As a business expands into new international markets, one of the most critical foundations for success is a robust and compliant Human Resources (HR) framework. Managing people across different jurisdictions introduces a new layer of complexity, from navigating diverse employment laws and cultural norms to establishing consistent internal policies that support your company's growth. A well-designed HR structure does more than just ensure legal compliance; it creates a clear and fair environment for your employees, streamlines administrative processes, and provides a scalable platform for future expansion. Zetland Fiduciary Group helps growth companies and international subsidiaries to formalise these essential HR foundations. We work with you to put in place the core elements of a professional HR function, including compliant employment contracts, clear company policies, efficient approval workflows, and seamless interfaces with your payroll system. Our approach is practical and hands-on. We focus on designing processes and creating documentation that are not only fully aligned with local employment law in each jurisdiction but are also straightforward to operate, easy for your employees to understand, and robust enough to withstand the scrutiny of an audit. By establishing these fundamentals, you can manage your team with confidence, mitigate employment-related risks, and create a positive and productive workplace culture that supports your long-term business objectives. This proactive approach to HR structuring is an investment in your company's stability and scalability, ensuring that as your headcount grows, your administrative and compliance frameworks can grow with it seamlessly.
Hong Kong's employment landscape is governed by the Employment Ordinance, which sets out the minimum rights and protections for employees. Our HR structuring service in Hong Kong is designed to ensure your business is fully compliant with this key legislation and follows local best practices. We begin by drafting bilingual employment contracts that are not only legally sound but also clearly define the terms of employment, including job duties, remuneration, working hours, and termination clauses. We then work with you to develop a comprehensive staff handbook, which is essential for communicating your company's internal policies and procedures to your team. This handbook will typically cover topics such as leave entitlements, health and safety guidelines, codes of conduct, and data privacy policies, ensuring consistency and clarity in how your business operates. To enhance governance and operational efficiency, we help you to establish a formal approval matrix for HR-related decisions, such as hiring, promotions, and salary adjustments. We also assist in documenting clear policies for travel and expense claims, a common area of administrative friction. A key part of our service is to streamline your employee lifecycle processes. We develop practical checklists and standardised documentation for both onboarding and off-boarding, which ensures a professional and consistent experience for all employees and protects the company's interests during staff transitions. We also manage the setup of your Hong Kong payroll, ensuring compliance with the Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) scheme and the timely filing of employer's returns with the Inland Revenue Department. Our structured approach delivers a fully documented and compliant HR framework, providing a solid foundation for managing your Hong Kong team effectively.
The HR and employment environment in Mainland China is significantly more complex and regulated than in many other jurisdictions, making a robust and compliant structure absolutely essential. Our Shanghai team provides expert guidance on navigating the intricate requirements of Chinese Labour Law. We specialise in the drafting of detailed, bilingual employment contracts that are not only compliant with national and local regulations but also include specific provisions to protect the employer's interests, particularly concerning probation periods, confidentiality, and non-competition. A critical component of our service is the development of a 'Rules and Regulations' handbook. In China, this is a legally significant document that, if implemented correctly, can give the employer the right to take disciplinary action, including termination. We manage the legally prescribed process for implementing this handbook, which involves consultation with employees. We also provide comprehensive advice on the setup and management of your company's social security and housing fund obligations, which are mandatory for all employees and vary by city. We manage the initial registration with the relevant bureaus and ensure that your payroll system is configured to calculate and make these contributions correctly. Our service includes the establishment of clear policies and procedures for managing employee leave, including the generous statutory annual leave and sick leave entitlements. We also assist in structuring your payroll to be fully compliant with the Individual Income Tax (IIT) regulations, including the handling of special deductions. By creating a meticulously documented and fully compliant HR framework, we help you to mitigate the significant legal and financial risks associated with employment in China, allowing you to build and manage your team with confidence.
Zetland Fiduciary Group operates a global network of offices to support clients across key international financial hubs. Whether you are seeking guidance on company formation, trust administration, accounting, or cross-border transactions, our local experts in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore, and London are ready to assist.
Contact any of our offices directly for tailored advice and seamless service.