Our verdict:
Remote is a global Employer of Record (EOR), providing premium compliance and payroll solution for hiring employees internationally. Remote only operates via legal entities or subsidiaries that it owns, maximizing control and legal protection for its clients.
Pros
- Complete client protection through the 'Direct EOR' model
- Clear and transparent pricing
Cons
- Does not currently have universal international coverage
- Some competitors are cheaper in some locations (but also offer less protection)
80+
$599+ per employee
Bank transfers, ACH direct debit, SEPA direct debit, BACS direct debit and all major credit/debit cards
Remote is a fast-growing, recent entry to the Global Employer or Record (EOR) market. Established in just 2019, the company was already valued at $3 billion by April 2022.
Here we look at the key elements of the Remote EOR solution and how it supports client companies with hiring, onboarding, payroll and compliance.
Overview
As a global EOR, Remote becomes the legal employer for professionals located around the world.
Most other global EORs contract with regional or national EORs in foreign countries, who then become the legal employer in that country. This business model adds an extra layer between the job site employer and the employee, opening up greater potential for lapses in compliance and breaches of data security.
Remote stands out in the EOR market for doing things differently: It owns all of the legal entities /subsidiaries it operates through around the world.
Remote serves international employers who want the security of a “full stack” partner, who handles every employee globally within one organization, with no middlemen. This is often known as the “Direct EOR” business model.
Additionally, Remote offers a software platform with API integration, relocation assistance to 20 countries, contractor management in 170 countries, customizable contracts, and assistance with equity incentive schemes for global employees.
Key Features
1. Employer of Record
The Direct EOR model makes Remote responsible for all compliance, payroll, and other workforce-related legal issues. This removes the potential risks that a third-party could bring, and it provides a simpler route for both employers and employees to solve any issues that may come up.
Other EOR features offered by Remote include customizable employment contracts and optional specialized protection for intellectual property. At the time of publication, Remote offered EOR services in 70 countries worldwide.
2. Payroll
Remote’s global payroll services, manage invoices from contractors, automate recurring payments, and handle any necessary deductions for regular employees. Payments are made in local currencies, but all are managed simply through the Remote platform.
3. Human Resources
Onboarding with Remote is a simple automated process; the new employee is invited via email to the platform, they add their details and upload necessary documentation. Remote then verifies that the new hire has the permissions needed to work in their region, and upon approval the new employee is sent an agreement and enrolled in payroll and benefits programs.
Remote can help manage global contractors as well. This service is available for contractors based in over 170 countries, and includes localized contracts that are compliant with regional tax and labor laws. Contractors are invited to enter their own information into the platform and provide the necessary information for onboarding. Their localized contract are signed and invoices submitted through the Remote platform. Clients receive a single payment request for all contractors from Remote, which then pays contractors individually in local currency.
Remote is designed to serve fully global, remote businesses. To that end, it assists clients in relocating employees to a choice of 20 different countries. It can sponsor visas, provide local immigration and tax guidance, relocation assistance, insurance, and even cross-cultural training.
4. Compliance
Since Remote’s global entities are fully owned, they have direct knowledge and experience of local regulatory environments. As the Employer of Record, Remote (via their subsidiary entities) assumes liability for international employees, makes all tax payments, and files all required documentation.
Remote enables payment in local currencies, which is legally required in many countries. It also supports with visas and immigration where necessary. Benefits packages are country-specific, and follow the regulations in that jurisdiction.
For companies that already hire contractors abroad, Remote provides a free Risk Calculator tool. The Risk Calculator helps determine whether contractors are in danger of misclassification and should be hired as salaried employees instead.
Furthermore, in-house experts are on hand to guide clients on local tax reporting and withholding requirements in each country of operation.
For clients that offer equity incentives, Remote can review the the scheme and verify whether it can be offered to their international co-employees. Remote consultants will explain the tax consequences of equity incentives to each jurisdiction, and will handle reporting and withholding when a taxable event is triggered.
Remote’s built-in IP Guard ensures contracts contain maximum IP protection rights available under the laws of each country where they engage employees or contractors.
5. Platform
The Remote platform allows simplified onboarding, payroll processing, and viewing of employee documentation. The platform includes employee self-serve, allowing employees to complete their own onboarding process, view their employment and payroll details, and request time off.
All contractor information such as onboarding status, invoice approvals, and payments, can be viewed in the same place. The platform makes it simple for contractors to sign their contracts and submit invoices through one simple platform as well.
While many large EORs provide a software platform for their services, and many feature some integration with other enterprise software systems, Remote takes it a step further. Remote gives full access to their Application Programming Interface (API). This allows clients to integrate Remote capabilities and functions into their own custom software. API integration is especially useful to large companies with custom software systems, and to enterprise software providers who wish to provide Remote to their clients. The Remote API can be seamlessly embedded into other other platforms, with no separate login required.
Pricing
Pricing. Remote’s pricing is transparent, and based on a flat fee. At the time of writing, fees are $29 per contractor for contractor for contractor management, and $599 per co-employee for PEO/EOR service.
Remote Pros and Cons
Pros
Benefits of partnering with Remote include:
- Greater Control — questions can easily be answered and issues quickly addressed because all employees work directly for Remote, rather than through subcontractors. The Remote platform contains robust client approval processes for employee expenses and other matters, preserving client oversight of their team
- Data security — because Remote is a Direct EOR, no information is passed through the hands of a third-party. This makes it simpler to prevent data breaches and protect company IP
- Transparent pricing — the simple and transparent pricing structure makes it easy for companies to plan their global hiring strategy; they can easily budget their use of co-employees, direct employees, and contractors with no surprises
- Remote API — being able to integrate Remote’s features into custom software opens up many new opportunities.
Cons
Potential disadvantages of working with Remote include:
- Reduced coverage — because Remote owns all of it’s own legal entities, their coverage is less than that offered by other Global EORs that work with contracted partners. Service is currently available in 70 countries for EOR services, however contractor management is available throughout most of the globe
- Cost —while pricing is transparent, it may be too high for some companies. However, this largely reflects the Direct EOR model which, while more costly to run, provides a stronger compliance solution than other Employers of Record.
Unique Selling Point
Remote is a full-stack Global EOR service. in addition to its Direct EOR solution, Remote provides extensive API integration, and transparent pricing. This makes it easy for businesses to integrate Remote into their business model and workflow. The system is centralized and secure, and provides a simple solution for both businesses and their clients.
Remote — a final take
Remote is a simple, effective solution for business wishing to hire remote working professionals around the globe.
Security-conscious businesses will prefer Remote over much of the competition. Having one contracted partner for the entire international workforce means less potential loopholes and risk. The Direct EOR model also helps ensure compliance and faster solutions to compliance and workforce issues. The power of the Direct EOR model is the reason that Remote was judged the number 1 Employer of Record in our 2023 ranking.
Enterprise software businesses who wish to integrate global EOR services into their own offerings will definitely appreciate Remote’s API integration and strong support team. This allows businesses of all varieties to boost their capabilities without becoming a Global EOR themselves.
Clients seeking to fill highly paid professional roles will enjoy the IP protection and will benefit the most, as their cost savings may be much greater than for other companies. The relocation assistance will also be useful for many businesses.
Businesses who must hire employees based in countries not covered by Remote will have to look elsewhere. However, the country is still young and will no doubt continue to open subsidiaries in new markets as time goes by.
RemotePad Score for Remote
4.5/5 Our expert score for Remote
Our team came to this score by considering the following components in the following weightings:
| Employer of Record features | 25% |
| Payroll features | 10% |
| HR features | 10% |
| Compliance features | 10% |
| Platform features | 10% |
| Pricing | 20% |
| User reviews | 15% |
For each component, Remote received the following score:
| Employer of Record features | 20/25 |
| Payroll features | 8/10 |
| HR features | 10/10 |
| Compliance features | 10/10 |
| Platform features | 10/10 |
| Pricing | 18/20 |
| User reviews | 14/15 |
Top competitors
Top provider for:
Compliance
Monthly fee
$599+per employee
Top provider for:
HR support
Monthly fee
$770per employee
FAQ
No. Prior to 2019, the domain remote.com was used for freelancer marketplace/jobs site. Remote, the Employer of Record and HR company, has no connection to that earlier marketplace.
Remote is funded to the amount of $496 million. This was raised over four funding rounds — a seed round, and series A, B, and C funding.
Most recently it raised $300 million in April 2022 via 11 investors, including the SoftBank Vision Fund.
