Overseas Employment

1. Overseas Employment Krister Anderson International Program Consultant, Global Support Services krister_anderson@harvard.edu

2. Agenda • What is Global Support Services (GSS)? • Overseas Employment Trends • Six International Hiring Options • Overseas Employment Resources

3. Global Support Services (GSS) • University-wide • Dual mission: • Support and enable international projects and travel • Mitigate risks to the University and individuals • 3 teams: • Client Services • International Safety & Security • Harvard Global Research and Support Services, Inc. (“Harvard Global” or “HG”, a separate legal entity)

4. Overseas Employment Trends • Substantial amount of employment questions (~25% of GSS caseload) • Strong upward trajectory in use of global PEOs

5. Overseas Employment Options • Frequent travel by U.S.-based staff • Partner with Established Organization • Hire via Harvard Global • Leverage an existing Harvard entity • Contract with a Professional Employer Organization • Engage as an independent contractor

6. 1. Frequent Travel by U.S. Staff • Evaluate program needs and determine if U.S.-based staff is an option. Staff must be a resident of MA and spend less than 6 months overseas. • Pros • Avoids employment complications, still have Harvard affiliation and benefits • Cons • Travel & visa expenses, potential foreign tax liability

7. 2. Partner with Established Org. • Work with a local partner to hire staff. • Pros • Partner handles tax and labor law compliance • Fees typically less than other options • Cons • May not be able to sponsor visas • Little or no control over benefits and no Harvard affiliation

8. 3. Hire via Harvard Global • Harvard Global is an affiliated non-profit based in Cambridge that can employ staff under certain agreements or if it has an established office. • Pros • Harvard University affiliation w/ID and access to Harvard systems • Relatively low cost • Cons • May take awhile and visa sponsorship is limited • Only an option in select countries thus far

9. 4. Leverage Existing Harvard Org. • Harvard has many entities that may be able to employ staff. • Pros • Harvard University affiliation and low admin fee • Cons • Limited availability, widely varying benefits, and limited visa sponsorship

10. 5. Use a PEO • A professional employer organization (PEO) provides employment services, including human resource and payroll services, similar to a temporary staffing agency. • Pros • Widely available and limited risk, since PEO handles tax and labor law compliance • Cons • High admin cost, with little control over benefits • No Harvard University affiliation

11. 6. Use an Independent Contractor • Hire an independent contractor (IC) if permissible under local law. MA law irrelevant though many of the principle overlap with foreign laws. • Pros • Relatively fast implementation, IC responsible for taxes, office space, obtaining visas/work permits • Cons • No Harvard University affiliation • Increasing restrictions on ICs globally and significant penalties for a program/school if the employee is found to be misclassified

12. Overseas Employment Resources - GSS Website: globalsupport.harvard.edu/manage-projects/staffing • - International Employment Reference Guide on website • - GSS International Program Consultants

13. Questions? Krister Anderson International Program Consultant for FAS, SEAS, GSE, CADM, Radcliffe, HDS, GSD krister_anderson@harvard.edu Morgan Brown Senior International Program Consultant for HBS, HLS, HMS, HSPH, HSDM morgan_brown@harvard.edu globalsupport.harvard.edu