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HR Support for International Businesses
Expanding into the UK, or managing a team across more than one country? Clearpath UK helps international businesses employ people properly and keep HR consistent across borders.
Our team supports businesses with people in the UK, the US, Canada, South America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand, giving you one HR partner rather than a different adviser in every country.
International HR
Employing People in More Than One Country
Every country has its own employment rules, and getting them wrong can be costly.
Overseas companies hiring in the UK often find UK employment law very different from home: written statements from day one, statutory sick pay, holiday entitlement, pensions auto-enrolment and strict rules on dismissal.
UK businesses growing abroad face the same challenge in reverse, often with a small team trying to manage HR in several places at once.
Clearpath UK gives you practical HR support that joins it all up, with consistent policies and processes and clear advice on what each country needs.
How we help international businesses
- UK, North America, South America, Europe, Australia and NZ
- Compliant UK employment set-up
- Consistent HR across teams
Tell us where your people are and what you need, and we’ll recommend the right support.
Get a price →Where we support
Support Wherever Your People Are
One team, one approach and one point of contact, with UK employment law at the core.
United Kingdom
- Full HR and employment law advice
- Contracts, handbooks and policies
- UK payroll and pensions
- Employee relations and casework
United States
- Support for US-based teams
- Joined-up HR across the UK and US
- Group-wide policies and processes
Canada
- Support for Canadian teams
- Consistent HR with your UK and US staff
- One point of contact for HR
South America
- Support for teams in the region
- Consistent people processes
- One point of contact for HR
Europe
- Support for European teams
- Policies adapted for local rules
- Consistent HR across locations
Australia & New Zealand
- Support for teams in Australia and New Zealand
- Policies adapted for local rules
- Consistent HR across time zones
Tell us which countries your people are in and we’ll confirm exactly how we can help.
What we support
International HR Services
Ongoing support or a defined project. International businesses use us for:
Setting up to employ in the UK
UK contracts, a staff handbook, payroll and pensions, and right to work checks for your first UK hires.
UK employment law advice
Clear guidance on UK rules for your overseas HR or leadership team.
Consistent HR across countries
Group-wide policies and processes, adapted where local rules differ.
UK payroll
Accurate UK payroll, PAYE, pensions and HMRC submissions for your UK staff.
Recruitment and onboarding
Hiring and onboarding staff in the UK and supporting teams elsewhere.
Employee relations
Disciplinaries, grievances and absence handled fairly and consistently.
Expanding into the UK
Hiring Your First UK Employee: The Essentials
Overseas businesses are often surprised by how much needs to be in place before a first UK hire starts. We take care of the set-up so your new team member starts on the right footing.
We handle the HR side and work alongside your accountant or payroll provider on tax registration.
- 1
Register as an employer
Your business needs to register with HMRC as an employer and set up PAYE before the first payday. We coordinate this with your accountant or our payroll team.
- 2
Employers’ liability insurance
Most UK employers must hold employers’ liability insurance from the day they take on staff. We make sure it is on your checklist.
- 3
Right to work checks
Every new employee’s right to work in the UK must be checked before they start, and records kept. We set up a compliant process.
- 4
Contract and written statement
Employees must receive a written statement of their main terms from day one. We draft UK contracts that fit your group terms.
- 5
Pensions auto-enrolment
Eligible staff must be automatically enrolled into a workplace pension, with employer contributions. We explain your duties and timescales.
- 6
Handbook and UK policies
A UK staff handbook covering holiday, sickness, disciplinary, grievance, family leave and harassment, adapted from your group policies.
UK employment law at a glance
What Surprises Overseas Employers About the UK
UK rules can be very different from what teams in other countries are used to. These are the points we explain most often.
| Area | In the UK | What overseas teams often expect |
|---|---|---|
| Ending employment | Employees gain protection from unfair dismissal after a qualifying period, and a fair reason and fair process are needed. The Employment Rights Act 2025 is changing these rules from 2027. | At-will employment, as in most US states, where either side can end employment at any time. |
| Holiday | A statutory minimum of 5.6 weeks’ paid holiday a year, which can include bank holidays. | Holiday set mainly by company policy. |
| Notice | Statutory minimum notice rises with service, up to 12 weeks, and contracts often give more. | Little or no notice required. |
| Contracts | A written statement of main terms is required from the first day of employment. | An offer letter is enough. |
| Sick pay | Statutory sick pay is payable to eligible employees, alongside any company sick pay. | Sick pay set by company policy or local law. |
| Pensions | Employers must auto-enrol eligible staff into a workplace pension and contribute. | Retirement plans are optional benefits. |
| Family leave | Statutory maternity, paternity, shared parental and adoption leave, with pay for eligible employees. | Leave varies widely by employer and location. |
General guidance only. We give advice for your situation.
Our approach
One Framework, Adapted for Each Country
The most common problem we see is a handbook written for one country being used everywhere. We build a clear structure instead, so your values and standards stay the same while each country meets its own rules.
It means less duplication, fewer gaps and one place for managers to look.
Group standards
Your values, code of conduct and core people policies, shared across every location.
Country addenda
Local terms for holiday, sickness, leave, notice and pensions where the law differs.
Local processes
Practical guides for managers on disciplinaries, grievances and absence in each country.
How it works
How We Work With International Businesses
A clear scope and price agreed up front, wherever your teams are based.
Tell us where your people are
Share the countries you operate in, your team size and the support you need.
Agree scope and price
We put together a proposal covering each country, with clear timescales and a tailored price.
We get to work
Your named lead works with your managers or HR team across locations.
Working across time zones
Support That Fits Your Working Day
From Sydney to San Francisco, we organise our support around your teams, not the other way round.
A named lead
One adviser who knows your business and coordinates support across every country.
Calls in your time zone
Meetings and check-ins arranged at times that work for your managers.
HR software
As a Breathe HR partner, we can set up one system for records, absence and documents.
Clear records
Every case and decision recorded consistently, so you can see what is happening anywhere.
Typical situations
How International Businesses Use Us
Every business is different, but most come to us in one of these situations.
An overseas company opening a UK office
You are hiring your first UK staff and need everything set up correctly from day one.
- UK contracts and staff handbook
- Right to work checks and onboarding
- Payroll and pensions set-up
- Ongoing UK HR advice for your managers
A UK business hiring overseas
You are taking on staff in another country and want them treated consistently with your UK team.
- Group policies with country addenda
- Consistent recruitment and onboarding
- Advice on what changes locally
- One point of contact for every country
A group with teams in several countries
Different managers handle similar issues in different ways and you want one approach.
- A group HR framework
- Manager guides for each location
- Consistent case handling and records
- Regular reviews as the law changes
An acquisition, merger or restructure
You are bringing a UK business into your group, or reorganising teams across borders.
- TUPE transfers and integration
- Harmonising terms and policies
- Redundancy and restructuring support
- Clear communication with staff
Illustrative examples of the support we provide.
Why Clearpath UK
Why International Businesses Choose Us
One HR partner who understands UK employment law and works with teams across borders.
You get one point of contact instead of a different adviser in every country.
UK employment law expertise
Experienced advisers who know UK rules and the changes coming in 2026 and 2027.
Support across borders
We support businesses with people in the UK, the US, Canada, South America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand.
Consistent processes
Group-wide HR that works everywhere, adapted where local rules differ.
Flexible support
Ongoing support, a defined project or extra capacity for your HR team.
Reducing risk
Protection That Travels With Your Business
Every new country brings new employment rules. Good HR support stops a small mistake becoming an expensive dispute.
Waiting for problems to happen
- Contracts written for another country’s law
- Missing UK essentials such as written statements, pensions and right to work checks
- Managers in each country handling issues differently
- Policies that do not keep pace with law changes
- No one local to call when something goes wrong
Protected before problems start
- UK-compliant contracts and a staff handbook
- Payroll and pensions set up properly
- Consistent processes across every location
- Updates on law changes that affect your teams
- An adviser to call the moment something comes up
Getting your employment set-up right at the start costs far less than putting it right after a dispute.
Get a price →Common challenges
International HR Challenges We Solve
These are the issues international businesses bring to us most often. Getting the set-up right early saves time and cost later.
Hiring your first UK employee
Contracts, payroll, pensions and right to work checks in place from day one.
Policies written for another country
Group handbooks that do not meet UK requirements, or local needs elsewhere.
Different processes in each country
Managers handling similar issues in different ways across locations.
UK law changes
Keeping up with the Employment Rights Act 2025 changes coming through 2026 and 2027.
Remote and cross-border teams
Clear, fair processes for teams spread across time zones.
No local HR presence
One partner to call instead of a different adviser in every country.
Wherever your people are, we’ll help you put clear, consistent HR in place.
Get a price →FAQs
International HR Support: Common Questions
How Clearpath UK supports businesses with people in more than one country.
01Which countries do you support?
We support businesses with people in the UK, the US, Canada, South America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. Tell us where your teams are and we’ll confirm how we can help.
02We are an overseas company hiring in the UK. Can you help?
Yes. We can set up UK contracts, a staff handbook, payroll and right to work checks, and advise your team on UK employment law.
03Can you work with our in-house HR team?
Yes. We can support your HR team with UK expertise, extra capacity or specific projects.
04How is pricing worked out?
We agree a scope and price with you before any work starts. Get a price and tell us what you need.
05Do we need a UK company to employ people in the UK?
Not always. An overseas business can employ people in the UK, but it must register with HMRC as an employer and follow UK employment law. We explain the options and work with your accountant on the set-up.
06Is employment in the UK ‘at will’?
No. UK employees have statutory rights, including minimum notice, paid holiday and, after a qualifying period, protection from unfair dismissal. We help your managers follow a fair process.
07Can you support teams in Canada, Australia and New Zealand?
Yes. We support businesses with people in Canada, Australia and New Zealand, as well as the UK, the US, South America and Europe, with consistent HR adapted for local rules.
08How do you work across time zones?
Your named lead arranges calls at times that suit your managers, and we keep clear records so you can see what is happening in every country.
HR support that crosses borders
Tell us where your people are and what you need. We’ll put together a clear proposal and price.
Sectors we support
HR Support for Your Sector
Every sector has its own pressure points. We know the issues that come up most in yours.
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