Independent contractors or freelancers are self-employed individuals who provide services to companies as a non-employee. This is one of the most common ways companies tend to hire non-local designers, engineers, support reps, etc.
For legal and tax purposes, independent contractors are not classified as employees. They may work for multiple clients, set their own work hours, negotiate their pay rate, and decide how a job gets done.
For example, the IRS says that if an independent contractor or freelancer does work that can be controlled (what will be done and how it will be done) by an employer then they are, in fact, classified as an employee.
As you can imagine, hiring someone as an independent contractor versus an employee is a fine line to tread.
While there are benefits when you choose the contractor route, there are quite a few drawbacks to consider and you’ll need to weigh them carefully to determine the best fit for your company.
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A foreign subsidiary is a company that operates overseas as part of a larger company who’s HQ is in another country.
Establishing a foreign entity is great for having an international presence and accessing new markets. Though, setting up a subsidiary in Mozambique can be expensive, stressful, and time-consuming. It's not for the faint of heart.
To set up a subsidiary in Mozambique, you have to:
If you're lucky, this process can take months. If you're not so lucky, it can take up to a year. And on average, it costs about $50k-$80k, all-in-all, to get setup. And that's just for Mozambique.
An employer-of-record (EOR) is a company that hires and pays an employee on behalf of another company.
An EOR is typically used to overcome the financial and regulatory hurdles that often come with employing remote workers.
Each country has its own payroll, employment, and work permit requirements for non-resident companies doing business in their jurisdiction. Meeting those demands can be a huge obstacle when it comes to hiring remotely.
At Panther, we help companies employ and pay people in over 160 countries, without having to set up a foreign subsidiary. Payroll, benefits, taxes, compliance, and more are all handled by us, at a fraction of the cost.
Outside of saving you months and tens of thousands of dollars, other advantages of using Panther are:
Because you no longer have to set up your own subsidiary, you’ll save a ton of time and tens of thousands of dollars using Panther.
Paying employees in Mozambique is not the same as paying workers in your own country. Employees have to be paid using Mozambique's employment and payroll standards.
This means that you have to know, understand, and keep up with 1) fluctuating currency changes, and 2) local payroll and tax laws in the countries you’re looking to hire in.
Outside of the laws and regulations around payroll, there may be different conditions surrounding leave, overtime, termination, and more. As you can imagine, maintaining this kind of regulatory knowledge can be challenging. But it is crucial and necessary to follow local legislation.
After, you’ll have to determine the best way to pay your international employees. This can be done in a number of ways, including but not limited to:
One of the most challenging (and expensive) parts of paying international employees is setting up the infrastructure to do so.
Before you start to run payroll, you have to register your company as the local employer in the country the worker resides in. As you can see in the “Set up a subsidiary” section, this is a multi-step process that can take up to a year and put you on your way to bankruptcy.
Outside of EORs acting as the full admin employer, many also provide remote payroll.
For example, at Panther, in just 1-click, you’re able to pay your entire global team, anywhere in the world. We send you an invoice each month, charge you in US Dollars, and pay your employees the same amount in their local currency.
We factor in currency fluctuations and use the mid-market rate plus any applicable fee passed on by our provider at cost at the time of billing.
The standard workweek in Mozambique is 40 hours a week and eight hour a day.
Overtime in Mozambique of up to 200 hours per year is permitted, with compensation.
Employer
The typical payroll cycle in Mozambique are generally paid on a monthly basis.
In Mozambique, employers are not required to pay bonuses but performance-based and seniority bonuses are common.
Employees are entitled to 30 days’ leave per year. Employees accrue their annual paid leave during their first year of employment with an organisation at a rate of one day per month worked.
This doubles to two days per month in their second year.
There are 10 public holidays.
Employees can get compensation for their time out of work due to illness through the National Social Security Institute.
Employees also may be eligible for benefits under Mozambique’s social security system. Eligible employees receive 70% of their average daily earnings for up to 365 days after a three-day waiting period.
Female employees are entitled to 60 days, which may begin up to 20 days before the due date; however, sick leave is considered a justified absence if the employee can provide a medical certificate.
Employees receive 100% of their average daily earnings if they have made at least 12 months of contributions in the 18 months before the expected due date
Male employees are entitled to one day of paternity leave, every two years; it must be taken the day immediately following the birth.
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Employees in Mozambique may also be entitled to:
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In Mozambique, employee may receive 5 days of bereavement leave.
A mutual agreement by the employer and employee to terminate the employment relationship must be in writing and identify the effective date. Employment contracts can expire or be terminated by mutual agreement or by either party (with or without just cause).
An employment contract expires at the end of its term if for a fixed period, on the completion of work, or upon the death of the employer or employee.
An employer can terminate but he/she must provide prior notice 30 days before the date of termination & the employee is eligible to receive compensation in this case.
Severance pay in Mozambique depends on the circumstances of the termination and the employee’s contract type.
The probation period in Mozambique is 90 days.
