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The world of work has changed, and many businesses are widening their talent pool to hire across the world. Whether you have a remote workforce across the globe, or have offices in different countries, your people want to feel supported wherever they’re based.
With different regulations, systems and expectations, managing a global employee benefits package across multiple countries can quickly become overwhelming. In this guide, we’ll explain all you need to know about offering an international rewards package that keeps your business competitive and your employees engaged.
International employee benefits are the perks, protections, and compensation you provide to employees working outside your home country; whether that’s expats, globally mobile staff, or people you employ directly in overseas offices.
These benefits are tailored to each country’s employment laws, market expectations, and culture, while still giving your business a consistent, competitive offering that helps you attract and keep the right people.
You’ll typically need this kind of rewards package if you have staff in more than one country, employees who travel or relocate regularly, or key people and senior leaders you want to protect with a higher level of cover. If any of this sounds like your business, you probably already have some international benefits in place; or you’re due to.
Employee benefits look completely different from country to country, shaped by local laws, cultural expectations, and economic conditions. Some countries legally require employer pension contributions or generous parental leave, while others leave far more room for flexibility.
Healthcare is a good example of how quickly things can vary; in countries with strong national healthcare systems, Employee Private Health Insurance may be a nice-to-have, but in others it’s an essential part of the package employees expect.
The more countries your workforce spans, the more regulations you need to consider, and the more tricky things become. Managing a consistent, compliant global benefits strategy is not only an administrative headache, but can get costly without the right approach.
A well-designed global benefits programme not only keeps your business compliant, but helps you build a happier, healthier, and more productive workforce.
Before going any further, it’s worth considering whether an international programme is right for your organisation.
You likely need an international programme if:
You probably don’t need a formal programme yet if:
The right answer for your business depends completely on your headcount and where your people are based. Call 02074425880 or submit an enquiry to discuss your options with our specialist consultants.
One of the biggest decisions for an international employer is whether to use international arrangements, separate local benefits, or a combination of both.
An example of where an multinational employee benefits package can be advantageous is in countries such as the US, UAE, and Saudi Arabia, where employers are legally required to provide Health Insurance for employees (with cover often tied directly to expatriate visas and right of entry).
In this case, you could opt for a single International Health Insurance policy scheme that meets each country’s requirements, rather than a complex patchwork of local plans. The same logic applies across the wider benefits landscape: consolidating benefits into one policy that satisfies multiple regulatory regimes significantly cuts down on administrative complexity.
International arrangements can provide greater consistency across countries and make it easier to establish common standards for employees. They can be particularly useful for internationally mobile employees or where relatively small employee populations are spread across several countries.
Locally sourced benefits can be better aligned with the regulations, healthcare systems, tax treatment and employee expectations of a particular market. For businesses with significant employee populations in individual countries, local arrangements may also provide greater choice.
Many international employers don’t choose exclusively between the two. Instead, they establish a global minimum standard for certain benefits while allowing individual countries to provide additional benefits based on local requirements and expectations.
International schemes can offer a higher standard of cover, which many businesses find worth investing in; especially for expat employees leading an important overseas project or office.
Nadeem Farid
Head of Health & Wellbeing Benefits
International benefit packages work much like domestic ones; outlining the bonuses, allowances, and incentives employees receive on top of statutory entitlements. The difference is that with an international team, these packages need to comply with local laws and regulations in every country you operate in, while still forming a coherent overall offering.
Across most countries, a handful of benefits form the backbone of any package; usually referred to as core benefits. These typically include:
Retirement saving is also a core benefit in most markets, typically involving Workplace Pension contributions that may be mandatory or voluntary depending on local law.
Many businesses also offer tax-efficient products (such as health savings accounts, flexible spending accounts, or salary sacrifice schemes) which reduce taxable income for both employer and employee, though these need careful structuring to stay compliant with local tax rules.
Beyond core benefits, many countries mandate their own unique requirements. A few examples:
These local requirements can catch businesses out if they’re not factored into planning from the start.
Whether that’s remote work, hybrid schemes, or flexible hours, flexible working is one of the fastest-growing benefits globally, and in some countries is now a legal requirement rather than a perk. Flexible and remote working options consistently top the list of employees’ most-wanted benefits¹³, offering a golden opportunity to keep your employees happy and engaged.
Beyond the core offering, many businesses add voluntary benefits to boost engagement and differentiate their package: wellness programmes (gym memberships, Cycle-to-Work schemes), mental health support (therapy coverage, mindfulness apps), childcare support, learning and development budgets, equity, enhanced pension contributions, and financial wellness support such as budgeting tools or financial coaching.
Rather than a fixed package, some businesses let employees choose what matters most to them; opting in or out of specific benefits, or spending an allowance on whatever suits their needs. This approach is low-cost for employers but can have a high impact on employee satisfaction, since people only use what they actually value.
Joseph Toft
Senior Employee Benefits Consultant
Building a benefits policy for a global team means balancing local requirements with a coherent, company-wide approach. Here are the key areas to think through.
Every country has its own legal requirements. From compulsory Company Health Insurance to mandatory retirement contributions, getting to grips with these differences is crucial. Compliance protects your business from legal risk and ensures every employee is treated fairly, no matter where they sit in the world.
Statutory leave shows just how much this can vary. In the US, there’s no federally mandated time off (although the Family and Medical Leave Act¹ makes certain exceptions), while in France employees receive 30 days a year² on top of public holidays.
Maternity leave tells a similar story; Malta offers 18 weeks³ at a set weekly rate, while Bulgaria provides 410 days⁴ at 90% of average gross salary. Less obvious entitlements can catch businesses out too: Portugal requires employers to fund 40 hours⁵ of certified training per employee annually, and countries such as Poland⁶ and Croatia⁷ require a home-working allowance to cover remote employees’ electricity and internet costs.
Beyond meeting local law, it’s worth defining a core set of benefits that every employee receives, wherever they’re based. This creates a level of consistency across your workforce and demonstrates a genuine, company-wide commitment to employee wellbeing.
Compliance and consistency only go so far; you also need to understand what employees in each market actually value. A benefit that feels essential in one country might mean very little in another, so shaping your offering around local expectations is key to making it genuinely competitive.
Get the balance right across these three areas, and you’ll have a benefits strategy that becomes a real asset for winning and keeping top talent, wherever your people are in the world.
You can choose to harmonise benefits across your business, or you can follow local norms in each country. What matters is deciding early and being transparent with employees about it from the outset.
Jasmine Charles
Head of Corporate Employee Benefits
Once you understand the considerations at play, the next step is putting a plan into action. Here’s how to approach it.
Before you design anything, get clear on what your benefits strategy needs to achieve. This might be attracting talent in new markets, supporting expatriate staff, or protecting key personnel. Whatever it is, this “why” becomes your reference point for every decision that follows.
Your approach will differ depending on how your business is structured internationally. You might be a large multinational with people spread across many locations and no single HQ, a business with one dominant HQ and a few smaller satellite offices, or a fully distributed company with small numbers of employees in many different countries. Knowing which describes you shapes everything from budget to benefit design.
Before you can design anything, you need to map your workforce: where your people are based, headcount in each country, whether they’re locally employed or employed internationally, and what benefits and policies are already in place. This map should then be read alongside two things: local requirements (the statutory benefits, leave entitlements, and social security obligations that vary by country and carry real compliance risk if ignored) and competitor benchmarking (what other companies are offering employees in the same locations, so your package is competitive for local talent, not just consistent with head office).
Know what you have to work with before you start planning in detail; it’s the only way to keep your strategy realistic. It’s also worth remembering that not every benefit costs money; some, like remote working arrangements, can actually reduce your operating costs.
Decide whether you want to harmonise benefits globally, bringing every employee up to the same standard regardless of location, or follow local market norms in each country. Many businesses land somewhere in between; harmonising certain benefits while letting others follow local practice. Whichever direction you choose, set it early and be transparent with employees from the point you start hiring internationally.
Survey your employees to understand what they actually value, rather than assuming; this is one of the best ways to avoid low employee engagement. You’ll also need to decide between international benefit plans or benefits tailored to local markets. Local plans can be more budget-friendly and better suited to local needs, but if your headcount in a given country is small, an international plan may be the more practical option.
From here, you can either approach providers individually or work with a specialist employee benefits consultant (like us). Negotiating directly with multiple providers across multiple countries can quickly become complex, so many businesses find it more efficient to have a specialist manage sourcing and negotiation on their behalf.
Our consultants work with businesses of all shapes and sizes, helping them set up and manage the competitive rewards packages for their diverse teams. Call 02074425880 for a free, no-obligation consultation, or submit an enquiry to discuss your options.
A well-designed benefits package only delivers value if employees understand it and know how to use it. Invest time in clear communication when you launch; many businesses that skip this step risk poor engagement despite a strong offering.
Benefits communication should support your broader business and workforce objectives: if your benefits are designed to influence attraction and retention, then how they’re communicated matters just as much as what’s offered.
Nadeem Farid
Head of Health & Wellbeing Benefits
The work on your global benefits doesn’t end after setup. Rewards need to be kept up to date as your workforce changes: new starters, leavers, and evolving employee needs all require ongoing management. This administrative load is one of the biggest challenges HR teams face internationally, alongside legal compliance, consistent application of benefits, and cost control.
When you set up your benefits through us, we’ll manage everything from the implementation, delivery, and communications to ensure you’re getting the most out of your budget.
Revisit your benefits strategy at least once a year. Ask whether it’s still valued by staff, whether regulations have changed, whether your providers still align with your culture, and whether you’re getting good value. Regular review keeps your programme relevant and ensures you’re getting the best possible return on investment.
Getting this right across multiple countries takes time and specialist knowledge; which is exactly where an experienced international benefits consultant can help, from initial design through to ongoing management and renewal. Call 02074425880 for a free, no-obligation consultation, or make an enquiry to discuss your options.
Jasmine Charles
Head of Corporate Employee Benefits
Like with all employee benefits, different factors will impact cost, e.g. number of employees and the type of benefit etc. However, when it comes to international benefits, there are a few other things that you need to consider.
To get a better idea of what your international employee benefits will cost, speak to our specialist consultants on 02074425880.
Designing a programme is one thing. Keeping it running well, year after year, as headcount shifts and countries are added, is a separate discipline; and it’s where a lot of otherwise well-designed programmes start to drift.
An international programme needs a different renewal discipline to a single-country UK scheme. A few things are worth building into your renewal calendar specifically:
Most employers running an international programme use a consultant or adviser to manage it on an ongoing basis, rather than handling renewals and country-by-country queries in-house. The value of good advice cannot be overstated.
A specialist consultant will be able to:
Over 25%¹⁴ of employers are still using static spreadsheets and manual paperwork to manage their employee benefits admin. As a result, nearly half* have experienced at least one data error in the past year. When it comes to global employee benefits, using an employee benefits platform to manage the day-to-day just makes sense.
Clever technology such as our My.Drewberry platform gives you:
My.Drewberry shows employees their rewards in a tangible format. They’re just a click away from their pension or being able to access medical care. It’s been revolutionary for our staff to take charge of their employee benefits themselves.
Kelly Games
HR Manager at Dryrobe
Not necessarily. Most international group policies cover employees across multiple countries under a single master policy, subject to local admitted-insurance rules in each one. Whether you need genuinely separate local policies depends on where your people are and how many are in each location.
Often, yes. It’s common to have one or two people in a country where you have no registered entity; often because they’re engaged through an Employer of Record, or moving from contractor to employee status. International group policies are generally more flexible here than domestic ones, since many are built to cover people in countries where the employer has no local presence. It’s still worth confirming this explicitly for each country in question, since insurer appetite varies by location and headcount.
Personal expat insurance is bought by an individual for themselves. An international employee benefits programme is arranged and paid for by you as the employer, covers a defined group of employees under consistent terms, and is managed centrally rather than policy by policy.
For larger international employers, multinational pooling can potentially provide another way to manage insured employee benefits across several countries. Rather than viewing each country’s insurance arrangements entirely separately, eligible local policies can be brought together within a wider international arrangement.
Depending on the structure and insurer, this may provide greater oversight of international insurance costs and claims experience. Multinational pooling isn’t appropriate for every organisation, and suitability will depend on factors including employee numbers, countries, insurers and existing arrangements.
An international benefits consultant can help you understand whether this type of arrangement is worth considering. Give us a call on 02074425880 or email help@drewberry.co.uk.
At least once a year, though more frequent check-ins are worth building in if you’re growing quickly or expanding into new markets. An annual review lets you keep pace with changing local regulations, shifting competitor benchmarks, and evolving workforce needs. It’s also worth triggering an ad hoc review any time you enter a new country, hit a significant headcount milestone in an existing location, or see a material change in local employment law.
Designing a global employee benefits programme is an ongoing balance between compliance, cost, and what your people actually value. It’s not a one off, needing to be revisited as your business and your workforce change. That’s a lot to hold in-house alongside everything else HR is responsible for.
If you’d like an experienced consultant to review your current provision, or help you design a programme from scratch, our team is happy to talk through your options with no obligation. Call 02074425880, or submit an enquiry to get started.
There isn’t one international benefits package that works for every organisation. The right approach depends on where your employees are based, how many people you employ in each country, what you already provide and what you’re trying to achieve.
Our consultants can help with:
Employee benefits can be a headache. But our specialists do this day-in, day-out, offering first class service when you need it most. Here’s why you should talk to us:
¹https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fmla
²https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F2258?lang=en
³https://dier.gov.mt/en/services/employment-conditions/leave/maternity-leave/
⁴https://www.mi.government.bg/en/general/rabotno-vreme-i-otpuski/
⁵https://portugalglobal.pt/en/investment/doing-business/labour-system/
⁶https://cms.law/en/int/expert-guides/cms-expert-guide-to-remote-working/Poland
⁷https://cms.law/en/int/expert-guides/cms-expert-guide-to-remote-working/Croatia
⁸https://business.gov.nl/staff/terms-of-employment/paying-holiday-allowance-to-your-staff/
⁹https://www.biznes.gov.pl/en/portal/001825
¹⁰https://labour.delhi.gov.in/labour/payment-gratuity-act-1972
¹¹https://asanify.com/blog/human-resources/13th-month-pay-meaning-2026/
¹²https://entreprendre.service-public.gouv.fr/vosdroits/F38002?lang=en
¹³https://www.drewberryinsurance.co.uk/news/employee-benefits/benefits-employees-really-want
¹⁴https://www.drewberryinsurance.co.uk/news/employee-benefits/benchmarking-2026-ditch-the-spreadsheet
