Compliance isn’t just a task.
For many organisations, compliance still feels like a barrier. Something that slows down hiring, expansion, or innovation. However, for globally minded HR professionals, it's increasingly being seen as a strategic enabler.
When asked what global HR compliance really means today, Chris Blinkhorne, Head of International Compliance & Governance here at SD Worx, was quick to emphasise its breadth. “It’s not just about payroll or contracts,” she said. “It’s about aligning everything your business wants to do, like hiring, rewarding, and expanding, with what the law allows in every location where your people are based and adapting that in line with constantly changing local legislation.”
That includes employment terms, tax and social security, working hours, statutory leave, immigration, GDPR, and health and safety regulations. “The complexity varies,” she added. “For some, it’s managing large international headcounts; for others, it’s about one remote hire. But the core need remains control, visibility, and confidence.”
Compliance is one of the biggest blockers to going international. But it doesn’t have to be.
Fear of getting it wrong holds a lot of businesses back. “We see this time and again,” said Chris. “A company sees an opportunity in another market, but they’re nervous. Do we need to open a legal entity? Will our contracts hold up? What are the payroll obligations?”
According to Chris, that hesitation is valid, but not inevitable. “The companies that move forward are the ones that start treating compliance as a design challenge, not just a legal risk. They ask: how do we build a structure that allows us to grow without constantly firefighting, while also protecting the employee experience? Because when compliance fails, employees feel it first. Whether it’s a delayed payslip or confusion around their contract, trust is on the line.”
That structure can look different depending on the company’s goals and maturity level. But the principle is the same: invest in clarity and repeatability early, so you’re not reinventing the process every time you cross a border.
HR should design for repeatability, not perfection.
According to the SD Worx HR & Payroll Pulse—Europe’s biggest annual HR survey—43% of international companies are already investing in legal compliance and adapting to local labour laws, and the same amount plan to do so in future. Compliance is clearly a growing priority.
What differentiates the most effective HR teams, Chris said, is their mindset. “They design for scale—not just in numbers but in process. They find ways to standardise and automate while allowing for local nuance.” That could mean deploying a central employment framework adaptable to local laws, or leveraging technology to flag compliance risks and maintain accuracy. “It’s not about having one-size-fits-all policies,” she clarified. “It’s about creating a shared foundation that supports variation without chaos.”
She also noted that many high-performing teams are shifting away from treating compliance as something that belongs solely to legal or payroll. “It’s becoming a multidisciplinary effort, involving HR, finance, tech and leadership, because it touches so many parts of the employee experience.”
If your systems don’t surface insight, they’re not doing their job.
Technology, according to Chris, is essential for managing compliance in a rapidly evolving legal environment, “Smart teams don’t just invest in tools,” she explained. “They use systems that flag anomalies, surface gaps, and automate the basics. That way, you’re not spending your time chasing down signatures or double-checking statutory pay calculations.”
She also noted that the pace of legislative change can easily overwhelm HR and payroll teams if agility isn’t built in. “The volume of updates is growing. That’s where the right tech, or even AI-powered tools, can make a difference: scanning for changes, highlighting what’s relevant, and helping teams stay ahead without burning out.”
She added that global HR platforms are most effective when they combine local compliance logic with central oversight. “You need systems that ensure compliance with local rules while giving you real-time visibility across all regions.”
Done well, technology enables HR to focus on performance, culture, and growth—not just employment law. “The best compliance systems are practically invisible—they just work,” Chris concluded.
Good compliance is the difference between saying no and saying how.
For HR teams tasked with enabling global growth, compliance isn’t just about avoiding risk. It’s about unlocking possibilities. “It changes the conversation at leadership level,” Chris said. “Instead of blocking a new hire because you’re unsure about the legal setup, you can come prepared with a path forward. You can say, ‘Here’s what we’ll need to make this happen.’ That’s a powerful shift.”
She also pointed out that consistent compliance contributes to employee trust and employer brand. “If someone joins your company in Denmark or Italy or the UK, their experience should feel equally robust and fair. That’s not just a compliance issue, that’s an HR credibility issue.”
You don’t need to do everything at once. But you do need to start.
When asked for a final takeaway, Chris offered a note of realism. “Don’t aim for perfection. Aim for sustainability,” she said. “Start with the areas of greatest risk. Maybe that’s payroll, maybe it’s contracts, maybe it’s GDPR. Build systems that give you confidence in those areas and then layer on from there.”
She also encourages HR professionals to lean on expert support when they need it. “You don’t have to know every rule in every country. But you do need partners who do, and who can translate that knowledge into solutions that actually work for your team.”
That’s already common practice for many. As Chris puts it, “Our research shows that 1 in 3 international companies turn to HR and payroll service providers or official regulatory sources to stay updated on legislation affecting their workforce. The right information, at the right time, is often the difference between confident compliance and constant catch-up.”
