate-level degree, and has been voted the best city for graduates. This makes it easy for international businesses to find educated, qualified, and innovative candidates to help lead their company into the future.

Cardiff has developed a fostering ecosystem for entrepreneurs and small businesses. Located in the heart of the UK, Cardiff is well-connected to the rest of the nation, making it easy to reach partners, clients, and customers.

Cardiff boasts a healthy business community with a wide range of networking groups designed to help everyone from local entrepreneurs to international businesses looking to establish a presence in the UK. These groups and business clubs provide valuable networking options that can help with your global expansion and provide valuable long-term professional relationships.